New Tactical Setup

I spoke about some alternative tactical setups for Liverpool in a recent article and I’ve come to a conclusion after the United game. I think that we need a single- pivot defensive midfielder out of possession in a Klopp-esque 4-3-3. This would solve the following problems:

• At the moment a full-back is having to stay in the defensive line in possession to keep the balance. Our full backs now have an attacking bias so having a defensive midfielder who drops into the defensive line would be the best way to liberate our full backs (the half back role for Football Manager fans). In Jurgen Klopp’s final season Roberston was expected to stay in the defensive line and did it well enough for us to compete in the league. I think Endo would thrive in this role but Gravenberch could play there too (and would likely be preferred by Slot).
• There’s a question mark about Salah’s defensive work rate at the moment and this formation would enable Szoboszlai to play inside of Salah as the right centre midfielder to help compensate for that. I personally don’t think it’s a good idea to absolve any one player of defensive responsibility as it makes it very difficult to do a high press with any efficacy (Jurgen Klopp certainly wouldn’t have permitted it). There’s also the soppier team cohesion argument for not doing this- especially when you bring in a lot of high profile players who are expected to work hard out of possession as we did over the Summer. Giving existing players a free pass might encourage tension in the squad.
• Versatility in the press- even though I’ve described this formation as a 4-3-3 it would be versatile enough to become a mid or low block out of possession during a game if you’re holding on to a lead. This would occur by the wingers dropping into the midfield line to become a 4-1-4-1 and would suit playing on the counter attack more (on a bit of a side note I think not having Diaz lessens our counter attacking threat substantially). It would also work well enough for a high press with the wingers pushing up and the 2 centre midfielders pushing up onto the opposition’s centre midfielders (most teams play with a double midfield pivot). I would still describe this as a 4-3-3 for the high press (or 4-1-2-3 as the defensive midfielder would still be screening the direct route through the middle for an opposition defender in possession).
• Flexibility in attack- I’ve already eluded to the fact I would have the defensive midfielder drop between the centre backs to form a 3-4-3 in possession. This would allow the full backs push up and would have the knock-on effect of encouraging the wingers to go inside as the full backs would provide the width for the team. Alternatively the full back could invert and the winger could stay wide. This tactical flexibility out wide would help us get the most out of orthodox wingers (Gakpo and Rio) but also the likes of Wirtz as he could position himself on the inside left with Kerkez overlapping. If the opposition retreat to a low block (or just attacking in the final third) the full backs can push into the attacking line to form a 3-2-5 as most teams do when attacking the final third nowadays (they just have different ways of reaching that point).