With Mo Salah and Trent Alexander-Arnold absent for the remainder of the month, Liverpool are prone to be with out the pair for the following 4 matches. So, how will they adapt?
Jurgen Klopp is proving as soon as once more this season why he’s arguably the perfect supervisor on this planet. Liverpool sit prime of the Premier League and are nonetheless in all three cup competitions, with the League Cup last agonisingly shut.
This season, he has persistently proven his capacity to adapt the staff to totally different in-game conditions.
Liverpool’s League Cup win over Fulham was the seventh time the Reds have gained a match, regardless of conceding the primary aim, in all competitions this season. That’s probably the most of any aspect in England’s prime 4 tiers in 2023-24.
Nonetheless, Alexander-Arnold and Salah each being out, for no less than the following three video games, poses a special query for Klopp and co.
Makes an attempt to date
With Dominic Szoboszlai additionally lacking for the League Cup match in opposition to Fulham, Liverpool fielded a brand new proper aspect, that includes Conor Bradley, Ryan Gravenberch and Harvey Elliott.
The previous was good, offering width and dealing tirelessly to make a distinction within the last third, in addition to defending astutely.
Gravenberch toiled in midfield, producing moments wherein his expertise shone by means of, however in the end didn’t carry the defensive edge that Szoboszlai does – the Dutchman misplaced 10 of his 12 duels on Wednesday.
In the meantime, Elliott continues to divide supporters, and maybe the supervisor, as to the place he would greatest be deployed within the coming weeks.
With Ben Doak injured and Kaide Gordon seemingly not a viable possibility, for Liverpool to play a left footer in Salah’s place, Elliott must tackle the mantle.
He performed this place in opposition to Arsenal, however Klopp was compelled to alter because the staff had been underneath strain, and Elliott was unable to provide Liverpool the out-ball they wanted.
Comparable occurred in opposition to Fulham however, at residence in opposition to lesser opposition, you’d have anticipated him to be more practical – there have been nonetheless instances that Liverpool missed Salah’s pace when operating into house.
Right here is how Liverpool began in opposition to Fulham:
What modified within the video games?
The teaching employees got here up with barely totally different options to Liverpool’s first-half woes of their final two video games.
In opposition to Arsenal, Elliott moved again into midfield, swapping with Gakpo who began there, earlier than Jota got here on for the Dutchman and Luis Diaz went to the right-hand aspect, the place Elliott had started the sport.
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The Fulham match noticed comparable, however this time Elliott was substituted for Gakpo as Liverpool switched to a formation nearer to 4-2-3-1.
This meant an attacking lineup of Nunez on the left and Jota by means of the center, with Diaz and Gakpo working additional proper.
How Liverpool ended in opposition to Fulham:
Another options?
Szoboszlai is a possible choice to play on the correct, the place he performed nearly all of his minutes final season for RB Leipzig.
Gordon is one other who may characteristic, however the reality he didn’t come on in opposition to Fulham or Arsenal suggests this gained’t occur.
The important thing to Liverpool’s subsequent few weeks shall be their versatility and skill to adapt in-game, one of many Reds’ greatest strengths this season. The names on the teamsheet could be arbitrary in an ideal world.
Pep Lijnders spoke about how Liverpool’s best asset might be their system, and that particular person high quality comes second to the most important methodology of probability creation, counter-pressing.
The assistant coach defined that the Reds have “many weapons so there may be no-one irreplaceable,” earlier than including that “so long as counter-pressing is there every part else is replaceable.”
With out Alexander-Arnold enjoying defence-splitting passes, that is particularly crucial. Whereas he’s lacking, which can solely be for 3 video games hopefully, it is going to be a case of grinding out wins.
Liverpool have a one-goal benefit going into the League Cup second leg, a tie they need to win. The final time the Reds misplaced a recreation by a couple of aim was April 1, 2023 – a 4-1 to Man Metropolis on the Etihad.
The FA Cup fourth spherical match, in opposition to Norwich or Bristol Rovers, can also be a recreation that can hopefully trigger no issues.
That leaves the journey to Bournemouth as the most important conundrum for Klopp and his employees. This shall be once they actually earn their cash.
