Mac Allister says there is still “positivity”; Slot rules out winter signings amid injury woes
Liverpool midfielder Alexis Mac Allister says their performance in the Champions League has shown the season can still end on a highly positive note.
Arne Slot’s team have struggled this season in the Premier League but a superb 6-0 demolition of Qarabag in their European game on Wednesday ensured the Reds finished third in the Champions League table, securing automatic qualification for the last 16.
The Premier League is all but gone and finishing in the top five is not assured, but the Merseyside club can still secure huge success if they can claim a sixth European Cup in Budapest in May.
“There is still positivity, still Champions League to play and FA Cup, so for me it’s about keeping on improving because that’s what we need to do if we want to win something,” Mac Allister said.
The midfielder secured a brace on Wednesday, opening the scoring with 15 minutes played before getting a second shortly after the hour.
“I love getting in the box and I love scoring goals,” Mac Allister said. “I know I don’t do it very often but I really like it and I think with the change at half-time, I went a little bit higher on the pitch and that allowed me to get in the box a little bit more.”
Up next for Liverpool are two tough domestic games. They play Newcastle at the weekend before facing Manchester City in the coming week.
Slot said the performance against Qarabag was “an obvious improvement” but suggested their league fixtures were a whole different test altogether. Liverpool have gone five games without a win in the Premier League.
“We have all the respect for the team we faced tonight, [but] I expect Newcastle to be a stronger side than Qarabag,” said Slot.
Despite Jeremie Frimpong being forced off in the opening minutes to multiple Liverpool’s injury woes, Slot said the club would not necessarily look for additions in the remaining weeks of the winter transfer window.
“We as a club always make decisions that we, at least, think [are] smart decisions,” said Slot. “So, we not only look at the short term, we also look at the long term, longer term.
“And it always depends on are there players available that we think can help us? And if they are, can we afford them? And it also has to be helpful for the longer-term future because our players come back from injury as well.”
It’s a muscle injury, but I don’t know how long that is going to be. It’s a muscle so it’s not a knee [injury] and a muscle usually has to do with overloading a player.
