IN the wake of Liverpool’s 4-0 hammering of Barcelona at Wembley in pre-season, I wrote a piece for The Anfield Wrap about Jürgen Klopp’s tactical blueprint for the new season and how this 4-3-3 shape with a fluid, interchanging front three and a dynamic, energetic midfield was the ideal tactical set-up to get the most out of the players at his disposal.
Indeed, the first half of the season showed that to be exactly the case as Sadio Mane, Phil Coutinho and Roberto Firmino tore the league apart, supported by Adam Lallana whose transition into an all-action central midfielder saw him hit the form of his career during the early months of the campaign.
Jordan Henderson, meanwhile, quickly adapted to the ‘number six’ role in impressive style, dominating games from a deeper position and showing a newfound maturity and discipline to his game. Supported by the understated intelligence of Gini Wijnaldum, Klopp had found his perfect balance. When everything clicked, the Red machine was simply irrepressible.
The likes of Arsenal and Chelsea were swatted aside, while the lower-standard opposition who came to park the bus at Anfield were simply sliced through with minimum fuss. This ideal tactical formula looked the absolute business, with even James Milner staking a claim as one of the outstanding left-backs in the league despite being a relative novice to the position.
Yet here we are, at the back end of February, and the wheels have well and truly fallen off. While a title challenge was not so long ago very much on the cards, Liverpool’s quest for Champions League qualification hangs in the balance. It’s been a torrid start to 2017, as illustrated by the solitary league win against Tottenham Hotspur.
Liverpool now appear totally lost for ideas against so-called ‘lesser’ sides who they would be expected to beat. In 2017 alone, the Reds have lost against Swansea, Wolves, Southampton, Hull and Leicester as well as drawing against both Sunderland and Plymouth Argyle.
Virtually all these games have been an exact carbon copy of each other in terms of the pattern of play. Liverpool’s defensive deficiencies have been exposed time and time again, and despite dominating possession, there is a distinct lack of creativity or cutting edge. All that attacking verve from the early months of the season is all but a distant memory.
Teams have worked out how to combat Liverpool now. They can sit deep, keep things compact, break with pace and steal a goal at the other end either by a counter-attack or taking advantage of sloppy set-piece defending, most likely. In possession, Liverpool’s plan against low-block sides seems to be knocking the ball side to side for a while before slinging aimless crosses into the box for opposition centre-backs to head clear under no pressure at all.
Sides have worked out that Nathaniel Clyne is Liverpool’s least dangerous attacking player, leaving him as the spare man in the knowledge that he probably won’t hurt them when left with time and space on the ball. Clyne is an excellent defender but his attacking limitations are becoming increasingly clear and given the importance of full-backs in Klopp’s system as an outlet, his use of the ball is often very wasteful. He’s far from Liverpool’s biggest problem but it’s certainly something worth picking up on.
That said, Clyne’s limitations would be less noticeable if Liverpool had a more capable, naturally left-footed left-back on the other side. While Milner did an admirable job there for the first half of the season, his lack of pace and natural inclination to cut inside has become a clear hindrance to Liverpool’s attacking moves, slowing the play down and making him a very predictable player to defend against.
Liverpool are on track once again to concede over 50 goals in the league this season, which is no surprise given the fact two central midfielders were lining up in the defence on Monday night. Joel Matip and Dejan Lovren are the two best defenders at the club, but both have struggled with injury problems throughout the season and an injection of quality is absolutely essential in that position this summer.
Further forward, Liverpool’s reliance on Henderson is frightening as there isn’t another senior player in the squad who possesses the range of passing or tactical understanding to play that holding midfield role to the required standard, as Emre Can’s struggles have illustrated all too clearly.
Whenever one of the first choice trio of Henderson, Wijnaldum and Lallana hasn’t been available, the detrimental impact on Liverpool’s midfield balance has been extreme. The same can be said of the front three, with Sadio Mane’s absence in January ruthlessly exposing the lack of a viable alternative with similar attributes. Again, it’s an area in urgent need of reinforcements in the summer.
There is also the question over Firmino, who although clearly an excellent player and one fully trusted by Klopp, is not a prolific goalscorer. His clever movement and relentless pressing from the front is highly effective in certain games, particularly against the big sides, but there is a strong case to argue that Liverpool need an orthodox centre forward who can deliver 25 goals a season.
Harry Kane, Diego Costa and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have shown the value of having a prolific front man for their respective clubs this season and it’s a prerequisite for any side with genuine title ambitions. That isn’t to say Firmino isn’t good enough — far from it — but that alternative options are needed, and given the deterioration in Daniel Sturridge’s performances and his increasingly inevitable departure, a reliable goalscorer is something Liverpool haven’t really had since Luis Suarez left in 2014.
It’s all well and good leasing the way in the running stats, but perhaps there comes a point where we should question a system which currently isn’t producing the goods at either end of the pitch. Against these lower-quality sides, an established goalscorer could well be the difference which secures three points when Liverpool aren’t at their absolute best.
