Having settled into his role as Liverpool manager following his appointment at Anfield in October, Jurgen Klopp will be preparing for his first full campaign as Reds boss and, as such, he’s ventured into the transfer market in order to make signings that will help the Merseyside giants reach their previous lofty heights.
Liverpool have underperformed in recent years but Klopp immediately showed improvements at the club, helping them reach the League Cup final against Manchester City and the Europa League final against Sevilla. Whilst the Reds lost both games, it showed Klopp can make a big impact and he’ll be expected to build upon that this year.
The German boss has made a number of signings so far this summer, bringing in six new faces, but not all of them will be first-team regulars. The biggest changes for Klopp tactically will likely occur in attack but it’s the shaky back-line that’s been the focus of transfer activity and should not be bolstered, with a team that can fulfil Klopp’s preferred pressuring game.
In goal, new signing Lorius Karius is expected to feature ahead of Simon Mignolet and the back-line in front of him will also feature new faces, most notably Joel Matip- who arrived from Bundesliga side Schalke on a free-transfer, a deal that was confirmed prior to the transfer window opening.
Mamadou Sakho has faced problems this summer, having been sent home from the club’s pre-season tour in the United States, but Klopp has stated it’s nothing too serious and the French defender will not be offloaded. As such, he’s expected to feature alongside another player who’s endured some troubles, Alberto Moreno, as thus far the Reds haven’t been able to find a replacement.
Nathaniel Clyne completes the defence and he, alongside Moreno on the other flank, will push forward regularly and put the opposition’s wide players under a wealth of pressure. In the counter-attacking style Klopp likes to adopt, these two players will be crucial in getting things rolling quickly.
In midfield, Georginio Wijnaldum is another new signing and the Dutchman will provide a blanket of cover for the defence- although he’s still capable of making an impact in attack. Captain Jordan Henderson is also likely to feature in a midfield three whilst Emre Can, who’s been crucial to Klopp’s tactics at Liverpool, will complete the trio.
As mentioned, the attack is where the biggest tactical changes could occur as Klopp has three big names to choose from- although none of them are natural strikers. Roberto Firmino, Philippe Coutinho and Sadio Mane should complete the line-up and all three may play centrally, although in our selection we’ve featured Coutinho in a false-nine role.
Coutinho is much more effective in the centre but the same can be said for Firmino, so expect the Brazilian pair to be dynamic and fluid. On the other side, Sadio Mane has shown his attacking credentials with 21 Premier League goals for Southampton, including the fastest hat-trick in Premier League history.
Firmino is probably the most capable player in Liverpool’s ranks of spear-heading the attack but expect it to regularly change, keeping the opposition on their toes. If Klopp manages to sign a striker between now and the end of the window, then a big decision will be made as to who is dropped from the eleven we’ve selected, and there could still be some modifications in defence- depending on whether any new faces come in.
Do you think Klopp can guide Liverpool to a top-four finish in the Premier League this season? Let us know in the comments below and on Twitter using #TopEleven!
The post Liverpool 2016/17 Tactics: Klopp’s Gegenpressing Game Plan appeared first on Top Eleven's Football Blog.
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