Topic: Team Analysis: Jürgen Klopp’s Liverpool Tactics (*)

[theMilkman]

I'd like to see the bench consist of current first eleven players and the first eleven being what is overhauled!

Lol that was sort of i was getting at but didn't want to get into picking players from that 11 to be replaced.

[Haggis36]

It is definitely a concern. The frustration is no longer a lack of money. We have money, but we just use it so badly, or not at all. I agree that we need two midfielders to look like a proper team, but we also need two wing backs to make this system work, and one seriously good centre half. Add to that the desperate need for some depth/pace on the wing, and the lack of a quality striker, and we basically need six top players.

That's not happening in this summer window, so we need to work out, what is the most important to allow us to function tactically, of those 6 positions?

Well exactly. We can probably afford to go out and get three bonafide starters in the summer, but there are so many positions needing upgraded, how do you choose? I think you have to say CB, CM are two, with probably a wide forward being the third. But overlooking a striker and LB could prove very costly next year. You can probably upgrade LB fairly cheaply (it honestly wouldn't take much to be better there than we currently are) and whilst I'm not sure he's ready, Trent could offer a more attacking alternative to Clyne in certain games (the concern is his defending, but at some point you probably have to bite the bullet).

Maybe the solution is to go all out and get a wide player who is capable of playing up top? Probably cost big money though.

[rscanderlech]

Well exactly. We can probably afford to go out and get three bonafide starters in the summer, but there are so many positions needing upgraded, how do you choose? I think you have to say CB, CM are two, with probably a wide forward being the third. But overlooking a striker and LB could prove very costly next year. You can probably upgrade LB fairly cheaply (it honestly wouldn't take much to be better there than we currently are) and whilst I'm not sure he's ready, Trent could offer a more attacking alternative to Clyne in certain games (the concern is his defending, but at some point you probably have to bite the bullet).

Maybe the solution is to go all out and get a wide player who is capable of playing up top? Probably cost big money though.

Given that our current left back is most likely the highest earning left back in world football, we can probably justify that one, financially!

[Haggis36]

Given that our current left back is most likely the highest earning left back in world football, we can probably justify that one, financially!

Mad, isn't it? You just know he'll be our starting LB next year though. Truly, truly depressing.

[Caston]

We need more players who aren't scared to take somebody on and run in behind.

[MobileBayRed]

We need more players who aren't scared to take somebody on and run in behind.

We need players who are tactically astute and know how to move defenders around with good movement off the ball.  We are so static.  Just stand there hoping someone will pass them the ball, or drop back into midfield to help out. 

[Funky_Gibbons]

We need more players who aren't scared to take somebody on and run in behind.

Players like Wilson and Ojo should have been integrated into the squad months ago. We're desperately lacking pace and goals from out wide, their absence is baffling.

[SerbianScouser]

Considering how painfully unbalanced we are without Mane and Lallana we actually did well to get 11 pts from last 6 games. We have Can-Wijnaldum partnership that doesn't work against the low block, Firmino as wide-forward which almost never works, we have Origi who has zero relationship and understanding with Brazilians. All this considered it should have been much worse.

[Oberyn_Martell]

Considering how painfully unbalanced we are without Mane and Lallana we actually did well to get 11 pts from last 6 games. We have Can-Wijnaldum partnership that doesn't work against the low block, Firmino as wide-forward which almost never works, we have Origi who has zero relationship and understanding with Brazilians. All this considered it should have been much worse.

A few wonder goals will do that for you.

[Zlen]

Klopp knows nothing about football, that much is obvious to anyone with half a brain. 
He should have played Lallana from the start, Sturridge instead of Origi and Grujić instead of Wijnaldum and Lucas - starting with 10 men which would make us more nimble and less congested in the final third. I hope he's not given a big pile of cash to waste in the summer, because he makes me look back at Comolli days with nostalgia. Oh and he's embarrassing us by jumping up and down on the byline - this is not the kind of club to display such plebish emotions. 

[Sheer Magnetism]

Players like Wilson and Ojo should have been integrated into the squad months ago. We're desperately lacking pace and goals from out wide, their absence is baffling.

We need players who are tactically astute and know how to move defenders around with good movement off the ball.  We are so static.  Just stand there hoping someone will pass them the ball, or drop back into midfield to help out.

Both of these are right. The reason the box is always so congested against these teams is because we're so slow in moving forward. They have plenty of time to move everyone back before we get near the goal. Seriously, how many goals have we scored from a fast break this year? Any?

