Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp explained why he was very happy with almost all aspects of his team’s performance in their 3-0 Premier League win over Bournemouth on Saturday.
Many fans and pundits alike had commented that The Reds looked leggy and lethargic in recent weeks and lacked the urgency to regain possession when the opposition had the ball.
Thankfully, Liverpool displayed a masterful pressing performance against Bournemouth (all AI:Pro customers can listen here to an in-depth review of the game and Liverpool’s tactics) to ensure a dominant victory over Eddie Howe’s side.
Klopp was especially pleased with how The Reds counter-pressed against The Cherries. He gave his thoughts to the official LFC site and said:
“We wanted to make life as difficult as possible for them – and that’s what we did.
“Our counter-press, after a couple of weeks’ break, was there 100 per cent. That’s what we wanted to show, that we are a team who are able to play really good football but if we lose the ball we must be different to all teams in the world.
“We have to show that. That’s what brought us to the position we are in and is what we have to keep. We lacked that a little bit in the last couple of games. It was 100 per cent back.”
It’s great to hear Klopp speaking so enthusiastically about the Reds’ counter-pressing game again and also acknowledging how pivotal that approach was to getting Liverpool to where they are now.
Depending on injuries and the energy left in the tank of the first-team regulars, it’s likely we will see this tactic employed more frequently in the coming months, especially in the Champions League.
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