Andy Robertson’s damage means Liverpool are with out their first alternative left-back and that requires an answer from Jurgen Klopp for the foreseeable.
There’s a deputy readily available in Kostas Tsimikas, who simply signed a brand new contract. However this time it might not be a easy case of bringing within the backup.
For the previous six months, Liverpool have confronted completely different challenges on the left. With out Robertson, they could now must discover completely different options.
Urgent issues
At its peak, the primary Jurgen Klopp Liverpool group arrange in a 4-3-3. With a slim entrance three, the complete backs pushed excessive up the pitch to supply width.
This allowed Sadio Mane and Mo Salah to get into harmful central positions, in addition to unlocking the creativity of Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
Nevertheless it additionally meant that the midfield might keep slim and compact. If the ball was misplaced, they may counter-press rapidly and successfully to cease the opponent transitioning forwards.
Final season, the midfield of Fabinho, Jordan Henderson and Thiago have been unable to maintain this counter-press. Opponents might, due to this fact, expose the house left behind the complete backs with direct counter assaults.
Liverpool did attempt to resolve this by splitting the centre backs, making it simpler to cowl the large areas. However this left acres of house by means of the centre that Fabinho struggled to defend.
The plain answer was to usher in new midfielders who might perform the counter press. However with 11 video games nonetheless to play, Klopp addressed the tactical weak point with a tactical change: the 3-box-3 system.
By including a fourth participant into midfield, the counter press grew to become extra compact once more. However there have been additionally now three defenders within the final line, which means that the defence was safer when the press was overwhelmed.
There was at all times an out of doors centre-back to exit large, and at all times a presence within the centre.
In possession, Alexander-Arnold’s new place opened up the entire pitch for him to play progressive passes. Whereas his help numbers have been lowered, his affect on the assault grew together with his freedom to play ahead passes.
As soon as the summer time window opened, Klopp did overhaul his personnel in midfield. However he additionally endured with the tactical setup, counting on the improved counter press to masks the shortage of a harmful No. 6.
This has allowed Alexander-Arnold to proceed affecting the assault. However on the other facet, Robertson has had his creativity shackled.
His greatest recreation entails moving into the ultimate third and swinging in crosses. Nevertheless it’s tougher to do this when taking part in successfully as a left sided centre again.
The group’s defensive safety has come at the price of Robertson’s greatest property.
Timing beats pace
Liverpool have tried to get the left again concerned greater up the pitch at instances. However the method and timing of how that occurs is essential.
With Curtis Jones nailing down a spot on the left of the midfield three, he has commonly pulled out to the left wing. This enables Luis Diaz to get into extra profitable central areas. Nevertheless it additionally creates house for Robertson to push forwards.
If Liverpool can discover him, nice. But when the ball is misplaced, there’s an enormous hole on the left flank that groups can exploit.
With slower, extra affected person buildup, Liverpool’s centre-backs have time to separate large, masking Robertson’s flank behind him.
But when the ball is misplaced, the opponent can successfully get one-on-one with Alexis Mac Allister within the No. 6 place, and exploit the house behind him.
Brighton’s Carlos Baleba did this a number of instances throughout the Reds’ draw on the Amex, and on one other day, it might have proved expensive.
The chance and reward of getting Robertson forwards hasn’t fairly been balanced correctly but.
Cautious it doesn’t Kostas
That is how Tsimikas could be anticipated to play if he comes straight in. He’s even much less comfy taking part in centre-back, and has been caught out on the ball throughout build-up – notably giving up a objective to Leicester within the Carabao Cup.
Klopp may determine the reward of Tsimikas’ attacking play is well worth the threat. Limiting the change to only one new participant would additionally preserve the upheaval to a minimal.
Nonetheless, with Mac Allister’s combined outcomes because the deepest midfielder, it might be needed to usher in Wataru Endo because the No. 6.
He would supply extra defensive cowl for Tsimikas’ forays forwards. However Klopp has handed Endo only one league begin up to now – counting on him to make the system tick appears dangerous.
One various may very well be a return to the ‘basic’ 4-3-3. Fielding an all new midfield three might enhance the counter-press from final season, fixing the tactical weak point of this setup.
With Endo, Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai snuffing out counter assaults at supply, Tsimikas could be free to push excessive and large.
He has earned his supervisor’s belief on this function beforehand, and a return to a extra superior function might additionally profit Alexander-Arnold on the other facet.
However maybe probably the most easy answer doesn’t contain Tsimikas in any respect. With the left sided defender successfully a centre-back, Joe Gomez may very well be the excellent candidate.
He did debut as a left-back (albeit in 2015) and has already performed each centre-back and full-back this season. He’s additionally one of many few senior choices to not play any worldwide soccer throughout the newest gruelling double spherical of fixtures.
Being proper footed would encourage him to play extra passes inside, which means the pivot participant would must be alert to any urgent traps. However in any other case, it’s a stable defensive swap to protect Liverpool’s situational again three.
It’s not the sexiest answer, nevertheless it’s in all probability the most secure.
When the motion resumes with the derby this weekend, all eyes will likely be on Liverpool’s left facet. Hopefully Jurgen Klopp will get it proper.
