With Liverpool’s first season below Arne Slot taking a pause for worldwide soccer, it provides us a chance to analyse what has modified up to now.
After 9 years of Jurgen Klopp, many have been fast to take a position on simply how totally different the brand new coach’s soccer can be.
We’ve seen Slot-ball thrice on the highest stage now. So what have we discovered about Slot at Liverpool?
Pragmatic
One second within the dominant win at Outdated Trafford encapsulated plenty of what Slot has dropped at Liverpool. It begins with Virgil van Dijk receiving the ball on the midway line.
We’ve seen this actual situation many occasions over time. Van Dijk’s signature move is an extended, correct change out to the proper flank, the place a teammate can run instantly at their defender.
And right here, Trent Alexander-Arnold – not inverting into midfield however pushing forwards from right-back – is offered for precisely this ball.
Solely this time, Van Dijk makes a distinct alternative. He punches a ball by way of the strains to Ryan Gravenberch…
…who’s enjoying as one of many deepest midfielders. His first contact will get him out behind the United press, permitting him to run on the defence…
…and the ball is in the end turned in by Alexander-Arnold, although VAR disallowed the objective.
We’ve been anticipating to see a number of possession, quick passes, enjoying by way of strain – hallmarks of Slot-ball that we noticed at Feyenoord. And this transfer is an efficient instance of that.
The factor is, although, we’ve seen this type of soccer nearly as an addition or a bonus up to now. We noticed Van Dijk play one in every of his trademark switches within the buildup to the second objective vs. Ipswich.
We noticed a blistering counter-attack objective to take the lead versus Brentford.
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— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 27, 2024
And for all three objectives that stood vs. Man United, Liverpool pressed excessive and compelled United into decisive errors.
What this tells us about Slot is that he’s a pragmatist.
Quite than dogmatically sticking to his imaginative and prescient – like coaches corresponding to Ange Postecoglou – he’s joyful to let his group maintain enjoying to their strengths, whereas making small adjustments that permit them to evolve their sport.
Downside-solver
What are a few of these small adjustments? Effectively, the apparent one is the change to a double pivot in midfield.
However it’s not as a result of Slot has a philosophical attachment to a formation – in actual fact, he has been adamant that he doesn’t use a 4-2-3-1, along with his setup merely a distinct interpretation of a 4-3-3.
It’s extra a response to Liverpool’s tendency to concede counter-attacks, which denied them management of video games final season.
By switching to 2 deeper midfielders, Slot has simplified his full-backs’ sport. At Outdated Trafford we noticed Alexander-Arnold monitoring again to defend counters himself, quite than counting on a teammate to cowl.
It additionally permits Liverpool to commit extra gamers to buildup, with six gamers (4 defenders and two in midfield) exhibiting for the ball.
Gamers can simply discover a quick move to a teammate, and with the opposition compelled to commit numbers ahead to press, it additionally permits for direct balls as much as the entrance line.
This provides as much as a group that may dominate possession simply, has alternatives to go direct on the proper time, and has a greater construction to defend counter-attacks.
Heavy steel with a deeper, extra stable base.
Decisive
Maybe probably the most eye-catching instance of Slot’s decisiveness was his substitution of Jarell Quansah at half-time vs. Ipswich.
However whereas that change grabbed the headlines, Slot has been fronting as much as the large calls from day one – and getting them proper.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: right-back. Ryan Gravenberch: No. 6. Diogo Jota: centre-forward.
These are the three huge positional calls Slot has made up to now, and all three have labored nicely.
The usage of the full-back we’ve already lined, with Alexander-Arnold already notching two ‘pre-assists’ (the move earlier than the move) alongside his three clear sheets.
Gravenberch struggled to nail down a spot in Klopp’s 4-3-3, however he’s been integral to Slot’s double pivot.
His technical safety permits Liverpool to play passes like Van Dijk’s at Outdated Trafford, and his capability to hold the ball forwards has helped to overload opposition defences.
And with the advantage of a associate alongside him and a again 4 behind him, he can step as much as win the ball on the proper second.
As for Jota, he’s dovetailed successfully along with his No. 10. He’s free to drop deep and hyperlink play, create house for Dominik Szoboszlai to run past him, and pull extensive to rotate along with his wingers – in addition to getting on the top of probabilities himself.
This has additionally had a constructive affect on Luis Diaz. After scoring simply eight occasions in 37 league video games final season, he has three in three up to now.
All through his Liverpool profession, he’s tended to get on the ball out extensive after which drive inside to make his personal probabilities, resulting in some spectacular objectives however not spectacular objective numbers.
Underneath Slot, he’s been far more direct: ending off a counter-attack vs. Brentford earlier than scoring twice towards United – each with a first-time shot.
By eradicating the onus on him to stay to the touchline, Slot has given him the platform to attain extra often.
No stone unturned
The factor is, the perfect continues to be absolutely to return from Slot tactically.
For the entire clip-worthy passages of play, we’re nonetheless ready for the primary objective to return from eye-catching pass-and-move soccer.
Up to now it’s been direct balls up prime (vs. Ipswich), medical counter-attacking (vs. Brentford) or successful the ball excessive up the pitch (vs. Man United).
It takes time for a brand new method to correctly click on.
However Slot is permitting his gamers to nonetheless play in transition, press aggressively and do all of the issues that labored nicely below Klopp, they usually’re nonetheless paying dividends.
That implies that whereas Liverpool discover ways to play their greatest soccer, they’re nonetheless successful and successful nicely.
Maybe we’ll look again on this begin and say: that is after we discovered that Arne Slot is a winner.
