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Liverpool v Spurs will probably be 0-0, but we live with hope. And we have five tactical questions:
1) Does Liverpool’s dwindling press offer Ndombele a chance to dominate?
We all know the general tactical pattern of this game: Liverpool will keep most of the ball, desperately looking for gaps while Tottenham Hotspur sits on a carefully compressed midblock, waiting for opportunities to counter. That’s the foundation on which this trailer is written, because no matter the team’s selections or the action in the game, it’s inconceivable that José Mourinho will open at Anfield.
And why would? Fulham’s 1-1 draw with Liverpool at the weekend further exposed the problem with Jurgen Klopp’s system at the moment as injuries pile up and fatigue sets in. Liverpool’s pressure has dropped significantly, giving opponents time in midfield to lift their heads and pick a pass behind Liverpool’s high defensive line.
Tanguy Ndombele should enjoy this kind of game. His ability to sneak out of tight spaces, dodging waves of pressure to break through rival lines and launch the counterattack, is becoming an increasingly important weapon for Mourinho’s Spurs. At Anfield, a weakened Liverpool midfield, under waning pressure, gives Ndombele a chance to be the most effective player in the game.
2) Will Kane and Son’s move expose Fabinho again?
If Ndombele is successful, the next big problem for Liverpool is how to cope with the fall of Harry Kane in space number ten and Heung-Min Son spinning behind. It’s a partnership that continues to bear fruit, and again we just need to go back to Liverpool’s draw with Fulham to see why Kane e Son could be effective.
Fabinho looked a bit lost at times, hit with balls through Ademola Lookman and Ivan Cavaleiro who exposed their lack of pace and marginal positional errors in key moments of transition. It’s easy to imagine the Brazilian caught in two minds as Kane falls, especially if there are gaps in Liverpool’s midfield, like there were in the draws at Fulham and Brighton. Liverpool is not so compressed between the lines this season.
They’re unplayable right now and will of course be looking to sneak up behind advancing wingers Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson. Simply put, Liverpool’s high line and makeshift central defense partnership makes them vulnerable to quick breaks, and no one is better at quick breaks than Dovetail Kane e Son.
It wouldn’t surprise me at all if Klopp plays Phillips or Williams as a central defender on Wednesday because he wants Fabinho in midfield to follow Kane falling deep.
I’m pretty sure Matip was removed as a precaution on Sunday to make sure he’s fit for this game.
– Tim Bolton (@ TimBolton01) December 14, 2020
3) Can Salah and Mane be able to surpass Mourinho’s six?
Klopp’s team can have up to 75% possession as they pass the ball back and forth across midfield, hoping for spaces to open up that allow their three forwards to find space in the penalty area. Unfortunately for the hosts, the areas where Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane like to play will be largely closed on Wednesday.
Mourinho has started to adapt to his six great defenders this season. Rather than dropping wingers down the line to become wingers, turning wingers into auxiliary center-backs, he has instructed Moussa Sissoko and Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg to fill in the gaps. This allows Son and Stephen Bergwijn to stay taller, helping the Spurs fight back, but more importantly, it means that there are two very smart defensive blockers who follow each opponents run.
It is fascinating to see how Sissoko and Hojbjerg play this role, suddenly moving from central midfield to central at key moments, as opponents race into the penalty area. The Spurs pair will be stuck in a back six for long stretches at Anfield, as that position will correspond exactly to where Salah and Mane are trying to find space.
4) Is this the day for Liverpool’s full-backs to get back in shape?
Assuming that Salah and Mane will be largely neutralized by Sissoko and Hojbjerg, Alexander-Arnold and Robertson may play a particularly important role in this case. Both players have been slightly less effective this season, reflecting Liverpool’s overall decline in speed and incision, and their domino effect on the territory.
Liverpool cannot score teams as often this year due to issues related to pressure and fatigue, and in more balanced games, where the two formations are spread out and intertwined more evenly, there are fewer opportunities for them to the sides reach space. In years past, by pushing the opponent into their own third, Liverpool have been able to provide Robertson and Alexander-Arnold with room to cross 25 yards.
This season, they are regularly blocked by the opposing winger facing them higher up the field. As Wednesday’s game progresses, the Spurs may fall deeper and deeper, as they did against Crystal Palace, which could give Robertson and Alexander-Arnold room to recreate the 2019/20 patterns.
5) Or is it just another tedious 0-0?
This has been a pretty optimistic tactical preview of a game that, if we’re honest, is unlikely to see much of anything. At the start of a desperately busy Christmas schedule, both coaches will be eager to conserve energy and will be very happy with a point, especially since they are currently at the top of the Premier League table.
Kane and Son could counterattack at high speed, but Liverpool will most likely maintain a slightly deeper defensive line and keep the visitors at arm’s length. Robertson and Alexander-Arnold can throw dangerous crosses, but even if they do, Tottenham’s powerful center-backs have an advantage in the penalty area.
Mourinho is back to his best and sadly that means Tottenham’s ‘Big Six’ clashes will continue to be painfully boring. A 0-0 calls.
Alex Keble
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