News, views and opinion on Liverpool FC
TTT: How Did They Do? No. 11 – Jose Enrique
By Chris Rowland. This article is for Subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-05-22 13:00:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: Liverpool 1 QPR 0: In-Depth Tactical Analysis
By Mihail Vladimirov. Rodgers reverted back to the usual 4-2-3-1 formation, leading to few subsequent changes. Skrtel (fit again after his illness) and Enrique replaced Coates and Wisdom in the back four. Elsewhere, Shelvey was replaced by Ibe, who was making his first team debut. For the visitors, Taarabt and Samba were unavailable. Surprisingly, Redknapp approached the game in a 4-1-2-3 shape, with Derry (replacing Jenas) as the deepest midfielder with Park (coming in for Hoilett) and Mbia ahead of him. Remy was placed on the right flank, with Townsend reverting to the left. As expected, the game proceeded with Liverpool utterly dominating right from the start, but there wasn’t enough end product to that dominance, especially in the first half. The second half provided some improvement and more of tactical interest, based on some changes from both sides. QPR Usually the away team approach the game with a 4-4-2 formation and try to compete as best as possible. However, it was obvious that Redknapp spent the week preparing some patterns of play within a different formation. The Londoners didn’t make some tactical blunder, nor was their performance better than usual. But crucially, they weren’t as poor as expected and for large parts of the game managed to at least partly nullify Liverpool’s strengths (although this was partly due to Liverpool’s failings as well), and from time to time pose enough danger to be labelled ‘competitive’. The fact Redknapp chose a three-man midfield, with all of them behaving as hard-working retrievers rather than cultured passers, suggested he is not only aware of Liverpool’s passing style but was planning to try to limit its influence. But there was more to the plan, tightly connected to Derry’s specific positioning. It was obvious that QPR’s defensive line was relatively higher, with the wide players dropping relatively deep. This packed QPR’s team predominantly in the space between their penalty area and the centre of the pitch. Seemingly, Redknapp’s aim was twofold: first, try to squeeze the space between the lines for Liverpool to pass around; and second, lure the home team higher up the pitch, to try and then target the space in behind on the break. This is now becoming the default way of playing against possession-based teams such as Liverpool. Recently, two teams at Anfield have adopted this strategy (Chelsea, Everton and now QPR) and in the past few weeks ago, the same thing was tried by Southampton at White Hart Lane and Man Utd at the Emirates. This article is for Subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-05-21 14:19:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: How Did They Do? No. 10 – Glen Johnson
By Chris Rowland. Is Glen another of our conundrums? Is he good or isn’t he? Is he criminally under-rated (as some think) or a bit over-rated? Or have we got him about right? Let’s see what our panel think …. This article is for Subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-05-21 14:19:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: How Did They Do? No. 4 – Martin Skrtel
By Chris Rowland. On we go – and it’s the turn of the enigmatic Slovak under the Symposium team’s microscope. This article is for Subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-05-14 11:20:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: Reading 0 Liverpool 0: In-Depth Tactical Analysis
By Mihail Vladimirov. Neither manager opted for a surprising selection in terms of personnel, yet both managers surprised with their choice of starting formation. Both teams used a shape unfamiliar to them in recent games. Adkins used 4-4-2, with Pogrebnyak and Hunt up front. The latter was told to play deeper and often drop on Lucas when out of possession. Rodgers selected his ‘lopsided’ variant of the 4-2-3-1 shape with Henderson tucked inside from the left flank. Surprisingly, Coutinho was handed his first start playing centrally between the lines. With Suarez as the centre-forward, it meant Sturridge had to play on the right flank. Initial 25 minutes – the lopsided 4-2-3-1 As soon as the tempo calmed down after the initial rather chaotic opening five minutes, Liverpool took full control of the game and their approach was quickly revealed. What the team offered in that period was everything that is associated with Rodgers’ philosophy – patient build-up combined with overwhelming passing flow, resulting in sustained domination and attacking pressure. The players’ positions and how they were assembled to behave on the pitch offered that sync and cohesion within the general framework; this resulted in fluid movement patterns which complemented the on-ball supremacy. The key for all of this was the chosen structure and how the players played within it, brilliantly relating to each other on and off the ball. All over the pitch, there was the required diversity but also balance in the roles the players were expected to fulfil. Starting with the formation, not only was it lopsided, meaning one of the wide players was constantly moving infield, coming towards the play and acting as the de-facto fourth midfielder (Henderson). With him, Liverpool quickly created that midfield quartet needed to increase the passing capabilities and ‘web’, then have the ability to be constantly on the move due to the high number of passing triangles and angles opened up. Logically, all of this resulted in the overwhelming passing domination that ‘flooded’ the opposition through the middle. As can be seen from the above diagram, that midfield unit of four perfectly occupied the whole middle section of the pitch. The players weren’t overlapping with their positioning or movement, as every part of the quartet had a specific zone to occupy. Not only were there plenty of angles, but also the positioning meant the ball could be moved within ‘staggered’ and not ‘flat’ lines, offering constant diagonal options. On paper, moving the ball diagonally means not only is a territory gained (something that isn’t done if the ball is moved sideways) but a level of patience in the build-up is kept (something that isn’t the case if the ball is moved vertically). This article is for Subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-04-16 09:25:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: The Great Centre-Back Quandary
