Liverpool 2018/19: A Tactical Preview
How do Liverpool play? It's a simple question, but with the arrival of both Naby Keïta, Fabinho and Alisson, as well as the progression of Liverpool's tactics under Jürgen Klopp since he joined in 2016, the answer requires a more detailed response than the question initially indicates.
There are three main tactical phases in football: on-ball, off-ball and the transition. With Liverpool's signings and their skillsets, the on-ball phase may be the one most different this season. Hence, we'll start …
Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool: A Tactical Breakdown
There's no game that manages to make me as uneasy as the Manchester United tie at Old Trafford: genuinely, I can't eat on matchdays. Maybe it's the trauma of defeats and the subsequent stick that every young fan gets at school that's caused it - who knows, but in all seriousness, after Liverpool won 0-3 there back in 2013/14 - with three penalties awarded to Liverpool - I was, and still am, utterly convinced Brendan Rodgers performed some juju or …
Huddersfield 0-3 Liverpool: A Tactical Breakdown
If I were asked to sum up the Liverpool victory over Huddersfield, there's one term which would immediately spring to mind: game management. Quite often, football games aren't decided by tactics, errors, luck and the like all come into play from time to time, and usually, it's Liverpool making errors where they should not be doing so which costs them. For this game, however, Liverpool did not fall back into the same costly traps which we've seen many a time, …
Liverpool 4-2 Hoffenheim: A Tactical Breakdown
Anfield, under lights, with a European fixture: the stage was set. Klopp's Liverpool did not disappoint, with perhaps the best team performance of the calendar year, Liverpool's attacking play was simply breathtaking, as the team dispatched Hoffenheim over the first 20 minutes.
With the same midfield as the first-leg, and the first league game of the season, what did Liverpool do differently, and why was the performance so drastically different to the three preceding games?
Stats
Possession
LFC: 45pc (in …
Tactical Explanation to Wijnaldum's Absence
For a player like Mesut Özil, despite all the technical ability he possesses such as his elite ball control and dribbling ability, his vision and precise execution of passes – among many others – his career, at least whilst wearing a kit in Arsenal colours, will always be marred by fans labelling him as the player who “goes missing”, especially in big games. This still turns out to be the case even though there are other variables and factors such …
Liverpool Find Their Attacking Fluency to Overcome Spurs
When is it going to end? The run of form that Liverpool are currently on is not in keeping with the squad at their disposal or the quality of their coach. You have to go back to the 31st of December to find the last league victory for Jurgen Klopp's side. Since then we have seen losses to both Hull City and Swansea City as well as draws with Chelsea, Manchester United and Sunderland.
Add in the capitulation in the …
Tactical Analysis - Klopp out thinks Guardiola as Liverpool are victorious
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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 of a gap at this point of the season.
Last week against Southampton saw Liverpool come away with a 0-0 draw with Southampton setting out in …
Chelsea 1 - 2 Liverpool | A Tactical Analysis
We are now five matches in to the league season and the competition is beginning to take on a more established look with sides finding their form.
After an inconsistent start to the season, Liverpool began to find their feet with a win last week against reigning champions Leicester City. The fifth game of the season would offer perhaps the stiffest test for Liverpool and their coach Jurgen Klopp as they faced a somewhat resurgent Chelsea side.
Chelsea are still …
Sadio Mane at RB Salzburg: A Reflection of the Future?
Liverpool have signed Sadio Mane this week, continuing the trend of shopping on the South Coast. The reported fee has ranged between 30 million pounds to 36 million pounds depending on whom you would want to believe. It is a valid question whether the question is of great significance in that if you have stumped up 30 million, 2 or 4 million more should not be the point of focus.
What should be the point of focus is the role …