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

[Zlen]

Repetitio est mater studiorum.

[LFC Matt]

72% ball possession, no goals. It's our own fault.

We are creating our own problems by continuing to press these smaller teams. With our obsession with getting the ball back, we force teams to park the bus. Shite teams are already happy to play long and on the counter, but if we didn't press so much from the front we would naturally bring them out of their defensive shell.

It's not complicated. Press the teams that want to keep possession, but don't press the teams that play long.

[killer-heels]

Clueless at the moment.

[clinical]

Reckon we'll ever have someone who can take a decent set piece ever again?

[Redric1970]

72% ball possession, no goals. It's our own fault.

We are creating our own problems by continuing to press these smaller teams. With our obsession with getting the ball back, we force teams to park the bus. Shite teams are already happy to play long and on the counter, but if we didn't press so much from the front we would naturally bring them out of their defensive shell.

It's not complicated. Press the teams that want to keep possession, but don't press the teams that play long.

The trouble is we can have 90% possession and 25 corners and the opposition can have 10% possession and 2 corners and I would fancy them to score from there 2 corners and us not to score from ours, we are shit at the back, the keeper is useless and so is lovren klaven and Lucas, we can't defend.

[JJ Red]

Same story since Reina in his prime, we need a world class keeper. Forget everything else, that alone probably gets us another 4-7 points this season and the title in 2014! 😀

[newterp]

Do we admit that we needed massive upgrades?

[LFC Matt]

The trouble is we can have 90% possession and 25 corners and the opposition can have 10% possession and 2 corners and I would fancy them to score from there 2 corners and us not to score from ours, we are shit at the back, the keeper is useless and so is lovren klaven and Lucas, we can't defend.

That's exactly what I meant. We need to have LESS possession not more. The way we play with high pressing naturally forces teams into a defensive shell, which makes it harder for us to break such teams down. If we didn't press and gave other teams more possession, then they come out of their defensive shell and give us more space when attacking.

[Iloveyoumamadou]

Do we admit that we needed massive upgrades?

But this very same starting lineup beat Watford 6-1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37814248, surely it's something other than the players?

[PeterTheRed ...]

People around here know that I am anything but a bitching and moaning drama queen, but I must admit that I am worried about Klopp's future at LFC. We'we already seen implosions like this over the past few years, and we know that this (basically) Rodgers' team has a tendency of going into free fall, but I was never expecting that Klopp would be unable to stop the rot when it comes. With every new poor result, more and more of LFC's "customers" will turn on the manager, so if we don't start winning pretty soon, Klopp might not even be at LFC in July. I'll try to stay away from everything LFC related over the next few weeks/months, because it is starting to become very ugly.

[alonsoisared]

He is getting everything wrong at the moment, there really is no plan b. We have played the exact same way every week that this slump has gone on. Once again the only answer today was to chuck on Origi and Sturridge for midfielders and hope something happened. We need to find a way past these park the bus teams otherwise we are basically just the same team as the one we ended with under Rodgers; capable of brilliance, capable of putting runs together but also when the going gets tough a complete inability to find a way to dig ourselves out.

In fact that shouldnt come as a surprise because we are basically the same team. We are relying largely on the same set of players who crumbled under brendan, were shit all last season other than the europa run which we ballsed up from a winning position in Basel; the manager stood on the touchline doing nothing other than trying to gee the crowd up and the players looking like rabbits in headlights. A familiar sight. We need multiple signings this summer and they need to be of a high calibre or it will be more of the same.

[SerbianScouser]

Do we admit that we needed massive upgrades?

No , we needed our entire team not to lose form completely.

[Funky_Gibbons]

But this very same starting lineup beat Watford 6-1 http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/37814248, surely it's something other than the players?

The teams we're playing against have switched tactics and we don't have an answer.

Sunderland came to Anfield and defended deep and narrow with the fullbacks playing next to the centre backs and we struggled to break them down, everyone is copying those tactics now. The spaces we enjoyed through the middle has now gone. We have space down the wings but no-one in the middle to cross to.

[Robbo1980]

We've stopped moving the ball in tight areas instead we are using the centre backs too much and playing long switched passes, it's a total change in style

[theMilkman]

funny thing though, if coutinho scores that with his left foot i think we'd have gone on to win. But we really need to find a different way to play against teams who park the bus. Or at least TRY some different way...

[rich87]

He is getting everything wrong at the moment, there really is no plan b. We have played the exact same way every week that this slump has gone on. Once again the only answer today was to chuck on Origi and Sturridge for midfielders and hope something happened. We need to find a way past these park the bus teams otherwise we are basically just the same team as the one we ended with under Rodgers; capable of brilliance, capable of putting runs together but also when the going gets tough a complete inability to find a way to dig ourselves out.

