Liverpool tactical analysis

TACTICS

LIVERPOOL TACTICAL ANALYSIS GEGENPRESSING AND FLUID ATTACKING: AN IN-DEPTH STUDY OF LIVERPOOL’S PLAYING PRINCIPLES UNDER KLOPP

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INTRODUCTION If you would like to describe Jürgen Klopp as a manager, by analysing his qualities and technical-tactical characteristics, it should not be left out of consideration his human factor. The career of the charismatic and picturesque German coach presents not only with an unequivocal way, a mixture of unique and successful ideas and football proficiencies tout court, but also what we could dare to define as “factor K”.

“Jürgen creates a family. We always say: 30% tactic, 70% team building”. Quote by Pepijn Lijnders, Klopp’s trusted assistant, who further explains this concept: “Klopp never pretends, always openly says what he thinks. He has something that rarely you can learn: charisma and aura” as a result “every player runs and gives everything he has for him, to not disappoint him”.

Klopp is a superb speaker, persuasive, always ready to answer questions convincingly. He speaks freely and thanks to his hearty laugh he can be contagious. His first interview as Liverpool’s manager became well-known, after stating: “I am the normal one”, as a way to ironically distinguish himself from José Mourinho, but also with the intent to say a big-small white lie, because he is absolutely not an ordinary manager.

Let’s take a couple of steps back and review a few fragments from the Red’s manager early career, whose Kop’s supporters (surprisingly closely spelled as Klopp’s name!), legendary spion at Anfield stadium occupied by the most passionate and vocal fans, seem to have all fallen in love with the German manager from the very first moment.

Jürgen Norbert Klopp, born 16th June 1967, before becoming a football manager he started as a discreet footballer in the second tier of German football, spending most of his career with Mainz 05 FC, between 1990 and 2001. His career as a player could not be unusual: in fact, Klopp has spent half of his career at Mainz by playing behind the striker and capable to score an average of seven-eight goals per season. Later his playing position has changed: from an attacking position dropped all the way back to play as a centre-back. Halfway through the Nineties a sort of revolution occurred within European football drove by the football concept of Italian Liverpool tactical analysis / 15

06 ROLE

TRENT ALEXANDER-ARNOLD Defender

YEAR OF BIRTH PLACE OF BIRTH HEIGHT WEIGHT PREFERRED FOOT 30 / Liverpool tactical analysis

1998 United Kingdom 175 cm 69 kg Right

POSITION ON THE PITCH

CHARACTERISTICS • Physical characteristics: mesomorph body shape, gifted with an outstanding sprint in the first few meters and great acceleration • Technical characteristics: excellent when playing combinations, he is able to combine short combinations with a remarkable acceleration with the ball on his feet • Contribution to the unit: tends to push forward during the build-up, however, he still is capable to guarantee defensive covering when out of possession • Contribution to the team: essential player in the final pass. Gives width through ball progression and gets well with his unit’s teammates during possession

EVALUATIONS 1 VS 1 HEADING MARKING ANTICIPATING UNIT WORK PLAYING OUT THE BACK PROGRESSING THROUGH THE THIRDS Liverpool tactical analysis / 31

Image 5. Attacking unit set up on the pitch.

With these assumptions we are now ready to analyse every single phase of Liverpool’s game by trying to refer to the game principles that characterise this team, these are: • Gegenpressing: unsuccessful transition due to an aggressive individual and collective pressing, which most of the times it is the result of a loss in ball possession; • players covering specific areas along the flanks for supporting, allowing the team to switch the ball from one side to another of the pitch; • mobility, the ability to move continuously in the middle of the pitch creates open spaces. Thanks to the attackers’ multidirectional movements opponent’s defensive line can become unbalanced as defenders can be led to be out of position; • progressive through the thirds and width are both results of one another; create width upfront is the first step that needs to be taken in order to progress through the thirds and find the opponent’s defensive line unprepared; • playing forward and defending upfront: attacking the spaces up front, playing forward with vertical passes and defending high it can strongly psychologically challenges opponents and at the same time, it brings confidence within the team; • passing the ball behind the opponent’s defensive line as many times as possible in different ways; the opponent’s defensive unit should always stay under pressure and it should never know when and how threats will approach.

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CHAPTER 3

ATTACKING PHASE

3.1 BUILD-UP Liverpool’s build-up phase is characterized by a start with players in possession of the ball on their feet, forcing the opponents to make an instant choice: do I let them play or closing down their receivers? The approach of playing out from the back with the ball on the ground allows Klopp’s players to immediately taking control of the game and consequently to occupy the pitch according to their own ideas.

THE TEAM’S SET UP FROM A GOAL KICK Liverpool’s set up during goal kicks is formed by two centre-backs (Matip and Van Dijk) deep and wide just right outside the box and with the two full backs (Alexander-Arnold and Robertson) positioned high and wide. In regards to the midfielder line, the two centre midfielders (Fabinho and Wijnaldum) drop deep in front of the box to receive the ball.

Image 6. Liverpool’s set up in goal kicks.

Liverpool tactical analysis / 55

06

ATTACKING DRILLS WITH CROSSES AND FINISHING

METHOD OF TRAINING

Conditioned game

DURATION 26 minutes

AIMS • Developing attacking phase • Passing • Movement to receive • Finishing • Marking • Defending the goal • Width • Improvised • Attacking the goal • Defending crosses • Defending cutbacks • Take charge

EQUIPMENT • • • • • •

Marker cones 1 cone 6 bibs 2 mini-goals 1 goal Footballs

PROCEDURE

SET-UP Playing area: 60×60 meters Players: 14 + 1 goalkeeper Number of sets: 2 of 10 minutes with 3 minutes of passive recovery between each set

Divide players into two teams: an offensive team of eight red players (team G) and a defensive team of six purple players (team D). The playing area goes from the goal line up to two thirds of the field. The end line of the area is located opposite the goal and is marked using marker cones. Two mini-goals of 2 meters width are placed 5 meters from the touchlines. Place a cone at the centre of the playing area. Red team starts in possession. The goalkeeper positions himself in defence of the goal and plays with the defending team (purple).

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DESCRIPTION

• The attacking team (G) starts with the ball in possession of the player positioned at the central cone, making a back pass to the deepest located teammate (G1) • Team G tries to develop the game by playing wide down the flanks and finishing with a cross • The purpose of team D is to intercept the ball or prevent the finishing and go to score in one of the two mini-goals at the opposite end of the goal line An example of progression: • The G5 player delivers the ball to the deepest positioned player G (G1) • G1, together with the two teammates of its unit (G2-G3), must carry out a series of passes to perform and achieve a passing through down one of the two flanks (G4-G7) • Depending on the flank where the ball has been delivered, the attacker (in this case G8) must perform a movement towards the flank to support his teammate through a short combination • The player that plays wide must decide whether to exchange the ball with the attacker and going to cross (4A, 5A and 6A passes) or deliver a cross directly in the area to serve the two attackers (4B pass) • When the ball is delivered through a cross, G8, G6 and G4 must enter the area to finish

RULES

• The players from team D act as active defenders and, once they have regained the ball, they must score in one of the two mini-goals at the end of the pitch opposite the goal line (active transition phase) • Each goal of team G is worth one point, each goal of team D is worth two points • At each goal the game restarts from the central cone with the attacking team in possession of the ball

COACHING POINTS

• Remember that the cross is a specific targeted pass and not a random passage • Encourage players to keep up the pace during the exercise and perform the movements to receive the ball with the right timing Liverpool tactical analysis / 111