Why Liverpool's press doesn't work anymore

[@HaiLeQuang]

This is exactly how a football analysis should be done. 1. Understand the tactic. 2. Digging into data to realize a pattern. Best ever Tifo

[@stadiamak692]

Well could have just said Mane...

[@The-Great-Brindian]

Completely agree with you Hai.

[@blackwhite2361]

@@stadiamak692 😅😅😅😅 yeah. All their problems are due to selling Mane

[@danishislam]

Imho, Klopp needs to be more ruthless and refresh, he is too loyal atm...to the players, they are hanging him out to dry, like the mentality cycle...no one could even score against Liverpool before this season...

[@daniaaal]

@@stadiamak692 well not replacing mane w someone w a similar profile is a mistake. But Mane is already past 30 and it was a financially-wise decision considering circumstances

[@TorontoGooner]

Tifo IRL had this video locked 'n' loaded & ready to go 😂

[@yungbeeno007]

Yuuup

[@lmthagod328]

They sensed the loss 😂

[@FirstLast-ur6xt]

Lmaoooo

[@lxlocc.glizzy479]

They lost 3-0 😭😭😭 video instantly dropped

[@jimmywalker8354]

Of course hahahaha

[@jamm8284]

It's not just the pressing. When other teams are pressing, they are just walking through us. When our pressing is successful the front 3 just can't hit a barn door at the moment and it's agony to watch as a Liverpool fan.

[@halyup]

Gakpoo awful

[@everybodylovesab]

@@halyup gakpoo 😭

[@samking5101]

@@halyup I can tell that you don’t watch Liverpool matches

[@antmanandthecod6073]

Yeah salah can’t score, Nunez does amazing things but can’t finish. The defence looks like a team who is 3-0 down at the start of a game and just give up/ throwing everyone forward for a goal

[@thefirefades]

It's mad cause I see what Nunez is trying but he just can't finish it, and salad has been dreadful this season outside of goals. Gakpo, I'm not sure about. With jota and Diaz back I think you'll regain some form at least.

[@piekielnieszczerypodcast3828]

So basically: 1) While other teams got better and evolved, they stagnated and 2) the players are tired from playing this intense style of football for over 5 years non-stop with very little rotation.

[@akmalrodzi4633]

yes

[@ubergeraldine]

Nailed it.

[@JudeUgwuegbulam]

Spot on. Professional football players are “human”, and I don’t care how good they are (world class or otherwise) when fatigue - mental and physical seep in performance starts dropping off. As Sir Alex has demonstrated to stay at the top the squad needs “refreshing”. The board need to support Klopp or he may find himself out.

[@Soybean13]

Klopp has been too comfortable with his player, and now liverpool pays the price....he didn't have a plan B at all

[@Ze_Moose]

One name why it's not working: Sadio Mane

[@schneeraizor7020]

even Tifo pre-recorded this vid just to rub my gutted hearts after 3-0 lost

[@outlawedTV88]

fans are always more gutted than players, that's bc they have huge wages! but money cannot buy out depression in a long term and that is what we observe

[@schneeraizor7020]

@@outlawedTV88 what are u on mate?? No correlation.

[@rishabh3150]

It's as if I'm seeing the exact same problems Man Utd were having last season... the lack of a defensive leader due to Van Dijk being injured plus out of form and no bite in the midfield is hurting them bad...on top of that as the games go on, the toxicity due to bad results and constant media bickering will make things even worse..at least they have Klopp as a leader in the dressing room..

[@decenttambani3260]

Even if Van Dijk was there nothing was going to change the main problem is the loss of Mane he's pressing is surely missed

[@rishabh3150]

@@decenttambani3260 a team doesn't collapse like that if just one player leaves..

[@amirulbinmazuki1255]

@@rishabh3150 one player and his name is Mane

[@symoredollaz610]

Van dijk was present during our horrid run. he does not have the legs in the midfield to protect him

[@decenttambani3260]

@@rishabh3150 he's pressing influenced other players around him and besides Liverpool didn't strengthen there midfield

[@shifty220]

The pain of being a Liverpool fan this season 🥲

[@eliasfigarzon9813]

Just fire klopp and star again. He has done a great job but now he is the problem and it's time to move on.

[@mbegetis5833]

Imagine being a United fan during the last decade...

[@anonymousjohn6491]

Just Liverpool returning to their natural state

[@cameronjones8641]

@@mbegetis5833 Imagine being a Liverpool fan for the 30 years before that🤣🤣🤣

[@blue_dreamed5141]

Lmao. Big six supporters complaining about supporting the most successful English teams. I support Leeds and I am thankful we are as big as we are, try supporting fuckin Hartlepool mate.

