The Reds draw with Chelsea as they lose the battle for Caicedo, but it still remains abundantly clear that Klopp needs reinforcements in midfield and defence.
Liverpool Lineup
Alisson, Alexander-Arnold, Konaté, Van Dijk, Robertson, Mac Allister, Szoboszlai, Gakpo, Díaz, Salah, Jota.
Chelsea Lineup
Sanchez; Disasi, Thiago Silva, Colwill; James, Enzo, Chukwuemeka, Gallagher, Chilwell; Sterling, Jackson
A Good 25–30 Minutes
Liverpool’s lineup wasn’t surprising given it was the same as in their last preseason game, but the personnel and formation looked somewhat disjointed.
However, the attacking nature of it seemed to give Liverpool the platform to dominate the opening periods. Mac Allister in particular started the game off excellently (88% of passes completed), with his composure and intelligence meaning Liverpool could keep control of the ball when in possession.
In terms of Chelsea, Chilwell was so advanced with his role being to man-mark Trent that it meant Chelsea’s back five was effectively a back four, with Chilwell acting as a left winger during phases of high pressing, while also tucking into midfield should Trent invert.
Neither Fernández nor Gallagher in the early parts of the game could pick up Mac Allister, and even if they managed to get close to him, the Argentine managed to play out of pressure.
This is one of the risks with a man-marking system, as it meant that Chelsea were vulnerable when someone didn’t do their job. In the scenario above, Jackson didn’t close off the passing lane to Konaté, Enzo didn’t get close enough to Mac Allister, meaning he had the space needed to pick out Salah, and Colwill struggled all day handling Salah 1 Vs 1 (Reece James’ defending was also comical).
Szoboszlai’s ball carrying and defensive nous throughout was impressive, and you can clearly see that Salah will hugely benefit from his ability to draw defenders towards him.
The best aspect of the game however, was the fact hat Virgil van Dijk looked like Virgil van Dijk. He won all of his ground and aerial duels, he made 10 clearances, 3 interceptions, and 4 recoveries. He looked quicker, sharper, and more focused.
He was the defensive monster that we all remember, and if Liverpool are to do anything of note this season, they will need him to produce more of the same.
The Rest of the Game
The rest of the game, however, was problematic. This Chelsea side aren’t good; they have a below average goalkeeper, no defensive midfielder, and no striker. Thiago Silva is well past his best, and despite all of these advantages, Liverpool left Stamford bridge with 35% possession.
The new 3–2–2–3 formation is supposed to offer more control on the ball, and while Liverpool should never strive to be as ball dominant as Man City (Liverpool need to play their own brand of football), they must play with more composure in order to make these new tactics work, especially as there will only be one real ball winner in midfield at any one time (before there was Wijnaldum and Fabinho).
Their in possession approach seemed deliberate, launching long ball after long ball, and it seemed like they wanted to counter-press, but it didn’t work well at all. Firmino, Wijnaldum, and Mané used to win the ball back, but the players they have now aren’t the same level of athletes; they need more control, mixed in with Klopp’s traditional counter-pressing techniques.
Perhaps Liverpool wanted to isolate Gallagher, given he didn’t look comfortable defending transition moments, and creating situations to counter-press would (theoretically) expose him. Regardless, it wasn’t good enough.
Gakpo in Midfield (Defensively and Offensively)
Gakpo’s biggest strength is as a ball carrier. His ability to carry the ball forward under pressure is good, but as a midfielder, he can’t maximise his this ability because of his other responsibilities.
Playing on the left of Liverpool’s midfield, Gakpo played in the recyler role that Jones performed in last season. This position requires a high passing volume, with a good retention rate. Gakpo in 66 minutes attempted only 13 passes, with 10 being accurate; it’s nowhere near enough. For comparison, Jones in 24 minutes attempted 18 with 16 being accurate.
His strength defensively as a forward is marking the opposition 6, and he does so diligently and intelligently, but his lack of aggression when chasing his midfield counterpart is concerning.
Enzo Fernández found it incredibly easy to peel off of the back of Gakpo, and cause havoc down Liverpool’s left hand side.
Jota Shows Why He Is An Impact Player
Jota has been an excellent squad player for Liverpool, but this match has only reaffirmed that he shouldn’t be close to the first team.
To his credit, he did an excellent job early on of marking Gallagher, meaning their central ball progression was limited. However, his limitations in possession are so stark that it makes him a liability against a Pochettino team that likes to press high.
His touches were heavy, he was rarely involved, and he didn’t threaten in behind at all. Díaz can boast good carrying numbers, as can Salah (65 yards and 51 yards of progressive carrying respectively, and 104 and 93 overall), but both can also boast real involvement in chance creation.
Jota, meanwhile, only carried the ball 15 yards, with 7 yards of progressive carries. He progressed the ball via passing 31 yards, while Díaz progressed the ball 75 yards, and Salah 72 in the same stat.
His ball retention, and all round involvement was poor. He also ruined a few chances with poor touches or snatching at shots, with his shot after Szoboszlai’s dribble particularly frustrating.
Robertson’s Continuing Decline
The second biggest issue was Andy Robertson. Undoubtedly a legend, but his performances are worrying.
Klopp tried to dismiss the performance of Robertson by saying neither Gakpo nor Díaz helped him out, and to be fair, there were too many instances of Robertson being 2 Vs 1. However, everytime Robertson was 1 Vs 1, he struggled badly.
He regularly loses battles, hinting at a further decline physically; he’s played far too much football.
His decision making is also erratic, as the energetic fullback didn’t time his press correctly, often leaping out of defence and allowing Chelsea to progress the ball. Offensively, he also makes incorrect choices, with his heatmap showing how he still marauds forward despite being a LCB in possession.
Worse still, his passing and crossing in these forward positions is increasingly inaccurate (0/4 crosses against Chelsea).
A successor needs to be brought in urgently, with Robertson then phased out.
Reliance on Mac Allister for Buildup
Buildup was far too vertical, especially as the only buildup specialist in midfield was Mac Allister. Both wide CB’s aren’t great in playing out, meaning Liverpool had to go long. The knock on effect, however, of having Mac Allister deeper, is that other midfielders have to stay deeper themselves in order to help defensive transitions, and when the ball is played long, they aren’t really in a position to counter-press.
The midfield will improve markedly with a high level 6, but for now, there are real issues from back to front in terms of control.
Positives
- Mac Allister looks a bargain
- Van Dijk dominating the defence
- Alisson his usual self
- Díaz and Salah looking sharp
- Szoboszlai promising
- Konaté 1 Vs 1 Specialist
Negatives
- Robertson looking severely declined
- No number 6 affecting rest of team
- Gakpo out of place in midfield
- Jota technically deficient
- Playing out from the back is difficult currently
- Too vertical
- Counter-pressing not solved yet
Overall
The season has just begun, and Liverpool can still have an outstanding 23/24; a point away to Chelsea isn’t a bad point. However, the only way for this to happen, is by entering into the transfer market and bringing in multiple players.
