Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister faced criticism last season, but former Liverpool star Dietmar Hamann believes the Argentine was unfairly singled out despite the team's wider midfield struggles
Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool
Alexis Mac Allister of Liverpool(Image: Nikki Dyer - LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)
Liverpool Champions League winner Dietmar Hamann believes Alexis Mac Allister was unjustly targeted for criticism last season — yet has called for a shake-up in the Reds' midfield.
Mac Allister was amongst several players to find themselves in the firing line for their disappointing displays during a woeful defence of the Premier League title.
This fuelled speculation regarding a potential departure from Anfield over the summer, though the Argentine international is set to return to the AXA Training Centre next week following his country's run to the recent World Cup final. Hamann remains firm in his conviction that Mac Allister fell victim to his own previously high standards, and that expectations ought to be kept in check in the near term under new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.
"He was singled out unfairly a lot of the time because, being a World Cup winner, people expected more of him," said the former Liverpool stalwart.
"The criticism was a bit over the top last season. But then again, if you're a high-profile player, the one thing you can't control is expectations. And I think that was part of the problem with him last season.
"Even though he's not played well, obviously he wasn't the only one. The issues were far, far bigger and far deeper than everything just being Alexis Mac Allister's fault."
Hamann went on to add: "He had a good World Cup, and has had a short break as well. He's probably only had three weeks to prepare for the season, and sometimes we see the consequences when the season starts.
"He's just a player who keeps things ticking over. He can nick a goal and has scored some important ones."
Iraola has already signalled that Mac Allister's delayed return to pre-season training makes a starting berth unlikely during the opening weeks of the Premier League campaign, which gets under way for Liverpool at Newcastle United on August 23.
It comes amid shock transfer links to Manchester City although that does not appear a deal Liverpool would consider.
Alexis Mac Allister after the World Cup final
Alexis Mac Allister after the World Cup final(Image: Andrew Harnik, Getty Images)
Hamann has suggested the Argentine may have slipped behind both Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai in the midfield hierarchy, calling on Iraola to hand the former a dedicated defensive role in the engine room.
"You want a defence-minded player in midfield, and there's Ryan Gravenberch," he said. "Even though in his earlier days he was probably a more attacking player, he played the role really well because Liverpool have got four or five players ahead of him who can cause problems and damage going forward.
"You've just got to keep it simple and obviously give them the freedom to do what they do best, and Ryan Gravenberch is well capable of doing that.
"I have been very impressed with Dominik Szoboszlai. Even in a struggling side last season he probably was, along with Hugo Ekitike, someone who came out the other side with some credit. He's played at right-back, so he doesn't mind doing the defensive side for the team.
"But I'd probably prefer Ryan Gravenberch playing in that position on his own, because he's got a bit more physical presence and he reads the game really well. So I think that Gravenberch will play there this season. Obviously, Szoboszlai, is an asset to have because he's so versatile, but he's got those attacking qualities too."