Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola and Alexis Mac Allister
Liverpool Manager Andoni Iraola and Alexis Mac Allister
Alexis Mac Allister has said Andoni Iraola has changed the Liverpool group following last season’s struggles under Arne Slot.
The Argentina midfielder scored twice as Liverpool came from two goals down to beat Villarreal 4-3 in the Champions League at Anfield on Tuesday night.
Speaking afterwards, he reflected on a difficult campaign in which Liverpool failed to defend their Premier League title and finished fifth, 25 points behind champions Arsenal.
Slot replaced Jürgen Klopp in the summer of 2024 and made an immediate impact, leading the Reds to a record-equalling 20th league title. However, the club then spent more than £400 million on new signings in the following summer, including Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth up to £116 million, Hugo Ekitike from Eintracht Frankfurt, and Alexander Isak from Newcastle United for a British record £125 million.
The investment did not pay off. The club struggled to cope with the death of Diogo Jota, and the new signings took time to settle at Anfield.
Andy Robertson, who left Liverpool for Tottenham Hotspur in the summer, said last month that the squad “didn’t care about football” after Jota’s death and had “lost the edge”.
Slot was dismissed on 30 May and replaced by Iraola, who was appointed on 4 June on a two-year contract after three seasons at Bournemouth.
Iraola’s start has not been without difficulty, including a 3-0 home defeat by Manchester City on 11 October, but results are improving. Liverpool have won their last three matches and are fifth in the Premier League.
Mac Allister, one of the players who struggled last season, was central to the win over Villarreal. He headed in Kostas Tsimikas’ corner to halve the deficit before Ronald Araujo levelled on the stroke of half-time.
Mac Allister then scored his second after the hour, Wirtz made it 4-2, and Tani Oluwaseyi pulled one back for the visitors.
Speaking to Amazon Prime after the match, Mac Allister was asked about the changes Iraola has made since taking over from Slot.
“Last year was a really difficult year for all of us,” he said. “It was clear that I was not at the level. I am the first one to say, I have no problem. Something wasn’t right in the group. This manager changed it, and that’s really important.
“The way we play is quite different. I don’t like to compare. I feel good, that’s what I want and that’s what I enjoy. Now it’s more man-to-man. You have to communicate less because you have to follow [the opponent]. Last year it was more of a zonal thing.”
Liverpool now turn their attention to the Premier League, hosting in-form Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Saturday (3pm). Brighton are third in the table and have scored a league-high 23 goals in their first seven matches.
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