In fact that shouldnt come as a surprise because we are basically the same team. We are relying largely on the same set of players who crumbled under brendan, were shit all last season other than the europa run which we ballsed up from a winning position in Basel; the manager stood on the touchline doing nothing other than trying to gee the crowd up and the players looking like rabbits in headlights. A familiar sight. We need multiple signings this summer and they need to be of a high calibre or it will be more of the same.

Listening to his press conference as well, he seems blinded at the moment. Maybe at the end of the season, he'll reflect on all this properly, but right now, he doesn't seem to be able to see what everyone else is seeing.

I totally agree with a lot of posters that we need to change the style of play to suit the team we are playing against. Unfortunately playing the same way, over and over again, will not win us matches. We need to work our game plans for teams with different styles.

This poor run of form is on Klopp, like our early start to this season was on Klopp.

He gets a pass this season, he gets the summer to work his magic, and figure a way to work things out.

I hope for one we get someone with real strength of character in the summer though, this team is stock full of timid, nice players. Its a disgrace.

[didi]

We are so mentally weak and feeble as a team it's embarrassing

[diegoLFC7]

We are so mentally weak and feeble as a team it's embarrassing

There is no defense. It seems whoever plays in defense is made to look like an amateur. We need defenders and a number 9.

[007.lankyguy]

Passing map today (via 11tegen11 on Twitter)



A few things you can gleam from that:

1) Can and Henderson taking up each other's space without offering enough on the ball generally to justify it.

2) Milner is the centre of the team's play in the middle and final third, which is very concerning.

3) Connection from left to right is all coming from deep, rather than through midfield and the front three. Very easy for the opposition to shift over to their right, leave Clyne isolated on the other side and know that Clyne has to receive the ball either through running onto a long switch, or receiving into feet from behind him (which only encourages a negative/backwards first touch). Also harder to get Mane properly involved given that without overloads on that side, he's not isolating defenders 1v1 as much and is rarely receiving the ball from anyone other than Clyne, which allows opposition time to shift across and deal with him.

4) Very little output from Lallana, which is ultra concerning given his position.

[theMilkman]

We've stopped moving the ball in tight areas instead we are using the centre backs too much and playing long switched passes, it's a total change in style

wonder what the stats are, but we seem to do a lot less sprinting on the final third

[Kekule]

Do teams in Germany never sit back defend en masse and try to hit in the break? I can't believe that's the case and I refuse to believe a manger who won the league twice and did well in Europe has never encountered it and has never come up with an alternative when his preferred way of playing is blunted. There must be some other reason for trying the same thing/not figuring out a way to break down a 6-3-1 formation.

Does he not trust the players to do something different, does he think they're too stupid to be able to hold more than one approach in their heads?  Or does he have (seemingly misplaced) complete faith in them that they will break the opposition down and previal?

I don't know, obviously, but it's all a bit odd at the minute.

[Funky_Gibbons]

There is no defense. It seems whoever plays in defense is made to look like an amateur. We need defenders and a number 9.

Almost like it's a tactical problem rather than personnel........

[Iloveyoumamadou]

The teams we're playing against have switched tactics and we don't have an answer.

Sunderland came to Anfield and defended deep and narrow with the fullbacks playing next to the centre backs and we struggled to break them down, everyone is copying those tactics now. The spaces we enjoyed through the middle has now gone. We have space down the wings but no-one in the middle to cross to.

I don't think Klopp is going to do anything drastic so my best hope is that the Lallana, Wijnaldum, Henderson midfield will bring us back to form. Not very optimistic though.

[trimore]

3) Connection from left to right is all coming from deep, rather than through midfield and the front three. Very easy for the opposition to shift over to their right, leave Clyne isolated on the other side and know that Clyne has to receive the ball either through running onto a long switch, or receiving into feet from behind him (which only encourages a negative/backwards first touch). Also harder to get Mane properly involved given that without overloads on that side, he's not isolating defenders 1v1 as much and is rarely receiving the ball from anyone other than Clyne, which allows opposition time to shift across and deal with him.

Completely agree with this, Mane was our most dangerous player and won us some dangerous free kicks, we should have overloaded his side and helped him out more, not just give it to Milner and hope he does something he is not capable of nor was ever capable of doing even in his prime.

[007.lankyguy]

Completely agree with this, Mane was our most dangerous player and won us some free dangerous kicks, we should have overloaded his side and helped him out more, not just give it to Milner and hope he does something he is not capable of nor was ever capable of doing even in his prime.

You either overload that side and make use of his quick feet, change of direction and movement to run in behind, or you don't and you feed him the first ball in isolated positions rather than Clyne. We're doing neither.

[wemmick]

The teams we're playing against have switched tactics and we don't have an answer.

Sunderland came to Anfield and defended deep and narrow with the fullbacks playing next to the centre backs and we struggled to break them down, everyone is copying those tactics now. The spaces we enjoyed through the middle has now gone. We have space down the wings but no-one in the middle to cross to.

And we won't until we have more wingers in the squad. Dortmund struggled like hell too when all of their wingers were injured, most notably in 14/15, but in other seasons as well for short periods. I think Klopp's style of play relies on wingers every bit as much as Ferguson's did.

