Alexis Mac Allister has said that Andoni Iraola fixed the issues within the Liverpool group left behind by his predecessor Arne Slot. Slot won the Premier League in his first season in the Anfield dugout, but Liverpool slumped to a fifth-place finish last campaign. The Dutchman was replaced by Iraola, who oversaw a 4-3 Champions League win against Villarreal on Tuesday night. Mac Allister scored twice against Villarreal before revealing the key changes Iraola has made since his arrival.
"Last year was a really difficult year for all of us," he told Amazon Prime. "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 biggest shift, according to Mac Allister, is in defensive structure. "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," he said. "Now, we do a one vs. one and it works. In the end, it's about us taking the responsibility."
Liverpool fell behind to two early goals before Mac Allister's header reduced the deficit. Ronald Araújo equalised, and Rio Ngumoha, who shone for Liverpool, set up Mac Allister's second goal. "Rio was amazing, he made the difference," Mac Allister said. Florian Wirtz scored Liverpool's fourth before Villarreal made it 4-3 through Tani Oluwaseyi.
Source: ESPN Soccer · Summarized by HeadlinesBriefing