By Paul Tomkins. If there’s one area of the team that has failed to function this season it’s the central defence. The attacking play has grown increasingly proficient, with Philippe Coutinho adding the ability to take players on, score goals and most impressively, thread sumptuous passes through the hole in the bit of fluff in the eye of a needle. It’s early days for the Brazilian, and it could still go south. We’ve seen Daniel Sturridge look like a world-beater for a few games before appearing to rest on his laurels (and the halfway line). Sturridge is a top player, but he can’t stroll through games. Brendan Rodgers has made that clear to him. He has the talent to respond, and be a big hit. At Villa Park the Reds’ manager did the right thing in abandoning his overconfident (or what his critics called ‘arrogant’) selection of a front four away from home; a folly which included Gerrard as a central midfielder and two attacking full-backs, and effectively left just three “defensive” players in the team. Even so, no matter who Liverpool play, the opposition are handed several good (and one or two great) chances per game, and no matter who plays at centre-back the defence looks shaky. Last season the Reds looked watertight whenever Skrtel and Agger were paired together; but in this system everyone looks exposed. What’s interesting is that Liverpool arguably need three centre-backs in the summer (with only Agger surviving a cull), and at least one additional holding midfielder, although the majority transfer links seem to remain focused on attacking talent. How can Liverpool improve the defence? Is it a personnel or a tactical issue? Or a bit of both? This article is for Subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-04-04 09:20:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: Aston Villa 1 Liverpool 2: In-Depth Tactical Analysis
By Mihail Vladimirov. For the home team, Lambert had to make one change to the XI which won the last two games. In defence Clark had an arm injury so in came Bennett to play left back, with Baker moving alongside Vlaar. Interestingly though, Aston Villa’s formation was tweaked from 4-1-2-3 to more of a 4-2-1-3 with Sylla ahead of the two midfielders. For Liverpool there were a few players coming back from injuries, with Reina, Carragher and Lucas all back in the starting lineup. Additionally Henderson was preferred to Sturridge, with the shape flipping its midfield triangle, hence coming back to the 4-1-2-3 outlook. Starting strategies – the first half hour Liverpool approached the game with their usual aim of passing the ball around and taking it from there going forward. This general aim was on paper boosted by having a 1-2 midfield triangle, capable of offering more passing angles from deep in order to calm the passing flow and gradually move the possession higher up. The front trio were all capable and willing to drop deep, join the build-up play and then interchange freely going forward. The full backs were playing as usual too, with Enrique initially holding his position deeper, offering an additional passing body before pushing forward, whilst Johnson tried to step forward earlier acting as the wide outlet who could receive the ball directly to instigate quick transition and play on the break. So far so good – or at least nothing bad, so to speak. But once the home team’s strategy is taken into account it quickly becomes clear how the overall tactical landscape has been changed and Liverpool’s general idea hugely alternated and their tactical approach more or less ruined. This article is for subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-04-03 12:35:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: Wigan 0 Liverpool 4: In-Depth Tactical Analysis
By Mihail Vladimirov. Unsurprisingly, Martinez opted for exactly the same XI and 3-4-3 formation as in the last game against Reading, which they won 3-0. Sturridge’s injury forced Rodgers to make some changes, with Allen coming in to play as a third midfielder and Suarez reverting to the centre-forward position. Interestingly, with the same midfielders as against Zenit, Rodgers continued with the same 1-2 midfield shape (making the formation 4-1-2-3 and not the usual 4-2-3-1 that’s been used for the last few months). Coutinho’s input Following the logic that to win a game you need to score goals, and with Suarez scoring three of Liverpool’s four, it could be said he is the prime reason for Liverpool winning this game. But given the actual context and how the game panned out in, there is another player who arguably had a more influential impact. The opening two goals came because of Coutinho’s all round intelligence. His appreciation for space off the ball and the perfect timing of his on ball actions were simply sublime. For the first goal he was initially in a narrow central position. Then, as soon as Reina hit his long pass, the Brazilian made the inside to outside run, picking up the ball in the space between Boyce and Scharner. He then simply used his mobility and trickery to go on the outside before delivering a perfectly weighted cross for Downing’s tap-in header. For the second goal, Coutinho made the reverse movement off the ball. He started from a wider position, came infield to exchange passes with Gerrard, then received the ball in the space between Wigan’s lines. He then, once again, used his mobility and trickery to carry the ball forward before timing a brilliantly weighted through ball, putting Suarez clean through, with only their ‘keeper to beat. This article is for Subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-03-04 10:32:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: Striking It Rich: Decades of Flawless Forwards
By Paul Tomkins. In my latest article for the official LFC website I look back at decades of outstanding strikers at Liverpool, and run the rule over the current crop. This article appears today (Sunday) for Subscribers only, and should appear on the official site tomorrow. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-03-03 14:33:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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TTT: Symposium #7 – Should We Keep Pepe?
