A Controller in Klopp's System
A somewhat shaky start to the season for the reds and here is the reason why I believe we have found it hard to build momentum in the first few games.
After attaining nine points from the first six games, drawing to Fulham, Crystal Palace and losing to Man United, it’s clear something is wrong. The levels that the Premier League has set now, or more in particularly Pep Guardiola’s Man City are ridiculously high. If you want to challenge for the league you can’t afford to drop many points at all, we know this first hand losing the league twice by one point. A draw can kill a season. This time round we don’t look like the same team that just won the League Cup, FA Cup and made it to the UCL Final.
In my opinion it’s a combination of issues that are negatively influencing us. We look burnt out from last season, taking all four trophies right down to the wire playing the most games possible in a season has evidently taken it’s toll on our players. Injuries plaguing our squad again in the opening weeks, losing important assets such as Jota, Konate and Thiago Alcantara. Settling into a rhythm feels difficult for us to do, conceding early on is becoming the norm. The structure of the team is noticeably off. The frequent shout on social media is that this year will be a “transitional period” for us after signing a conventional nine in Darwin Núñez.
The issue that stands out for me is the team not having a controller in midfield. A role in Klopp’s system that has been crucial, especially over the last 5 seasons, mainly executed by Thiago now and Gini Wijnaldum before that. A role that consists of being involved in build-up, recycling play, retaining possession and being comfortable on the ball under pressure. You also need to be defensively aware enough to know when to drop in and cover for the #6. We’ve seen how drastically this affects us when we don’t have someone in midfield who can perform these tasks. It was evident against Everton last weekend. Carvalho who played on the left side of midfield didn’t drop deep enough to aid build-up which meant we found it hard to surpass Everton’s press and keep the ball in midfield. Fabinho was left on his own and it was clear the 3-1 build out structure wasn’t working.
The reason why it’s so important we have a player of this mould in midfield is because it allows us to be more effective in the 1st phase of play and it also helps us to sustain pressure easier as we will keep the ball longer. Thiago excels in this role due to his outrageous passing ability, being able to position himself in a defensive position but still contribute to the attack from deep using his vision and crossfield through-balls is what makes him so special. Our win percentage is considerably higher with him playing than without and it’s no coincidence.
I firmly believe once we have Thiago back in the squad it will improve us leaps and bounds. We’ll be able to find a rhythm again and will start to control games how we used to. The downside to this is that heavily relying on a injury prone 31 year-old to win games is a recipe for disaster. This is where the signing of Arthur comes in. He has a similar profile to Thiago in which he can offer a passing option in build-up, great with the ball in tight spaces and taking it on the half turn and he also can provide support to the attack from deep with his passing. We need to make sure that these two are rotated together to keep them sharp and minimize possibility for injury.
Obviously the burn out from last season is affecting us mentally, dealing with injuries is never easy. Slightly changing system to accommodate for an out-an-out striker and waiting for him to gel with the other forwards will take time, but I am certain that not having someone in midfield of this mould is the main concern for worry. That role has become of one the most important in Klopp’s system, without it things seem to fall apart.
Once we can re-establish Thiago and now Arthur into midfield (once he’s fit) that will start to build fluency in our game again.