Florian and the (Slot) Machine

[jan]

I don't think it's the end of the world if he doesn't make it in his first season fwiw, it's very easy to forget how young he is. Caicedo was older, stronger and Prem proven when he signed for Chelsea for a similar fee but was considered flop in his first season, probably also because the team was a mess. Gravenberch is another one who needed a year (and a manager change) to find his place in the team and that was all after a failed stint at Bayern. There's probably loads more

 

[Brizzle]

I think the only place for him is the Bobby roll with Ekitike and Isak ahead of him, our solid midfield behind and the wingbacks wingbacking like they used to wingback when we were good.

But that involves benching Salah and Gakpo and won't happen for ages

442 Diamond. This is the way.

 

[Squiggles]

Tactically, I don't think there is a 'way' out, which is why I can't see a way out of this other than playing last year's team to burn out, but with Ekitike at 9 and Wirtz at LW, which is why the signings look like a cluster-fuck.


-----------------Isak----------------
--Wirtz-----Salah/Ekitke----Szobo---
----------Mac------Grav-------------
---Robbo- VVD---Konate----Bradley--
_--------------Marma------------------

If I had to throw something slightly alternative together, it would be this. It's nothing overly radical, but Wirtz and Szobo have the legs to press and support the fullbacks. It moves Salah closer to the goal rather than fucking everything up out wide, and it can be a way to have Isak and Ekitke on the pitch together, on the sunny afternoon in May when Isak's body decides to be fit. I'm not convinced this squad of players can go to a diamond formation—mostly because of the DM role, the wide positions, and our ability to keep the ball is shite. A diamond generally gets very quickly exposed in transition.

 

[dmishra]

Tactically, we should play this:

----------------Alisson
Bradley--Konate---VVD---Robertson
------------Gravenberch---
--------Szob--------------Macca/Wirtz
----Salah-----Isak-----Ekitike

Off-ball, the structure of the press should be:

--------------------Alisson
----------Konate-------------VVD
Bradley-------Gravenberch---------Robertson
-------------------------Wirtz/Macca
----Salah----Szobo---Ekitike--------Isak

In a nutshell:

1. Szobo and Ekitike should lead the press
2. Our best finishers, Salah and Isak, should be wide off-the ball, and receive the ball in space when we win the ball via the press
3. Wirtz should play deeper as an 8 to be more involved. You don't spend 116 million on a player and not making him a foundational player. Play needs to run through him a'la Modric or Kroos. Macca and Wirtz can be rotated for that LCM / 8 spot. You can play Macca AND Wirtz (in place of Isak) when you need to flood the midfield
4. Bajcetic needs to be groomed to play as an inverted RB or CM
5. Gakpo should be strictly rotated as a bench option, or as an alternative to Isak. As a LW, he's completely underwhelming

All of this still isn't perfect as I have doubts about a team with Salah AND Isak seriously competing from a physical standpoint. But this should be enough to make a top 4 push and be competitive in the CL.

 

[Halmeister]

He's substantially better defensively than lallana.

I don't know if he is. And I wasn't Lallana's biggest fan.

 

[Best Believe It]

Lallana was excellent at pressing, so yeah, Wirtz has a bit of way to go in that respect at least.

 

[Best Believe It]

Plus he did a mean Cruyff turn

 

[Mamma Mia]

Based on all my experience and actual knowledge of the game, here is the undoubtedly best way to set up and coach this team, that is so obviously superior to the ideas of the Liverpool FC coaching team that it's crazy that not only does the bald fraud not see it, but even my fellow know it alls on the tinter clacker differ, yet it's so bleedin' obvious.

 

[binomial]

People do realise being able to press effectively isn't an individual ability, don't they?

Individual ability - can't be coached.
Tactics/game plan, such as the press - can only be coached.

We understand this, right? So when people say "Lallana was a great presser" (which he was coached well to do), "& Wirtz needs to do better".......that can only be mastered in training. You're either drilled to be a pressing team or you're not. We're not, we just run about a lot aimlessly like headless chickens.

 

[Modo]

Dunno if this is has been posted before, search function doesn't work...

Julian Nagelsmann: "It’s hard for Flo to make such an impact when the coach does not know how to utilise him. Someone needs to start burying the chances he (Wirtz) serves up. It’s not like he creates only a few, they just aren’t putting them away. That’s the reality as well.”​

So he think Slot is shit too. Lol

 

[Woland]

People do realise being able to press effectively isn't an individual ability, don't they?

Individual ability - can't be coached.
Tactics/game plan, such as the press - can only be coached.

We understand this, right? So when people say "Lallana was a great presser" (which he was coached well to do), "& Wirtz needs to do better".......that can only be mastered in training. You're either drilled to be a pressing team or you're not. We're not, we just run about a lot aimlessly like headless chickens.

Evidenced by the stats going south season on season. Get that pep lad back. I think he wrote an book about it.

 

[MomoWASright]

Dunno if this is has been posted before, search function doesn't work...

