[ad_1]
Liverpool’s game with Manchester United on Sunday is too early in the campaign to be considered a title decider, but it is clearly an incredibly important game as the season approaches halfway.
For Jurgen Klopp, the key decision appears to be who will be selected to play center-back alongside Fabinho. While Jordan Henderson might be the preferred option among the available options, his drive and energy would be lost from midfield.
It’s kind of a cliché, but the phrase “the game will be won or lost in the center of the park” is often used before games of this magnitude. An old saying tired or not seems likely to apply at Anfield this weekend.
Much of what United have done well in an offensive sense has gone through Bruno Fernandes since signing for the club last winter, and they hope to put him on the ball as much as possible when they have it.
And as they will pack their own penalty box to limit the space Liverpool can play in, which will also make it difficult for the Reds to take full advantage of the elite skill of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson, Klopp’s pick at the center. from the field will too. be very important.
Thiago Alcantara should make his home debut for the club, and his ability to thread incisive passes through the tightest gaps could make all the difference.
For Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, he will send his team to protect the point they start the match with first, and then he will look to take all three if possible. The players you choose in midfield and the formation they play in could easily determine which North West England giant is the best in the league on Sunday night.
Get the latest news on injuries and Liverpool teams as Klopp faces the selection dilemma, plus the latest news and analysis of what’s next for the Reds.
You’ll also get the latest talk and transfer analysis delivered directly to your inbox every day with our FREE email newsletter.
Register here, it only takes a few seconds!
As a general rule, the Norwegian places his team in a 4-2-3-1 formation. There have been exceptions this season, though, and in big games too (although such numerical settings can often differ depending on who you ask anyway, and they definitely change when the team in question is attacking rather than defending).
For example, Solskjaer deployed his team in a 4-4-2 frame with a diamond-shaped midfield for home games with RB Leipzig and Arsenal. United certainly saw the pros and cons of the system in those two games, as they defeated the German team 5-0 but lost 1-0 to the Gunners without creating little note.
And although they won the only away game this season in which they have used that system, they had to come from two fewer goals in Southampton and they will not want to risk something similar happening at Anfield.
One preparation United have used in big away games is to employ three center-backs, again with mixed results. He largely countered Paris Saint-Germain’s deadly striker three in their 2-1 win in the French capital, but also saw him drop two goals in the first quarter of an hour of his vital Champions League clash with RB. Leipzig. As his eventual 3-2 loss in that match consigned his team to the Europa League, it’s no wonder Solskjaer hasn’t opted to use a back three since.
But we shouldn’t rule out the possibility of United choosing a 3-4-1-2 formation on Sunday, as they frequently lined up that way in massive matches in 2019/20. It was his tactical design for both games with Liverpool, as well as two games with Manchester City and three with Chelsea in all competitions.
In each of the three post-Fernandes examples, he played the hole behind the two forwards, with the pair of Fred and Nemanja Matic on the line further back. However, Scott McTominay played there in the aforementioned European away games earlier this season, while Paul Pogba’s form, with two goals and one assist in his last six league starts, suggests he could easily be included. .
Since Matic was injured last time out, a strong guess is that McTominay and Fred (who has started most of United’s big games this season) will be the pair at the center. But whatever setup Solskjaer ultimately decides, the implications for the game and the season could be huge.
[ad_2]
