Alexis Mac Allister was refreshingly candid with his assessment of Liverpool’s 2-2 draw against Manchester United on Sunday.
The Reds missed the chance to go eight points clear of second-placed Arsenal after they had to settle for a share of the spoils against their arch-rivals, who ended a three-game losing streak with a vastly improved performance on recent weeks.
In the end, the Merseysiders may have been grateful for the point after Harry Maguire missed a gilt-edged chance to steal victory for the Red Devils deep into stoppage time; and unlike the draw in this fixture last season, the home side were far from dominant.
Speaking to Sky Sports after the game, Mac Allister was far from happy with how Liverpool played and how they failed to hold onto the lead that Mo Salah’s 70th-minute penalty had given them.
The Reds midfielder bluntly admitted: “The result is not good enough. The performance was not as good as we wanted but at the end of the day it was a fair result. We didn’t play as we wanted and conceded too many chances and had opportunities to score more goals.
“The effort was there, the mentality was there because we came back; but when you’re 2-1 at 75 minutes, you have to defend better and we couldn’t do it, so we have to think about what we did wrong and move on.”
Liverpool fans will be pleased to hear such an honest verdict from Mac Allister, who didn’t try to sugarcoat a disappointing performance from and frustrating result for his team.
The Reds might have bossed the xG stakes by 2.87 to 0.99 (Sofascore), but it didn’t feel that one-sided when watching the game, and Man United certainly had the chances to have come away with three points rather than one.
While Arne Slot’s side as a whole were well below their best, the Argentine midfielder can feel satisfied with his individial contribution this evening. As per Sofascore, he won the joint-most duels of any LFC player (seven), completed three dribbles, executed two key passes and took four shots (one on target).
Mac Allister also produced a delightful assist for Cody Gakpo’s equaliser just before the hour mark, delivering a piece of real quality just when Liverpool needed it after going 1-0 down, and was hailed by Jamie Carragher as his team’s standout performer.
Unfortunately the Dutchman’s goal didn’t trigger a comeback victory for the Reds, who’ll need to improve vastly on that display if they’re to beat Nottingham Forest in their next Premier League game.
However, it mustn’t be forgotten that we’re still in firm control of the title race, with a six-point lead and a game in hand on Arsenal.
The post ‘Not good enough’ – Alexis Mac Allister issues blunt verdict on Liverpool’s display v Man United appeared first on The Empire of The Kop.