[@wizzpop09]

John is brilliant at explaining these tactical insights

[@Omar_Little]

I needed this because I have no idea what is going on with that club.

[@tonyshortland8812]

Reds did appreciate sadio's intensity, and Gini, who hardly ever lost the ball in midfield. But not quite how much they did, two players like that can't be replaced, they were golddust

[@absam7821]

The departure of sadio mane is somewhat affecting them Statistically,no player could press as hard as mane in the premier league for the last 3 seasons

[@mkhuselinqala4569]

Real Madrid were the 1st team I saw exploit this weakness... their players held the ball just long enough to be able to play it between the lines. breaking the press at key moments.

[@faithhopecharity2843]

Yep. They did this in ucl final.

[@bas8792]

@@faithhopecharity2843 back in 2018

[@genocidejoe]

Modric come to minde before vini scored last year final

[@SASMADBRUV7]

I'm glad he pointed out what klopp said. As a Liverpool fan, I knew for the longest time how even in our peak, we would sometimes get played through and concede really high quality chances. But our team was good enough to deal with that.

[@mkhuselinqala4569]

@SFAAPK7 Yeah true. But I fear that he is falling into the same cycle and pattern he had at BvB, and I'd hate to see Liverpool struggle like they did.

[@sultanateofoman]

Great timing! It is just very clear that they are going from worse to worse! I do predict they will have a surprise win against everton and go on to lose 5 games after that

[@ashvintyagi4530]

Nah ever since the Burnley days Dyche is always annoying and he'll be even more so with the derby atmosphere, I can see a 1-0 win for Everton there

[@YaBoiBenno]

@@ashvintyagi4530 yep, arsenal didn’t respect the 4-4-2 and it showed today

[@BigPurp9]

I don’t get why everyone’s surprised, past 15-25 years they’ve been a mid table team that occasionally challenges. The cycles just restarting. They’ll be back in 2030😂

[@callummcghie6957]

@@YaBoiBenno he very specifically didn't play a 4-4-2

[@joelwilson4197]

@@YaBoiBenno looked like he had 5 in the middle in defence

[@alexstephens4767]

This is genuinely a great video. Need to pass it on to some TV pundits.

[@JamesCFC1905]

This reminds me of Conte's 2nd season at Chelsea. It wasn't as bad as what people say, but we definitely got found out by the whole league and it looked like we had no other options

[@lonestarr1490]

Tactic-wise, football teams are like cruise ships: it takes quite some time to turn the wheels.

[@zaidabraham7310]

This isn't about getting "found out". Did you even watch the video? Liverpool can't maintain the same intensity as previous seasons (likely due to the fitness of their midfielders), which is why their pressing has not been very effective.

[@potmadu4153]

Their biggest problem is motivation issue, simple. They achieved alot in the past

[@StriderDSC]

Great analysis, though I'd also add it isn't just tactics, but squad composition. You can split the team into 3 groups, players who are on top of their game and know the system and are executing, players who are too old for the system and have been burned out, new players who don't understand it and aren't in sync with the others. Each game they've got a wicked combo of the 3 that never meshes together and it shows. Injuries are not helping. They also let two of their most effective pressers (and leaders) leave in the last few years (Gini and Sadio) for bigger paychecks, which left them short and building for the future while the team was still in win now mode. They should've kept their motto of buying players to groom into superstars to keep the system rolling, not going for the biggest, shiny name (Diaz, Nunez, Gakpo, etc.)

[@empireprod.9061]

Spot on but I believe Diaz should get a pass because he does quite well for himself and does everything asked of him and more

[@Zac3D]

No mention of Mané? Liverpool's press and offensive output dropped as soon as he was traded.

[@GamingRobioto]

*sold This isn't American Football

[@potatopotato5354]

This is the superior Tifo channel atm. JJ and Jon are so good

[@ParisianWeetabix]

is there another tifo channel?

[@mikhailjordanov5863]

The true loss of this Liverpool's side is honestly Henderson. When we were in our hay day he was the silent engine in our team, helping Salah up front, covering for Trent when there's a counter attack and overrall his workrate is what made him great. Now, he is just past his prime and we see the effects of that on our team, Salah isolated, Trent getting butchured alive in that right flank .. etc. That's why i'm convinced if we find some midfielders with very high workrate and intensity, we will get back to the competition, but we didn't in the transfer market this january so the blame will land of FSG .. greedy bastards.