The problem we’ve got at the moment is that Liverpool aren’t capable of winning games unless they’re at their best. In the long run, that simply isn’t sustainable. It cannot be the case that the system has to click perfectly in order to get a result. Spurs, Chelsea and Manchester United have demonstrated their ability to grind out wins when they’ve been far from their best this season (even Arsenal too), but it’s something Liverpool haven’t been doing enough of.
There are too many players at the moment, who, when things aren’t going well for the rest of the team, aren’t contributing anything meaningful themselves. Take Wijnaldum, for instance. The Dutchman has made a fairly impressive start to his Liverpool career but he’s not a player to grab the game by the scruff of the neck when things aren’t going to plan. The same can be said of Lallana and Firmino too, of late.
What is abundantly clear, is that Klopp’s tactical formula which produced so many terrific displays earlier in the season is no longer proving effective — something needs to change. Most sides have worked out a tried and tested formula to beat Liverpool in this system and it’s all far too predictable at the moment.
This isn’t to say Klopp should completely abandon his philosophy and go against his principles — quite the opposite. What we need to see from him is some pragmatism and flexibility — a willingness to try something new when the original plan is past its sell-by date.
In the long run, a 4-3-3 may or may not be the best system for Liverpool but what is absolutely essential is to recruit better individuals so that each position has a quality alternative individual. That requires significant investment in key areas this summer to lessen the burden on the likes of Henderson, Lallana, Mane and Firmino — and also to give Klopp the option of switching things around and playing slightly varied styles of football rather than sticking to the same plan because he doesn’t trust the alternatives.
A system which relies on every single component part being fully fit and available to function effectively is far too fragile, as we’ve seen. Football tends to work in cycles like this. Brendan Rodgers’ 3-4-3 worked brilliantly for a run of games in 2014-15 before it ran its course.
Perhaps now, after the Leicester game, Klopp will reassess and reconfigure the system which is repeatedly showing up the same failings, in order to get back on track for the run-in and secure that vital top four spot.
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Hi I am Sudir a Liverpool fans from my tender age when Liverpool was a tremendous team during the 80’s and I will die a Liverpool fans . For me from the beginning of this season Liverpool football club has not made any impression of being a team that can compete for the tittle or any silverware, I explain myself. since the beginning of this season Liverpool was scoring and the defense was at peril but we were managing to score more than the opposite team. now it has changed the opposite team is scoring more than us. so from the beginning of the season our defense was like schoolboy defense. I as a Liverpool fans I expect much more from an experience manager like jurgen. we cannot expect a player like Milner playing at the leftback for the whole season. If we have a problem in the central defense we must look for replacement, I am not saying to buy only bot to make change even from the youth team let every on get their chance. When we look to the last match of Liverpool on statistic tremendous but still we lost it and not only this one every match that have been lost by Liverpool it was the same. something should be done so that Liverpool becomes the team that every one will fear to play with Liverpool. I am not criticizing this is the love for this team that is making me react like this. I think sometime we should play like the other team wait them to attack and play only counterattacks. I still remember the match against Chelsea the famous slip of Gerard, why we have not played it to win a draw from it . In trying to have the three points we had lost the match and if the match would have been a draw match I bet Liverpool would have won the tittle there are some matches which should be planned strategically to derive what we expect. so it high time to think in building the team more effectively.
Well said mate, our defence has been a shambles for years now.
I think you’re right Joel. I wouldn’t mind seeing a 3-4-3 in certain games if it makes us a little more solid at the back. We might be able to use Moreno as a LWB and then free up Milner to maybe come on for 20 mins in attack. I’m not sure about it, I don’t particularly trust Moreno, I just hate seeing us do exactly the same thing over and over when it isn’t working against certain sides.
While I too would like to see anything other than our static 4-3-3, who are you putting at the 3 at the back? Even if Lovren is fit, that means we have Matip, Lovren, and who… Lucas? Klavan? Gomez? Can?
It’s ridiculous to think, but maybe Rodgers was onto something with Can at CB in a 3 at the back. Our good run in 2013/2014 saw him break into the XI in that RCB role, and he wasn’t bad. I’d personally rather see Gomez given a run if we need to integrate another CB, but there are going to be growing pains, and if we’re really challenging for European competition that’s a dangerous risk.
I’d like to think at this point in the season everyone knows our best XI, but as soon as one player isn’t available from that selection, we look pathetic. I don’t envy Klopp because if he changes up, and we get thrashed he’ll take the brunt, but that’s why he’s paid as an elite manager. Personally, with the performance they put in at Leicester I wouldn’t mind if he called our team together and said a quote similar to a manager I despise *Jose Mourinho* “If I could I would have subbed all XI after that first half performance.”
No more talking to the media about how we need to perform against teams outside the top 6, prove you want it on the field regardless of the competition/scoreline, or leave this summer.
hey am hassan diehard fan from uganda klop do not hav plan b,every time playing the pressin football, is he b a good manager?
“Teams have worked out how to combat Liverpool now. They can sit deep, keep things compact, break with pace and steal a goal at the other end either by a counter-attack or taking advantage of sloppy set-piece defending, most likely. In possession, Liverpool’s plan against low-block sides seems to be knocking the ball side to side for a while before slinging aimless crosses into the box for opposition centre-backs to head clear under no pressure at all.”
