Tactics Thread

Thanks Steve. In a nutshell the City front 3 have 2 VERY wide players, stretching the Cheatski defence to have to be wide, leaving gaps... then Cheatski midfield are lured out to try and press.

THAT is why Mourinho doesn't press much... it is easy to lure out some fool and then take advantage of that... so Mou Mou likes his midfield to sit near his centre backs and retain a solid base so we aren't wide open, theoretically.

 

2 interesting podcasts: Google Graham Hunter Pep Lijnders
Pep Lijnders is Klopp's right hand man.
He talks about being headhunted from PSV aged 24, by Porto. He discusses some great characters. He mentions how Liverpool knew how Pochettino's Spurs would play in the Champions League Final, so the week before the CL Final Klopp took Liverpool out to Spain and Pep Lijnders brought in the Benfica B Team and got them to play like Poch's Spurs... they had a build up and then the big game on the same day, the same time, exactly like the CL Final, and then the following week they did the same but obviously playing the real Spurs.... I didn't know all that.

 

That came out before the game

 

Stop remembering things, Calculon!

 

TBF i dont know the podcast your referring too but if it’s the coach I’m thinking if he is the guy who IMO won pool the league

they had a guy return to the club and he pitched to Klopp a new way of playing where attack wise they would never give up midfield even if it meant that midfield sat deep. It meant their full backs would join midfield at every opportunity creating overloads to make it harder to break down

it was something like that and was an observation he made from the previous season when they conceded more goals

 

Big old waste of time as they were going to win as soon as it became clear our pre match routine was firebreathing and gesticulation with raised arm practice.

 

I know it was only Sheffield United and we still managed to concede from a cross but I wondered if today might make Mourinho chance tack a little. Even though we played an extra defender there we looked a lot more comfortable in possession. We saw a full team of players who are all comfortable on the ball, so more fluidity for quick forward passes as opposed to a couple of players who will either take the basic option to execute or have a poor first touch which can lead to turnovers or moves slowing down. Is it possible we will see more of the 343 and Ndombele playing deeper, which may help us counter more effectively, whilst giving us an extra aerial presence defensively or was the set up solely to counter Sheffield United’s shape? I thought Kane played deeper today too, with Son and Bergwijn offering a more central threat.

The issue for this season may be that only Reggie can play the LWB role, although it may turn out to be a better use of Sessegnon next season.

 

Will be interesting to see what the plan is going forward.

Personally I think Davies will be exposed in the air a bit too much to make him a regular starter in that role. I don't think Mourinho trust Sanches all that much. I'm not sure we have the central defenders to play that way regularly.

I'm somewhat hopeful that Ndombele is being (slowly) transitioned into a deeper role and that he will start playing that role with a back four behind us and against better teams than Sheffield United sooner or later.

That to me is the potential game changer in terms of getting more quality out of our existing squad. Unless GLC can find fitness and form in time to make a real impact this season.

Going from a Sissoko - Hojbjerg partnership to a Ndombele - Hojbjerg partnership would be one of the most immense upgrades in terms of quality on the ball and creativity I can remember.

 

Davies made loads of clearances but got done in the air by quite a short forward
He was also at fault for the goal vs wolves
I do think he can do a Job there though as his other parts of his game are good

 

He can do a job, in some games. But he's not one to build a team around as a centre back, even in a three. Thus I see no consistant solution, particularly with a packed fixture list.

 

I do
Play a Rodon, Dier and Toby
And alternate in Tanganga and Davies

 

It's plausible. If we're lucky with injuries and illness. If Rodon performs at a high level in bigger games where he's so far untested. If Tanganga is ready for that role despite not being favoured much this season.

Too many uncertainties for me in that. And I'm not convinced the upsides are big enough. Thus I think this is more of a tool in the bag for some games rather than the overall approach going forward.

 

The upside to me is we don’t start with sissoko which means we can pass better
Although Aurier passing stats were really poor at the weekend

 

There were moments against Sheffield Utd when Hojbjerg ludicrously charged out of position to press the ball, leaving acres of empty space behind him.

Sometimes he would win the ball. It lead to Kane's goal. FANTASTIC.

But as the sole DM he should not be doing those things. Sometimes he was easily bypassed and Sheffield were streaming straight in at our backline.

A better midfield would tear that system to pieces. Hojbjerg must SIT if he is the sole DM.

 

I think he has to do that at least some of the time or we'll definitely get pushed deeper. Playing with three at the back part of the key (imo) is getting that balance right and having centre backs willing to step up into midfield and be aggressive when one of the central midfielders are pressing higher up.

 

And of course 3 at the back is often 352 not 343

 

Which works either way
The key for us is having players who will step up with the ball and gain those yards

 

I can't see Jose sticking with 3, unless its in response to the opponents tactics. (like Sunday)

Generally, I did think there was logically no chance of a 3 as an extra defender automatically means one less player further forward, and we were stacked with players (talent) further forward.

However that talent ...Dele, Bale, Lamela, Gedson ...don't appear to be talent in Jose eyes so......

 

It depends on the 3
What was key was Rodon and Dier were happy to step out with the ball and Davies did back up Reggie so there was a balance there
You couldn’t do that with Sanchez who can’t pass for example
But it also meant we had Tanguy operate wherever he could have an impact and I don’t care how bad the opposition are... he can do that vs the very best of given the opportunity and support