Best formation and tactics to beat Liverpool...

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Liverpool, together with Man City, are two of the best team in Europe right now. I have been looking at some of their matches and there isn’t a game where they didn’t dominate and win.

I have sort of concluded the following:

Liverpool‘s style
1) Gegenpressing - This year, they have improved on their high octane pressing style with every players understanding exactly how to press as a team. Many teams have struggled to handle this, especially at Anfield. Lesser teams have sought to play deeply and surrender possession while those bigger clubs tried counter pressing and usually conceded more goals against Liverpool than they can score.

2) Use of offensive fullback. Both Robertson and T Arnold each has double digit number of assist this year. Both likes to roam forward and can support attacking plays or press high when they are without possession.

3) Firmino acting as a false nine to support Salah and Mane. Firmino can draw out defenders to him and in the process free up room for Salah and Mane to run into the spaces created. This strategy has created tonnes of goals for them this year. If Firmino is left unmarked, he has the ability to shoot accurately from distance or pick up telling passes that leads to dangerous situations.

4)Low drilled crosses into the penalty box for tap ins. Henderson/Wijnaldum can combine effectively with the fullbacks to overload the flank, leading to opportunities to drill low cross into the box. This has also contributed to the numbers of goals they scored this year.

5) Solid overall defensive pillar in the likes of Van Dijk supported by Fabiano. Before Van Dijk, Liverpool struggle with pacy counter attacks or long balls. Eg., we won huge against them (3-1) at Wembley almost 2 years ago. We adopted a counter attacking game which they never really manage to cope. With Van Dijk and Fabiano, they seemingly do not have an obvious defensive weakness this year.

How should we play to neutralise all these and give ourselves a fighting chance to win this year UCL?

Comments?
 
Liverpool, together with Man City, are two of the best team in Europe right now. I have been looking at some of their matches and there isn’t a game where they didn’t dominate and win.

I can think of a few that we featured in, let alone matches where both teams either struggled or lost.

Liverpool: WH, Leicester, City, CL away ties + Spurs x 2
City: Check the loss column, CL away ties, Swansea FAC + Spurs x 3
 
Pochettino tried to play 5-3-2 at Anfield this year but were overran in the first half.

This is the first goal:
6okao2.jpg


Action prior to the goal:
1) Liverpool presses high and we opted to pass the ball back to Lloris who hit the ball high up.

2) Liverpool won it back and by now, they were overcrowding our left side.

3) Vertonghen pushes up to mark Salah. This left up gaps where Mane, Firmino are looking to run into spaces behind their marker from the half spaces.

4) Robertson pushes up and Henderson picks him up.

5) Robertson floats the ball in and Firmino scores with a free header. (Vertonghen didn’t have time to apply more pressure on Firmino due to him readjusting his position again).

This is indeed worrying if we couldn’t find a strategy to counteract this tactic.
 
I can think of a few that we featured in, let alone matches where both teams either struggled or lost.

Liverpool: WH, Leicester, City, CL away ties + Spurs x 2
City: Check the loss column, CL away ties, Swansea FAC + Spurs x 3
My bad for using the word “isn’t”.
But it’s definitely true that they dominated most of the games and opponents simply didn’t have an answer to counter.
 
I think four at the back with our fullbacks being less adventurous than normal is the way to go.

Sissoko, Winks & Eriksen VS Henderson, Fabinho and Wjinaldem? Is a match up that could go in our favour if we are at it.

With Dele & kane dropping in from time to time to help out we might be able to win in the centre. Then its about quick movement from Son/Moura and forward passes.

Oh yeah and BE CLINICAL.
 
We did lined up with 4 defenders in our game at Wembley against them. This is the second goal:
3025b0z.jpg


Liverpool seems to use the same tactic against us.

This time, Mane made a run behind Trippier and Arnold picked him up. Mane with a Low drilled cross into the path of Firmino. Quite messy towards the end and eventually Firmino scored.

But this game feels like a fluke Loss though. We didn’t have Sissoko and Lloris and their first goal is a mistake by Vorm I feel.

Maybe that’s the way we should go but both trippier and Rose must up their game.
 
I think four at the back with our fullbacks being less adventurous than normal is the way to go.

Sissoko, Winks & Eriksen VS Henderson, Fabinho and Wjinaldem? Is a match up that could go in our favour if we are at it.

With Dele & kane dropping in from time to time to help out we might be able to win in the centre. Then its about quick movement from Son/Moura and forward passes.

Oh yeah and BE CLINICAL.
This is beautiful.
 
Liverpool outplayed us at Wembley, fair play but also 8 months ago.

But the Anfield game was telling.

Outplayed in first half with back 3.

But once we went to back 4, we were the better team in second half, and obviously should have won it via Sissoko.

Similar story of formation versus Ajax in first leg.

In general the back 3 struggles against teams with fast movement.

Back 4. Hard work. Clinical.
 
Has to be 4-2-3-1 and just match them up. Push high on their fullbacks, stop easy out ball. If we play 3 at the back or the diamond we will get dubbed. Winks will play with sissoko as winks is now in full training, I'm sure of that for balance. Dele off kane then eriksen and one of son/moura. Moura is in much better form. As somebody has stated, our fullbacks have to stay in shape and support from behind, dont need them bombing on
 
My bad for using the word “isn’t”.
But it’s definitely true that they dominated most of the games and opponents simply didn’t have an answer to counter.

My deeper point being we only need to concern ourselves with what we're capable of....

This year:

Shoulda won at Anfield.
Shoulda drawn at Wembley.

Last year:

Smashed 'em a Wembley
Drew at Anfield.

As long as we're on our defensive game, we needn't be fearful..... Back 4.... FBs & WFs tracking is key. Plenty of attacking options to hurt them.

Time to start believing (we have the comparatively easy job afterall). :tobyarm:
 
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