After Liverpool’s semi-final exit last night, many people have had their say on why things didn’t go to plan. The match winner, Shane Long, revealed the Southampton team’s tactics.
It has become apparent that many sides are now sussing out this Liverpool side and how they like to play football. Equally, sides are learning from other teams who have faced the Reds this season.
It is not a well-kept secret that Liverpool like to play down the middle and press teams intensely when without the ball.
So, teams are now deciding that the best way to play is by letting Liverpool have possession and sit deep and defend in numbers. Southampton did this extremely well last night; sitting deep, flooding the midfield and hitting Liverpool on the counter.
Shane Long was interviewed last night and said that; ‘the whole team is trying to force them out wide’, which makes sense for any team playing the Reds due to the absence of any aerial threat from wide crosses. Without Sadio Mane, Liverpool lack a genuine wide player who can cause problems out wide.
Twitter: ….@ShaneLong7: “The whole team is trying to force them out wide, not letting them make passes through middle to get 1-on-1 with keeper.” (@carlmarkham)
Long also mentioned Liverpool’s desire to play through the middle; ‘not letting them make passes through the middle to get 1-on-1 with the keeper’. Most of the Liverpool players enjoy picking up the ball deep and driving at defences and playing passes through the middle, so if teams can swamp the midfield then it makes it difficult for Klopp’s men.
Liverpool have the problem right now of not having a plan B when things are not working. You would expect all teams who face the Reds from now on to play a similar game that Southampton did last night and, therefore, Klopp needs to construct a game plan that he can go to in order to combat that.