[@adamelouardmichy7691]

It is fabinho I would say

[@DjDolHaus86]

I'd argue that Wijnaldum was the biggest loss, his constant pressing took the load off of Henderson and Fabinho so they could do their jobs without having to be everywhere on the pitch at once. Hendo is getting older and can't cover the ground, Thiago just isn't the kind of player to cover the distance and take the load of and I don't think Fabinho has recovered from playing a crazy amount of games last season. As you say we need some workhorses. In previous years we had a midfield built out of workhorses and while sometimes it left us a bit stagnant we remained hard to break down, we might not win the game because we lacked those pass picking midfielders to get past the defensive block but at least we weren't getting punished every time the opposition managed to escape their own penalty area.

[@LocoAsasino]

The catalyst was Sadio mane. He could press all game every game and not use too much energy doing it. It was awful losing sadio in that respect the most

[@xingyuzhou1891]

He and van Dijk were were Liverpool's most important players. Now Mane is enjoying life at Bayern, and van Dijk's body is probably stuffed in a basement somewhere while van Shite collects the paycheck.

[@suleymanistic6468]

@@xingyuzhou1891 Enjoyin his injury at Bayern is he🤔 Any Liverpool fan would tell you Mane is not the man we're missing.

[@nonewthing]

​@@xingyuzhou1891 mane is definitely not enjoying life at bayern mate.

[@rosslogan4154]

Manes performances were starting to deteriorate at the end of his Liverpool career. He's not playing that great at Bayern and currently can't get a place in the first team.

[@thiernohamidoukah]

The lost of Wijnaldum and Mané had a massive impact

[@zeroronaldo9313]

Wijnaldum yes but mane no they never replaced wij but mane was replaced while still on the team by Luis dias and the bought nunez in attack

[@baquithemonkey5330]

Liverpool doesn't want the derby to end, so they'll be joining Everton in the championship

[@bigmeatie]

Jon once again doing a great tactical breakdown, going really in depth but without gatekeeping with complicated jargon. Love these breakdowns.

[@JD-ee4df]

Miles better than JJ imo

[@bigmeatie]

@@JD-ee4df no need for that, im a massive fan of JJ's breakdowns too.

[@TubaTones]

@@bigmeatie well, he doesn’t state it as a fact, he stated it as just his opinion.

[@breadpudding1248]

Been saying this since the before the start of the 2020 season. The signs were there. Even last year when we were challenging for the quadruple all our wins were never dominant instead we just barely scraped by due to individual play or dumb luck. Obviously that is not sustainable and it has all come to a head this season. The blame is on both FSG and Klopp. FSG for not investing immediately after the CL success, Klopp for not adapting like all good coaches but being stubborn, and yes the players too for vastly underperforming

[@Nathan_NYX_8]

I remember we also had improper pressing last season at Manchester United, we always lost due to counter-attacks.

[@AM-hr9jx]

Was a joke last season, the players actually had to work for once and threw ragnick under the bus because they thought he was a temporary man. Good thing ten haag showed them whos boss

[@Stamnley]

The subtitles for the writers/presenters of this channel are getting better and better.

[@chinmaykthakuria7647]

Yea.... Subtitles for 'Gegenpressing' is 'Gay pressing' lol 😂😂

[@harveydixon6843]

Would love to see a video on what is going wrong for southampton too, we just can't seem to string two passes together. Jones is completely clueless 😥

[@samking5101]

You’ve just answered your own question

[@uncleseekx]

Shouldn't have sacked Ralph

[@phightinphil25]

@@uncleseekx Exactly ! Ralph Hasenhuttle was underrated, yes Southhampton always had a calamity in them during his reign but were generally solid and competent despite a clear lack of talent.

[@uncleseekx]

@@phightinphil25 the regular 9-0 trashing each season 😄😄. I understand the team was bad, but if they had no decent manage to hire, they should have left him, better than what they have now

[@hankjones7054]

Not sure I could sit through a 3hr video.

[@nickooooooohtj]

Christmas day I know I'm not the only one to mention this, but it is so lovely/mindbending to see the faces attached to the voices. Excellent work keep it up etc etc

[@thunderbolt_blitz]

watching Liverpool this season is painful

[@jordan_roadhouse4798]

I think you mean joyful 😜😂

[@pucs82]

Long may it continue 🎉

[@fantasticmemyself]

@@pucs82 Lmao why?

[@pucs82]

@@fantasticmemyself just jokes m8 😂 I’m a Utd fan 🥳

[@junioradult6219]

@@pucs82 lol why are you even here🤣🤣

[@showmetheway2]

Terrific stuff. Brilliant to watch this instead of listening to rants etc that most channels/studios serve up.

[@theaccount-rw2xx]

Klopp's intensity demands so much energy and younger midfield - so, that's all buddies 😀

[@nabilahmadsiddiqui345]

Great analysis of the metrics! I wish the mainstream football pundits would use such data to do their analysis instead of using vague qualitative analysis.

