Profiles and Puzzles

Liverpool seem to have a profiling concern within their squad that could be addressed sooner rather than later.

So this is another one of my thinking out loud pieces. I’m not quite sure where I’m going to go with it — as usual — but now that we’re entering into the summer, this is one of the thoughts on my mind.

It relates to the current make-up of Liverpool’s squad, Jürgen Klopp’s original team, and the glorified return of the suits on Merseyside, namely Michael Edwards and his boys.

Simply put, the Reds have a bit of a profiling issue, and one that will likely be addressed by the new regime ahead of the next era under Arne Slot.

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One of the points I tend to make quite often when appearing on podcasts is about Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mané and Mohamed Salah as a trident. I really loved that trio, and not just because they won everything for us.

From a tactical standpoint, they just worked. They naturally complemented each other when on the pitch, with their skills combining seamlessly for a number of memorable years at Anfield.

We know what Firmino was about. He was your trademark false nine. A player who wanted to drop into deeper areas despite being his team’s most advanced player on paper. This guy was a midfielder in disguise. He played every instrument for Klopp.

He could do everything. Well, all except two things. Firmino wasn’t fast enough to threaten in behind defences, and he didn’t score enough goals to justify the number on the back of his shirt.

Enter Mané and Salah. The duo who proceeded to mask Firmino’s weaknesses by running behind defenders whenever those opportunities emerged, while also finding the net with great regularity.

The man in the middle drifted in one direction, and the two killers with pace ran in the other direction. The blueprint was beautiful, like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. And the dynamic would have worked without a coach. It would have worked if the three players involved were strangers who had just met five minutes ago.

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The rest of Klopp’s unit wasn’t that different. We had an offensive full-back duo who wanted to penetrate the final third and create chances, and we complemented them by fielding a midfield trio of lieutenants who focused on remaining behind the ball.

Fabinho, Gini Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson covered Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold. Again, this was a perfect example of a harmonious tactical structure, particularly in possession.

Everything was natural. The coaching of a common goal certainly helped, but the recruitment was brilliant. The profiling was flawless, and it allowed every piece of the puzzle to be a seamless fit.

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You do get this sometimes, and it’s great when it happens. Players really benefit when a squad has been expertly assembled with each individual’s strengths and weaknesses in mind.

Take Leicester City when Brendan Rodgers took over, for example. When the ex-Reds boss arrived at the King Power Stadium, the Foxes were known for their shrewd recruitment decisions.

Rodgers found Wilfred Ndidi, James Maddison, Youri Tielemans and Jamie Vardy. As a spine, it absolutely worked. You had Vardy running in behind and staying away from the ball, and that created space for Maddison and Tielemans to operate in pockets of space between the lines.

Those two players aren’t particularly defensive-minded midfielders, which is why Ndidi was so important. At his best, the Nigerian international was like a spider as Leicester’s number six.

He sat behind Maddison and Tielemans and presented them with a platform to create. His job was all about extinguishing fires. The African midfielder was mobile, rangey and sensitive to danger.

Good profiling equals harmony. Players like to perform alongside teammates who get the most from them.

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One more example? Alright, fine. Let’s use a bad one this time, which means we’re heading to Old Trafford, of course.