25 Dec 2023 07:25:45
Merry Christmas all, anyone feel like we should try play our old way again with both full backs providing width now the midfield as been improved.
Asking myself if it didn’t work last season due to the issues in midfield or was it because we had been worked out?
25 Dec 2023 09:07:41
We bought technically skilled midfielders who are far more offensive than what we had in the past. We cannot send the full backs high up now. It’s basic math. If we send our full backs high then it would be mean Szobozalai / Mc allister / jones / Elliot / Gravenberch all needs to tuck in.
Why do you want to do that?
Wingers could provide the width. What is the issue with that? Our issue is Diaz and whoever playing on the left.
25 Dec 2023 12:53:07
For me @Bobcat, the main problem here is that were are still trying to find the right combo and that makes the team work and produce overall cos even in the Arsenal game, we dominate them in spells, turn them over and they were wide open BUT again, our approach play in the final third doomed us. Having players who are off form as well, does not help either. That's it, IMO.
Also, Diaz has been here since Jan of 2022 and has always played the wide forward position this way so not sure how he suddenly became the problem. The FB's provide the width in our system, not the wingers cos we have never played with actual, out and out wingers who have chalk on their boots holding the width. The fullbacks do that and have always done that especially in the final third (with the mids tucking in) cos that creates space in the inside channels for our wider forwards (not wingers) to exploit the space btw the oppo. fullback and CB. This way of playing has always been the case fundamentally and having more technical players now in midfield does not change that, IMO. Even Gomez vs Arsenal was up and we dismantled WH playing the same way with our FB's providing the width.
25 Dec 2023 15:31:05
The FB's provide the width in our system
Typo: USED to provide the width.
Not anymore and never shall be. No matter how many years one going to wait of this “Right combo”.
25 Dec 2023 15:33:02
This way of playing has always been the case fundamentally and having more technical players now in midfield does not change that
Yes it does as now technical midfielders use to arrive in the box compared to Hendo / Milner / Wijnaldum who were juts workhorse and ball winners.
We are now seeing the true ability of players like Elliot as he is now expressing himself as a midfielder.
In the old system he was never going to fit in.
Szobozalai was purchased to score goals and not to be a ball winner / Destroyer.
26 Dec 2023 06:17:36
Harry, you've been watching Klopp led teams long enough to know that's not going to happen. You know too well that Klopp will always have his midfielders (whoever they may be) do the pressing, tackling and defensive work when we're not in possession of the ball. Yes, you can argue that this midfield is more technically gifted than the previous group, but I don't think that makes a difference in Klopp's thinking or how he plays football. And in Szoboszlai's case, I think that in the beginning of the season he was given free reign to express himself for Klopp to see his abilities, and now he's being given certain defensive tasks additionally, against specific teams or players, which he may be struggling with at times. That's probably why there's this perception that Szoboszlai was "flying" earlier in the season, and isn't anymore. I'm guessing just like you Harry.
26 Dec 2023 08:25:54
Every single Liverpool player on the pitch is a ball winner.
Some are just better at it than others.
26 Dec 2023 10:00:23
Did I read from one of our esteemed posters that this group of midfielders have scored and assisted more since the start of this season than the previous 3 seasons put together ?.