[@CarlMarxPunk]

They are all tired, they're all old; every other team knows how to counter it/do it too. It happened to Barcelona under Guardiola. Pep learned from it and changed, and Barcelona had to get managers that weren't that different but could change some stuff like Tito or Luis Enrique. Something to look at for Liverpool.

[@TexasGentleman_]

The difference is Barcelona went crazy in the market and buried themselves in debt. FSG, quite the opposite, would rather see their team sit mid-table than make the overhaul that’s needed to bring in players who can bring in the pressing intensity in midfield that’s needed.

[@rzlb5]

Klopp never plays full-fledged possession attacking football. Klopp fooled people into thinking they play attacking football but actually, Liverpool was playing defensive frontal counter-attacking football.

[@junioradult6219]

Of course that team cant do a 433 high press anymore. for some reason klopp keeps forcing it week in week out though

[@GamingRobioto]

He's ALWAYS only had one plan. His plan A is fantastic, but when it stops working he has zero plan B and is too stubborn to adapt. The best managers are fluid in thier approach. Klopp is arrogant, stubborn and a terrible loser

[@junioradult6219]

@@GamingRobioto thats why pep is above klopp. He is always making tactical changes when players leave or come in

[@TexasGentleman_]

@@GamingRobioto Pep had one of the best teams ever at Barcelona and only had a plan A. Generally speaking he really only has a plan A every season, it just changes from season to season. Same applies to Klopp. Some plans are just better than others, admittedly.

[@ishteerashid5458]

@@junioradult6219 bruh. Pep is also a one trick pony you see. Just keep the ball and pass around. Costed them the loss against Madrid last year even when they were leading.

[@edwindwicahyo5375]

thats my main issue with klopp, there is 0 adjustment from him, the squad are not good and yet still doing the same exact thing he was doing when we were at our best

[@zahreel3103]

The Maradona era Napoli sweater. You, Sir, are a true man of football

[@fraserdavidson4226]

Rubbing salt into the wounds from the goblin king after that humiliation vs Wolves

[@jumabohar9600]

You are right Tifo irl , the main problem is pressing not work anymore and all this come due midfilders players hav past their peak , the number in terms of age is high no longer they can be aggressive anymore , they need to add 3 new and keep as backups like hendo fabi and thiago

[@FaraazAhmad]

isnt xG per shot the quality of the positions from which they're taking the shot, rather than the quality of the shot itself?

[@deepakostwal2905]

Yes

[@papamurrth1]

John really is very good, I'm a Liverpool fan and watch every match, he's nailed the issues at hand on the pitch here

[@nathanielknight1838]

The same thing happened at BVB. We were bottom of the table, players out injured constantly due to high physical demands of the play style which saw less and less success while the same kind of press worked easily on us. Crawled our way back to 7th place or something after it was announced Klopp was gonna get sacked at the end of the season. And while we saw success with Tuchel to some degree in the first season comparable to Klopp, he fell off hard during the 2nd. year - no coach since Klopp ever achieved anything close to what he did ever again. So, if you want him gone as a Liverpool fan, just consider if there truly is someone out there who can compete with your financial means like Klopp did long term. He may have a week season or two but I don't think anyone can just turn it around. Another issue imo is buying the wrong players but that's just me. I really dislike Nunez. For all his talent, he's an oversized diva who falls to easily and just doesn't have the mental strength of a Mane for example.

[@tutotutot5193]

zidane said they fell apart when makelele who was the least paid in real madrid left. sadio mane was the most important player but was overlooked by liverpool its common even scholes wasnt celebrated enough at manutd the glue that makes other players shine you only realise their importance when they are gone

[@rosslogan4154]

This is really insightful. Well done Tifo. The scary stat for me is that Liverpool are the worst team in the EPL with "xG per shot conceded." In other words our defense is sh!t !!

[@ComradeOgilvy1984]

It is worth noting that Liverpool allowed a lot of goals from direct attacks in 2019/20, as per the statistics in this video, but that season they also won the title with the best overall defense in the league. Pressing has always been a gamble. It usually paid off for Klopp in the past, but it has to be executed properly. Immediate midfield pressure on the opposition ball carrier forces quick decisions. When the ball carrier does not have an opportunity to get his head up, it is easy to misplace the pass or for the target forward to mistime the run for an offside call.

[@Bunkiiiiii]

They need a Gavi. Maybe they can even get The Gavi with how Tebas (LaLiga president) is hellbent on not allowing Barça to register him in the first team 😅

[@crisisactorr]

pretty sure he’s registered now

[@cedarstuff]

The key players are knackered. The team doesn't run back to cover team mates when they lose possession. They have been at 100% for the past 5 years and are simply just done.

