Coverage of Jurgen Klopp since his very recent arrival on English shores has been almost universally positive. The gregarious German, who worked wonders at Mainz and Dortmund through the application of his gegenpressing philosophy – essentially pressing aggressively to counter the counter-attack – has been greeted with something of a hero’s welcome by the English media. Continue reading
1. Rodgers’ half-time switch kills Liverpool’s momentum
Liverpool began this game in a 3-4-2-1 formation, with both Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho in narrow roles supporting lone striker Raheem Sterling. Although they trailed by two goals at half-time, the decision to abandon this shape was an error of judgement that hampered their ability to get back into the game. Continue reading
Rodgers springs a surprise
The Liverpool manager’s decision to field his side in an usual 3-4-2-1 shape surprised all, not least Newcastle boss Alan Pardew. In his pre-match interview, Pardew alleged that the key to beating Liverpool was “putting pressure on them in key areas”, a statement that could be interpreted as intent to attempt to control the game. Pardew presumably expected Liverpool to persist with the 4-3-3 that they fielded against Hull, allowing his side’s 4-2-3-1 to man-mark in midfield, putting pressure on Gerrard and choking Liverpool’s attempts to pass out from the back – a strategy that has already worked wonders for a number of sides this season. Continue reading
Southampton may have been raided of much of their top talent during the summer but only the absence of a clinical edge cost them a result here against the prime culprit.
Starting lineups
Two early set-piece goals allowed Liverpool to play to their strengths with another breathtaking counter-attacking performance. Continue reading
A marvelous counter-attacking display from Liverpool ensured that this oft close fought derby was over by half-time. Continue reading
Tactics Truck v2.0 