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The Athletic. V

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Athletic. Hello

0:41

Welcome to the Athletic Football Tactics podcast

0:43

Them! Thank you for joining us this

0:45

week! I'm only Maxwell and I got

0:48

the usual gang with me. that's Michael

0:50

Cox that Mark carry and Liam Fum

0:52

from the Athletic. Hello Guys hello hello

0:54

An. Important. Topic today this

0:56

will be Juergen Plops last season as

0:59

Liverpool manager and we've regularly talked about

1:01

Manchester City's evolutions under Pep Guardiola. sort

1:03

of regular micro tweaks, but rarely about

1:05

clubs liverpool in the same way. Both

1:08

the style of play and the key

1:10

name's seemed consistent for a very long

1:12

time. However, this season they are top

1:14

of the Premier League, just passed the

1:17

halfway stage and they've taken on a

1:19

new skin in terms of the way

1:21

this team looks. So with the clock

1:24

news breaking late last week. This is

1:26

a great time for this topic. How

1:28

similar is this Liverpool team to peak

1:30

era Liverpool on the clock? We are

1:33

going to detail those changes and discuss

1:35

the direction of travel for Liverpool after

1:37

clubs departure. Michael.

1:44

Big. News in the Premier League landscape.

1:48

Yeah it's really big news and I think for

1:50

law of New truth probably. Quite. Sad

1:52

and away. I mean I think one thing that

1:54

club has given know just to the premier league

1:57

with a European football is. Beverley.

2:00

The. You. Know without him being in

2:02

the Premier League, Manchester City would have won

2:04

six liter was on the balance without much

2:06

of a challenge. a top and Liverpool have

2:08

only one one title they might have had

2:10

more it another air. I think the such

2:13

a good team. But. Even when

2:15

they slightly come up short they've done so

2:17

by a point. So it's really gone to

2:19

the final day. and some a someone who

2:21

you know I just want a good top

2:23

rated I'm really goes in it or who

2:25

wins it? It'd be really fun having him

2:27

in the premier league. I'm with the been

2:29

figures. well I'm in Dortmund at one or

2:31

two before this run as of eleven and

2:34

ref a bind some hype thirteen and arrive

2:36

by and if it wasn't for cop Sat

2:38

Yeah regardless of what you think of him,

2:40

what you think of Liverpool, his his boy

2:42

exactly. Didn't. They've already been the

2:44

most consistent same in that time as one

2:46

across both league and cup competitions. you look

2:48

at that ninety plus point seasons where they

2:50

came second most which I missed the finals

2:52

of say Tracy as I got fondly cup

2:54

finals city I'm been quite insistent on of

2:56

a booth and out of the Champions league

2:58

try to keep it in Liverpool. Never already

3:00

had those men the so crashing and burning

3:02

as as bad as City did enough ago

3:04

she got more trophies and arise. I never

3:06

once come second with that either. points but

3:08

that in a continuation the ridiculous home on

3:10

they had of going on beat him for

3:12

so long. They've. Been accent to watch and

3:14

and Rgb pine is to a degree in

3:16

terms a lot the pressing count depressing stuff

3:18

in terms of recent betting that into the

3:20

modern style as peppers one about the passing

3:22

to be thy reduction for Liverpool The A

3:24

now I'm pretty commonplace which wasn't the case

3:26

of Uncle. As gaining. Speed.

3:29

Such a long managerial spell by

3:31

modern standards, I'm elected Dvd long

3:33

range or in two different eras.

3:35

So when it comes to adults

3:38

often liverpool. How many

3:40

areas have led been Broadly If we

3:42

use the One Point O, Two Point

3:44

Oh Three Point O naming convention, Michael.

3:48

Was a in terms of the city side

3:50

for made this is to two point zero

3:52

for I mean he was there for long

3:54

time before they barely got to high level

3:56

in terms of winning. The champ is a

3:58

human in premier league spell just. It felt

4:00

like a constant process of evolution. I

4:02

didn't ever think oh yeah, this is

4:04

what Liverpool can be like A quite

4:07

settled There was always a couple of

4:09

question marks I mean the goalkeeper being

4:11

the obvious one. I when his many

4:13

lay and carrier he just knew that

4:15

wasn't the kind of the finished article

4:17

and you could gradually see what the

4:19

building I think from quite an early

4:21

stage he was gonna be forty three.

4:24

He was gonna be that very specific

4:26

structure of different players and gradually getting

4:28

a phone into place any kind. Of. I.

4:31

Mean I used to say vacuum a day they

4:33

to say that really good size of built from

4:36

the defense I think this is interesting could it

4:38

was built without the ball in terms of the

4:40

gag impressing but it was built from the attack

4:42

and me for mean I manet and was that

4:44

was there are fairly early stage ones that was

4:46

that. I think you're fairly confident they were going

4:48

to be a good side. The.

4:51

Only other potential argument for it

4:53

what would have been a tough

4:55

when own this may be the

4:57

three point o restoration was when

4:59

the Hood won the league and

5:01

brought in a jogger kuntar and

5:03

that was actually ended up fashion

5:05

that are being quite a difficult

5:07

season for Liverpool for reasons that

5:09

is been widely discussed including injuries,

5:11

babies deliverables. midfield was previously functional.

5:13

essentially they retire serve the the

5:15

fullbacks in the ad forward line

5:17

and sense she wanted it more

5:19

control in the middle. And Alcantara was

5:22

one of the best place in the world

5:24

at doing that. Ended up actually slowing the

5:26

pace down at times and team sitting in

5:28

a lower block out she frustrated and opponent

5:30

was another reason for not being successful season.

5:32

but that would probably be the only other

5:34

potential evolution, but that was still within the

5:36

search for the fourth retrace over yeah I

5:38

get microphone yeah have. It's a good point

5:41

about because I did for like air. A.

