Arne Slot did not come out of Liverpool’s win over Nottingham Forest on Sunday with much credit from supporters.
Given the lethargic nature of his team’s performance, the Reds’ head coach is once again posing more questions than answers for fans.
Nevertheless, Liverpool did something they have not been managing enough this season: win while playing poorly.
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Mohamed Salah shakes Arne Slot's hand as he comes off during Liverpool's Premier League match against Nottingham Forest at the City Ground (Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC).
Photo Creidt; Getty Images/Liverpool FC
Some will perhaps put that down to pure blind luck, or Forest’s failure to make their superiority count, but according to Jamie Carragher, Slot played his part in the win.
Dissecting the Liverpool performance for Sky Sports, Carragher said that Slot’s fluid use of match-winner Alexis Mac Allister deserved some praise.
Slot tweaks Alexis Mac Allister’s role to winning effect
Liverpool’s plans for Sunday’s game were thrown up in the air immediately prior to kick-off when Florian Wirtz was ruled out with a back injury.
In came Curtis Jones, but after the Scouser failed to impress in midfield, he was moved to right-back. But though Dominik Szoboszlai took his place in midfield, Carragher says it was not a straight swap.
Nottingham Forest v Liverpool - Premier League
Photo by Ben Roberts – Danehouse/Getty Images
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“The interesting thing with Mac Allister, I go back to what the manager did, he brought Curtis Jones in late, and it can’t have been easy for him, he had a poor first half,” said the Liverpool legend. “He made that change with Curtis Jones going to right-back and Dominik Szoboszlai coming into midfield, but they didn’t change positions.
“What happened was, Curtis Jones was almost playing the Wirtz role, then when he’s made the change, Szoboszlai went into the Mac Allister role and Mac Allister went higher up the pitch.
“They are set-pieces if you like, the disallowed goal and the goal, but the fact that he [Mac Allister] was maybe in a more advanced role, credit to the manager who I think made great substitutions.”
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Mac Allister is better higher up the pitch
Ever since Mac Allister joined Liverpool in 2023, there has been some debate over where his best position is.
Jurgen Klopp initially played the Argentine in a deeper-lying role, and although it was clear that he was not a natural defensive midfielder, he played the part well.
Since then, Mac Allister has moved forward slightly, but is regularly used as one of Liverpool’s more defensive midfielders.
That has changed at times this season, with Slot occasionally putting the 27-year-old in a more attacking role. On Sunday, Liverpool saw the benefit of that.
Too easily pressed on the ball this season, there is plenty to be said for playing Mac Allister higher up the pitch. He is a clever player between the lines, and – as he showed at Forest – has a natural instinct for when to attack the box. Wirtz may get in the way of this happening more often, but it is certainly something for Slot to consider.
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