Some thoughts on Wirtz… [THREAD] 🇩🇪

I’ve heard Slot scream ‘Lucho wide’… ‘Cody wide’ a million times on the touchline this season [no exaggeration — actually, just a bit]. It’s safe to say he prioritises winger isolation in wide areas. This aligns with a broader trend in modern coaching: width isn’t just about shape, it’s about creating high-value 1v1s. #LFC I’ll be very surprised if all of a sudden we start playing Wirtz from the left [on paper] and expect him to stretch the pitch. Kerkez is a roadrunner but Slot’s general principle for his LB is to ‘stay & go’. I feel you need Wirtz to start centrally and let him create the overloads wherever needed. A bit like what Slot did with Szobozslai at Old Trafford if you remember. #LFC

‘𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑎𝑠 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑎𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝐼 ℎ𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑙𝑜𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑦 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑒…’

— 𝗗𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗰 𝗦𝘇𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘀𝘇𝗹𝗮𝗶. 🇭🇺🧵

What does Dom mean? Let’s discuss because there has been a bit of talk about his role again. #LFC

@_SZD10 Szoboszlai is increasingly functioning as a facilitator for Mohamed Salah within Liverpool’s right-sided structure. The entire right flank appears to be optimised for Salah’s strengths. Trent plays in a deeper, more ‘conventional’ role during the first phase of attack. #LFC

𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙨 𝙖𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛𝙛. [THREAD]

I mentioned on Saturday the changes Slot kept on making to keep Fulham on the back foot — they were going to create some scary moments for Liverpool but let’s take a look at what Slot actually did.
#LFC Robbo gets sent off… Slot gets Cody over. The thinking is to set up in a 4-4-1 off the ball with Gakpo at LB. It keeps Trent high and in possession Gakpo is effectively acting as the winger. Diaz at LW with Salah down the middle.

#LFC

The role of Dominic Szoboszlai 🔎🇭🇺 [THREAD]

Dom was called over by Slot on a few occasions against Wolves. It seemed like he was struggling to pick up spaces behind Wolves’ initial press. Not all his fault as Wolves went man-to-man and with Liverpool’s three for a large part of the game and the Liverpool back 4 were struggling to play through the press. Around the 25th minute mark Slot instructed Trent to start occupying right half-spaces/RCM to get the extra man in midfield. Slot would suggest this worked as Liverpool gained control after a bright start from the home team.

#LFC But this means Szobo needs to occupy higher positions, in more central 10 positions as we haven’t seen him run the right channel much in the last few games. Does Slot want the RB making that run more when Salah comes deep on the touchline? This is a shot taken in the second half, I’ve only used this particular one as it highlights the set up much better — there was plenty of this after Slot instructed Trent to invert more.

#LFC

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙩 🇳🇱

MEGA THREAD 🧵

So it’s a new era at Liverpool, Arne Slot inherits a good team but with some flaws, these are just some of the things I think we need to see next year if we want to compete with the other two.
#LFC I’ve been banging on about our structure and rest defence for months on end but Klopp and co added some well needed positional principles but unfortunately went away from them near the end. Let’s look at the good bits first… #LFC

𝗗𝗶𝗮𝘇 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗚𝗮𝗸𝗽𝗼 𝗮𝘁 𝗟𝗪. 🧵

After the team was announced on Monday, there was a lot of reaction towards Diaz starting over Gakpo after the Dutchman’s performance at Burnley. Holding width and off the ball work-rate are the main reasons Díaz gets the nod but
#LFC after witnessing Klopp ‘lose it’ with Gakpo on numerous occasions during the 25 mins he played, it reiterated the fact that Gakpo needs to improve his overall approach to defending and tactical awareness if he wants to become a mainstay in this team. Cover shadowing, setting pressing traps and general intensity to go up and down sees Diaz ahead and that’s why Klopp picks him. #LFC

𝗞𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗽’𝘀 𝘁𝘄𝗲𝗮𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝟰-𝟮-𝟰 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳𝗳 🧵

[THREAD]

If I’m honest I must admit I did question if the switch had come too early. When Jürgen went 4 up top with Trent and Gravenberch sitting in midfield, we were still creating chances but the game had a basketball feel to it — and on a day when we were getting caught out with too much eagerness, you couldn’t help to think let’s gain control for five and our quality will shine through (probably via another screamer!)

#LFC
There is the 2-2-6 structure with Tsimikas interchanging with Diaz on this occasion. Salah wide, with Gakpo just off Núñez. It wasn’t Darwin’s day in front of goal and maybe Robinson at LB needed something different to deal but we had to get Salah between the sticks…

#LFC