Here we stand on December 12th, sixteen matches in the Premier League season, and Liverpool remain the last unbeaten team and sit atop the table. As a bonus, with Thursday night football and Europa League beckoning, Liverpool were saved at the death by the feet of their world-record goalkeeper to push them onward in the Champions League instead. As Manchester United, Arsenal, and Manchester City all await over the next two-and-a-half weeks, things continue to pick up and Liverpool enters a crucial league stretch of games with three top six rivals awaiting, and City still just a point off the pace.
The Team:
As the fixtures have picked up, more and more players have been called upon to play a key role. Especially with some key injuries, and especially after another one following the Napoli match, the Liverpool depth that was built in large part over the summer will need to pay off.
Joe Gomez and Joel Matip both suffered long-term injuries after crunching tackles, Gomez against Burnley, Matip on the last kick of the Napoli match. With Dejan Lovren just returning from his own injury, and Virgil van Dijk set to miss the first leg of the Champions League Round of Sixteen due to yellow card accumulation, center back is now in a time of uncertainty. Matip had filled in brilliantly for the injured Gomez, who got his spot because Lovren needed some time off after the World Cup. Now, Liverpool are down to two fit first-choice center backs and youngster Nathaniel Phillips as listed members of the first team. We could see Conor Masterson promoted from the youth teams, or we could see Jurgen Klopp delve into the transfer window for a short-term fix, ala Steven Caulker in 2016. For such a positive stretch of previous games, though, this is a dampening of the celebrations.
One place that has been fortunate in depth is the attack of Liverpool. Whether in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, the attack of Liverpool possesses several options to go about frustrating opposing teams' defenders. The shift to a 4-2-3-1 has meant a few things in the games where it's employed. For one, Mo Salah moves from the right wing to central striker, allowing him to operate more freely against opposing teams' defenses, targeting whichever defenders he may choose. Roberto Firmino then moves back to the attacking-midfield role while Xherdan Shaqiri takes a post on the right wing. Firmino as the AM suits he well in getting back to cover for the two deeper defenders while also linking up well with Salah in the attack. Shaqiri, meanwhile, can get forward on the wing with strength and pace, holding up left backs and allowing Salah to take advantage. Of course, the two goals from this month everyone is talking about has had nothing to do with any real tactics.
The miracle goal from Divock Origi put everyone in red on Merseyside in a good mood. van Dijk's shank of a volley figured to be the last kick of the match, but Jordan Pickford, somehow, kept the ball in play as it bounced off the bar and back into the field of play. Origi was there to tie up the loose ends and nod the ball into the net. The other goal was Salah's in the 33rd minute against Napoli. With Kalidou Koulibaly having played a stellar first thirty minutes on Salah, the Egyptian decided enough was enough. Mario Rui was squirmed past and Koulibaly was beaten with pace before David Ospina was left without an answer to save the ball. Both goals were the lone winners in 1-0 games, both goals sensational in their own ways in front of the home crowd. Both goals, it is hoping, will continue to spur Liverpool on as the holiday stretch only gets busier.
The Tactics:
As Liverpool fans have seen, Jurgen Klopp has experimented with a 4-2-3-1 instead of his trademarked 4-3-3 at Liverpool. This change has been an adjustment for the Liverpool attack that had a handful of games to start the season with less than ideal attacking results. Instead of entirely changing his tactics, though, Klopp has done two things.
First and foremost, Klopp has not simply dropped his 4-3-3. As seen for better, against Napoli, or worse perhaps, against PSG, big games seem to favor a more traditional 4-3-3 with James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, and Jordan Henderson all starting together. These three provide stability, but the common gripe with these three is that not one really gets forward with any great urgency. Henderson operates as a six, Milner drops in the gaps between the left and right backs and the center backs, and Wijnaldum serves as a sort of shuttle for the ball. When done well, though, it works to perfection. Henderson's ability to pass from deeper in the pitch can free up the wings as Liverpool fans have seen time and time again. When that happens, very few can complain about results.
