Jamie Carragher and Micah Richards agree on Liverpool star who is now a 'real problem'
Liverpool were held to a 1-1 draw against Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League.
Micah Richards has suggested that Liverpool need to assess Alexis Mac Allister’s role in the starting line-up.
The Argentina international’s form has dropped markedly this season amid the Reds’ struggles. Despite being a World Cup winner and a mainstay in the Liverpool team that won the Premier League title last campaign, with Mac Allister named in the PFA Team of the Year, he has has his struggles in 2025-26.
Liverpool’s 1-1 draw against ailing Tottenham Hotspur underlined Mac Allister’s issues. Although the midfielder earned the free-kick that led to Dominik Szoboszlai opening the scoring, Mac Allister won just two of 12 ground duels he contested and was dribbled past four times.
Arne Slot is under pressure as head coach ahead of Galatasaray’s visit to Anfield in the Champions League last 16 first leg, with the Turkish outfit holding a 1-0 aggregate lead. Richards believes that Szoboszlai must be restored to the engine room from right-back - and Mac Allister’s role needs to be looked at.
Speaking on The Rest Is Football podcast, former Manchester City defender Richards said: “The balance in midfield when Szoboszlai doesn’t play in there is not the same. It misses that energy. It’s not only what he does going forward – the amount of times he works back and has that energy in midfield and keeps them going.
“Mac Allister at the moment is struggling off the ball. On the ball [he’s] neat and tidy, but he’s getting overrun in midfield, and they need to look at that. Liverpool are a better side when Szoboszlai is in midfield because of his energy.”
Kop legend Jamie Carragher also felt that Mac Allister endured his woes and struggled to cover ground against Spurs. “The longer the games go on the more Mac Allister struggles, I think that’s a real problem for Liverpool that they need to address in midfield,” said the former Reds centre-back on Sky Sports co-commentary duty.
“Curtis Jones comes on and the game goes end to end, he takes on the Wirtz role and I don’t know why, he’s not that player. There’s too much space when the game opens up and Mac Allister can’t cover it.”