[@JohnUtaka_]

They just miss the work ethic of Saido Mane. He's the guy who you'd usually see pressing hard from the front and then the team follow. Correct me if I'm wrong tho, because I don't usually watch Liverpool like that

[@pheehawtzer6068]

You are not wrong. Klopp once said that our defense always starts from the front and that time we had both Mane and Firmino in their prime years, which were really intelligent and hardworking players as they allowed Salah who is more of a pure scorer, outperformed himself for so many years. Now that Mane was sold, Firmino no longer a player that he was due to fitness problem and possibly too much football without rest, our pressing falls beyond the cliff. While we still have quality players like Jota and Diaz, both of them are totally different type of players, Jota more of a poacher, Diaz more of a traditional winger who hug lines. Really frustrating to see this as a Liverpool fan.

[@asimpleguy9667]

Yup mane

[@lazyboy300]

the initial analysis of the team's attacking tactics in past years is not really correct is it? they rarely attacked straight thru the middle at all. they either did super fast transitions to salah and mané open wide or they would use the fullbacks as very offensive wingers and let salah and mane get inside the box while firmino would hold his runs and be used more to triangulate and serve the two rather than to shot and score. when plays thru the middle would happen they'd come from henderson and winaldum carrying the ball instead of playing long vertical passes forward.... or was i watching different games? even when thiago arrived, he would retain the ball a lot more but most of his distribution would be arnold and robertson as wingers, much more than passes thru the middle to brake defensive lines

[@M1LKM4N_R9]

Could u do the video of Sean dyche 1-0 Arsenal

[@solankijimmy]

A key thing they're missing is the setting of the press from the front. There's a method to the madness, which someone like Firmino understands but the constant injuries and shuffling around isn't helping. A lack of confidence means you don't take on actions you'd take otherwise.

[@jimmywalker8354]

Also TAA is an absolute traffic cone defensively

[@colinbassett1192]

On the Dawson goal today he literally ran away from his man, who was Dawson, to try to play goalie instead

[@epicmarschmallow5049]

This probably wouldn't matter as much with a more effective press. But now the press is gone and he's being exploited defensively

[@0verPar]

Completely agree and been saying it all season!!! Combine it with historic overperforming and it looks very bad. A weak defense is now being exposed due to lack of genenpress.

[@alninomehamad4586]

I think other teams already know how to nullify Liverpool pressing and attack. Simply press their backlines and midfielders. If the the strikers get the ball, create a 2v1 (or more) situation. If their fullbacks try to cross, put all defenders on the box. Done

[@mac_-mtlmcal]

That and the keeper just has to stand still while Nunez fires the ball right at him over and over.

[@purehyperbole5727]

Tifo has a great talent for presenting something obvious as something worth watching. Great work, guys.

[@frontdown3249]

There has to be a major squad overhaul in the summer. Also Lijnders et consortes have to be gone too. Klopp needs to start fresh cuz this formula's been burned-out already.

[@aribashirkhalil3902]

This wouldn't have happened if they signed me back in 2019 but they said i didn't have the stamina for the EPL. Just got signed to German division 2 slowly grinding my way to football elite

[@farouq143]

Had this one ready in the drafts huh😂

[@EshBBX]

This makes Gegenpressing even more interesting, it's so high intensity that it's nearly unstoppable while it's at it's peak, and yet the peak is shortlived because the defenders and the rest just physically get worn out earlier than they otherwise would've. Deliciously tragic and it's probably exactly what happened at the end of his Dortmund spell.

[@johnlau6749]

not just that the coordination has to be perfect. Remember Liverpool 7-0 vs United? Klopp basically change the gameplan: no need press high so much, then when Liverpool on the ball, Gakpo and Elliot become the box with CDM and another box formed with 2 CBs and 2 CDMs while fullbacks go up just in between the 2 boxes and Nunez and Salah stay wide pin United's fullbacks. All of that completely broken ETH

[@TCGrodney89]

No Mane, no wins anymore. Now that he is gone, you are seeing what your missing.

[@swaggervitamins]

Nah, the problem is that it's easy for everyone to sacrifice for the sake of winning at first. But once they got a CL and PL title, everyone wants to be Salah. Nobody wants to be the one sweating for somebody else to get the shine

[@yip2454]

Lets be honest its losing Mane and mental fatigue after losing the finals. Same thing happened to spurs when they lost the final.

