Alexis Mac Allister is playing the best football we have seen from him in a Liverpool shirt for well over a year.
And yet, somehow, I don’t think Liverpool’s midfield problem has been completely solved.
That might sound strange after watching Mac Allister’s recent performances.
But this is less about one individual player and more about how the three midfielders fit together.
According to Lewis Steele, Andoni Iraola does not believe Liverpool’s midfield conundrum is necessarily a personnel problem.
Instead, he wants his midfield to have a clear structure:
One No.6.One No.8.
One No.10.
On paper, that sounds straightforward.
In reality, it hasn’t always looked that way.
Because Liverpool have too often ended up with three players wanting to operate in the same areas.
And that is where Trey Nyoni becomes extremely interesting.
Mac Allister Has Rediscovered Himself
Let’s start with the obvious positive.
Alexis Mac Allister looks like Alexis Mac Allister again.
There was a period last season when the Argentine didn’t look anything like the player Liverpool supporters had become accustomed to seeing.
His influence wasn’t the same.
His sharpness wasn’t the same.
And there were games when it felt like Liverpool were missing his ability to control the tempo from midfield.
That has changed.
Iraola clearly appreciates what Mac Allister brings.
He described him as a “smart player” after his performance against Ipswich, specifically praising his understanding of positioning.
And Mac Allister was back in the starting XI for Liverpool’s 1-0 victory at Bournemouth.
That was significant.
Because Iraola could have gone with other combinations.
Instead, Macca was trusted again.
And right now, he looks like one of the first names on the teamsheet.
But What Exactly Is Iraola Looking For?
This is where the midfield discussion gets fascinating.
Iraola wants a No.6.
Someone who can sit.
Someone who understands positioning.
Someone who protects the defence.
Then he wants a No.8.
Someone capable of covering ground, progressing the ball and contributing at both ends.
And then there is the No.10.
That player gets freedom.
They find pockets.
They connect midfield with the attack.
They create.
They take risks.
The problem is that Liverpool have several players who naturally want to be that third player.
They want to be the No.10.
And when that happens, the midfield can become crowded.
Players get in each other’s way.
The distances become wrong.
The No.6 gets dragged forward.
The No.8 wants to attack.
The No.10 drops deeper to find the ball.
Suddenly Liverpool have three midfielders occupying the same zones.
That’s not necessarily a lack of quality.
It is a lack of balance.
And This Is Why Trey Nyoni Has Become So Interesting
Trey Nyoni might offer Iraola something different.
The 19-year-old has already impressed in cameos and cup football this season, and his performance against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup only strengthened the argument that he deserves more opportunities.
What I particularly like is that Nyoni doesn’t appear desperate to prove himself by constantly trying to do everything with the ball.
He is willing to work.
He is willing to press.
He is willing to tackle.
He is willing to cover ground.
And that could be exactly what Iraola needs.
Lewis Steele’s reporting has highlighted Nyoni’s willingness to do the defensive work that Liverpool’s midfield has sometimes lacked.
That is hugely important.
Because perhaps the answer isn’t finding another player who can operate as a No.10.
Perhaps the answer is finding somebody who doesn’t need to.
Imagine Mac Allister and Nyoni Together
This is the combination I would really like to see tested.
Mac Allister alongside Nyoni.
One player who can control the game.
One player who can provide energy and defensive discipline.
Then put your attacking midfielder in front of them.
Suddenly the roles become much clearer.
Mac Allister can dictate.
Nyoni can cover.
The No.10 can attack.
And Liverpool have a midfield with different characteristics rather than three players trying to influence the same areas.
That doesn’t necessarily mean Nyoni should immediately replace a senior player every week.
He’s still only 19.
He has a huge amount to learn.
And there will inevitably be games where the physical and tactical demands are too much.
But that’s precisely why I think he should be given the opportunity.
We need to find out.
The Tottenham Game Was Another Big Step
Nyoni started Liverpool’s 3-1 Carabao Cup victory over Tottenham, alongside Mac Allister and James McConnell.
And Iraola was delighted with the youngsters’ intensity and willingness to compete.
Nyoni eventually had to come off after cramping, which perhaps told its own story.
He had given everything.
Iraola specifically praised the young players for their energy and their willingness to win duels and make their presence felt.
That is exactly the sort of footballer I want in Liverpool’s midfield.
Not because every midfielder needs to be a destroyer.
But because somebody has to do the dirty work.
You cannot have everybody wanting to be the creative player.
Somebody needs to run.
Somebody needs to cover.
Somebody needs to make the tackle that allows the more creative players to stay higher.
And Nyoni looks increasingly comfortable doing that.
What Happens to Gravenberch and Szoboszlai?
This is where things become uncomfortable.
Because there is no question that Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai are excellent footballers.
But Iraola’s comments suggest that simply putting your three most talented midfielders on the pitch isn’t necessarily the answer.
They need to complement each other.
Gravenberch has tremendous athletic ability.
Szoboszlai can cover enormous distances and possesses a terrific strike.
Mac Allister has the intelligence and technical ability to control games.
But if all three are constantly trying to influence the attacking phase, Liverpool can lose their structure.
And we’ve seen that already.
The midfield has sometimes looked like a collection of talented individuals rather than a perfectly functioning unit.
That is something Iraola has to solve.
Nyoni Doesn’t Need to Be the Finished Article
I’m not suggesting Trey Nyoni is suddenly the answer to everything.
That would be ridiculous.
He is 19.
There will be mistakes.
There will be games where he struggles.
There will be moments when Premier League football exposes his lack of experience.
That’s part of developing young players.
But Liverpool don’t need Nyoni to be perfect.
They need him to offer something different.
And that’s what makes his emergence so exciting.
Iraola isn’t afraid to give young players opportunities.
We’ve already seen that.
Nyoni has been trusted in cup football, has impressed in cameos and has now started a major domestic cup tie.
The next logical step is surely to give him a proper Premier League opportunity.
Not necessarily against Manchester City.
Not necessarily for 90 minutes.
But give him 20 or 30 minutes.
Then perhaps another half-hour.
Let him experience the pace.
Let him learn.
And if he keeps impressing, eventually the question becomes much harder for Iraola to ignore.
Maybe Liverpool’s Midfield Conundrum Isn’t About Finding Better Players
This is the point I keep coming back to.
Perhaps Liverpool don’t actually need to buy another midfielder to solve this problem.
Perhaps they need to use the midfielders they already have differently.
Mac Allister’s resurgence is a huge positive.
Wirtz gives Liverpool a natural creative presence further forward.
Szoboszlai provides energy and goals.
Gravenberch provides athleticism and ball-carrying.
And now Nyoni is pushing his way into the conversation.
The pieces are there.
The question is how Iraola puts them together.
And if his midfield really is built around a No.6, No.8 and No.10, then the player who can accept his role rather than constantly looking for the No.10 position could become incredibly valuable.
That might be Trey Nyoni.
It’s Time to Find Out What He Can Do
I don’t want Liverpool to throw Nyoni into the deep end simply because he’s young and exciting.
But I also don’t want us to reach May and wonder why we never gave him a genuine opportunity.
He is knocking on the door now.
Mac Allister is playing some of his best football in years.
Iraola is still searching for the right midfield balance.
And Nyoni might just possess one of the qualities Liverpool need most:
discipline.
Give Mac Allister the ball.
Give the No.10 freedom.
And let Nyoni do the work that allows them both to flourish.
Maybe that’s the midfield combination Liverpool have been looking for.
We won’t know until Iraola gives it a proper chance.
But after everything we’ve seen from Nyoni so far, I think he’s earned that chance.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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