What we don't really do anymore though is go long early. We used to go long into the channels and look to squeeze up and win second balls. Now we tend to pass it around at the back between Ali and the centrebacks and try and play through teams.
It isn't about pressing when other teams have the ball for any length of period. What City do really well is get the ball into the final third and then keep it there. That is what I feel Slot will try and do. Try and draw teams out play through them a bit like Brighton and City do and then try and pen teams in.
Slot sets his teams up to be very good defensively though. It will be a fine balancing act between what Salah gives us in the final third compared to the negatives over his defensive work rate especially if Trent plays as a right back. Ideally you would bring him inside and play him behind the 9 as the central player in the 3 in the 4-2-3-1. The issue there though is that player tends to be the trigger for when the other 8's and the 6's go. The kind of job Lallana and latterly Firmino did for us. I am not sure Salah has the instincts to do that.
Klopp initially said that gegenpressing was our playmaker. It wouldn't surprise me if Slot's team will be closer to Klopp's initial team than what we have become.
I don’t massively disagree with any of that … but my push back would be that you’re citing City - rightly - well they do everything you’re saying with Haaland as the 9 and KDB basically as a central ish AM and they’re both pretty horrible in terms of defensive actions (counter pressures, actually winning the ball) but do a good job, like all City’s attackers, of getting in shape and penning teams in
I can’t see a particular reason why we can’t incorporate Salah similarly .. not least because we have for years in one way or another
Ultimately if Salah keeps his level (0.96 xa + xg in the league!) you want him on the pitch
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