It's getting closer, the red ribbon of the finish line is on the horizon, at the mountain's crest. Liverpool and its fanbase will be heading to this weekend's final Premier League match with a sharp sense of tenderness as Jurgen Klopp prepares to say goodbye.
As A-lister Tom Hanks observed from the Directors' Box at Villa Park, Liverpool and Aston Villa put on a fitting contest of box-office standard, with the thrilling 3-3 draw in the Premier League ensuring the hosts' quest for the Champions League enters the final day in a commanding position.
But for the Reds, who had already confirmed a third-place finish, this was the penultimate opportunity to show off the style and skill of Klopp's historic brand of football, and indeed the bouncing, barrelling nature of the German's tactics were on show.
However, so too were the defensive vulnerabilities that derailed Liverpool's bid for silverware across all four fronts – in many ways, the draw at Villa Park was emblematic of the Anfield side's struggles and ultimate failure this season.
Liverpool always seemed to be punching above their weight as they kept pace with Arsenal and Manchester City for so long in this gruelling title challenge, but a team in its early phase, as a unit, understandably faltered late on.
One man has been an elite, inspiring character throughout but now appears to have run out of gas. That man is Alexis Mac Allister, who might need to be dropped on Sunday after his performance against Unai Emery's team.
Alexis Mac Allister's performance vs Villa
Mac Allister is in with a good shout for Liverpool's Player of the Season after transferring from Brighton & Hove Albion for a £35m fee last summer, but he's playing a bit like a man who has been worn to the ground – he needs a break.
Against Villa, much of the 25-year-old's ball-playing ability and command in the centre of the park was on display but he toiled when anchorman Wataru Endo was substituted and he was required to hold it all together from deep.
Minutes played
90'
Touches
82
Accurate passes
60/68 (88%)
Blocked shots
2
Key passes
1
Possession lost
12x
Dribble attempts
0/0
Duels won
3/10
Tackles
2
Dribbled past
4
Error leading to goal
1
His statistics from the evening do not make for good reading, with the £150k-per-week midfielder failing to create, attack on goal, progress the play and come out on top in the duel.
Moreover, to compound his woes, he was dribbled past four times and it was his wandering ball that kickstarted John Duran's equalising strike.
GOAL journalist Mark Doyle certainly wasn't impressed by the Argentina international's display, branding him with a lowly 3/10 match rating to emphasise his failed attempt in Klopp's engine room.
The reporter said: 'Came as a huge surprise to see him stay on the field, given the loose pass which led to Villa's equaliser was a sign of his obvious tiredness. The mistake that led to the hosts' second goal, thus, felt inevitable.'
Perhaps Mac Allister shouldn't have started with other players available. He's put in quite the shift this season.
Alexis Mac Allister's season in numbers
Mac Allister has completed 45 matches for Liverpool in all competitions this season – starting 39 times – scoring six goals, supplying seven assists and being hailed as a "superstar" by pundit Joe Cole, discussing his quality and versatility, often required to operate in an unnatural No. 6 position for the Reds.
In the Premier League this season, as per Sofascore, he has contributed toward nine goals from 30 starting appearances, completing 88% of his passes and averaging 1.4 key passes, three tackles, six ball recoveries and 5.8 successful duels per game.
As per FBref, the Argentine ranks among the top 9% of midfielders across Europe's top five leagues over the past year for assists and tackles, the top 13% for shot-creating actions and passes attempted, the top 15% for progressive passes and the top 1% for interceptions per 90.
He's an all-encompassing midfielder with astounding technical control, but the real locus of his power in the engine room is derived from an inborn match intelligence that has seen him cement a place at the centre, figuratively and literally, of Liverpool's first team.
Let's not forget, were it not for Mac Allister's almighty run of form from February through to early April – when he unleashed a scorcher to secure victory against Sheffield United – Liverpool would have dipped much earlier.
He's carried the heavy weight of a prestigious football club on his shoulders for much of his maiden year on Merseyside. Perhaps he needs a break.
Why Alexis Mac Allister should be dropped
Mac Allister is Liverpool's finest central midfielder: no peer within the Anfield ranks can operate with the poise and power and tactical understanding as he.
But he's been used relentlessly this season and it's understandable that his energy levels would have dropped following such a ferocious effort at winning Liverpool the Premier League, the Europa League, the FA Cup, only to fall at late-stage hurdles in each competition.
He's tired, beset by the enervating weight of a protracted campaign with the added burden of performing for Klopp before he steps down from his legendary position as Liverpool manager.
Wolverhampton Wanderers are Liverpool's final opponents in the Premier League, the final adversaries of the Klopp point in Liverpool's long and proud history.
The fight is finished; Liverpool must play with freedom and pride and creativity, an encore to treat the fans and the Premier League to one final display of Klopp-infused brilliance on Merseyside. But Mac Allister should start from the bench, surely, after proving himself withered from a campaign of high-stake substance, where he has played a leading role.
1.
Mathias Jensen
Brentford
69
2.88
2.
Alexis Mac Allister
Liverpool
66
2.34
3.
Trent Alexander-Arnold
Liverpool
58
2.5
4.
Bruno Fernandes
Manchester United
57
1.73
5.
Antonee Robinson
Fulham
56
1.58
The fact that he has been dribbled past so often this term is in some part down to his requirement to fill in as Klopp's defensive midfielder. Endo is a fine player but FSG's CEO of Football, Michael Edwards, may well be seeking a more high-calibre star to play this part over the coming years.
Last year, with Brighton, Mac Allister was only dribbled past once per match in the Premier League – given that he's ostensibly improved as a player since his transfer, it's safe to say that his flaw boils down to a positional deficit, more than a matter of commitment or athleticism.
Furthermore, it's exactly as if Liverpool do not have an abundance of talented midfielders who could play in his stead, with Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch, Curtis Jones and Stefan Bajcetic all waiting in the wings on Monday night.
Liverpool are nailed-on for a third-place finish and if they avoid defeat against Wolves at Klopp's final hour they will secure an 80-point Premier League finish. Not bad, that.
Last term, lest we forget, the Merseysiders fell off a proverbial cliff, scraping themselves back from the death to record a fifth-place finish and salvage Europa League football, though just 67 points was a dreary tally for a squad of such glittering success.
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Regroup, recalibrate, go again. Klopp won't be there come August, taken his deserved leave to kick up his feet and soak up the balmy sunshine of (permanent?) retirement.
But he leaves a wonderful squad, bursting with quality, and Mac Allister will continue to serve as the centrepiece. But he's done all he can this term. He needs a rest.