Mac Allister: My relationship with Klopp is perfect

[TLW]

Alexis Mac Allister could not be happier in the early stages of his Liverpool career and says a major part for that is playing under one of the finest managers in world football today.

 

While success is naturally what managers will be ultimately judged on, one of the keys of Jurgen Klopp is his innate ability to bond the team together.

 

You may be a academy player playing a five minute cameo in a domestic cup fixture, but Klopp will be sure to give you a mention in the post-match press conference and do so in a fashion that would make the youngster feel as important as Mo Salah or Virgil Van Dijk.

 

Likewise, it is one thing signing for a club with historical status and modern day success as Liverpool but it is another thing to perform at a high level from early on.

 

It is why Klopp is renowned for not setting the bar for summer signings too high too soon, knowing that each player is different and while some embrace the expectation, others need patience.

 

The beauty about the Argentinian international is his versatility to play different roles in midfield, and while some players may sulk in not always playing in their preferred role, you get a sense Mac Allister is just delighted to be around world class players and a outstanding manager as he told Argentinan publication La Nation (per Goal).

 

 

“The relationship is obviously 10 points, I just arrived and when you just arrive everything is easier and everything goes perfect.

 

“But many of my teammates tease me because they say that he is my dad now. The relationship with him is perfect, he is a very charismatic person, who always tries to be close to the players. He has crazy moments that you might see in a game, and you can’t stop laughing. For me, it is a pleasure to be able to work with him.

 

Those same teammates that had poked fun at the instant bond between Klopp and Alexis had further ammunition when he was picked to start the early kickoff against Wolves unlike any of his fellow South Americans.

 

“Well, now they caught me, because the last game we returned from the national team I was the only South American who played. Then they told me that he's my dad, that he can’t take me out, that I had played all the games.

 

“But beyond the joke, the relationship is spectacular, he is a person that I respect, that I respect very much, and I hope that he continues like this and that I can continue learning from him on the field."

 

James Milner was regularly seen as a player who Klopp could depend on, whoever the opponent or role he was asked to fill, the ultimate professional and on-field coach in other words.

 

While Mac Allister is a great deal younger and has many games to play in the seasons ahead, you can see signs of a similar player/manager connection, which is something that cannot be understated.

 

 

 

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[No2]

Huge teachers pet vibes going on.

[Kevin D]

That’s what Henderson thought, too.