Liverpool 1-1 Leicester - Post Match Thread

[That_Dude]

3 hours ago, Livid said:

Agreed, I was on the verge of giving Sunday a miss until last night, but they’ve dragged me back from the edge. Good performance but i’m not expecting anything remotely recognisable to it on Sunday. 

 

Wolves aside it’s beginning to get to me seeing how we play away and then having to put up with the home performances we’ve had.

 

We'll always play well against teams willing to attack and struggle against an opponent who doesn't, which always happen at home. The other problem is that we seem to need a goal (doesn't matter if we or the opponent scores) to break free and actually start to play. It's a mentality one and Puel has to work on it.

 

We're not the only ones in this situation and even more talented teams have a hard time to break them down. Read the bluemoon forum for example and you'll find similar comments to what's posted here.  You have to be patient and wait for an opening and/or rely on players with good one-on-one abilities to make the difference. Gray is good at that but turns his brain off right after and Maddison goes for the free kick/pen instead of  keeping on playing. Other than them we don't have any player with good technical abilities (maybe Barnes but it's early days). The other thing is the lack of movement in the last third with players literally standing and not offering any remote solution to the guy with the ball. Here again a great understanding between players, which supposes a lot of training and playing together, is required and we're not quite there yet. On the other side, I have yet to see any compelling argument or alternative other than the highenergypressingcounterattackingfootball nonsense which is not sustainable in the long term, was sussed out since 2016 and supposes a great midfield which we haven't.

 

The elephant in the room is that Vardy isn't a target man and his hold-up play isn't great. With enough space he's lethal, able to score with only one half opportunity in the whole game. Against packed teams he struggles despite his intelligent positioning at the edge or in the box. He doesn't drop back enough to free channels for the other forwards (which rarely exploit them anyway) and his physical presence isn't enough to bully a 6'1 or taller CB and be at the receiving end of the many crosses we're forced to pepper because there's no way through the middle.

 

Maybe things will change with Tielemans but I wouldn't hold my breath this season. It takes time to make 11 players click and find one another.

[Ron Combo]

Just got back to Italy. Great to be back amongst Lestah fans again. What a sodding fantastic match. Took my wife's cousin, big Juventus fan. By the end he was joining in the chants and he can't speak English! We have another follower. He was knocked out by the way we managed to come back from the dead and nearly nick it. As was I.

Stayed in the Adelphi in the centre. Astonished at the number of foreign fans who come over, Germans, Norwegians, Danes, Irish. Big, big business and a weekday match to boot so two days away at least. Do many/any come over to the KP? 

[Dan]

19 hours ago, Stevosevic said:

Standard Anfield. 

 

The press get wet over them singing YNWA 1 minute before kick off and at full time. 

 

They forget it's silent throughout. 

I didn't even think YNWA was that impressive. Genuinely think it's louder at kick off at places like Swansea and Brighton.

[Dahnsouff]

10 hours ago, ttfn said:

The biggest issue with the idea that Maguire should have been sent off is that it was a dive from Mane, much as it was a dive from Maddison for us early on.

 

Maguire has barely touched Mane and he’s just thrown himself to the floor. Clearly Mane didn’t think it was a goal scoring opportunity otherwise he wouldn’t have gone down like he’d been shot from a brush of his arm.

 

The brush-of-the-arm dive is probably my least favourite of all of the dive varieties.

Quite agree. I always prefer the strikers trailing foot kicking the defenders shin type 

[Nalis]

Was Vardy mouthing off to the ref when he came off? If so, what was that alm about? 

[ThaiFox]

1 hour ago, Nalis said:

Was Vardy mouthing off to the ref when he came off? If so, what was that alm about? 

Yes he was. It looked to me that the ref was telling him to run off and not waste time, but Vardy was slightly limping and it looked like he was telling the ref he was unable to run, but the ref didn't believe him.

 

Maybe Vardy was putting it on to waste as much time as possible like all players do when subbed in the last few minutes to get their team the decent result.

 

Like diving, general time wasting and professional fouls, it's all part of todays game.

 

One way to stop the slow subs would be to stop any subs being used within the last 5 minutes of a match, unless it is an obvious serious injury, or concussion. I would bet that 99% of the time the main point teams put a player on during injury time is just to waste time.

 

 

[dynamark]

I was convinced Vardy was dragging his left leg when going off.Either good acting or a slight groin issue -again.

[The Doctor]

1 hour ago, Nalis said:

Was Vardy mouthing off to the ref when he came off? If so, what was that alm about? 

He was hobbling a little bit, I thought he was having a word with the ref about keeping an eye on the sly digs Liverpool's defence was giving everyone.

[Foxxed]

On 30/01/2019 at 23:06, TheUltimateWinner said:

Jumped out my chair and applauded when this happened... love me some Hamza

 

https://streamable.com/04dtz

I swear I have watched this more than the goal. It is just incredible.

 

The millions of pounds worth of red menacing threat, ready, running and soon to tear a hole in our defence, but then the accelerating Loughborough afro'd bullet without pomp or ceremony slices into them, like a parent swiftly removing a child's toys.

 

Outstanding.

[davieG]

https://anfieldindex.com/38971/liverpool-1-1-leicester-city-a-tactical-breakdown.html

 

A Liverpool perspective.

 

 

Liverpool 1-1 Leicester City: A Tactical Breakdown
With a number of injuries and a suspension to deal with, even after the team sheets were announced, it was unclear exactly how Liverpool would set up. Initial reports indicated Gini Wijnaldum would fill in at right-back, in Alexander-Arnold’s absence, but instead, it was club captain, Jordan Henderson who would feature there, and Naby Keïta who would function as one of the pivots in the 4-2-3-1 system.

