Liverpool’s Tactics: What do they make differently?
They usually use 4-3-3 formation. They played 29 Premier League match in this season and they used only 3 times different formation (and this formation is 4-2-3-1).
The main thing that sets Liverpool apart from other teams is their full backs. Jurgen Klopp has two really complete full backs and he can use really great both of them.
Andy Robertson and Alexander-Arnold have diffferent features. Alexander-Arnold has great vision and pass talent. In this Premier League season he has 12 assists (he is best about this statistic) and he is best about key pass per match in his club ( he has 2.6 key pass per match). If we should talk about Robertson’s talents he has great tempo and he is great attacking full back. He has great statistics like Alexander-Arnold. İn this Premier League season he has 7 assists and 1.5 key pass per match. Also Robertson became the third player to score the most sprints of 531 sprints in the sprints in the last premier league season.
Liverpool’s playmaker is Alexander-Arnold. He is distributing passes his teammates in right wing. He doesn’t supporting attacks like a normal full back. He takes position behind a normal full back. When the ball came to Alexander-Arnold he is looking his pass options and trying really useful passes.
Andy Robertsons playing style is normal for a full back. But he is special like Alexander-Arnold. He has amazing tempo and so he can attack like a left winger because when he supports from the left wing attack he can come back to help defence.
Liverpool hasn’t talented midfielders. But Liverpool’s midfielders have high tempo and strong physics. Jurgen Klopp usually uses 3 names for midfield: Jordan Henderson, Fabinho and Georginio Wijnaldum.
Each one of them has different roles. When Alexander- Arnold comes back a little bit on the right wing to set up a game Henderson is using right side and crossing ball. He has basically that role but it’s not easy role because when Henderson is going to the right side midfield has free space for oppenent team. So, the footballer in this role must have high tempo for coming back midfield. And Henderson has very high tempo, great defensive and offensive skills. And in this year he proved his crossing balls and long balls.
Wijnaldum’s role is pushing defense and attack. Usually he is pushing Mane and Robertson. Sometimes Jurgen Klopp wants to force opponent team’s centre of the defense line and he is entrusting Wijnaldum to go behind Firmino. And when Wijnaldum comes behind Firmino they stay 2 vs 2 with rival stoppers.
Fabinho is second playmaker. His position is defensive midfielder and he stays back to other midfielders. Because he is helping to Alexander-Arnold about play making and if opponent team can remove ball and wants to go counter attack Fabinho is covering midfield and taking back ball for his team.
Liverpool’s forward players are fantastic and they have big role together full backs. Liverpool’s direct score contributers are full back and forward players. Midfielders
haven’t scorers’ abilities. Midfielders have great tempo and when Liverpool lost the ball midfielders can come back to defense quickly and stops opponent teams counter attack. İf we should look statistics Liverpool’s top scorers are Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino. Forth top scorer is Van Dijk and he has only four goals. İf we should talk about top assisters Alexander-Arnold has first place and Andy Robertson has second place. And then forward players come in top 5.
Mohamed Salah is great right winger and he has good sprinter talents. Last year in the Premier Leagur he has 547 sprints and he was second in this statistic. This statistic is saying a lot of things about Mohamed Salah’s role in the field. I said Alexander-Arnold comes some back for making game and Henderson runs to right wing. With Salah they are three men in right wing and they haven’t too much area. So Salah is running to Firmino’s back or side. When Salah runnig to opponent defenders in centre defense opponent teams left full back must follow Salah. If he doesn’t follow Salah can have free space. I mean when Salah runs behind opponent team’s defense and comes back or side to Firmino he pulls opponent team’s left back and Henderson can easily go to right wing.
Firmino is a false 9. He comes to midfield and when he comes to midfield Mane and Salah (more Salah) are closing centre forward area, they are running to opponent team’s centre defense and Robertson and Arnold has free space to run to side area.
Sadio Mane is comlete winger. Last page I explained his role but his role is very important. When he is running to opponent team’s centre defense he is pulling opponent team’s right back or right stopper. If he pulls right back to cover him Robertson can be free and he can run easily to opponent team’s defense line. If Mane pulls right stopper, opponent team’s right back is covering Robertson but If right back covers Robertson centre defense line has free space for Liverpool and Wijnaldum can exploit this free area.
Van Dijk and Gomez have great long ball abilities (especially Van Dijk). Liverpool’s full backs exploit side areas and for example if opponent team is covering right side the man who is in opposite side, is free. And if anybody can distribute passes they can use this free side. Van Dijk and Gomez are this “anybody” in Liverpool squad because when they are going to attack all the opponent team is staying back and thinking defense. So, Van Dijk and Gomez can be free or have enough time to distribute passes. Also Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson can do that but in the set attack they have different roles. In the set attack other role is (like Fabinho) stopping opponent team’s counter attacks. They should stay midfield and don’t let go opponent team’s centre forward or forwards to take ball.