Liverpool could also be unbeaten in 9 video games, however plugging of defensive gaps has come at a value to their attacking identification.
When Slot arrived in 2024, he stated he would attempt to “discover the stability between making an attempt to create chaos at sure moments and making an attempt to maintain possession of the ball a bit longer in different moments.”
Final season, he struck the stability completely. This season, he has teetered at both finish of the seesaw.
The beginning of the marketing campaign noticed Liverpool got down to blow groups away with a swashbuckling fashion of play and quite a few gamers in superior positions.
The concept was to play a 4-2-3-1 with Florian Wirtz, Mo Salah and Cody Gakpo offering ammunition for Alexander Isak or Hugo Ekitike.
Nevertheless, after seven wins to start out the season, Liverpool’s cracks started to point out.
The Reds’ worst run of outcomes since 1953 adopted, with the nadir being 3-0 and 4-1 house defeats to Nottingham Forest and PSV on the finish of November.
Slot needed to cease the rot, and he did. Liverpool went from shedding 9 video games in 12 to an unbeaten run of 9 matches.
Whereas they’ve stopped the wave of targets getting into their very own internet, it has come at a value: they’ve now been accused of shedding their identification.
Dropping Salah to play Dominik Szoboszlai on the proper wing was simply step one on this street.
Whereas Liverpool was once a fearless aspect, they’re now timid, afraid to make errors with ways that too typically inhibit the pure instincts of their most proficient gamers.
The numbers behind Liverpool’s attacking struggles
Dealing with Fulham, Liverpool failed to provide a shot heading in the right direction aside from their two targets and, in opposition to Leeds, they managed a post-shot anticipated targets (PSxG) determine of simply 0.77.
The same instance can be Liverpool’s house match in opposition to Sunderland that completed 1-1.
What are post-shot anticipated targets (PSxG)?
Put up-shot anticipated targets are the anticipated variety of targets a workforce ought to rating primarily based on the accuracy of their pictures taken.
Eg. A shot positioned within the high nook has a better PSxG ranking then a shot positioned down the center. Efforts that go broad are rated as zero.
At Anfield, the Reds took 23 pictures however created only one massive likelihood, in keeping with FotMob, and produced 0.74 PSxG.
So, whereas the movement of targets might have been stemmed getting into Liverpool’s internet, they’re struggling to place them in on the different finish.
Depth was once Liverpool’s identification
An indication studying ‘depth is our identification’ as soon as adorned a wall of the coaches workplace. Nicely, that should have been taken down as a result of the Reds are extra passive than intense these days.
Towards Fulham, Wirtz was visibly annoyed within the first half as he tried to induce his workforce ahead on account of him and Szoboszlai successfully being left to press on their very own.
Marco Silva’s aspect minimize by Liverpool’s first traces of defence simply and whereas they mightn’t have in the end created a lot within the remaining third, neither did the Reds.
In idea, Liverpool’s new mid-block ought to set them as much as break rapidly, however for that they a minimum of want shops who’re quick. A entrance two of Wirtz and Gakpo merely doesn’t provide that.
And that is the place Slot can arguably be minimize some slack.
Liverpool got here into the marketing campaign with fewer attackers than final season. In addition they got here into the season figuring out AFCON would take Salah away.
Accidents haven’t been sort both. Hugo Ekitike missed out on Sunday as a result of he has performed too typically, in keeping with the pinnacle coach.
Alexander Isak is injured and Federico Chiesa in all probability isn’t of the required degree.
In the intervening time, Slot arguably doesn’t have the instruments to play the way in which he needs, therefore the destructive ways on show.
Nevertheless, Jurgen Klopp was no stranger to harm crises both. Whereas he would tinker with the system, he typically relied on children to fill gaps left by absent seniors.
Gifted left-winger Rio Ngumoha might have been given a possibility to step up on a number of events this season.
Nevertheless, he has performed simply 48 minutes within the league regardless of his improvement supposedly having been the rationale Liverpool didn’t pursue Rodrygo or one other extra skilled attacker in the summertime.
OK, Ngumoha and Chiesa aren’t the reply to all of Liverpool’s issues, however a coach whose “philosophy on soccer hasn’t modified,” in keeping with Slot himself, would have been extra prone to keep on with his weapons.
He might have put his perception in fringe gamers and coached them to turn into higher. That hasn’t been the case to this point.
Security-first strategy is signal of wavering beliefs
A number of the alterations have been in comparison with the start of Brendan Rodgers’ finish, when he went 13 league video games unbeaten as he switched to a again three and performed Emre Can in defence.
It was a brief change, however it wasn’t a long-term resolution or system during which Liverpool might ever prosper.
That is the place we’re presently with Liverpool: Slot is plugging gaps and doing his greatest to repair the leaks, however in doing so, we’re shedding the core of what made Liverpool nice.
Now, the chaos Slot wished is on the flawed finish and the possession with which his aspect ‘killed groups’ final season is ineffective and simple for the opposition to deal with.
If Liverpool are to rekindle their flame, a greater stability have to be the goal they attempt for.
