Anfield Index's post-match tactics writer Hamzah Khalique-Loonat stands in for our regular host Daniel Rhodes and joins Paul Dalglish to analyse Liverpool's 2-0 away victory at Selhurst Park.
Topics include:
A close-up look at the first-half and Liverpool's continuing struggle with playing against a low block; how to break down a low block; Liverpool's full-backs and their positioning; Palace's 4-4-2 structure; how and if the penalty changed the game; whether Van Dijk still has room for improvement; Alisson's "world class" abilities, and also if Liverpool creating only four "big chances" is something to worry about.
Paul also rounds off with how listeners may want to watch a match with a tactical perspective.
All this and more on Tactics Weekly!
If you haven't got the memo yet, Liverpool won't be conceding any goals this season thanks to Virgil simply swearing at anybody who lets the ball come into the box and Alisson dealing with whatever small amount that Virgil's swearing fails to deter.
https://twitter.com/babuyagu/status/1028711576071753729
This is great obviously for us Liverpool fans but sucks for me...
Liverpool picking up where they left off at the end of the 2017/18 season would have been the perfect way to kick start a league season, and Liverpool did just that. There were 92 days between Liverpool's last home league game against Brighton and the opening fixture against West Ham, but the results were...
Daniel Rhodes and Anfield Index's tactical writer Hamzah Khalique-Loonat look back at the Reds' complete destruction of West Ham at the weekend.
Topics include:
The line-ups, and initial period of the match when Liverpool failed to register a shot; the interplay between the midfield and the attack; exploiting the width with full-backs both on and off the ball; the dynamics of the midfield, and the contrasting individual attributes of each option; looking at the key chances; can we learn anything about West Ham; options from the bench and the joy of having strength-in-depth and variety to come on.
All this and more on Tactics Weekly!
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:...
Daniel Rhodes and Paul Dalglish discuss the Reds' pre-season, the final match and what the team selection meant for the first match against West Ham.
Other topics include:
- Will Klopp opt for Sturridge over Firmino against West Ham?
- Who will be the midfield three: Fabinho, Keita, Wijnaldum or Milner, Wijnaldum and Keita?
- How will Alisson influence our tactical set up and options?
- Who will start alongside Van Dijk?
- Picking the first XI for the West Ham game.
- What should we expect from Pellegrini's Hammers side?
- Is this the first side in the Premier League era capable of winning the league?
All this and more on Tactics Weekly!
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...
Daniel Rhodes and Paul Dalglish look back on the semi-finals of the World Cup.Â
Topics Include:Â
- Why did Martinez change the tactical set up after the Brazil performance?Â
- Do France have the best defensive set up at the World Cup, and can they go up another couple of gears if required?Â
- Was Southgate playing too many players out of position which led to a safety-first approach? Why couldn't he react to Croatia taking advantage in the second half?Â
- What has Southgate done well during the tournament?Â
All this and more on Tactics Weekly!
Daniel Rhodes and Paul Dalglish discuss the news that Klopp is likely to stick with Karius for the upcoming season before a look back at the most recent World Cup knockout games.
Does the England manager need to switch to a box in midfield to create more from open play? Any personnel changes?
What to expect from Sweden in the quarter-final, and how much has Janne Andersson over-achieved?
Do the 'big three' of France, Brazil and Belgium excel with their tactical set ups or does international football with lots of star names and egos require something less structured?
Who would you buy a ticket to watch at this World Cup?
How would we have fared in the Champions League final with these two in the side?
All this and more on Tactics Weekly!
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...
