Liverpool Tactical Analysis

Pass the Dutchie On the Left-Hand Side

First off, credit to @CalvLyfeson for the inspired title of this piece. There was a lot of talk surrounding who Jurgen Klopp would opt to go with to replace the injured Philippe Coutinho on the Liverpool left. If history was anything to go off it looked as though the German would give the responsibility to...

Tactical Analysis – Liverpool maintain composure to break down Sunderland resistance

The match at Anfield against Sunderland took on extra significance given the run of form enjoyed by Chelsea under Antonio Conte. Whilst it is remiss to place too much importance on a single result at this stage of the season there is still a danger in allowing your opponent to open up too much...

Why Don’t People Consider Firmino to be a Complete Striker?

Originally, a False 9 was a lone striker who, instead of staying high up the pitch like a traditional striker, would drop into midfield and look to drag the centre-back pairing into areas they weren't comfortable in to enable teammates to exploit the space they had created. Cesc Fabregas played it for Spain. Pep Guardiola...

Tactical Analysis – Liverpool Struggle against Southampton’s Stubborn Defence

Going in to the international break Liverpool found themselves sitting proudly at the top of the English Premier League table. A 6-0 demolition of Watford had shown Liverpool at their best, full of incisive passing and vertical movement that rendered their opponent's defensive structure in pieces. International breaks are either a blessing or a curse...

Emre Can – A Creative Force

Anything other than a win now is considered a disaster if you're a Liverpool fan. Scanning social media after the Reds' 0-0 draw with Southampton on Saturday you would have been forgiven for thinking Klopp's men had lost. There was a lot of frustration mixed with disappointment topped off with some hysteria. It's a recipe...

Why Liverpool Need: Virgil Van Dijk

There are few clubs in the game at the moment with a better track record for developing players than Southampton. If they had been able to prevent their former young prodigies from leaving the club then they would currently be able to boast the likes of Gareth Bale, Theo Walcott, Adam Lallana, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain...

Tactical Analysis – Roberto Firmino Liverpool’s master of space

In July 2015 Liverpool football club made a significant move in the remodelling of their squad with the signing of Hoffenheim attacker Roberto Firmino for a reported £29M fee. Reaction was mixed amongst the Liverpool fan base with many questioning the acquisition of a player that was perceived as being not top four quality...

Lallana, Coutinho, Firmino and Mane – Firing Liverpool to the Top

"An outsider should never know what position my players are playing. We occupy interchangeable spaces and principles not rigid positions” - Marco Bielsa. Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were at their rampant best against Watford. It finished 6-1 but the Reds could have easily finished with double figures as the away side failed to cope with the fluidity...

Tactical Analysis – Liverpool Movement too Much for Watford’s 3-5-2

At what point do we accept that Liverpool are genuine title contenders? Some say that to win the title you have to beat your closest challengers, in fact that is only half the battle. The true path to title glory is making sure you do not drop points against the teams that you should...

Tactics: Liverpool’s Attacking Fluidity Overwhelms Palace’s Defensive Unit

As we approach the beginning of November you can start to see the Premier League table take shape. The early weeks of the season are spent with teams striving to find their feet and deal with any lingering fitness or personnel issues. As the season progresses though form starts to take hold and teams...