This season hasn’t fairly seen the overhaul some anticipated when Jurgen Klopp left final summer time. As a substitute, Arne Slot has been refined however mightily efficient in his tactical tweaks.
Slot was not the primary title linked to the Liverpool job final 12 months, with Xabi Alonso and Ruben Amorim later briefly thought of favourites.
Slot has his concept of soccer however his tactical identification is much less inflexible than these of the opposite candidates – or certainly, Klopp himself.
As a substitute, his capability to make sensible choices, develop gamers and management video games made him the precise man on the proper time, however how did he handle to win the Premier League?
The squad Arne Slot inherited
Slot took over a squad used to working arduous, by no means giving up, urgent excessive and inflicting devastation in transition. He additionally possessed 4 genuinely world-class gamers in Alisson, Virgil Van Dijk, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Mohamed Salah.
The problem was that the aspect notoriously underperformed in entrance of aim and didn’t management the tempo of video games. Creating chaos helped generate probabilities, however that was equally true for the Reds and their opponents.
Slot set about tightening up the defence, creating greater high quality probabilities and getting essentially the most out of his elite quartet.
By switching to a 4-2-3-1, Slot simplified the beginning formation. The crew attacked and defended with a entrance 4, with the full-backs staying largely behind the wingers.
Enjoying Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister collectively in midfield eradicated the necessity for Alexander-Arnold to invert from proper again, permitting him to get again into the large areas the place he might cross into the field.
Mo Salah’s freedom
This additionally meant Salah was free of his obligation to at all times hug the touchline, permitting him to differ the areas he took up and discover weaknesses within the opponent’s backline.
Nearly all of Liverpool’s assaults went by means of him in consequence, and he responded together with his best-ever season, managing an unimaginable 46 aim contributions earlier than the tip of April.
He additionally had a whole lot of his off-ball work coated by the tireless Dominik Szoboszlai, permitting him to float into area earlier than operating at central defenders in transition.
Liverpool used to observe taking part in the primary go forwards, however due to the beforehand unseen passing vary of Van Dijk, they may go quick, medium or lengthy – it simply needed to be the precise go.
He might play quick throughout the slim backline, discover Gravenberch between the strains on the half flip, or go on to Salah on the other flank.
Defensive solidity
Defensively, the press remained a 4-2-4, with the frontline seeking to pressure the opponent to go lengthy. Nonetheless, the full-backs largely avoided leaping as much as assist the press.
This not solely stopped opponents comfortably progressing by means of large areas, but in addition meant Liverpool’s backline was set to recycle simply as soon as it was gained again.
If the primary line was overwhelmed, the entire crew would flip and run again to disclaim the opponent area in Liverpool’s half.
This led to a drop in total possession – apparently, Slot’s aspect averaged much less possession than any of Klopp’s – however restricted the standard and amount of probabilities conceded.
With Van Dijk and Alisson, plus the excellent Ibrahima Konate, Liverpool have been comfy defending their very own field.
Being extra versatile with the ball and extra compact with out it meant Liverpool might hold management of the sport.
The simplicity and suppleness of this setup meant Slot might make refined but efficient tweaks between and inside video games.
A superb instance of this was the 2-0 win over Manchester Metropolis at Anfield. Within the first quarter-hour Liverpool did press excessive, committing the full-backs to leap up and smother Pep Guardiola’s crew.
However as soon as they obtained forward, Liverpool have been cool about managing the sport. Within the second half, they went lengthy spells with out touching the ball however didn’t hand over any significantly harmful probabilities.
Evaluate that with the 4-3 win over Metropolis in 2018, when Klopp’s males scored two in a matter of minutes to overwhelm Man Metropolis earlier than forcing an error to seize a fourth. At 4-1, they continued to commit numbers forwards, even after they turned too drained to execute their tried passes.
Man Metropolis managed to get two objectives again and arrange a nervy end.
That’s not a criticism of Klopp – Liverpool gained the sport, and later the massive trophies with this method – however it’s notable that Slot’s crew have been way more conservative with a narrower lead, and when the prospect got here to kill the sport off, they have been prepared.
A 12 months of tweaks
How did these tactical choices win the league?
Finally, the easy however efficient setup was simply tweaked from sport to sport, and inside video games, to permit Liverpool to beat their opponent. They finally gained the league by being higher than the opposite groups.
That will sound barely redundant, however it’s each the macro and micro story of the season. The Reds managed video games and eased to many slim however comfy victories.
Throughout the season, they floor out outcomes, significantly throughout a 26-game unbeaten run. In the meantime, their rivals didn’t implode or fall quick in a single large six-pointer; they merely dropped two factors right here and three factors there till Liverpool’s lead turned unassailable.
It’s that quiet but devastating effectivity that carried Liverpool to the league title, and it’s a testomony to the calm-yet-devastatingly efficient man who constructed the crew in his picture.
That is Slot’s title and there’ll hopefully be lots extra to return.
