Liverpool FC Opinion

4231 Formation The Next Tactical Port of Call For Liverpool

Ever since the beginning of the 2016/2017 season, Jurgen Klopp has almost consistently lined Liverpool up in a 433 formation. The only exception came in the winter of the 2018/2019 season when the Reds lined up in a 4231 shape. In that reshuffle, Mohamed Salah played as the teams' focal point, with Roberto Firmino dropping...

Tactical Breakdown: Liverpool 2-1 Aston Villa

Premier League champions Liverpool won their first home game since Christmas, as they beat Aston Villa 2-1, courtesy of a late strike by Alexander-Arnold. Systems Liverpool played in a 4-3-3, with Roberto Firmino returning to the forward line in place of Sadio Mané. Fabinho and Gini Wijnaldum retained their starting places and were partnered with James...

Liverpool Miss Henderson Influence In Maximising Alexander Arnold Ability

After Liverpool's 3-1 Champions League quarter-final first-leg defeat away to Real Madrid last week, many fans bemoaned Jordan Henderson's absence. The club captain will be out for an unspecified amount of time after undergoing surgery on an abductor injury he suffered in the Merseyside derby in February. In the Madrid loss, the Reds -- rather uncharacteristically...

Tactical Breakdown: Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool

Real Madrid won 3-1 against Liverpool at the Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano in the UEFA Champions League quarter finals, leaving them favourites to progress to the next round. Systems Despite Madrid missing both starting centrebacks and Eden Hazard, the home side set up in a 4-3-3. When in possession, Toni Kroos dropped into a sweeper position as the...

Much Maligned Firmino Missed In UnIntense Liverpool Loss

Let's face it, Roberto Firmino -- at least in front of goal -- has regressed as a player over the course of the last two seasons. From a record high 0f 15 Premier League goals in the 2017/2018 season, the Brazilian's numbers have steadily dropped and he finds himself on eight league goals this season,...

The Trent Alexander-Arnold Myth

It’s 2021 and people are still claiming that Trent Alexander-Arnold can’t defend. It is beyond boring now and is arguably one of the laziest narratives in world football.  It all stems from that match against Manchester United when Marcus Rashford scored twice.  People always overlook the fact that Dejan Lovren allowed Romelu Lukaku a free header...

Liverpool away in Europe: Klopp’s Achilles heel

All the greats have a weakness - nobody is perfect. You can apply that to any walk of life. From a footballing perspective, you can look at any all-time legend and pick holes in their genius, whether it be Lionel Messi's curious inconsistency from the penalty spot or Alex Ferguson only winning the Champions League...

When did Liverpool’s tactics become so predictable?

I’m sure I’ve written the start of this article about a million times this season – but here we are again. Another game, another disappointment or so it seems with this Liverpool side that lulled us into a false sense of security with a convincing win over Arsenal last weekend. Against Real Madrid however, it was...

Analysis: What went wrong against Real Madrid?

Whenever Liverpool lose, there's always a bit of a scramble for someone to come up with a definitive answer as to why it happened. It doesn't necessarily have to be the right answer, just the first one. After all, it's easier to process and accept if there's only one issue. We've all heard about how...

Real Madrid 3-1 Liverpool: Observations as Vinicius dents improbable dream

Mohamed Salah's away goal means a 2-0 win at Anfield will see Liverpool qualify for the Champions League semifinals. The '2' is feasible but, after a hapless defensive display, the 'nil' less so. The strong likelihood is that Jurgen Klopp's dark horses will fall at this fence. They were incredibly poor in the first half...