Good article. But the box midfield only really explains our issues on the ball. All palace's chances originated down on our right where we had Bradley, salah and szobo/konate
The 1v1 Defending was so bad from Bradley and konate and we would have been able to make it to HT with a sterile 0-0 if those 2 had defended to the required level.
Brilliant, Josh. Didn’t help that Konate had one of those games, and Macca was a passenger. Mo wasn’t in the game, Wirtz and him on the same side is yet to work. I would have had Chiesa on the left from the start. Second half was much better, more control, better attacking. A shout out for Ali. Without him, this article would have been very different…
Spot on Josh. We both thought it’d take time for the new players to settle into the system, and maybe results wouldn’t be great to begin with, but I didn’t see Arne changing the system to accommodate the new boys. Certainly not in our most difficult away game so far. Obviously he needs to find a way of getting the best from Wirtz and quickly, maybe by playing him in the position he discussed with him when he convinced him to sign?
I was looking at Wirtz's heatmap over the weekend and was shocked to see he spent much more time on the right side in the first half than on the left. I had hoped that with him replacing Gakpo, he would work the left inside channel and make an impact, similar to how Glasner deployed Pino and Sarr as inside channel 10s while utilizing the width of the fullbacks.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. I'm a bit concerned about how Slot plans to use him long-term. I thought this would have been figured out during the summer, but clearly, football doesn't work that way.
That said, I hope Slot won't make the same mistake twice. Let's see how we perform against Gala.
More than confident - whatever that emotion is - that going forward we'll be fine. Defensively I think there is enough there with Robbo/Kerkez - Virgil/Ibou/Gomez. However the right-back situation is a bit of a weird one. People seem to love Bradley there think he's the future solution. I'd love to know how Slot sees it and think he might disagree. Not only because the best performances in that position have thus far been put in by a more athletic and technically better midfielder - of course he'll lack the positional awareness but having played at CB, CM and RB I can say that the thing that makes playing fullback 'easier' is how you inherently have one less side of the pitch to be concerned about. However, don't think anyone really wants to see Dom play there loads for several reasons. I don't think Wirtz wants that either, since his best games (in pre-season granted) came when Dom and himself were closer to each other. I recall some lovely one touch passages of play between them, Jones etc.
But more so I think Slot disagrees because there's Frimpong, who he wanted. Common sense would obviously be that he's played behind Salah and starts getting him the ball, with Dom and Wirtz close by. Now there's a triangle to get excited about.
Outside Slots crazy fever dream of a system. We have consistently had 6 players underperforming just as professional footballers, individuals NOT doing the basics we or doing their thing brilliantly and that’s before you apply them to a system.
We’ve been relying of good luck and chance - that we’d nick games during Fergie time which is OK once in a while but when Isaks not fit and Hugo ruled himself out it was left to Chiesa again and again we imploded. The results have masked the problems for sure. Ali saved us from an embarrassing lesson being handed to us by a side we would have contained and beaten.
I get the argument that you wouldn’t want Dom as RB, it’s a waste etc. BUT at this point in time he stands out, looks impressive wherever he plays and can deliver ball from deep. We look solid when he takes the RB position. Bradley just isnt up to it and Frimpong well, not against Palace and only when Konate is on the ball which he hasn’t been (Real’s whispers no doubt are impacting his performances as they did with Trent for a long time, almost persuading us all that we’re better off without). Criminal.
IF and it’s a big if that Dom can play in a midfield with Wirtz as apposed to being his alter ego I’m not sure, is Gomez an option to come back into the RB position and bench Bradley?
I’m not convinced by Kerkez AT ALL, I’d be starting Robbo and cycling Kerkez at 60. Same with Salah, he looks to be totally cooked and has been poor for a long long time. He may be trying to adapt and adapt to not having the pace he once had but that’s hurting us as every opposing defender has him in their pocket. We’re playing the lottery hoping he’ll pull something out the bag, most often he doesn’t. For 3-4 seasons he’s only performed in the first half really and performed well, this season he has started like he finished.
Mac is a shadow of his former self, fitness, recovery after injury maybe but not having that Grav, Mac steel core in the middle makes us easy to play through and again Mac’s not doing the basics well. Frustrating.
Gakpo looks lost on the left this season, he’s gone from offering something different to Luchos often fruitless dribbles to being blunt and ineffective. He’s not been getting any support from Kerkez down that flank either as you’d expect.
