Forest drama reveals harsh truth about midfield standards
Football is rarely fair, and sometimes it is brutally honest. Liverpool’s last-gasp win over Nottingham Forest offered both truths in one breath. Alexis Mac Allister scored the winner deep into stoppage time, yet the loudest verdict afterwards came from Frank Leboeuf, who described the Argentine’s display as “horrendous” despite the decisive goal.
As reported by Empire of the Kop, Leboeuf did not hold back on ESPN FC. “I highly rank the player I’m going to mention – Mac Allister,” he said. “I think he’s a world-class player and he is a World Cup champion… but [Sunday] was the worst game I’ve ever seen Mac Allister play.”
Strong words. Yet football has always been a game where reputations rise and fall on small details. Mac Allister’s pass completion dipped to 75 per cent against Nottingham Forest, well below his season average, and he was bypassed too often in midfield. Those are facts, not opinions. And still, he scored the goal that took the points back to Anfield.
Leboeuf criticism echoes wider debate over Liverpool form
Leboeuf’s frustration spoke to something larger. Liverpool, under Arne Slot, have developed a habit of leaving it late. It is effective, occasionally thrilling, but not always convincing. Against Nottingham Forest, Liverpool were far from their fluent best. Their midfield struggled for control, and Mac Allister, normally the conductor, found himself chasing shadows.
Leboeuf said the result flattered Liverpool. “Liverpool should never have gotten the three points. A draw would have been fair,” he insisted. It was a comment that will resonate with neutral observers, even if Liverpool supporters understandably celebrate the result rather than the process.
For a club chasing Champions League qualification, margins matter. A scrappy win at Nottingham Forest counts exactly the same as a masterpiece. But if Liverpool are to sustain a title challenge or dominate Europe again, performances must match outcomes. Slot knows this. The data tells it too: reduced midfield control, inconsistent ball progression, and a reliance on late drama.
Mac Allister’s influence judged beyond one afternoon
Yet context matters. Mac Allister is not merely a midfielder who drifts through games. He is a World Cup winner, a tactical brain, and one of Liverpool’s most influential players since arriving on Merseyside. His passing range and intelligence underpin Slot’s system. That does not disappear because of one bad afternoon at Nottingham Forest.
Even Empire of the Kop noted the mixed nature of his display, pointing to defensive contributions and duels won alongside the poor passing accuracy. This is football’s contradiction: a player can be ineffective for 90 minutes and decisive in one moment. Mac Allister’s late strike was not luck alone; it was anticipation, composure and courage.
Criticism, when fair, sharpens players. Leboeuf’s words may sting, but Liverpool’s midfield leader has answered doubters before. Elite players often do.
Liverpool lessons as Nottingham Forest test fades
For Nottingham Forest, there was heartbreak. Their performance deserved something, and they pushed Liverpool hard under Vítor Pereira. Yet football history remembers winners, not sympathy. Mac Allister’s name will sit beside the scoreline, not the stat sheet.
For Liverpool, this is a reminder. Control games earlier. Protect leads. Avoid relying on stoppage-time miracles. But also recognise what champions do: they win when playing badly.
Leboeuf called the performance “horrendous”. Perhaps it was, by Mac Allister’s own high standards. Yet the scoreboard reads Liverpool three points richer, Nottingham Forest empty-handed, and the Argentine midfielder the match-winner.
In football, fairness is a luxury. Results are currency. And on that February afternoon, Mac Allister paid Liverpool’s bill.