[rscanderlech]

Klopp knows nothing about football, that much is obvious to anyone with half a brain. 
He should have played Lallana from the start, Sturridge instead of Origi and Grujić instead of Wijnaldum and Lucas - starting with 10 men which would make us more nimble and less congested in the final third. I hope he's not given a big pile of cash to waste in the summer, because he makes me look back at Comolli days with nostalgia. Oh and he's embarrassing us by jumping up and down on the byline - this is not the kind of club to display such plebish emotions.

Assuming that this is sarcastic, do you want us to treat him as an infallible deity?

[Nelly82]

We have no width on either wings nor at wingback. Everything for Liverpool tends to go through the middle. We need options all over the pitch.

Not having a go at Milner but we need a natural left back and a good one at that.

Clyne has come here and made our right back slot a more solid area but going forward he leaves a lot to be desired. Cuts in far to often when getting to the byline would put the opposition in limbo.

We haven't had wingers since mcmanaman as far as i can remember.

[Zlen]

Assuming that this is sarcastic, do you want us to treat him as an infallible deity?

The choice, as always with messianic arrivals, is either a deity or a very naughty boy.
I think he's a very naughty boy.

[Isaacsways]

we're ponderous as fuck with Origi up top... he's hopeless...

[KurtVerbose]

Klopp knows nothing about football, that much is obvious to anyone with half a brain. 
He should have played Lallana from the start, Sturridge instead of Origi and Grujić instead of Wijnaldum and Lucas - starting with 10 men which would make us more nimble and less congested in the final third. I hope he's not given a big pile of cash to waste in the summer, because he makes me look back at Comolli days with nostalgia. Oh and he's embarrassing us by jumping up and down on the byline - this is not the kind of club to display such plebish emotions. 

I disagree with everything you wrote apart from playing with 10 men. That's a system that deserves to be tried.

[clinical]

Give sturridge a start ffs

We'd have top 4 already with Mane

[KurtVerbose]

We'd have top 4 already with Mane

Top 3.

[elsewhere]

Honestly i expected Klopp to be more ruthless and hard on players after crap performances, not give each one of them warm hugs on the pitch after pathetic performances. I don't know what he tells them in the locker room but for some reason it's not working. We will still make top 4 but failing to win vs parking teams has been his biggest problem and it's just not improving after many matches.

[SerbianScouser]

We really dropped off dramatically in the second half of the season:

First 19     games : 2.26 ppg, 2.42 goals per game.
Second 17 games : 1.59 ppg, 1.47 goals per game.

Think we insisted too much on 433 when losing our crucial players like Mane, Coutinho and Lallana instead of finding the shape for available players that gets the best out of them. For instance at times we could have used the good old flat 442 which would have been an enormous help for someone like Origi for example.

[Zlen]

I disagree with everything you wrote apart from playing with 10 men. That's a system that deserves to be tried.

Well, I can't argue with conservatives like you.
You're just like Klopp - boring and living in the past.


On a serious note, I think all the small niggles regarding his approach this season will simply fall away next year when he has more depth, more players he has faith in.

[jillcwhomever]

Honestly i expected Klopp to be more ruthless and hard on players after crap performances, not give each one of them warm hugs on the pitch after pathetic performances. I don't know what he tells them in the locker room but for some reason it's not working. We will still make top 4 but failing to win vs parking teams has been his biggest problem and it's just not improving after many matches.

What were you expecting him to do on the pitch slap them? They always have a post mortem after a game, so I'm sure if things need to be said, they will be. We have a lack of options at the moment, so we are struggling. I don't see how slagging off players is going to help, to be honest. He knows he has to get them over the line, and that's what he will try and do. I am quite happy at the way he behaves with the players, it is a lot better then throwing them under the bus like some do.

[fudge]

I'm not going deep, but Lallana and Sturridge not on from the start was a massive mistake. Origi's been woeful and trying to squeeze twenty minutes of genius out of the two is too feeble a gamble at the mo when clearly we're struggling with both creating and taking chances.

Love Klopp but fucked up today and got out of jail with other results.

[Kop307]

I genuinely thought Jurgen would be far more flexible. He's on Wenger levels of stubborness when it comes to team selection and shape.

He doesn't seem to like the idea of picking a certain team, to win a particular game. He seems very idealistic and it won't work in this league.

Lets have it right, we won at Watford but it took a flying overhead kick, goal of his career from Emre Can.

We scored from a set piece away at West Brom. Coutinho scored a free kick against Palace.

