The 2021/22 season is going quite well for the Liverpool army. In fact a million times better than the last season. Having booked a place in the Champions League semi-finals yet again, the Merseysiders are aiming for their 7th Champions League title. Apart from tactical geniuses from the main man-Klopp himself, the team itself is filled with individual talents.
Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson sometimes make us forget that they play in the back-four position. Their role high up the pitch makes the attackers(Mane, Salah and Jota) make those crucial runs inside the box. The way Liverpool dominate their opposition from their counter-attacking play sometimes makes them flabbergasted and often devastated.
The same scenario was witnessed in the Manchester City game. Liverpool’s attacking trio by the likes of Salah, Mane and Jota has registered a total of 48 goals in just 31 games in the Premier League itself. On the other hand, the Egyptian(Salah) is on the verge of becoming the top scorer for Liverpool for five consecutive seasons now. Liverpool has it all! Ranging from lightening encounters, absurd work rate, power, technical ability and the most important thing the coordination.
You can’t always win the help of the starters. A fourth striker is crucial and in many instances when they come on as a substitute they produce the right result. In this case, Liverpool have a major upper hand. With Diego Jota being a regular starter and someone who has been phenomenal, the Brazilian (Roberto Firmino) is now more like a back up striker. It means the timing of game management becomes ever-more vital. Klopp so far in his Liverpool tenure has done this. This tactics prove to be pivotal when a fresh starter helps the team to tear down a tiring defense. The Liverpool team can now be described in a single word “impervious”.
Another reason why Liverpool were unbeaten for 44 Premier League games is because of Jordan Henderson. He has acted as a glue to this prolific and hungry looking team. Without a proper midfield the game cannot maintain it’s momentum. Alison Becker and Van Dijk have been top notch ever since they joined the club. Liverpool haven’t lost a league game in Anfield whenever Van Dijk featured in it. Klopp’s sides have always been praised for being on the attacking front-foot and never been the side that is being humiliated.
So how have Liverpool’s fortunes been transformed? Here are a few points that clearly narrate why so-
1. Create a clear vision and identity
2. Represent this identity
3. Reinforce belief and create trust
4. Develop strong connections with players
5. Promise big – and deliver
After picking up a massive point in the blockbuster fixture against Manchester City, Liverpool are just a point behind them. This season can finally be the season where they can clinch both the domestic and the Premier League trophy and making them the first English team to win the quadruple. With City’s poor record in the Champions League despite being the finalist last season, Liverpool are still the favourites to win it. Reaching the final won’t be much of a headache for the Klopp’s army as they face Villarreal.
Well that sums up the Liverpool team and how far they have achieved. Salah’s blistering performance day in and day out along with Trent Alexander Arnold’s upsurgence in form has reaped positive impacts to this side and no doubt Klopp is making the best out of it. It is without a doubt that this Liverpool team is one of the strongest teams in Europe at the moment.
In Klopp’s 4-3-3 formation the central defensive midfielder (Fabinho) plays a crucial role who generally drops back between the two central defenders and try to solidify it and try to strengthen the defence even more. Last season Takumi Minamino started his first PL game against Everton where he played as a RW and made a total of 13 pressures in that half itself. On the other hand, substitutes are meant to add more productivity to the team.
Quite often we get to observe that substitutes aren’t able to reap the results that is expected out of them. Fortunately, the Liverpool fans and the team of course, relished this majestic opportunity and made the most of it. Klopp has faced difficulty in facing only one manager who plays a 4-4-3 formation and that’s Carlo Ancelotti. Against Ancelotti’s Napoli, Liverpool has lost two games and managed a draw. Everton under Ancelotti almost snatched a victory against Liverpool in the league game.
The pressure stats clearly says that Liverpool are the team leading for the number of pressures made in the attacking third (1520 in total) followed by Southampton and Manchester City. Fabinho, Henderson and the two centre-backs (Trent and Robertson) are useful weapons to switch play and spray diagonal passes to Thiago. Liverpool’s speed that originates from the back is deadly and their one touch passing plays shows no mercy to the opposition.
To say that the Premier League trophy is out of reach is not entirely true. Even though Liverpool still has an unpredictable Manchester United to face this coming weekend they are just a point behind the reigning champions (Manchester City). Liverpool’s dominating performance yet again helped them reach the semi-finals of the Champions League where they face Villarreal. On a concluding note, this might finally be a season where Liverpool might get the opportunity to break the record and be the first English team to win the quadruple.
