An fascinating view into how new arrivals Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai might be used this season came from observing Liverpool’s preseason workouts.
The midfield of Jurgen Klopp desperately needed to be updated going into the summer transfer window. It was the squad’s weak point for the majority of the 2022–23 season, so fans were thrilled to see the Reds demonstrate their commitment to improvement by signing two highly-regarded targets before preseason even started.
Szoboszlai erupted into the rumor mill as a relative surprise, but within a matter of days the Hungarian was plastered all over Liverpool’s social media channels. Mac Allister quickly arrived from Premier League rivals Brighton & Hove Albion.
Supporters have seen something unexpected on the second day of the preseason training camp in Germany, nearly one week after both players joined the team on last Tuesday.
Reds manager Klopp separated the 32-man group that has traveled to his hometown into smaller squads for mini matches after finishing an off-road bike ride earlier in the day.
Mac Allister and Szoboszlai were both assigned to the non-bibs team, where they were paired with players like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Luis Diaz, and Mohamed Salah.
A clip of the group’s clever passing play from their match against the orange-clad team was posted to the club’s social media pages. It ended with Argentina World Cup winner Mac Allister rolling the ball across the goal face for Hungary captain Szoboszlai to expertly put into the net.
Yes, it was nice, but neither the assist nor the goal’s completion stood out. As opposed to how many expected the pair to line up in their new side, it was the reality that Mac Allister gave the ball coming in from the right while Szoboszlai rushed in from the left to tap home.
It doesn’t mean they won’t be in their presumptive positions come Wednesday’s opening summer friendly against 2. Bundesliga team Karlsruher or the first Premier League away at Chelsea, but it does offer up new conversation points.
Does Klopp have information that we don’t? The man is a tactical wizard after all, and no other player in the video appears outside of their predetermined places, so it isn’t completely out of the question.
The fact that both midfielders are so adaptable demonstrates how appealing the pair is going into the new campaign.