We have barely looked like scoring a goal from open play in 5 games and yet he persists playing 433 when we have 1 winger in our entire squad, and that's mane, who's injured.

Unless Jurgen finds a way to get us scoring we'll struggle to pick up more than 2 points in our final 2 games. I don't mean to be overly negative but the lack of creation in the team is driving me crazy. Origi isn't great on his own, so play Firmino up with him. Try something. Play a diamond. Try Moreno at left back, Milner at right back and give us some proper balls from wide areas Proper chalk on the boots stuff.

Or we could keep doing the same thing over and over and over and over and expecting it to somehow work. It's fucking madness.

[jillcwhomever]

I'm not going deep, but Lallana and Sturridge not on from the start was a massive mistake. Origi's been woeful and trying to squeeze twenty minutes of genius out of the two is too feeble a gamble at the mo when clearly we're struggling with both creating and taking chances.

Love Klopp but fucked up today and got out of jail with other results.

Lallana was forced to play 70 minutes at Watford having come back from injury with just two training sessions behind him. There was no way he was going to be picked from the start. Hopefully with another week's training sessions behind him he will be able to start  next week, but this was always unlikely. As for Sturridge no one really knows how fit he is, and I suspect he is being played for as long as he can be at the moment. People are slagging Klopp off without truly knowing how fit these players are, only the training staff know whether these players can play for any longer at the moment.

[killer-heels]

We really dropped off dramatically in the second half of the season:

First 19     games : 2.26 ppg, 2.42 goals per game.
Second 17 games : 1.59 ppg, 1.47 goals per game.

Think we insisted too much on 433 when losing our crucial players like Mane, Coutinho and Lallana instead of finding the shape for available players that gets the best out of them. For instance at times we could have used the good old flat 442 which would have been an enormous help for someone like Origi for example.

Thats a stark drop off and quite frankly a terrible return for the second half. Klopp takes ultimate responsibility though and it will have been poor decisions by him.

[Chris~]

Lallana was forced to play 70 minutes at Watford having come back from injury with just two training sessions behind him. There was no way he was going to be picked from the start. Hopefully with another week's training sessions behind him he will be able to start  next week, but this was always unlikely. As for Sturridge no one really knows how fit he is, and I suspect he is being played for as long as he can be at the moment. People are slagging Klopp off without truly knowing how fit these players are, only the training staff know whether these players can play for any longer at the moment.

This could all be true, but they're not our only players on the bench. Is Grujic really that far off being ready he can't be trusted to play more than 10 minutes? I'm assuming there's no faith in Moreno, but then pick a youth player. Is Alexander-Arnold only being picked so we don't have a spare seat? It's maddening because we've looked sluggish for a while and there's not really been much attempt to correct that with personal changes.

[jillcwhomever]

This could all be true, but they're not our only players on the bench. Is Grujic really that far off being ready he can't be trusted to play more than 10 minutes? I'm assuming there's no faith in Moreno, but then pick a youth player. Is Alexander-Arnold only being picked so we don't have a spare seat? It's maddening because we've looked sluggish for a while and there's not really been much attempt to correct that with personal changes.

I would love to use our younger players more believe me. But the way Anfield is and considering how crucial the games are now, I'm not sure if its the right thing to do. Having said that maybe playing TAA in front of Clyne would be an idea. His crossing is excellent, though his defence needs a bit more work. But I would love him to give him a go. Grujic I'm not sure with him being out for as long as he has been, but I would like to see him getting a bit longer maybe.

[Felch Aid]

Klopp seems to be playing it safe. Not overly defensive but committed to ball retention.

We lack any direct threat and I cant see where the goals are coming from.

I suspect we're going to do that same against West Ham. He doesnt want us chasing the game but knows a point gets us nearer.

Such a stark contrast to what we were doing at the start of the season.

[jillcwhomever]

Klopp seems to be playing it safe. Not overly defensive but committed to ball retention.

We lack any direct threat and I cant see where the goals are coming from.

I suspect we're going to do that same against West Ham. He doesnt want us chasing the game but knows a point gets us nearer.

Such a stark contrast to what we were doing at the start of the season.

We had genuine pace at the start of the season though, once we lost Mane that disappeared. We don't really have anyone who can do what he can. We just need to get through this next game and finger's crossed we can take our chance.

[Gnurglan]

We can all see we struggle when teams sit deep against us. Even more so when Mane is out. This is something we need to improve for next season. I suspect that Henderson back in the team could change things. What we miss without Mane is runs. There is no-one (except Firmino) to play the ball to. Henderson is one who can make those runs. Lallana too. Sturridge obviously. I thought Wijnaldum would make more than he does. But remove them and play Origi up front and we are out of options.