Wirtz, again in isolation - slow, inaccurate and weak. That’s not the Bayer - commanding, orchestrator Florian Wirtz. If you could turn his speed of thought up to 1.25 along with his confidence and strength maybe we’d get close. I’ll be honest, I was expecting the sort of impact Thiago had when he started, wow was that impressive and he faded in the as it was the end of his career but Florian’s a young lad. He needs to grab these games by the nuts, summon any one of his hero’s as a muse and show the PL what he’s got. I’m not seeing anything of Bayer Wirtz at Liverpool. Does he need really need Dom to play alongside? Not sure. He’s surrounded by world class, he need think faster and act faster, be stronger let his creativity and vision unlock the players around him. He’s not doing that, as a player.
Hugo’s brilliant and we’ve relied on him to pull us out the fire, often. Isaks not fit. Gravs excellent as is Ali and VVD. Frimpong needs to used instead of Mo not supporting him.
Chiesa has to start, he is the most direct and technically gifted player in the squad or at least is the one who uses his skillset very time he plays - he’d replace Gakpo or if Hugo’s potentially going out there so Isak also figures, get Fede on the right instead of Salah he can play there as can Dom (there are options that won’t replace a classic Salah but we don’t have that version of the legend do we).
I’ll throw this one in, is the addition of GVB within Slots coaching team adding something that doesn’t really work at this time? I thought that happens with Klopp too when his close team changed dynamic for a while.
Damn, all that from me questioning who plays right back. Fair play. Lot's of good points, too. Namely that individual performance levels aren't averaging out high enough, around 8 (which is enough to beat most teams in the league I'd say) but more like somewhere around low 7's and upper 6's. Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Virgil, Ali and Hugo holding up their ends.
Can't say I've thought about GvB's contributions thus far but maybe I've been missing what's been in front of me all this time 😘 however, and in all seriousness, I did think about it when he was brought on. Is it common for someone with that much' hands on' experience of being a manager be, what, the assistant coach?
No manager with any sense of self worth takes the ManU job at the moment. Glasner has put himself in a very strong spot job wise and I’d be surprised if he jeopardised that by going there.
I'll leave all superb analysis to you guys. My only comments are Slot should stick in and around Our system, it works, not adapt dramatically for any other team. We are fast, wingers with a Solid, Creative Midfield incredible strikers from all angles and pressing monsters that keep Ibou and Virg happy whilst our wingers cover their positions essentially thats Us.
Glasner is the worry. If he gets the Utd job by Xmas with his offer of Disneyland money he could be their KLOPP. KEEP AN EYE ON THAT ONE! Ineos will have
I thought the same thing. Wirtz is wasted on the wing. But is there a case to give him a start there to take some pressure off the lad? He is marked by 3 players every game, tackled hard and out muscled, might give him some room and with that some confidence. Then bring him back into the middle when he is firing.
When I saw the line up I was hoping Szobo was playing wide left.
He isn’t a left winger either, but I thought he will do a job anywhere and if we can shut down Munoz on that side with Szobo’s running power matching his, then that would go a long way to limiting Palace.
Long term with both right back options not playing very well, then playing Szobo right back for a while seems the best solution right now.
I think we need to give someone a run in the side at right back even if it’s not Szobo.
And Curtis Jones needs more game time while whatever is going on with Macca is sorted out.
The signing of Kerkez is looking odder as each game passes. He's not being used as a flyer hence it seems strange that we didn't go for a more defensive LB (like Hincaple).
The side also seems to lack pace and is quite slow. Central progression is painstaking at times as Grav seems to struggle breaking the lines with his passing.
Konate seems to be sucked into pointless physical battles most games and often seems out of position or just lucky to stay on the pitch.
The positives are that Isak and McCallister will get sharper but I'm not convinced our double pivot is strong or disciplined enough to allow Wirtz to be a '10'. Maybe this is why we saw the box midfield. I think the box could work but we will probably suffer more as the players get used to it.
Really like the presentation and the insight thank you. The shot of Kerkez completely alone on the left is gobsmacking. Lets hope Slot learns the lessons and preferably doesn't change last years winning template too much / too quickly. Although Konate had a bad game I feel sorry for him given the lack of defensive structure in front of him and VVD.
Any thoughts as to why Wirtz has been reluctant to try to thread more dangerous passes in tight spaces near the box? He seemed less shy to play to that strength during the preseason. I know Slot tends to prefer a safer pass to maintain possession but isn’t this why we paid £100M for Wirtz?
Good article. But the box midfield only really explains our issues on the ball. All palace's chances originated down on our right where we had Bradley, salah and szobo/konate
The 1v1 Defending was so bad from Bradley and konate and we would have been able to make it to HT with a sterile 0-0 if those 2 had defended to the required level.