The question we asked our panel this week was – should we sell Reina, and if so who should replace him? This is what they had to say: By Dan Kennett: Others will cover the statistics and the general decline over the last three or four years. Personally I’m still torn over Reina as he’s “only” 30 and has anywhere between five and ten years of his career still left. He’s also one of the few leaders in the team. On the other hand, he’s empirically not what he was, one of the top earners at the club and would fetch a good price if sold. Overall I’m leaning towards sell, especially if Barcelona come in with an offer over £12m. For a replacement, I don’t think we should go down the road of young English keeper as we’ve been burned many times with David James, Chris Kirkland and Scott Carson. I think we need someone ‘first team ready’. Domestically, I like the idea of Julio Cesar when QPR go down. He’s vastly experienced and is going through a renaissance following his 2010 dip of form. Outside of that I’d look to the Bundesliga as they have a glut of extremely good goalkeepers. Adler at Hamburg, Wiese at Hoffenheim, Zieler at Hannover, Kraft at Hertha, Trapp at Frankfurt, Ulreich at Stuttgart, ter Stegen at Gladbach. In fact pretty much any goalie in the Bundesliga! By Daniel Rhodes: No. Unless he wants to, or unless we get £18m+ as a fee. He’s 30, has been world class across a number of seasons, and is one of the best sweeper-keepers in the Premier league. However, as this article by Beez points out, his save percentage has declined gradually since Rafa (or more specifically, GK coach Jose Ochoterena) left the club. Similar to Suarez last season, who was rated one of the poorer strikers across the whole league, blips can happen. Is it the constant change in coaches, the constant change in playing style or the constant change in managers? Who knows? But, I don’t buy the permanent decline theory; Edwin Van der Sar was 35 when Ferguson signed him, and then he was number one for another six seasons, and I distinctly remember some dodgy periods/games at Juventus and Fulham. That means we could be selling a world class keeper with another 10 seasons, minimum, ahead of him. Pure madness. What Pepe needs is competition… a real threat to his number one status. Asmir Begovic is one option, but he might be overpriced, as he’s being looked at by a number of clubs. And this is the issue, quality keepers are hard to find. Once you have one, keep him. If he doesn’t react well to the competition, then that’s further, concrete evidence, of a decline. If he responds, and returns to the Reina of the Rafa years, I wouldn’t swap him with any other keeper in the world. By Joe Pepper: Depends on how much we can get for him. If the best we can get is something like 8m, then definitely not. If someone offers 18m, then definitely yes. Anything in between is a very grey area. It’s not so much that Reina is making mistakes as the fact that he doesn’t seem to save much. Obviously this is incredibly unscientific but it feels as though I can barely remember him making a save that has noticeably prevented a likely goal. One that springs to mind is last week at Arsenal where he had his best game for some time. I should caveat my position by adding “be careful what you wish for”. We don’t want to end up in a situation like a lot of clubs who can’t find a decent keeper for love nor money (for example United who went over a decade between Schmeichel and Vand Der Saar without an established keeper). Overall though, I can’t help but feel that the wider world thinks Reina is better than he is. We obviously watch him every week, and as much as I like Reina, it seems strange that Barcelona couldn’t find someone better than him. If his Spanish links cause Barcelona to offer big money, I’d take it. The rest of this post is for Subscribers only. Member-only content – you need to subscribe to read it ! A subscription costs only £3.50 per month. Find out what you get with your subscription, or Subscribe now.
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A news article on 2013-02-08 12:18:00 from: The Tomkins Times
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