Liverpool star singled out for poor PSG performance - 'not at the races'

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• Liverpool FC News
• Alexis Mac Allister

Liverpool were far from their best over two legs against PSG in the Champions League, with one star in particular coming in for some criticism during the display at Anfield.

Alexis Mac Allister has been singled out for his display in Liverpool's defeat to PSG(Image: (Photo by Molly Darlington/Getty Images))

Alexis Mac Allister was singled out by former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock during his display for the Reds against PSG on Tuesday.

The midfielder was part of a much-changed team at Anfield, with Arne Slot making five switches from the side that beat Fulham over the weekend, with a new system put in place once again. While that was in the hope of transforming the fortune of Liverpool in the tie with PSG, following a 2-0 defeat at the Parc des Princes in the first leg of the quarter-finals, it didn't work as intended.

An injury to Hugo Ekitike in the first half set the tone for a difficult night, which was made tougher when Mac Allister's penalty claim was overturned by VAR.

Ousmane Dembele's late brace ended the tie without a famous comeback for Slot and his team, with the evaluation into their shortcomings already well underway.

Among those who came in for critique was Mac Allister, as Warnock questioned his performance on BBC Radio 5 Live in the middle of the match.

He said: "Liverpool are causing themselves their own problems at the moment. Overplaying in midfield and Alexis Mac Allister has not been at the races so far tonight."

Alexis Mac Allister struggled during Liverpool's defeat to PSG(Image: (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images))

Perhaps it was Mac Allister's display that best underlined Liverpool's performance as a whole, with some effort and desperation to find something in the game, but without the execution needed to complete a turnaround.

“It was a different game in the return leg," Mac Allister told O Jogo after the game on Tuesday. "We were more aggressive, we tried to press, we had our opportunities, but we played against the best team in the world.

"The result is what it is, and we have to congratulate the opponent,” he added.

The Reds are now looking at a long couple of months, where the goal is to finish in the top five and retain a place in the Champions League for next season.

Beyond that, attention can then turn to what the future looks like, and how the squad will be moulded to fit whatever is next, whether that is with or without Slot in charge.

Mac Allister's own future will have to come into the mix, of course, with his contract expiring in 2028 and decisions to be made over how the midfield will look.

The club continue to be linked with midfielders who could make an impact, while Dominik Szoboszlai is another of those who is only contracted for the next two years.