Brilliant, Josh. Didn’t help that Konate had one of those games, and Macca was a passenger. Mo wasn’t in the game, Wirtz and him on the same side is yet to work. I would have had Chiesa on the left from the start. Second half was much better, more control, better attacking. A shout out for Ali. Without him, this article would have been very different…
I tried to tell y'all about MacAllister. He just ain't that good I'm afraid.
Spot on Josh. We both thought it’d take time for the new players to settle into the system, and maybe results wouldn’t be great to begin with, but I didn’t see Arne changing the system to accommodate the new boys. Certainly not in our most difficult away game so far. Obviously he needs to find a way of getting the best from Wirtz and quickly, maybe by playing him in the position he discussed with him when he convinced him to sign?
I was looking at Wirtz's heatmap over the weekend and was shocked to see he spent much more time on the right side in the first half than on the left. I had hoped that with him replacing Gakpo, he would work the left inside channel and make an impact, similar to how Glasner deployed Pino and Sarr as inside channel 10s while utilizing the width of the fullbacks.
Unfortunately, this wasn't the case. I'm a bit concerned about how Slot plans to use him long-term. I thought this would have been figured out during the summer, but clearly, football doesn't work that way.
That said, I hope Slot won't make the same mistake twice. Let's see how we perform against Gala.
More than confident - whatever that emotion is - that going forward we'll be fine. Defensively I think there is enough there with Robbo/Kerkez - Virgil/Ibou/Gomez. However the right-back situation is a bit of a weird one. People seem to love Bradley there think he's the future solution. I'd love to know how Slot sees it and think he might disagree. Not only because the best performances in that position have thus far been put in by a more athletic and technically better midfielder - of course he'll lack the positional awareness but having played at CB, CM and RB I can say that the thing that makes playing fullback 'easier' is how you inherently have one less side of the pitch to be concerned about. However, don't think anyone really wants to see Dom play there loads for several reasons. I don't think Wirtz wants that either, since his best games (in pre-season granted) came when Dom and himself were closer to each other. I recall some lovely one touch passages of play between them, Jones etc.
But more so I think Slot disagrees because there's Frimpong, who he wanted. Common sense would obviously be that he's played behind Salah and starts getting him the ball, with Dom and Wirtz close by. Now there's a triangle to get excited about.
Outside Slots crazy fever dream of a system. We have consistently had 6 players underperforming just as professional footballers, individuals NOT doing the basics we or doing their thing brilliantly and that’s before you apply them to a system.
We’ve been relying of good luck and chance - that we’d nick games during Fergie time which is OK once in a while but when Isaks not fit and Hugo ruled himself out it was left to Chiesa again and again we imploded. The results have masked the problems for sure. Ali saved us from an embarrassing lesson being handed to us by a side we would have contained and beaten.
I get the argument that you wouldn’t want Dom as RB, it’s a waste etc. BUT at this point in time he stands out, looks impressive wherever he plays and can deliver ball from deep. We look solid when he takes the RB position. Bradley just isnt up to it and Frimpong well, not against Palace and only when Konate is on the ball which he hasn’t been (Real’s whispers no doubt are impacting his performances as they did with Trent for a long time, almost persuading us all that we’re better off without). Criminal.
IF and it’s a big if that Dom can play in a midfield with Wirtz as apposed to being his alter ego I’m not sure, is Gomez an option to come back into the RB position and bench Bradley?
I’m not convinced by Kerkez AT ALL, I’d be starting Robbo and cycling Kerkez at 60. Same with Salah, he looks to be totally cooked and has been poor for a long long time. He may be trying to adapt and adapt to not having the pace he once had but that’s hurting us as every opposing defender has him in their pocket. We’re playing the lottery hoping he’ll pull something out the bag, most often he doesn’t. For 3-4 seasons he’s only performed in the first half really and performed well, this season he has started like he finished.
Mac is a shadow of his former self, fitness, recovery after injury maybe but not having that Grav, Mac steel core in the middle makes us easy to play through and again Mac’s not doing the basics well. Frustrating.
Gakpo looks lost on the left this season, he’s gone from offering something different to Luchos often fruitless dribbles to being blunt and ineffective. He’s not been getting any support from Kerkez down that flank either as you’d expect.