The second thing Klopp does is one I touched upon with personnel but is key to the 4-2-3-1, and that's put Roberto Firmino as the AM. While the Brazilian may not be on his finest goal-scoring form, he still continues to be world-class when it comes to defending as an attacker. Again, this can also cause some negatives. If he constantly needs to defend then Firmino can feel disconnected with the attackers. That, in part, has been a piece of why he's been unable to find the same goal and assist heights as last season. That, though, is just a minor knock and only a small piece of the entire pie that Firmino brings to the entire team.
What can we expect to see now, especially with a huge stretch of games coming for the team? I would guess more of the same. The primary injury concern is at center back. You may see a bit more 4-2-3-1 with Fabinho and Henderson, a more defensive pairing, if there's a young center back that needs a start in the league to offer more protection for what would be a player making their debut, or you could see the 4-3-3 of Henderson, Wijnaldum, and Milner that serves as a security blanket for this Liverpool team. The good thing about having such a variety in type of midfield player is that it offers the ability to change the formation enough to affect other teams while the team can keep similar principles in terms of play. This is all without Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as well who I believe is the ultimate Klopp midfield. With high energy, a nice strike from long range, and enough pace to close down defenders while they stay in their own third, his return will certainly be well-received.
The Fixtures:
Liverpool faces a huge holiday run now. Manchester United at home, Wolves away, Newcastle and Arsenal home, Manchester City away, Wolves away in the FA Cup, and finally Brighton away. This is seven games in the next less than thirty days, and all seven of these games see both Joel Matip and Joe Gomez unlikely to be fit. The implications, however, are huge. There is no more important game than that against Manchester City. A win there means there's much less pressure on the other games earlier in the run. A win there and wins along the other five league games also means that at minimum Liverpool are four points clear of top of the table. Even the most optimistic fans would likely think that Liverpool are dropping points somewhere. Still, maintaining an unbeaten run through the holiday season, whether top of the table or not, with just two fit first-choice center backs would be huge. Additionally, with two of the top five teams seen for the second, and final, times for the season in this stretch, this only highlights how key this run is for Liverpool. I will be continuing to watch, as will Reds' fans all across the world.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more LFC coverage, including live Tweets during the matches, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage!
The Team:
As the fixtures have picked up, more and more players have been called upon to play a key role. Especially with some key injuries, and especially after another one following the Napoli match, the Liverpool depth that was built in large part over the summer will need to pay off.
Joe Gomez and Joel Matip both suffered long-term injuries after crunching tackles, Gomez against Burnley, Matip on the last kick of the Napoli match. With Dejan Lovren just returning from his own injury, and Virgil van Dijk set to miss the first leg of the Champions League Round of Sixteen due to yellow card accumulation, center back is now in a time of uncertainty. Matip had filled in brilliantly for the injured Gomez, who got his spot because Lovren needed some time off after the World Cup. Now, Liverpool are down to two fit first-choice center backs and youngster Nathaniel Phillips as listed members of the first team. We could see Conor Masterson promoted from the youth teams, or we could see Jurgen Klopp delve into the transfer window for a short-term fix, ala Steven Caulker in 2016. For such a positive stretch of previous games, though, this is a dampening of the celebrations.
One place that has been fortunate in depth is the attack of Liverpool. Whether in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, the attack of Liverpool possesses several options to go about frustrating opposing teams' defenders. The shift to a 4-2-3-1 has meant a few things in the games where it's employed. For one, Mo Salah moves from the right wing to central striker, allowing him to operate more freely against opposing teams' defenses, targeting whichever defenders he may choose. Roberto Firmino then moves back to the attacking-midfield role while Xherdan Shaqiri takes a post on the right wing. Firmino as the AM suits he well in getting back to cover for the two deeper defenders while also linking up well with Salah in the attack. Shaqiri, meanwhile, can get forward on the wing with strength and pace, holding up left backs and allowing Salah to take advantage. Of course, the two goals from this month everyone is talking about has had nothing to do with any real tactics.
