Inside the Engine Room: Mac Allister and Liverpool Teammate Shine Light on Arne Slot’s New Set-up

Liverpool’s midfield, especially the unsuccessful search for a new defensive midfielder, has been a central topic of discussions since the beginning of the Arne Slot era.

Initially, Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi was considered for the position, but a last-minute change of plans led to the Reds fielding some well-known players during their Premier League opener against Ipswich Town on Saturday.

Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch took on the ‘double pivot’ role, while Dominik Szoboszlai played as a number 10, positioned just behind Diogo Jota, who was the main striker.

After the match, Mac Allister discussed the tactical changes introduced by the new coach. Speaking with Viaplay, in an interview later shared on the club’s official website, Mac Allister explained how Slot’s strategy requires players to maintain greater positional discipline.

“I think this manager asks more to stay in the position, and that’s maybe like a different structure,” said Mac Allister.

Nevertheless, despite the new structure, Mac Allister noted “the principles are the same”.

“We know that defensively we have to run, we have to give our 100 per cent, the last two steps are so important and that can make the difference,” he explained.

“There is a couple of changes, not much, but I think Arne can help us to be a better team.”

Szoboszlai, who played a crucial role in Liverpool’s success at Portman Road, discussed the new formation with LFCTV. He echoed Mac Allister’s views on the shift from Klopp’s previous tactics.

“We played differently a little bit because we played with one No.6 and two No.8s, with one of the No.8s dropping as a No.6,” Szoboszlai said.

“Now we played with one No.6, one No.8 and one No.10, and I had the role of the No.10.”

The Hungary captain explained that despite these changes, certain responsibilities have remained consistent.

“I think I have more offensive work with the ball, but without the ball, I still have to do my stuff anyway, so the same as last season.”

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