There’s a danger for Liverpool that a generally very good season is now dismissed as a failure.
This time last year, it’s worth remembering that the Reds were in poor shape. April and May saw a revival, but Liverpool limped their way to a scarcely deserved fifth place.
The summer transfer window was certainly as success, but throughout the early months of the season Liverpool were not seen as Premier League title challengers.
Instead, as they steadily improved, the remit was always to make it back into the Champions League. As of Thursday night and Tottenham’s loss to Chelsea, that has been accomplished. Jurgen Klopp may not be there to savour it, but Europe’s premier competition is returning to Anfield.
With a Carabao Cup also won along the way, it’s only fair to judge Liverpool’s players against their initial expectations. On paper, they exceeded them. According to Stan Collymore though, there’s only one member of Liverpool’s first-team squad to emerge from the campaign with any credit.
Stan Collymore hails Alexis Mac Allister season
Had Liverpool’s player of the season awards been handed out a month ago, there could have been a handful of contenders.
However, with the way things have gone since, we’d argue that it could only really be one of two players: Alexis Mac Allister or Virgil van Dijk.
Both Mac Allister and Van Dijk have rarely let their standards drop all season long. Fit for the most part, the two players had outstanding periods mixed in with an excellent general watermark of performances.
But according to Collymore, Mac Allister is the man who has been a ‘resounding success’ at Anfield this season. Writing for Caught Offside, the pundit hailed the 25-year-old’s ‘stunning’ adaptation to Liverpool.
“Liverpool haven’t been good enough in key positions this season,” Collymore explained. “Darwin Nunez has been wasteful and the questions about him and Cody Gakpo being good enough for Liverpool won’t go away.
“The only player that’s been a resounding success is Alexis Mac Allister — he’s had a stunning season.”
Alexis Mac Allister, Liverpool’s player of the season?
We’re not completely sure whether Liverpool will announce a player of the season as such, it hasn’t felt as though they always have done in recent times.
If they do though, then Mac Allister has to be right in the mix. Having been brought in as a more attacking midfielder, the Argentine has had to learn a more defensive role to help cover. He’s done it with aplomb.
Once freed from those shackles and moved further forward, Mac Allister showed his class. The World Cup winner registered 10 goal contributions in 11 games in February and March and was leading Liverpool’s charge to more trophies.
Unfortunately, that hasn’t quite materialised. Just like most of his teammates, Mac Allister himself has run out of steam a little of late.
But with an excellent first season behind him, we’re excited to see Liverpool’s No.10 under Arne Slot next season. In our opinion Van Dijk just pips him to this award, but Macca is a terrific second-best.