Wanted to have a thread to discuss possible tactical adjustments. Hopefully this doesn’t simply turn into a ‘drop Trent’ or ‘get players in who care’ thread, because frankly those are totally unhelpful and also meaningless. The idea that this set of players under Klopp don’t care is complete nonsense and shouldn’t even remotely be entertained.
It’s obviously worth discussing the recruitment policy and FSG’s approach to the squad transition, but that’s been done enough already and barring a few posters, I think there’s general consensus that FSG are tight bastards. So let’s not bring that here either.
On to tactics, my first few broad thoughts:
Any other ideas?
It’s obviously worth discussing the recruitment policy and FSG’s approach to the squad transition, but that’s been done enough already and barring a few posters, I think there’s general consensus that FSG are tight bastards. So let’s not bring that here either.
On to tactics, my first few broad thoughts:
- There is absolutely no way that Klopp suddenly abandons his entire philosophy and moves away from the high-line or attacking fullbacks. That’s simply not the way Klopp operates and any sort of suggestion to ‘temporarily’ move the line back 10 yards or play Gomez or Matip at right back are IMO unrealistic and unhelpful. It’s not going to happen. This is a manager who played a high-line with Fabinho and Henderson as CBs.
- Worth acknowledging the biggest issue at the moment is extreme squad fatigue and injuries. 63 games last year with the season ending in late May, and pre-season beginning just 5 weeks after has been terrible schedule-wise for us. The multitude of soft-tissue injuries are testament to that, and I don’t think it’s going to really get hugely better because as things stand we’re over-utilising certain players (Fabinho, Elliot and Trent) who are next in line to get injured. We have to get through this first half of the season. I think the second half will be better with the World Cup giving us a big breather.
- That being the case, the key has to be to get a stable 15-16 man rotation going, with 6 midfielders who can carry the pressing workload to enable the highline. We can assume Ox and Keita are out for the first half of the season, and it looks like Jones might go that way as well. I’m absolutely adamant that Milner needs to be OUT of this rotation as well. He doesn’t have the legs at all anymore, and Milner’s other problem (which he always had) was that he has a tendency to drift out wide since his best attributes are his running and crossing. He was never great at holding position or keeping possession or at press resistance. He now not only abandons his position, but is also two steps off the pace. He simply cannot be played anymore. I think we’ve lost every match he’s started this season? The 6 man midfield rotation has to be Fabinho, Thiago, Henderson, Elliott, Arthur and well Jones if he’s fit. If Jones isn’t fit, then frankly I’d even consider recalling Morton if possible or just go with Bajcetic. Either are preferable to Milner at this point.
- Elliott’s position in my view is causing a major imbalance to the side. This is a bit controversial given that he’s been our best midfielder this year, but I do not think the high-line offers the luxury of a midfielder who drifts wide and doesn’t dominate the RCM space. Maybe this will work when Konate returns to cover the space behind and when Fabinho-Thiago are fully fit, but at the moment this is an issue. Especially as this is conjunction with Salah being pushed out wide, and Trent playing as an underlapping midfielder. This needs to change. Part of it I think is Klopp protecting Elliott, because the traditional CM role is physically demanding, requires you to be physically strong, win duels and press monstrously while also keeping possession. But the fact of the matter is that Elliott has responded well to everything we’ve asked him to do, and I have confidence that he can play as a pure CM. If the likes of Gavi are acing it aged 17, no reason to believe Elliott can as well.
- Once the three CMs are more compact, push Trent and Robbo back to their natural wider positions. The other controversial change I’m going to suggest is dropping Diaz and playing Darwin at LWF. Diaz has been our best individual player, but there’s a major systemic problem with our attack and Diaz is part of it in that he gets pushed out wide easily because of his lack of strength. That limits our ability to hold the ball up in attack and just makes it more difficult for him to be a goal threat (he almost always needs to cut in over large distances and then try to curl it in).
- For Darwin to be successful, we NEED TO USE HIS RUNNING POWER. Play him in that Mane style narrow LWF role and bring Salah back also to his narrow RWF role with Jota playing centrally. There is a way to use Darwin as a no. 9, but I don’t think it exists in our style of play. Darwin at LWF isn’t exactly new for him – it’s exactly how he played at Benfica with Yaremchuk at no. 9.
- This achieves a few things-
- Jota is by far our best no. 9 and needs to play there.
- Salah is infinitely better when narrower and closer to goal than isolated on the flank.
- Darwin gets to use his running power, is far more physical than Diaz and doesn’t have the pressure to be a central pivot (which isn’t his strength at all since his first touch isn’t elite).
- It gives Trent and Robbo (from their natural wide areas) two major aerial threats in Jota and Darwin attacking their crosses
- It allows us to consistently use Diaz as a bench threat, which would be seriously amazing. Diaz on at 60 mins against tired defences would be fantastic
- Groom Carvalho for the false 9 role. I love Firmino and I still think he has something to offer us this year, but he cannot be starting more than one game a week. I would try Carvalho across the front 3 off the bench, but I’m very interested in seeing him play centrally. I don’t think he has any business playing in midfield, and I hope we don’t try him again. He’s too weak to do any of the things our midfielders need to do.
Any other ideas?
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