In his first ever press conference as Liverpool manager, Jurgen Klopp was asked about the style of play we should expect to see the team play during his tenure, ‘Umschaltspiel’, he replied. This is a German footballing term but it roughly translates to ‘shift game’, which essentially means ‘transition game’ in England. Two full...
Gareth Southgate’s England have been playing a relatively unused and potentially interesting variation of 3-5-2 formation at the World Cup – with a lopsided back three, wing-backs who are multi-faceted and a three-man midfield with only one defensive player in it.
It’s a well-balanced formation that suits England very well. The back three is shielded...
A manager requires perpetual change if he’s to succeed in the savage land that is the Premier League.
That’s the narrative that gets swung about on the regular, amidst pundits and fans alike. In Pep Guardiola’s first season, his tactical ministrations were seen as too imposing, not giving English Football’s top tier its due. Jose...
Over the course of the season I've been breaking down a number of Liverpool's matches in both the Premier League and Champions League, however, this week I was asked to do something rather different instead, and scout Real Madrid for the AEye Scouted pod, hosted by Dave Hendrick. Below are the key findings of...
As the Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid edges ever nearer, it is no surprise to see predictions being offered everywhere you look.
When it comes to guessing how Saturday’s enormous match in Kiev will pan out, the general consensus is that it will be both sides’ vibrant attacks attempting to dismantle a...
I shared a thread on Twitter recently about my thoughts on how Liverpool can beat Real Madrid, and it received such positive feedback that I’ve decided to expand on it here. The thread is linked below for those that want to check it out:
https://twitter.com/DistanceCovered/status/996345845749637120
Now, as I’ve mentioned in the thread, the key factor when...
What a season. Liverpool have qualified for their second consecutive Champions League campaign by securing automatic qualification for the first time since 2008/09. They have also have finished with 75 points, one less than last season's tally (76), which is also the record for fourth spot. Mo Salah has broken the all-time Premier League...
When Liverpool lost 5-0 at the Etihad earlier this season, I mentioned in my breakdown that typing in the scoreline just felt wrong, but there is something immensely gratifying about typing out the aggregate scoreline for the Champions League tie: 5-1. I might even do it again. 5-1. Lovely.
Anyway, there are five minutes until...
Fine lines. The thinnest of margins. The point at which dreamland meets bedlam. Where delirium bisects mayhem. That's where Liverpool fans found themselves as they watched the unthinkable happen. Liverpool had pressed Manchester City into submission in January, but Pep Guardiola, the greatest manager and tactical innovator of his generation would surely not let it...
After the international break, it's always interesting to see how a team performs, and Liverpool appeared to start brightly against Palace, but soon it became clear that if Liverpool were to take anything from this game, they needed to really work for it, as simple passes went astray, and frustration built up. If you...