[@evanmartinez4034]

This is all true but I feel it over looks a few points. 1. Clarity on a regular press and a counter press should be made because a counter press does not fill in for a press so constantly conflating the two as the same is somewhat misleading. 2. Tho their defending has seemingly gotten worse the stats that underline their attack have gotten astronomically worse. Moreover, their attacking play style has virtually switched from possession with broad diagonals and a necessity to get in behind. To very narrow and direct. The only time being super narrow worked this year was against United

[@afanwithagun]

Liverpool definitely needs a rebuild. Looking at their squad, especially the starting 11 in most of their last games, there is players there that are not made for Klopp football. Attacking wise they are alright, I think the options there are good: Salah, Nunez, Gagkpo, Jota, Diaz, Fermino. Fermino probably the one that need replacing but provided that they already have a 9 in Nunes and Jota and Gagkpo capable of playing there, they should replace Fermino with a left footed right winger. A long-term replacement of Salah. They need a player like Saka, Madueke, Raphinha etc to revive their attack or develop Harvey Elliot in that position as the successor of Salah. Midfield is where they have most of the problem. Their players have aged, and Klopp's football is very energetic and very physical. They need a player in there that has the engine of Wijnaldum, and new CDM to replace Fabinho. Bajcetic is good but he's not physical enough. They need someone like Rice or Philips in there. And a successor of Henderson, a workhorse, someone like Gallagher will fit that role. Midfield should actually be their main focus. Defense is also an issue. They need a long-term replacement for van Dijk. Dayot Upamecano will be perfect as he already has chemistry with Konate, but they need to bring in 2 central defenders, one to replace Matip straight away and one to stand in as an understudy to take over from van Dijk. And then a right back to play backup to Trent.. Who should leave? Fabinho, Milner, Matip, Henderson, Arthur, Ferminho etc

[@rachitdang7453]

I think they should go for Ruben Neves, he has been a workhorse for Wolves and he has experience compared to Gallagher, Neves also offers decent amount of creativity as well.

[@M-Anfield-G-A]

I’d consider also that the game has adapted to the press and those direct attacks against are evidence of it. Your video about Brighton defenders standing on the ball is an example of that as well. Another great video as always! LFC fan here and we’ve been proper garbage. Darwin has potential but his current finishing is all over that stat wheel 😂

[@outlawedTV88]

Darwin shows the same in FM series amazingly accurate. this why I have never brought him to my club even tho he has great stats in physical and mental :)

[@mrtimharrington]

It is quite simple - he is performing a tribute act to his mentor Ralf Rangnick and I have to say, I respect it... More seriously the personnel has changed quite a bit, not just Mane the focal point of their attacking press leaving. Whilst that may have had enough to cover for him in normal circumstances, the midfield issues and injuries to Jota and Diaz have made it far more difficult and makes the system far more difficult to perform with so many changes and frankly - downgrades in midfield. Whilst we can pretend there is more going on in terms of tactical changes, and there might be, the main reason for those changes and their poorer performances is the change in personnel.... There is a reason Klopp normally takes a few months to bed new players in.

[@Ajhmee]

Great info, great detail, I hope you leave the info screen a little longer. When I listen to you and see the info, thinking about it while listening, you cut the info screen back to your face so I have to pause and see the info everytime.

[@e-manny7819]

Always a great analysis from you. I was sympathetic to Liverpool's players vs Brighton. They just couldn't understand why they are being defeated. Klopp needs time. He will get back his magic again.

[@uncreative5766]

Yeah, but if John Henry and the Fenway Sports Group actually manage to sell the club, then the new owners will most likely want to fire Klopp. They'll probably want to hire their own people.

[@ricardotella1864]

@uncreative5766 Owners know they need to have a good relationship with fans, and some understand the situation before purchasing. They won't just sack him and replace them immediately, especially if the rest of the executive staff are against it.

[@uncreative5766]

@@ricardotella1864 Yes, they will. When John Henry's purchase was finalized, the first thing he did was fire Kenny Dalglish. The new owners would probably do the same.

[@mbusomkhwanazi48]

This analysis is incomplete without looking at how many defensive actions are done per attacking player. This was the key to the high press and my suspicion is that Sadio Mane was a key cog in making the high press work. Losing him to Bayern is still being felt by Liverpool.

[@luke7962]