[wemmick]

You either overload that side and make use of his quick feet, change of direction and movement to run in behind, or you don't and you feed him the first ball in isolated positions rather than Clyne. We're doing neither.

Would you put that down to tactics, or poor decision making on the part of the players? Or both?

[ScubaSteve]

Passing map today (via 11tegen11 on Twitter)



A few things you can gleam from that:

1) Can and Henderson taking up each other's space without offering enough on the ball generally to justify it.

2) Milner is the centre of the team's play in the middle and final third, which is very concerning.

3) Connection from left to right is all coming from deep, rather than through midfield and the front three. Very easy for the opposition to shift over to their right, leave Clyne isolated on the other side and know that Clyne has to receive the ball either through running onto a long switch, or receiving into feet from behind him (which only encourages a negative/backwards first touch). Also harder to get Mane properly involved given that without overloads on that side, he's not isolating defenders 1v1 as much and is rarely receiving the ball from anyone other than Clyne, which allows opposition time to shift across and deal with him.

4) Very little output from Lallana, which is ultra concerning given his position.

Very good analysis mate! Change the tactics Jurgen, we're all still behind you

[harryc]

I know he has come back from injury but Coutinho stunk the place out today.

Broke up more of our play than any Hull player.

Thread bare squad issues arise again without any viable Bench options!

[Robbo1980]

It's got to be Can or Henderson can't be both

Wijnaldum may keep it simple but he is standing in better areas, he is breaking lines Can just gets in the fucking way

[SerbianScouser]

Can is uncomfortable in tight spaces and was always looking to drop a bit and receive the ball in front of their defensive shape instead of looking to get in between them.

He lacks too much talent and skills to be effective for us as an 8 against low-block teams. As a team this season we were never about our two box-to-box midfielders being creative and passing through the eye of the needle to our forwards, it was that ball circulation in middle that creates spaces  by moving opposition players around. I think with Can something like that is nigh on impossible because he's not your archetypal pass and move player.

I can't see us getting back to our best until we sort out our midfield and start using our midfield 3 personnel combination we used earlier in the season when we played our best football.

[trimore]

You either overload that side and make use of his quick feet, change of direction and movement to run in behind, or you don't and you feed him the first ball in isolated positions rather than Clyne. We're doing neither.

I think we tried to play it to Mane, but they cut out those balls out in midfield. With the amount of posession we had, the first option was the better strategy. Just pass our way forward on his side.

[Goalposts for Jumpers]

Can anyone explain why Can is getting ahead of Gini at the mo? I quite like Can at DM, especially against weaker teams, but he and Hendo are really getting in each others' way and offering very little in the final third. His presence isn't offering anything extra at the back, either, despite him being a better defender than Lallana and Gini, as teams just launch it over our heads and have a free run on goal.

[Kekule]

funny thing though, if coutinho scores that with his left foot i think we'd have gone on to win. But we really need to find a different way to play against teams who park the bus. Or at least TRY some different way...

I think there's an element of truth to this. I think we just need a win and the confidence will come flooding back and we'll start to see the team get back close to where they were earlier in the year. The problem is that will take someone not snatching at but scoring two, or more, of the few chances we're currently creating, and nobody has the composure at the minute.

[trimore]

Can anyone explain why Can is getting ahead of Gini at the mo? I quite like Can at DM, especially against weaker teams, but he and Hendo are really getting in each others' way and offering very little in the final third. His presence isn't offering anything extra at the back, either, despite him being a better defender than Lallana and Gini, as teams just launch it over our heads and have a free run on goal.

Does a better job at defending set pieces?

[clinical]

Why not change like Conte did so well.

3-4-3

[Goalposts for Jumpers]

Can is uncomfortable in tight spaces and was always looking to drop a bit and receive the ball in front of their defensive shape instead of looking to get in between them.

He lacks too much talent and skills to be effective for us as an 8 against low-block teams. As a team this season we were never about our two box-to-box midfielders being creative and passing through the eye of the needle to our forwards, it was that ball circulation in middle that creates spaces  by moving opposition players around. I think with Can something like that is nigh on impossible because he's not your archetypal pass and move player.

I can't see us getting back to our best until we sort out our midfield and start using our midfield 3 personnel combination we used earlier in the season when we played our best football.

that's what I wanted to say 

[Goalposts for Jumpers]

Does a better job at defending set pieces?

He is, but again, it seems to be making f-all difference.

[killer-heels]

Why not change like Conte did so well.

3-4-3

How on earth are we built for a 3-4-3?

Seriously?

[Studgotelli]

In his first season he used the diamond a few times. I'd like to see us try that for a few games. Sturridge and Mane upfront, Firmino behind.

(No clue who)
Clyne Matip Lovren Milner
Hendo
Lallana Coutinho
Firmino
Sturridge Mane

Can't be worse than we've been recently.