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Liverpool at Anfield; three words that are usually enough to impact the approach of most visiting sides on the intimidating trip to Merseyside.
The Reds scored 2.6 goals per game as hosts in all competitions last season, and Jurgen Klopp’s men averaged about twice as many goal attempts as their opponents while controlling about 63% of the ball.
Mastery is typically shown as a consequence of the task at hand: breaking through a stubborn defensive bloc consisting of 11 players who want little more than one point for their feats.
Guests remain disciplined and compact, and when opportunities to attack arise, actions rush in and no more than three players dare to move past the middle third at a time.
However, from time to time, a team takes to the field against Liverpool with the mentality of attacking normally, and the proceedings generally descend into relative chaos.
On Saturday night, Leeds United took that form, as Marcelo Bielsa encouraged his players to advance in numbers as a way to disrupt the champions’ generally tight defense.
The Whites attacked fearlessly as a unit, with five players routinely occupying Liverpool’s backline while up to seven invaded the last third at a time.
Attacking en masse has a dramatic influence on what happens on the commercial side of the field, and Klopp himself states: “We have to attack with at least six players. At least. It can be seven. A center from the left, if there is only one player in the area, can lead to a goal, but it is not very likely, so having a second makes more sense and it already makes three. “
Leeds managed to score three goals after 90 minutes, albeit from a total of just six shots, and it seemed to show that Klopp’s team’s defensive security is fragile at best, right?
Should he really focus on Liverpool’s defensive governance when adventurous teams like Leeds come to town?
* What did you think of Liverpool’s performance? Let us know in the comment section.
Chelsea, Red Bull Salzburg and Norwich City are three other teams that have traveled to Anfield with the will to go head-to-head over the past 12 months, with the trio scoring a combined seven goals, but Liverpool managed to score 13..
You’ll hear that Bielsa’s men found the net three times, but less will be said about the Reds who scored four.
The expectation is always excellence, but Klopp’s team cannot always exhibit maximum control, especially when faced with volatile opponents who are more prepared than most to challenge the Liverpool organization in dangerous areas.
When that happens, the task is diverted from finding a way through a stiff lockdown to succeeding in what is essentially a basketball game, and Liverpool are very good at basketball.
You attack, we attack. You attack, we attack. There is a total disregard for the concept of midfield, as the competition between the two boxes is more closely associated with the style of play that Klopp used to represent in its entirety a few years ago. It was once the face of turbulent transitional football, with its players thriving whenever possession loosened, and while that strength remains part of Liverpool’s current tactical identity, it is now just one of many layers.
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A battle of risk versus reward materializes when Klopp comes across an opposing number like Bielsa, who is obsessed with the potential advantage of his offensive tactics as opposed to the possible negatives of conceding another counter.
The apparent defensive clutter that occupies the headlines could somehow be solved by simply instructing more players to stay behind the ball, but how much would Liverpool lose if one less man participated in the attack captured next, for example?
Perhaps when Liverpool are free to participate in matches of such an anarchic nature, a greater emphasis should be placed on the welcoming and happy atmosphere of those wearing the famous red jersey rather than putting a critical focus on the less than perfect defense?
Chaos is Klopp’s happy place, it is Klopp’s comfort zone and it provides a platform for Liverpool to do what it does best. Defense could be better, but those who put too much weight on that point are overlooking what it means to play attacking football.
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