Liverpool What’s made them great this season: The Defense.
In the last article, we published we talked about the systems of play that have made Liverpool the Juggernaut they have been so far this season. With the use of 4–3–3 and 4–2–3–1, they have been able to have an enterprising style of play. Putting Liverpool within a shot of winning the Premier League and also making them a serious contender for top honors in Europe.
Vigorously Liverpool’s runners from midfield provide their team depth in attack. The presence of attacking fullbacks gives quality service to their fluid moving front three. And then there is their sweeper-keeper who can be counted among the very best. Liverpool has developed a team that could have just the right amount of balance to go all the way. Today however we will pay key attention to the defense. Sir Alex always used to say “attack wins games but defense wins titles”. So with Liverpool having been rock solid this term — only conceding 15 goals this season the lowest tally in the league — their defense has to be a real reason why they have fared much better this term.
Considering that this time last season Liverpool had conceded 32 goals the key improvements within the back four — improvements in understanding of the center back pairing — acquisition of diverse and tactically astute midfielders able to provide cover for the marauding full-backs. The purchase of an actual goalkeeper with real quality not the guy from the champions league final. As well as the use of a congruent and high obtain pressing style has left Liverpool working wonders at the back.
- Defensive Pattern in Open Play
Liverpool usually lines up with a back 4, which plays a very high and flat line, using the offside trap in most of their games. The high line is a result of Liverpool’s high pressing game. This means that the back 4 would push up substantially. Keeping themselves compact to ensure that not a lot of space would appear in between the defensive line and the midfield in front of them. This is usually called defending from the front — requiring a congruent and uniform application of pressure by all the players — to ensure no gaps appear that the opposition can exploit. It has been Klopp's main style of pressing since his time at Dortmund and has been christened gegenpressing.
Liverpool usually tries to shift their opposition into wide areas where the player in possession might have limited passing options. This allows them to regain possession as quickly as possible. To coin a phrase used by one commentator describing this style of play: “the second they lose possession they are all over the opposition like a swarm of bees”.
This would result in Liverpool having a lot of the ball. Presenting them the platform they would need to play the fast tempo, a creative and dynamic style they have used so far this season. Below is a video showcasing just how gegenpressing works.
2. Back Four-Center Back Pairing
The Liverpool Back four has seen a marked improvement from last season, with Van Dyk being the main stalwart at the back for the team. Possessing physicality, athleticism, and an ability to defend in wide areas Liverpool can claim to have the most complete dutch defender since Jaap Stam. Considering just how high a line Liverpool plays—as well as how high their full-backs push up to provide width in attack — they can execute such a high-risk game plan with a sense of security. Knowing full well that Van Dyk has the calmness and presence to snuff out danger and re-launch attacks.
He has had a year to adapt to his new teammates and has found a really good partner in Joe Gomez. For a player who shares similar traits to Van Dyk Gomez’s ability to defend well in wide areas, physique, and athleticism are key. But most importantly, is his ability to cover danger behind the back four. Especially considering that Van Dyk is usually deployed as the man marker within the center-back partnership.
However, a fracture to the lower left leg has meant that he has been absent from action since the turn of the year. This could be one of the reasons why Liverpool seems to have shown a dip in form, as before his injury they had not lost a single game this season in the league.
Pallister and Bruce, Keown and Adams, Campbell and Toure, Terry and Carvalho, Vidic and Ferdinand. In the last 30 years of English football, the bedrock of great title successes has come from solid center-back partnerships. For most of the first half of the season, Van Dyk and Gomez were looking like the next in a long line of key defensive duos to assist Liverpool back to the Zenith of English football once again. But injury put a dent to this partnership — even though Joe Matip seems to have given up his comedian-like approach to defending — he is not really a defender the attack-minded players in front would look back at with any confidence.
With Gomez still on the mend, it remains to be seen how far Liverpool can continue to be resolute in defense. One thing is certain, his return would be greatly welcomed by the Anfield faithful I’m sure.
3. Back Four- Full-backs
Trent Alexander Arnold and Andrew Robertson represent Liverpool’s two main components in the full-back position. Both have the remarkable technical ability, energy, stamina, and a horse’s lungs which allow them to bomb up and down the pitch with such ease and frequency week in week out. Because of how Liverpool plays they usually find themselves in the attacking end of the pitch. However, their supreme athletic abilities allow for flash fast recovery — getting back into defensive shape once possession has been lost — and one on one marking in wide areas their competence is something one should commend greatly.
Gone are the days of full-backs like Maldini, Tassoti, Denis Irwin. Tough man markers who would forage forward only on certain occasions but whose main purpose was defense. These days with inverted wingers being the bread and butter for most teams — or a diamond formation that requires fullbacks to push forward and provide width lost by packing the midfield — the full-backs have become an important component of attacking play.
This would mean that their main defensive duty is in recovery. Plus maintaining discipline during difficult spells in tight games where possession is at a premium. By staying in shape and not allowing too much of a gap between them and the center back next to them in the defensive chain they allow the team to reset and re-launch their aggressive press. This is especially in big games — against technically gifted opponents able to exploit any gaps within the back four — the maintenance of this positional discipline is crucial in ensuring that a team is able to shut up shop.
Apart from that, Liverpool’s fullbacks usually find plenty of cover from tactically sound and well-disciplined holding midfielders. Players who understand the need to slot in when a full-back has gone hunting for an assist further up the pitch. Keita and Fabhino have experience in playing in wide areas as well as good anticipation to snuff out any danger that lies behind their attack-orientated fullbacks. And with this Liverpool find it very easy to ensure that not too much trouble happens when their fullbacks push up so high.
4. Goal-Keepers
Some of the mistakes from Loris Karius during the Champions League Final i doubt i will ever see again in a game of that magnitude. Starting off by throwing the ball into the path of a grateful Karim Benzema — finishing off with a fumble of a long and hopeful shot from distance by Gareth Bale — it was the real stuff of nightmares from Karius that night, which has landed him in Turkey playing for Besiktas.
Such is the unforgiving nature of football! But Karius’s misfortune was Allison’s gain as Liverpool went on to spend a king’s ransom to bring him to Anfield and become their number one. Blessed with a long line of legendary keepers that have graced the Anfield turf over the years, from Grooblaar, Clemance, Reina, and James. One can safely assume that Liverpool has found a keeper in the mold of those legendary men.
Good with his feet and with solid reflexes, plus a petrifying presence within his own penalty box, Allison has all the traits of a modern-day goal-keeper and some. The performances he has churned out have been exemplary and he can be counted quite possibly as Liverpool’s most important signing last summer. He does get prone to over-arrogance which can land him into some tricky situations like against Leicester in August and in the reverse fixture early on this year but then again so are all the greats. Should he stay injury-free Liverpool will be sure to be title contenders right until the final kick of the season.
5. Weaknesses
It is safe to say that Liverpool is terrible at defending set-pieces. The use of zonal marking and the use of high lines always leave them vulnerable as opposition runners always have an advantage when attempting to attack the ball against defenders running back to their own goal. Zonal marking can be good when executed well as the imperative is for a person to attack the ball the second it enters the zone he is guarding.
But it can also cause bedlam when an opposition player has been able to generate more momentum through having had a longer run-up compared to his counterpart. United and West-Ham are two recent examples of just how Liverpool can easily get found out at set-pieces, with the right delivery. So this would have to be a problem that they remedy in order to end up on top in May.