As an LFC fan this is a very sad moment for us but I think we will bounce back. It’s the whole team that’s not clicking. Yes, there are certain players who aren’t performing how they should or maybe not even should just have but I think that’s because they’re nackered. Henderson, Fabinho even vvd just aren’t making the tackles they used to. Fabinho has been displaced by 18 year old bajetic who is one of our brightest sparks! He’s 18! That’s the level of our midfield right now. Along with the fact Keita and Thiago are our 2 main choices 😂 it’s honestly depressing we play 2 injury prone midfielders and an 18 year old over Hendo and Fabinho who put in so much over the last few years. I think it’s their time to move on, klopps system is just too much for them now I think they should go to a new club as klopps system seems to be too much for them now. I think the attack is also pretty poor but I think it’s being a bit misjudged. When the midfield performs properly then I think it’s fair game to judge but also same to the defence. The midfield is the glue between them and if the midfield doesn’t work the whole team seems abysmal. I think the summer transfer window will define what happens to us. Don’t even get me started on ox or Gomez. Hopefully we turn this around. Fsg need to invest or sell its that simple especially with how spending in the pl has changed over the last 5 years. Lfc is an interesting watch as is Chelsea and United and arsenal, but us because we’re going back in the wrong direction while other clubs seem to be coming out of it, I feel something is wrong at liverpool in the management and staff of the club. I know Julian ward is leaving but why is he leaving, it doesn’t seem right a year after stepping up from being under Michael edwards. There’s just a lot going on at Lfc and it’s interesting but also worrying to see where we go from here. YNWA

[@luke7962]

Hahahaha what a rant that was

[@yogeshbajracharya5331]

julian ward leaving might have something to do with owners trying to sell the club

[@pheehawtzer6068]

Going to be a long season to follow....

[@steveburns5034]

Spot on! I was gutted when Wijnaldum left as he was the best at pressing and turning over possession. He got greedy and went on to win errrr ummmm nothing. Oh that's right, he kept the PSG bench warm

[@Lokolokongo]

Amazing analysis 👏

[@juz882010]

pressing starts from the front when they lost Mane they went out of whack, he was an amazing presser.

[@isotoptic-waist2420]

Come on wolves!!!!!🐺

[@timgluckman8663]

The clearest description of football tactics I've ever seen

[@MCR-M8]

Klopp runs his first XI into the ground. Did it at Dortmund too.

[@TubaTones]

His first 11 hasn’t been playing this season.

[@papajoeman23]

Dortmund sold all his best players

[@Agtsmirnoff]

Klopp’s first season at Liverpool sounds like a mirror image of the problem Jesse Marsch had with his style at Leeds

[@vithyanmrazler6493]

pressing not working bcs they're not rotating players they keep same players for decade for other teams to get notes how to utilize their weak spots...😑

[@junioradult6219]

So why doesnt klopp change the high press?

[@jonathana6943]

Press doesn't work simply because all the plaeyrs have bben run into the ground and if he doesn't switch up the tactics or formation then he's finished. It also doesn't help when you don't have a player like firmino to link the player and kind of link everything together like what griezmann does for france

[@jlyon8892]

Quality, not enough videos like this

[@mrileeks]

last time i was this early, liverpool's press still worked

[@noussommesparisiens6729]

It's not so tough to understand. Their style of play relies heavily on pace and power. The midfield setup is key to that as they are given the job to keep up with the intensity through out so that they're compact. You need legs for that, which is literally what is missing rn for them. Since their midfielders can't cover their own spaces, they're getting ran through by any decent team. You just have to overload on one side and they are caught lacking as they have players who can't run those extra hard yards to protect the backline and maintain shape. Big problem is Klopp isn't changing anything to fit in with these players who are incapable of playing his preferred style.

[@genes2311]

Awesome analysis. Well from current evidence , that mid block ain't working either. Also this analysis drives home the point Liverpool needed/needs new fresh midfield

[@timmy5876]

i think at times the players try and force the press when they don’t have the numbers to, recently matip has been stepping out of defence a lot to try close the gaps but he’s making a bigger gap behind him. Fabinho has done the same so there’s a big gap between the defence and midfield. It comes from the front and the constant changes in the front 3 doesn’t help, for years it was mane firmino salah then last season our best run was when we played diaz mane salah almost every game for 6 months, now we don’t play 2 games with the same front 3 so it’s hard to build that connection and press smartly

[@Hugh_Amungus]

Sean Dyche's Brexitball is going to beat Liverpool in the Merseyside derby at this point

[@sentuhankecundang7351]

ohh the humanity!

[@KindredBrujah]

The Opta data pretty clearly shows that Liverpool's problems in the press are not simply from this season. Last season saw a significant increase in DAA and DAA/90.

[@shaqtaku]

Klopp would be cooking if Liverpool's owners spent like Boehly and Co.

[@nathanieluruntoden1015]

So basically Liverpool lost to wolves cause of the owners? Hmmm.

[@surjasishsen6396]

@@nathanieluruntoden1015 Actually yes, Liverpool owners want to leave the club or sell its shares, so they are not ready to spend money on team

[@BJackson.]