[So… Howard Philips]

We had genuine pace at the start of the season though, once we lost Mane that disappeared. We don't really have anyone who can do what he can. We just need to get through this next game and finger's crossed we can take our chance.

I'm not sure where I saw it but Klopp said something to the effect, about a month ago, that we would need to be more defensive. I think that is what we are seeing, unfortunately.

[KurtVerbose]

On a serious note, I think all the small niggles regarding his approach this season will simply fall away next year when he has more depth, more players he has faith in.

When we've had a full strength team we've beaten everyone. Whenever we've missed a player, defence, midfield or attack, we've struggled.

[Zlen]

When we've had a full strength team we've beaten everyone. Whenever we've missed a player, defence, midfield or attack, we've struggled.

Yep, short on quality.
Not fussed about it, we'll sort it in the summer.
Let's just somehow get over the line and secure Champions League - then enjoy a long summer without fucking international football to injure our players.

[CallumLFC]

Our full backs are dire and bring absolutely nothing attacking wise. Big issue when trying to take on these parked buses.

Admire Spurs a lot for what their full backs bring to them. Even their back-ups in Davies and Trippier would get into our XI

[CallumLFC]

We had genuine pace at the start of the season though, once we lost Mane that disappeared. We don't really have anyone who can do what he can. We just need to get through this next game and finger's crossed we can take our chance.

We played some good football without Mane last season no? Our attack put in many good attacking performances without his pace last season.

It's up to Klopp to figure something new out. Bring in Sturridge as a starter, put two up top or whatever else. It can't carry on as it as, because as things stand we're relying on lucky breaks and hoping we score our one or two limited chances per game. We're lucky to have totalled the points tally we have in the last 4 or 5 games and if this time the lucky breaks don't go for us, we could  quite easily end up with 1 or 2 points out of our next two games.

That is not the way we should be going about getting top 4.

[Funky_Gibbons]

Our full backs are dire and bring absolutely nothing attacking wise. Big issue when trying to take on these parked buses.

Admire Spurs a lot for what their full backs bring to them. Even their back-ups in Davies and Trippier would get into our XI

What have our fullbacks got to aim for? Spurs have Kane up front who's tall and good in the air.

Most of the season we've had Firmino up front who offers no aerial threat from crosses. Coutinho and Mane aren't going to offer anything either.

This is what has disappointed me with Origi, he could give us that threat but rather than be that type of player he wanders out wide trying to be an Henry type striker.

[Samie]

We need attacking full backs with Kloppo's system. And actual full backs in the case of Milner playing Left Back.

I like Clyne but he's not an attacking full back and Milner isn't a Defender full stop.  We also need a big upgrade in central midfield and a proper #9.

[jillcwhomever]

We played some good football without Mane last season no? Our attack put in many good attacking performances without his pace last season.

It's up to Klopp to figure something new out. Bring in Sturridge as a starter, put two up top or whatever else. It can't carry on as it as, because as things stand we're relying on lucky breaks and hoping we score our one or two limited chances per game. We're lucky to have totalled the points tally we have in the last 4 or 5 games and if this time the lucky breaks don't go for us, we could  quite easily end up with 1 or 2 points out of our next two games.

That is not the way we should be going about getting top 4.

Everyone says play Sturridge but we don't actually know how fit he is. Is he up to playing 45 minutues? Who knows, I can't remember the last time he has actually played for that long. So starting him is no easy matter, especially if we have to replace him after half an hour or something. I agree something else needs to be tried, but at this stage its risky whatever you do.

[fudge]

Lallana was forced to play 70 minutes at Watford having come back from injury with just two training sessions behind him. There was no way he was going to be picked from the start. Hopefully with another week's training sessions behind him he will be able to start  next week, but this was always unlikely. As for Sturridge no one really knows how fit he is, and I suspect he is being played for as long as he can be at the moment. People are slagging Klopp off without truly knowing how fit these players are, only the training staff know whether these players can play for any longer at the moment.

Do you know what, I'm absolutely fine with that if thats actually how it is, but the facts are you're speculating to fit your argument. Lallana looked absolutely top notch last week and Sturridge our only threatening striker both last week and today.

So if they really couldn't play then fair enough, if on the other hand they could then I stand by what I said. Expecting us to grind out another 1-0 with 20 minutes to go is asking too much and we're fucking lucky another club saved our arses by beating United.