The miracle goal from Divock Origi put everyone in red on Merseyside in a good mood. van Dijk's shank of a volley figured to be the last kick of the match, but Jordan Pickford, somehow, kept the ball in play as it bounced off the bar and back into the field of play. Origi was there to tie up the loose ends and nod the ball into the net. The other goal was Salah's in the 33rd minute against Napoli. With Kalidou Koulibaly having played a stellar first thirty minutes on Salah, the Egyptian decided enough was enough. Mario Rui was squirmed past and Koulibaly was beaten with pace before David Ospina was left without an answer to save the ball. Both goals were the lone winners in 1-0 games, both goals sensational in their own ways in front of the home crowd. Both goals, it is hoping, will continue to spur Liverpool on as the holiday stretch only gets busier.
The Tactics:
As Liverpool fans have seen, Jurgen Klopp has experimented with a 4-2-3-1 instead of his trademarked 4-3-3 at Liverpool. This change has been an adjustment for the Liverpool attack that had a handful of games to start the season with less than ideal attacking results. Instead of entirely changing his tactics, though, Klopp has done two things.
First and foremost, Klopp has not simply dropped his 4-3-3. As seen for better, against Napoli, or worse perhaps, against PSG, big games seem to favor a more traditional 4-3-3 with James Milner, Gini Wijnaldum, and Jordan Henderson all starting together. These three provide stability, but the common gripe with these three is that not one really gets forward with any great urgency. Henderson operates as a six, Milner drops in the gaps between the left and right backs and the center backs, and Wijnaldum serves as a sort of shuttle for the ball. When done well, though, it works to perfection. Henderson's ability to pass from deeper in the pitch can free up the wings as Liverpool fans have seen time and time again. When that happens, very few can complain about results.
The second thing Klopp does is one I touched upon with personnel but is key to the 4-2-3-1, and that's put Roberto Firmino as the AM. While the Brazilian may not be on his finest goal-scoring form, he still continues to be world-class when it comes to defending as an attacker. Again, this can also cause some negatives. If he constantly needs to defend then Firmino can feel disconnected with the attackers. That, in part, has been a piece of why he's been unable to find the same goal and assist heights as last season. That, though, is just a minor knock and only a small piece of the entire pie that Firmino brings to the entire team.
What can we expect to see now, especially with a huge stretch of games coming for the team? I would guess more of the same. The primary injury concern is at center back. You may see a bit more 4-2-3-1 with Fabinho and Henderson, a more defensive pairing, if there's a young center back that needs a start in the league to offer more protection for what would be a player making their debut, or you could see the 4-3-3 of Henderson, Wijnaldum, and Milner that serves as a security blanket for this Liverpool team. The good thing about having such a variety in type of midfield player is that it offers the ability to change the formation enough to affect other teams while the team can keep similar principles in terms of play. This is all without Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as well who I believe is the ultimate Klopp midfield. With high energy, a nice strike from long range, and enough pace to close down defenders while they stay in their own third, his return will certainly be well-received.
The Fixtures:
Liverpool faces a huge holiday run now. Manchester United at home, Wolves away, Newcastle and Arsenal home, Manchester City away, Wolves away in the FA Cup, and finally Brighton away. This is seven games in the next less than thirty days, and all seven of these games see both Joel Matip and Joe Gomez unlikely to be fit. The implications, however, are huge. There is no more important game than that against Manchester City. A win there means there's much less pressure on the other games earlier in the run. A win there and wins along the other five league games also means that at minimum Liverpool are four points clear of top of the table. Even the most optimistic fans would likely think that Liverpool are dropping points somewhere. Still, maintaining an unbeaten run through the holiday season, whether top of the table or not, with just two fit first-choice center backs would be huge. Additionally, with two of the top five teams seen for the second, and final, times for the season in this stretch, this only highlights how key this run is for Liverpool. I will be continuing to watch, as will Reds' fans all across the world.
Follow me on Twitter @RMAB_Ryan for more LFC coverage, including live Tweets during the matches, as well as AFC Ann Arbor and Michigan basketball coverage!
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