Wow ETH really was a prophet who came to take over the reigns in England 🔥🔥🔥 really proud of him

[@carn5haun343]

The shortest 'era of domination' ever 🤣

[@DALINKUP]

Very easy to understand , Mane and diaz could / can defend from the frount which allowed the midfield to squeeze up higher in the midfield = Allowing Liverpool's players to do less work while also cutting off all the passing channels ............. Now they're playing with Gakpo and Nunes who're not false 9s , Solid number 9s even tho Gakpo can play from the Lw Or Rw ........this allows teams to beat the squeeze / press overloading Liverpool's midfield and causing the defence to deal with chaos ...............Once you beat the squeeze you can overload in key areas providing great attacking pattern options , Since your line tried to squeeze to high up this also makes the defence do double the work since due to pushing up trying to keep a high line , Then having to track back to their zones to break down the pending overload / attack . This is exactly why Utd beat City under Ole since counter attacking football is lethal against this false 9 pressing system especially when you're using attackers who can't defend from the frount .

[@RPCentral7]

perfectly put

[@rupeoverlay3153]

Gwarn Wolves. Liverpool basically robbed us out of a win in the FA cup so this win is doubly sweet.

[@OskarHellstroem]

Form, fitness and the importance of intangible factors. I belive the inability to strengthen the squad in certain positions while being on top of the world has weakened the team and is coming back to haunt Liverpool this year. Limping into last year's CL Final and showing significant signs of fatigue was a warning - which was missed. Injuries are nothing new, and with the age profile of our CMs and Fabinho becoming a father (a huuuuge deal for any man and bound to affect your work life balance in some way) they really missed the boat on this. Hopefully, with enough rest and a Valmet schedule next year, the team can catch a second wind next year and let a younger core start building something new and exciting. Fingers crossed.

[@Rodney231]

Fabinho been Injured a lot this season????? 6 months made Henderson become old ??? Wijnaldum didn't play for Liverpool last season and the press was good last season with Thiago playing.... The issue is Jurgen Klopp tactics have become stale and Liverpool have missed Everything that Mane brings. Liverpool's recruitment of late have been poor as well. These statically deep dives doesn't account for the fact that other teams have adjusted their style of play to counter Liverpool's style of play.

[@yungguattari4924]

You're making a contradictory argument. First you say that some players haven't decayed, then you say that Klopp's system was all about and around Mane, finally you dismiss pretty relevant statistics. So what's your input mister amazing tactician? the solution is just to "buy more expensive, make numbers go up". Nah. AI managers on FIFA career mode perform better analysis than this, mate. Yes, other teams adjusting their style to face Liverpool is something to have in mind BUT also do you really think that every team designs its football playing style focusing in facing the Reds? They have to play against other teams as well and not every team plays a style only depending in who are they playing against. This might only apply to bottom table sides and not to all of them. This deep dives and breakdowns are not as contingent as your argument, that's what I'm saying.

[@Rodney231]

@@yungguattari4924 😄😄😄 it's ok... you are in pain ....the brain doesn't function well under emotional distress... You have made statements that I didn't make. But answer the questions that I raised....have Fabinho been Injured plenty this season??? Have Henderson gotten old after 6 months?? Does Liverpool miss the qualities that Mane have? Have teams adjusted their tactics when facing Liverpool to plenty success this season? Isn't it partly the manager's responsibility to freshen up the squad especially in areas that he believes reinforcement is needed? Isn't it the manager's responsibility to make tactical adjustments that results in their Team winning most time than not.. instead of being so predictable?

[@RidleyStephen]

It use to be just City that had the quality in defence to beat the press, but now all teams have defenders who can keep the ball under pressure and play a perfect pass into space. You need great pace like Newcastle for it to work.

[@miamitten1123]

All jokes aside. Will Liverpool get relegated!? They’re showing the form of a team going down.

[@mrraccoon6264]

No investment from FSG and injuries have hampered Liverpool this season. FSG OUT

[@junioradult6219]

That has nothing to do with klopp forcing a 433 high press that everyone in the world can see doesnt work anymore

[@ammarharith5512]

@@junioradult6219 Part Klopp, part FSG. Both of them have to take the blame.

[@iiitechnoduckxx3526]

I was very surprised to find our speed in the counter was just as fast, just not as clinical

[@vangelistountopoulos2974]

You explained gegenpress wrong. Especially the infamous role of the (Liverpool) playmaking wingbacks on the attacking side of gegenpress.

[@fh9226]

As far as I can remember only Sir Alex was successful in adapting to the challenges and changes in premier league. The other is Pep Guardiolla (some success).

[@Aleksandrlawgaming]

Keita is literally standing in open space most of the time not closing passing lanes or putting at tackles in

[@mitchfox8267]

From a Liverpool supporter, brilliant analysis, you guys have really done your homework

[@vijojn7081]

Pep Lijnders: Intensity - Inside Liverpool FC That's Liverpool's downfall. A tell all on tactics and gameplay by pep lijnders. Who the hell approved it.