Right. The only problem is, no one who has actually analyzed those games carefully would agree with that assessment.
Also, Leicester did nothing of the sort against us and were successful. We also did NOT play as (probably sarcastically) suggested above vs Leicester, and still were not successful.
The whole article amounts to: the 4-3-3 is great when it works. When it doesn’t work, it’s not. Really deep, that!
Tactics matter not one fuck if the team can’t execute what they are told. Our squad has no quality. Lacks physical presence. Has a feeble goalie scared of his own shadow. Has a first XI were no player is playing for his place. In others words, our squad is cheap and mediocre, heading for 7th. All they fucking deserve. We deserve better.
Heckler&klopp knows his shit! Game has always been and always will be about players and ours are quite poor. 4-3-3 certainly doesn’t help,especially when your goalkeeper is atrocious, your centre backs are paceless and your midfield is talentless. Stubborn managers who won’t after 18 months address these problems shouldn’t keep getting a free pass either
‘Right. The only problem is, no one who has actually analyzed those games carefully would agree with that assessment.
Also, Leicester did nothing of the sort against us and were successful. We also did NOT play as (probably sarcastically) suggested above vs Leicester, and still were not successful.’
Are you a disinformation merchant? Yes, the Leicester game was an odd one out of all our defeats this season (because, like Bournemouth, it had a little variation to the malaise), but Hull, Burnley, Wolves, West Ham, Southampton etc all happened exactly how the author described, i.e. the Chelsea 2014 template.
Either way, all Leicester had to do to murder us was launch it in a straight line and watch us panic. We’ve been vulnerable to artillery for far too long
Our formation and style is like a Rube Goldberg Machine…awesome when it all comes off (when the jug fills with water which weighs down the seesaw which tips the pool cue which nudges the tyre which rolls into the switch which drops the anvil on Mourinho), BUT…remove or try and replace just one tiny component and it’s a spectacular failure.
That’s the issue – like a Rube Goldberg, our system is a very specific and perhaps overly complex one. And we have far too much possession in games against rubbish teams.
Weirdly though, Chelsea also use a very specific system (since Conte tactical switch) which doesn’t allow for too much adaptability if they had key injuries – for instance if Moses or Marcos Alonso got injured, it wouldn’t work at all. BUT, of course, they don’t get injuries and that’s to be expected.
Is there anything to be said for trying the 4-2-3-1?
We’d have 2 midfielders to protect the centrebacks and provide the platform for our attacks. Perhaps Hendo and Wij/Can.
The 3 would consist of Mane/Firmino/Coutinho/Lallana all working and running at and in behind a defence while the 1 could occupy their centrebacks. Maybe Origi or Sturridge. I could even see Mane playing the 1.
We gotta try something.
“Perhaps now, after the Leicester game, Klopp will reassess and reconfigure the system which is repeatedly showing up the same failings, in order to get back on track for the run-in and secure that vital top four spot.”
Give me some of that stuff you are smoking Joel. Somebody wrote the same after the Swansea game and we have another version of tactical tweaks.
Jurgen’s tactics after two weeks of training including 5 days fun-in-the-sun amounted to fuck-all against Leicster, a team that I am sure he has some video tapes on to assess while he and the team were sunbathing.
Will the tactical tweaks for the next match also include making brilliant subs when needed instead of the appointed 75th/85th/89th/90th minute? Will it include playing the players in their rightful positions? Or will it involve not using Firmino as an out and out striker?
You are right something needs to change. Klopp needs to stop with the hugs and kisses and kick these overpaid flops in the arse for once.
Hopefully we see all your and our tactical tweaks employed this weekend, as Arsenal (if they are not stupid) will employ the tactical tweaks used by Leicester and leave with 3 points, followed by whoever else is next.
same moans,key board managers,buy him,sell him,this has been going on for 26 years,leave klopp to do his job,back him,key board managers,pick a team,with your players,play this way.play that way,wright long letters,how long you supported lfc,well none of you come close to me,not one of you.supports,hahahahhhaaha,moans groans,people making money about moaning.side lose form,players lose form,am off the shot my self.hahahahaha
we need to park the bus against bottom half relegation fodder. Fill our back line with 11 bodies, protecting our feeble, weak quivering shithouse calamity that is an excuse of a keeper. Bolster our defenders who cant read the game. We need to copy the tactics of other shit teams playing teams they have little chance of beating.
In Klopp I trust, but things have to change. It was Klopp who said players must have challengers for their place in the team; we dont have that. I fucking despair.
Mid-season break is fine, most probably it’s needed to refresh mentally and stuff. But sometimes I wonder about the destinations they choose and the fixation on warm weather training. For the average Premiership fixture wouldn’t it be better to stay in the Stoke Travelodge for a couple of weeks
–PLAN FOR THE SUMMER–
-Get Van Dijk and Gabbadini…should be able to get them for free with all of our Southampton clubcard points
-Buy ten million DMs, or at the very least get a framed photo of someone like Scott Parker and put it in Hendo’s position and move Hendo further forward
-Kidnap whoever the chief scout is for Southampton
-Check if Mane has any siblings