Julian Nagelsmann: "It’s hard for Flo to make such an impact when the coach does not know how to utilise him. Someone needs to start burying the chances he (Wirtz) serves up. It’s not like he creates only a few, they just aren’t putting them away. That’s the reality as well.”​

So he think Slot is shit too. Lol

View: https://x.com/iMiaSanMia/status/1987850756909609448

View: https://x.com/SkySportsNews/status/1987896769397620984

 

[dogboy]

Aren't we glossing over that Nagelsmann is shite though?

 

[Woland]

View: https://x.com/TheAnfieldTalk/status/1988582896123473924?s=20

Tl:dw. - he goes on about how if we were playing shit then we would just beat the opponent for energy. I guess that's what we're missing

 

[tomasjj]

Aren't we glossing over that Nagelsmann is shite though?

He can be shite, but still right.

 

[King Binny]

View: https://x.com/lachainelequipe/status/1990516565414924577

 

[tomasjj]

peach

 

[King Binny]

Another assist

View: https://x.com/lachainelequipe/status/1990517916094132311

 

[tomasjj]

another peachy pass
slot is watching the dutch game anyway

 

[JohnnyRocket]

Interesting seeing him do well on the left of the German attack.

Makes me think that is where his long term role might be for us. And also allows us to play Ekitike and Isak together up front.

But then what of Szobo? Shift our best player of the season out to the right? Not sure about that. Also dont like the idea of Szobo in a constrained 2 man central midfield role.

I still feel like we're a 4-3-3 team. If Gravy owns the DM space, Macca, Szobo and Wirtz are all players who would excel the most in the 2 number8/10 hybrid roles in midfield.

I still think this is the long term solution:

- - - - - Gravenberch
- - -Szobo - - - - - Wirtz (Macca)
Chiesa - - - - Isak - - - - - - - Ekitike

 

[Brizzle]

Interesting seeing him do well on the left of the German attack.

Makes me think that is where his long term role might be for us. And also allows us to play Ekitike and Isak together up front.

But then what of Szobo? Shift our best player of the season out to the right? Not sure about that. Also dont like the idea of Szobo in a constrained 2 man central midfield role

Yep - for me Szobo needs two CMs behind him. I don't see an issue with Wirtz playing as a 10 (in a 442 diamond) who favours the left side. Then we rotate between Tekkers, Isak, Salah, Gakpo in the front 2.

 

[Best Believe It]

Yep - for me Szobo needs two CMs behind him. I don't see an issue with Wirtz playing as a 10 (in a 442 diamond) who favours the left side. Then we rotate between Tekkers, Isak, Salah, Gakpo in the front 2.

Szobo probably needs two midfielders behind him if one of them is Gravenberch. For all his many positives Gravy isn't aerially or physically dominant in the way Fabinho was. If we had someone good enough to play as a single holder we could play Szobo and Wirtz ahead of that person.

 

[juniormember]

Szobo probably needs two midfielders behind him if one of them is Gravenberch. For all his many positives Gravy isn't aerially or physically dominant in the way Fabinho was. If we had someone good enough to play as a single holder we could play Szobo and Wirtz ahead of that person.

Nah I think even with a different player in Grav's role we'd be in trouble. Fabinho was great, but he did have Wijnaldum and Henderson, both workaholics from a defensive and pressing perspective (and strong), playing with him. Szobo and Wirtz ain't the same.

 

[JohnnyRocket]

I keep thinking Grav isnt the answer to DM.

He's more Vieira than a holding player. And as we know, Vieira was at his best with Gilberto Silva next to him.

But like Rodgers, unfortunately we now have a manager with a massive DM blindspot, who thinks we can excel without a proper one. This single issue will cause Slot's demise more than any of the other issues.

 

[keniget]

I keep thinking Grav isnt the answer to DM.

He's more Vieira than a holding player. And as we know, Vieira was at his best with Gilberto Silva next to him.

But like Rodgers, unfortunately we now have a manager with a massive DM blindspot, who thinks we can excel without a proper one. This single issue will cause Slot's demise more than any of the other issues.

I'm inclined to agree. I think Grav can play as DM, in the way Busquets did, when the team is dominant and has a lot of possession.

When you're having to fight a lot - particularly as we're seeing now - it just doesn't work as well.

That's why I wanted a defensive minded midfielder in the summer. To give us options. We can play Grav when we're expecting to dominate and also have the option of a more 'solid' midfield when we need it.

We lack balance in our midfield options.

 

[mark1975]

I'm inclined to agree. I think Grav can play as DM, in the way Busquets did, when the team is dominant and has a lot of possession.

When you're having to fight a lot - particularly as we're seeing now - it just doesn't work as well.

That's why I wanted a defensive minded midfielder in the summer. To give us options. We can play Grav when we're expecting to dominate and also have the option of a more 'solid' midfield when we need it.

We lack balance in our midfield options.

I'd like to add that we lack genuine presence too, you can have a natural DM who isn't particularly a "heavy weight" but I think we need someone in there with actual physical presence. Our quota across the team is pretty poor in that respect and I'd argue that that's where we've fallen short (eh) a few times, like against Palace.