After arriving at Brighton in January last year, it’s fair to say Alexis Mac Allister has made a big impression.
The young Argentine was impressing in his homeland when Brighton elected to bring him back early from his loan deal, despite the significant difficulties they faced in doing so.
He’s been a regular for Graham Potter since, making 15 appearances in all competitions and scoring three goals.
The beginning of this season, though, has been something of a struggle for the Argentine. While he’s made six appearances in all competitions, his only starts have been in the EFL Cup.
In the Premier League, he was left out of the squad for the first three games, sat on the bench against Everton and Burnley and was only given 12 minutes, 20 minutes and 11 minutes in games against Crystal Palace, West Brom and Spurs.
It’s something Olé cover today, and it’s fair to say that they are less than impressed by how Mac Allister is being treated.
They say that this season was ‘looking good’ for the midfielder, but Friday saw him return to the bench in the ‘poor’ 0-0 against Burnley.
Without him in the team, Brighton are ‘flirting with the lower zone’, and according to the website, Potter does not give him the ‘the space that someone with the number 10 on their back deserves’.
This has all led to Mac Allister losing his place in the national team, having ‘disappeared’ from Lionel Scaloni’s latest call up after earning himself a place earlier in the year.
Olé’s stance is very much one of confusion, with them stating that the youngster has ‘a lot to contribute’ to a Brighton team that is ‘falling apart’ and where ‘not many ideas come up’.
Basically, they believe Mac Allister isn’t being given a fair crack of the whip, particularly when the Seagulls aren’t exactly playing great. Whether Graham Potter agrees, remains to be seen.
