Henderson

Manchester United 1-1 Liverpool: A Tactical Breakdown

On Sunday afternoon, perhaps the worst United side in living memory lined up against arguably the best Liverpool side in living memory, and most certainly the best side in the Premier League era. With Mohamed Salah unavailable through injury, Sadio Mané was positioned on the right of Liverpool’s 4-3-3, and Divock Origi on the left....

Champions League or Premier League: Should Liverpool be prioritising?

Liverpool fans were most likely sick of being asked this question towards the tail end of last season, but it's one that this year takes on an entirely different meaning. When asked at a press conference whether he would rather lift the Premier League or Champions League trophy at the end of the season, Jordan...

Napoli 2-0 Liverpool: What went wrong?

This is the second year in succession that I'm sitting down to ponder how Liverpool were beaten at the Stadio San Paolo, but the circumstances feel different. Last season, it was more or less a case of a wretched team performance, but on the whole the Reds turned in a decent display at this time,...

Why Liverpool should sign Emre Can

The professional way in which Emre Can left Liverpool may mean the door is ajar for him to return to Merseyside. There have been no links, no rumours, but with the Germany international not included in Juventus’ Champions League squad, the writing appears to be on the wall for his career there.  Maurizio Sarri reportedly...

Why Firmino Makes it all Work

As the dust settled on a convincing victory at one of Liverpool’s most precarious hunting grounds, and a spat between Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mané proliferated the post-match headlines, it was one cheeky smile and movement of the eyes that set everybody at ease. Indeed, it was also the arm of Roberto Firmino around Sadio...

Tactical Analysis: Van Dijk Shines as Reds Pass Turf Moore Test

The stage was set for Liverpool to drop their first points of their new campaign. No sooner had the referee ushered the ball towards the centre circle to kickstart proceedings, than Sean Dyche was seen gesticulating towards his players to kick the ball long towards the Liverpool defence. Why? Well, as Sean Dyche pointed...

Liverpool Press Makes Spanish Whine

Liverpool retained top spot with a dominant 3-1 victory over Arsenal at Anfield last Saturday. Goals from Joel Matip and a Mohamed Salah brace were enough to wrap up the three points for the Reds, despite Lucas Torreira pulling a goal back for the Gunners in the 83rd minute. A prominent feature of the victory was...

Liverpool 3-1 Arsenal: A Tactical Breakdown

After a series of underwhelming performances, Liverpool's victory against Arsenal was a significant step in the right direction. Whereas in previous games, Liverpool had conceded a number of chances, and defended poorly, through not pressing effectively or making positional errors, the fixture on Saturday evening was far more akin to the efficient, composed and...

Liverpool 4-1 Norwich: A Tactical Breakdown

Liverpool's Premier League game against Norwich was the first genuine test Jürgen Klopp's men have faced since becoming European Champions. This was the first occasion in which points were at stake, the team would be able to set a marker and display their intent for the season. The scoreline indicates a strong performance, and the...

Tactical Analysis: How Liverpool Improved Mo Salah

When Liverpool signed Mohammad Salah for £37 million from AS Roma in 2017, most people didn’t expect him to have scored 72 goals in 106 games. But, under the watchful eye of Jurgen Klopp, his reputation as a fast winger has rapidly developed into becoming one of the most prolific forwards in the Premier...