With Liverpool’s first season below Arne Slot taking a pause for worldwide soccer, it offers us a possibility to analyse what has modified to this point.
After 9 years of Jurgen Klopp, many had been fast to invest on simply how completely different the brand new coach’s soccer could be.
We’ve seen Slot-ball thrice on the highest stage now. So what have we realized about Slot at Liverpool?
Pragmatic
One second within the dominant win at Outdated Trafford encapsulated plenty of what Slot has dropped at Liverpool. It begins with Virgil van Dijk receiving the ball on the midway line.
We’ve seen this precise situation many occasions through the years. Van Dijk’s signature move is an extended, correct change out to the precise flank, the place a teammate can run instantly at their defender.
And right here, Trent Alexander-Arnold – now not inverting into midfield however pushing forwards from right-back – is out there for precisely this ball.
Solely this time, Van Dijk makes a special alternative. He punches a ball by the strains to Ryan Gravenberch…
…who’s enjoying as one of many deepest midfielders. His first contact will get him out behind the United press, permitting him to run on the defence…
…and the ball is finally turned in by Alexander-Arnold, although VAR disallowed the aim.
We’ve been anticipating to see plenty of possession, quick passes, enjoying by strain – hallmarks of Slot-ball that we noticed at Feyenoord. And this transfer is an effective instance of that.
The factor is, although, we’ve seen this sort of soccer virtually as an addition or a bonus to this point. We noticed Van Dijk play certainly one of his trademark switches within the buildup to the second aim vs. Ipswich.
We noticed a blistering counter-attack aim to take the lead versus Brentford.
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— Liverpool FC (@LFC) August 27, 2024
And for all three targets that stood vs. Man United, Liverpool pressed excessive and compelled United into decisive errors.
What this tells us about Slot is that he’s a pragmatist.
Slightly than dogmatically sticking to his imaginative and prescient – like coaches resembling Ange Postecoglou – he’s comfortable to let his crew maintain enjoying to their strengths, whereas making small modifications that permit them to evolve their recreation.
Drawback-solver
What are a few of these small modifications? Nicely, the plain one is the change to a double pivot in midfield.
But it surely’s not as a result of Slot has a philosophical attachment to a formation – actually, he has been adamant that he doesn’t use a 4-2-3-1, along with his setup merely a special interpretation of a 4-3-3.
It’s extra a response to Liverpool’s tendency to concede counter-attacks, which denied them management of video games final season.
By switching to 2 deeper midfielders, Slot has simplified his full-backs’ recreation. At Outdated Trafford we noticed Alexander-Arnold monitoring again to defend counters himself, somewhat than counting on a teammate to cowl.
It additionally permits Liverpool to commit extra gamers to buildup, with six gamers (4 defenders and two in midfield) exhibiting for the ball.
Gamers can simply discover a quick move to a teammate, and with the opposition pressured to commit numbers ahead to press, it additionally permits for direct balls as much as the entrance line.
This provides as much as a crew that may dominate possession simply, has alternatives to go direct on the proper time, and has a greater construction to defend counter-attacks.
Heavy steel with a deeper, extra strong base.
Decisive
Maybe probably the most eye-catching instance of Slot’s decisiveness was his substitution of Jarell Quansah at half-time vs. Ipswich.
However whereas that change grabbed the headlines, Slot has been fronting as much as the large calls from day one – and getting them proper.
Trent Alexander-Arnold: right-back. Ryan Gravenberch: No. 6. Diogo Jota: centre-forward.
These are the three massive positional calls Slot has made to this point, and all three have labored properly.
Using the full-back we’ve already coated, with Alexander-Arnold already notching two ‘pre-assists’ (the move earlier than the move) alongside his three clear sheets.
Gravenberch struggled to nail down a spot in Klopp’s 4-3-3, however he’s been integral to Slot’s double pivot.
His technical safety permits Liverpool to play passes like Van Dijk’s at Outdated Trafford, and his means to hold the ball forwards has helped to overload opposition defences.
And with the advantage of a associate alongside him and a again 4 behind him, he can step as much as win the ball on the proper second.
As for Jota, he’s dovetailed successfully along with his No. 10. He’s free to drop deep and hyperlink play, create area for Dominik Szoboszlai to run past him, and pull huge to rotate along with his wingers – in addition to getting on the top of possibilities himself.
This has additionally had a constructive affect on Luis Diaz. After scoring simply eight occasions in 37 league video games final season, he has three in three to this point.
All through his Liverpool profession, he’s tended to get on the ball out huge after which drive inside to make his personal possibilities, resulting in some spectacular targets however not spectacular aim numbers.
Underneath Slot, he’s been rather more direct: ending off a counter-attack vs. Brentford earlier than scoring twice in opposition to United – each with a first-time shot.
By eradicating the onus on him to stay to the touchline, Slot has given him the platform to attain extra ceaselessly.
No stone unturned
The factor is, the most effective continues to be absolutely to return from Slot tactically.
For the entire clip-worthy passages of play, we’re nonetheless ready for the primary aim to return from eye-catching pass-and-move soccer.
Up to now it’s been direct balls up high (vs. Ipswich), scientific counter-attacking (vs. Brentford) or successful the ball excessive up the pitch (vs. Man United).
It takes time for a brand new method to correctly click on.
However Slot is permitting his gamers to nonetheless play in transition, press aggressively and do all of the issues that labored properly below Klopp, and so they’re nonetheless paying dividends.
That implies that whereas Liverpool learn to play their greatest soccer, they’re nonetheless successful and successful properly.
Maybe we’ll look again on this begin and say: that is after we realized that Arne Slot is a winner.