Liverpool’s setup

Henderson and Robertson played as the Liverpool full-backs, and functioned tactically as the full-backs normally do when Liverpool play at Anfield; that is, both were wide and high when in possession, as they looked to provide width in which Liverpool could work around the Leicester 4-5-1.

In midfield, Keïta partnered Wijnaldum in a deeper role than those we’ve seen him play most of this season. It gave him fewer opportunities to take advanced positions up but allowed him greater freedom to move the ball forward, with either his passing or dribbling – as he did to great effect in the second half, only to be denied a penalty.

Salah and Firmino found themselves a little deeper than usual, a consequence of Leicester’s defensive block – but as recent post-match interviews with Jürgen Klopp have shown, they were likely too deep for his liking, and the lack of aggression both on and off the ball from Shaqiri left the creative burden upon Mané, on the left side.

Leicester’s setup

Leicester started the game in a 4-5-1 formation, but after the opening twenty minutes, shifted into a far more effective 4-4-1-1. Puel instructed his team to press high up the field, and then drop off into a low block, from which they would look to counter-attack with long passes in behind. They also looked to target the channel inside and outside of Henderson, who did not receive sufficient protection from Shaqiri on the right side.

The game

Within the first six minutes, Liverpool fired off three shots, and following Mané’s superb goal, the game only seemed to be heading one way. For around twenty minutes, Liverpool controlled the game with ease, attacking as and when they wanted to.

As soon as Leicester changed their system though, the direction of the game changed drastically. Chance creation dried up, as Liverpool’s found themselves struggling to retain possession in the final third, and instead dropped back deeper in be involved in the game.

From the twentieth until the seventieth minute, Liverpool only managed to get a single shot away, and it was blocked. Leicester, meanwhile had four in that period, with, two of which were “big chances”.

What was clear in this game though was a lack of creative direction from Liverpool. Despite holding the ball in the middle and final third, Liverpool struggled to involve Salah in the game meaningfully and struggled to manipulate space, and engineer chances. But this is hardly irregular. Indeed, on a number of occasions this season, including games such as Brighton and Everton at home, Liverpool have created fairly little, but have managed to either pounce on mistakes, or use their defensive quality to ride out tough moments, deny opposition teams chances, and see out games effectively. However, against Leicester, only three of Liverpool’s first-choice back five were available, and a reported illness and challenging conditions hardly aided the team in its efforts. But whilst Liverpool’s defence has been impeccable more often than not this season, the lack of protection afforded by the 4-2-3-1 in transition, especially in the wide areas, meant that, Gray and Madison were able to generate a few opportunities where they could attack the full-back in a one on one, or get inside of them – as Madison tried to do with Henderson. But Henderson’s inclusion at right-back was not the real problem, indeed, had Clyne played, Liverpool would likely have had next to no difference in terms of offensive output, or perhaps a decrease, whilst the goal conceded was more so a product of Van Dijk momentarily getting caught, as he starts in a zonal position – for the first phase of the set-piece – but does not shift into a man-marking position – unaware of Maguire, in behind him.

However, in games such as this one, where teams sit back extremely tight and counter-attack, and do so against a Liverpool team lacking some of its creative players – such as Alexander-Arnold, it’s very likely that a team will actually generate very few chances, and will simply have to be clinical in those few moments it does have. Unfortunately for Liverpool, beyond the goal itself, which was a remarkable piece of skill by the persistently effervescent and delightful Mané, Liverpool’s two biggest chances were not decided by themselves, but instead by the referee. Mané’s break beyond Maguire in the first-half was one of the only opportunities Liverpool’s forwards were able to run into space, in beyond the centre-backs (as they did against Leicester last season, at Anfield). Similarly, Keïta’s run from deep, into the box was a piece of superb skill, committing players, and generating an opportunity from a fairly innocuous position. The only shame was that the referee did not give the penalty.

Klopp’s assessment was largely in line with this assessment too, and he drew attention to the two key refereeing decisions, but also the need for Liverpool to “accelerate [the speed of their play] in decisive areas (i.e. in the final third, and when getting the ball into key players in the penalty area)”. He also noted the need to pass through Leicester’s compact system, and in this regard, the absence of Fabinho in the starting XI, due to an injury, was significant – and his impact on the game, when he was substituted on, was immediate and impressive, as he exerted control, purpose and forward direction to Liverpool’s play. Sturridge and Lallana, both strapped for minutes, did not quite make the same impact, likely due to a lack of sharpness, and an eagerness to force an opportunity, in the face of a robust Leicester side.

In tactical terms, Leicester were more than good value for a draw. Their plan from the twentieth minute to the seventieth worked extremely well, as they restricted Liverpool’s chances, and opportunities to counter-press too. But in terms of the key events of the game, Liverpool had enough to win, and on another day, with identical situations, Liverpool may well have secured the three points – as happened in those games cited earlier – but this conclusion is contingent upon the referee making accurate decisions. Nonetheless, Liverpool still have some issues they need to iron out, especially with regard to the positioning of their forwards, indeed, if both Firmino and Salah drop deep, it largely negates the offensive aspect of the 4-2-3-1 system, which was supposedly meant to be more suitable than the 4-3-3 for breaking down defensive sides.

There have been a number of games this season where Liverpool have not created much, and have still won. This was not one of those days. However, Liverpool can count themselves fortunate that it has not cost them in this title race. But with 14 games to go, Liverpool are still in the driving seat, but the sooner the first-choice defence can start together again, the better, for without Gomez and Alexander-Arnold, Liverpool’s propensity to be utterly ruthless and efficient in defence is diminished, and it is these individuals who will likely make the difference in close games, for it will likely be the team which makes the least mistakes from here that goes on to win the league.