Asim

𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛𝙛. [THREAD]

I mentioned on Saturday the changes Slot kept on making to keep Fulham on the back foot — they were going to create some scary moments for Liverpool but let’s take a look at what Slot actually did. 
#LFC 

Robbo gets sent off… Slot gets Cody over.  The thinking is to set up in a 4-4-1 off the ball with Gakpo at LB. It keeps Trent high and in possession Gakpo is effectively acting as the winger. Diaz at LW with Salah down the middle. 

#LFC 

Salah up top. There’s the call 👇

#LFC 

And here is the original plan in action. A mid-block and compact structure with one of the four in midfield jumping to back up the lone striker. 

#LFC 

And how did the above look in possession? It was a 3-2-4. With Diaz attracting Fulham’s RCB in order to create isolation on the wing for Gakpo. Even with 11 men, the amount of times Slot makes a circular gesture to Diaz and his two 8/10’s during the game is mad. He wants them to occupy those half spaces because he knows he has the likes of Van Dijk and Trent in the first line to find those passes into midfield. Van Dijk to Gravenberch is of course the first connection point but that partnership has been a revelation this year — central progression — and if the opposition are forcing the ball out wide — the VD and Trent ping comes into play. But why didn’t this plan last long? #LFC

I think there were a few reasons.
On paper Cody looks ok at LB if you think you are going to have most of the ball but Liverpool needed to be more
brave because Fulham had numbers where it mattered — in their second and last line.  #LFC 

It also had too much responsibility for Gakpo to go up and down the wing and then get back in. The moment we lost the ball, Wilson and co were in. How does he stay high &amp; wide but also make it easier for Liverpool find him with shorter passes? He was clearly struggling. #LFC 

Curtis pops up in LCB positions — we’ve seen it before but that’s when the press is aggressive — Liverpool just couldn’t progress the ball. There was also one occasion when Cody was part of a high line and casually put his hand up whilst trying to catch Wilson offside. That was the moment for me when Slot decided it was time for a bolder move. 

#LFC

Gomez at LB, inverting in the second pase, Trent looking for right half spaces, allowed Liverpool go to a 2-3–4 — Salah in his natural position and Gakpo doing what he knows best in advanced areas with Gomez protecting him. Inverting the full back gives us an extra man in midfield compared to the the 3-2 structure and allows Liverpool to sustain attacks better. #LFC

In the second half we saw Gravenberch invert from CB as Liverpool kept using Alisson to bait the press. He’s one of the best in receiving back to goal and Liverpool had to utilise him in those spaces — it was a masterstroke from Slot. And as Ryan has shown this year, his ability to face play and snuff out any danger has been brilliant so sweeping up in CB zones was easy! #LFC

It was hard to tell if Curtis came off due to a tactical decision but you can see Slot asking him if he’s ok here so maybe it was forced? Anyhow.. time to tweak it again.. stay with me, we’re nearly done. 

#LFC 

So it’s Gravenberch back to DM, with Quansah as RCB. Trent inverting to make up the staggered pivot. And as the build up develops…

#LFC 

It’s a 2-2-5 with Gomez top of the box. Liverpool have a boxed midfield with 10 men! This was Klopp’s go-to formation, slightly differently positioned with flying full backs but the idea is the same — sustain attacks and keep the opposition pinned in but Fulham manage to counter and its 2-1 to the men in white. 

Next plan of action…

#LFC

On comes Jota and Elliott. It’s now a 3-1-5 from phase one with Gomez and Quansah having the licence to bomb on — it was mad but a lot of fun. Harvey and Jota picking up wide half spaces outside Fulham’s compact block and it’s interesting to see how Darwin and Jota interchanging positions from this structure made the goal after Gomez managed to find Nunez in the space Jota is occupying in the shot below. 

#LFC

We didn’t mange to find the winner I believe we deserved, but teams now know, even if Liverpool face adversity, they have a manager with courage, and with Anfield behind him, who would blame him in thinking he can beat teams on his own terms — even if it they’re a man short. #LFC 

Asim - Behind The Bench.