Wirtz, again in isolation - slow, inaccurate and weak. That’s not the Bayer - commanding, orchestrator Florian Wirtz. If you could turn his speed of thought up to 1.25 along with his confidence and strength maybe we’d get close. I’ll be honest, I was expecting the sort of impact Thiago had when he started, wow was that impressive and he faded in the as it was the end of his career but Florian’s a young lad. He needs to grab these games by the nuts, summon any one of his hero’s as a muse and show the PL what he’s got. I’m not seeing anything of Bayer Wirtz at Liverpool. Does he need really need Dom to play alongside? Not sure. He’s surrounded by world class, he need think faster and act faster, be stronger let his creativity and vision unlock the players around him. He’s not doing that, as a player.
Hugo’s brilliant and we’ve relied on him to pull us out the fire, often. Isaks not fit. Gravs excellent as is Ali and VVD. Frimpong needs to used instead of Mo not supporting him.
Chiesa has to start, he is the most direct and technically gifted player in the squad or at least is the one who uses his skillset very time he plays - he’d replace Gakpo or if Hugo’s potentially going out there so Isak also figures, get Fede on the right instead of Salah he can play there as can Dom (there are options that won’t replace a classic Salah but we don’t have that version of the legend do we).
I’ll throw this one in, is the addition of GVB within Slots coaching team adding something that doesn’t really work at this time? I thought that happens with Klopp too when his close team changed dynamic for a while.
love this piece!
Damn, all that from me questioning who plays right back. Fair play. Lot's of good points, too. Namely that individual performance levels aren't averaging out high enough, around 8 (which is enough to beat most teams in the league I'd say) but more like somewhere around low 7's and upper 6's. Gravenberch, Szoboszlai, Virgil, Ali and Hugo holding up their ends.
Can't say I've thought about GvB's contributions thus far but maybe I've been missing what's been in front of me all this time 😘 however, and in all seriousness, I did think about it when he was brought on. Is it common for someone with that much' hands on' experience of being a manager be, what, the assistant coach?
No manager with any sense of self worth takes the ManU job at the moment. Glasner has put himself in a very strong spot job wise and I’d be surprised if he jeopardised that by going there.
I'll leave all superb analysis to you guys. My only comments are Slot should stick in and around Our system, it works, not adapt dramatically for any other team. We are fast, wingers with a Solid, Creative Midfield incredible strikers from all angles and pressing monsters that keep Ibou and Virg happy whilst our wingers cover their positions essentially thats Us.
Glasner is the worry. If he gets the Utd job by Xmas with his offer of Disneyland money he could be their KLOPP. KEEP AN EYE ON THAT ONE! Ineos will have
I thought the same thing. Wirtz is wasted on the wing. But is there a case to give him a start there to take some pressure off the lad? He is marked by 3 players every game, tackled hard and out muscled, might give him some room and with that some confidence. Then bring him back into the middle when he is firing.
When I saw the line up I was hoping Szobo was playing wide left.
He isn’t a left winger either, but I thought he will do a job anywhere and if we can shut down Munoz on that side with Szobo’s running power matching his, then that would go a long way to limiting Palace.
Long term with both right back options not playing very well, then playing Szobo right back for a while seems the best solution right now.
I think we need to give someone a run in the side at right back even if it’s not Szobo.
And Curtis Jones needs more game time while whatever is going on with Macca is sorted out.
Good article.
Liv had last season a fantastic midfield with four fantastic players, I include Curtis here. No need to buy another
A La Benitez, Slot trying to outhink himself 🤔
The signing of Kerkez is looking odder as each game passes. He's not being used as a flyer hence it seems strange that we didn't go for a more defensive LB (like Hincaple).
The side also seems to lack pace and is quite slow. Central progression is painstaking at times as Grav seems to struggle breaking the lines with his passing.
Konate seems to be sucked into pointless physical battles most games and often seems out of position or just lucky to stay on the pitch.
The positives are that Isak and McCallister will get sharper but I'm not convinced our double pivot is strong or disciplined enough to allow Wirtz to be a '10'. Maybe this is why we saw the box midfield. I think the box could work but we will probably suffer more as the players get used to it.
Really like the presentation and the insight thank you. The shot of Kerkez completely alone on the left is gobsmacking. Lets hope Slot learns the lessons and preferably doesn't change last years winning template too much / too quickly. Although Konate had a bad game I feel sorry for him given the lack of defensive structure in front of him and VVD.
Great stuff
Any thoughts as to why Wirtz has been reluctant to try to thread more dangerous passes in tight spaces near the box? He seemed less shy to play to that strength during the preseason. I know Slot tends to prefer a safer pass to maintain possession but isn’t this why we paid £100M for Wirtz?
I’m not sure. Would depend on the rest of the system. I’d be curious to see it, but Szobo would have to play as the other eight. No Mac on the pitch.