5:43

Deliberate change in approach but Jonathan played

5:45

enough. As a I many though is

5:47

tight about half the games or less.

5:49

So yeah I mean that season was

5:51

of a massive off season. Then they

5:53

returned of the. Subsequent campaign

5:55

with pretty much the same kind of sides

5:58

when they won the league a minute. People

6:00

are different ways, but very much the

6:02

same. failing to me. Oh cool. that.

6:05

Top. Level One Point Five. Yes,

6:07

and it's Yaga. Experiment. Between.

6:11

Twenty. Seventeen eighteen and twenty Twenty one,

6:13

Twenty two. Them for made three to make

6:15

the finals. Three Premier League seasons with

6:17

ninety two points or more with one title

6:20

and ethic Open a league cup in there

6:22

as well. Clocks Liverpool one point out as

6:24

were calling it. And let me talk about

6:27

them. Tactic leave. From what Michael said, it

6:29

feels like we have to start from

6:31

the front, which isn't always the case for

6:33

a tattoo. Overview of a a football team,

6:35

but money Salah so mean I really set

6:38

the tone. Yeah I mean

6:40

they were as much or think when we look

6:42

back now what they did off the ball in

6:44

times as and times that pressing. I think we

6:46

saw that in a with with the departure of

6:48

money where they couldn't nursery presses intensely from the

6:50

front and trying to find different solutions for that

6:52

the from the they could all come on in

6:54

different ways to score that there are periods where

6:57

they lost both money and so that's a tough

6:59

call. an adaptive within that and club spoke so

7:01

that the saw this month in the end of

7:03

December sang similar that look this is a situation

7:05

that live but been in before in terms of

7:07

passing. How can do without Santa when he swore.

7:09

I would have your goes to. they've constant

7:11

been. A good balance of interchange

7:14

by think those are having Roka super sensitive.

7:16

We've got complementary forwards of in a that

7:18

season where Sullivan Sons had the golden boot

7:20

for being such going lettering as to be

7:23

able to cut inside. but can we say

7:25

night running behind that can drop deep? It's

7:27

combined arms as a same season in which

7:29

Robotics Amino did not score a league goal

7:32

at home. In. A title winning campaign

7:34

was mentioned on the on the other day

7:36

yeah which is just crazy crushing. That should

7:38

be real. Stick to beat him with when you

7:40

look at the wacky do of the moon

7:42

and I'm thinking I was I have snacks and

7:44

then not hitter to their set pieces will

7:46

be nice I think from Emory the best

7:48

at peace. similarly when they did when it does

7:51

consistently so good as having John Alexander Arnold

7:53

to cross you know what deliver us from

7:55

the servers Van Dyke and and that's it was

7:57

at yet over a rocket sometimes straightforward way

7:59

of scandals. He. Did I should go

8:01

in the final him game that season? So

8:03

we have to say he didn't go into

8:06

the title sailed around. Get around it by

8:08

being clever. Nicely done. I'm a muslim it

8:10

quickly that was referenced on off switch strike

8:12

is analysis Puck awesome. A few weeks ago

8:14

since we recorded that bogus of have been

8:17

thinking about. That part and

8:19

strike is broadly every single day on

8:21

a really think at this one of

8:23

them more interesting ones that we've done

8:25

because it is. You cannot get away

8:27

from discourse in discussion about strikers and

8:29

even in the yeah fall league the

8:32

like have a very closely when we're

8:34

doing transfer analysis. I'm I'm repeatedly now

8:36

trying to make the point that we're

8:38

talking about strike is wrong and and

8:40

what you guys bro up on that

8:42

on that episode was a key part

8:44

of that bobby some he notes is

8:47

it you know a huge. Sort of

8:49

central figure in the whole discussion as well. I

8:51

think yes, I can totally dependent as well, because

8:53

if he were to use that stat as a

8:55

stick to it to be familiar with the new

8:57

thing that he wasn't. Very. Prolific him

8:59

his maybe be the same argument that we've

9:02

been speaking about. we got Blue Jays use

9:04

which was the the crux of the the

9:06

Pocus the bespoke that a couple of weeks

9:08

ago but I think it was because and

9:10

is maybe because circuit because Aca and governments

9:12

now the on potentially as go hungry as

9:15

Sadia Money and Mohamed Salah. Were.

9:17

In that so this race and so I

9:19

looked into that that across the it's when

9:22

she eighteen nineteen and nineteen twenty season in

9:24

the Premier League money and saw that accounted

9:26

for forty seven percent of Liverpool Scotia. So

9:28

when you've got the players who can it

9:30

be coming in from Wide and Semina and

9:32

others are serving them. Then you don't

9:35

need for minutes to school. If he can chip

9:37

in and do other things in our possession that

9:39

we know the he did so say well then

9:41

is less of a problem so it's so can

9:43

sexy dependent so part of the wider attacking unit

9:46

rather than thinking of strike is a in isolation

9:48

and that that contribution that way. i

9:50

said a quick look at the numbers as well

9:52

it in terms decisis when you look at empire

9:55

ninety across the premier league get fifty altogether right

9:57

of almost one in four which is pretty good

9:59

fit anyone really anywhere on the pitch. Often your

10:01

most greater player might put up one in three, one

10:03

in four is generally quite decent, left-line for a number

10:05

nine. That's always been nice and I think that's something

10:08

we see with Klopp now and we'll get onto this

10:10

more when we discuss some of the newer

10:12

ways that this newer version of Liverpool play,

10:14

but he's always seemed really focused around not

10:17

necessarily having like an endgame or something, but he's trying to

10:19

play us out in style. It's how could I maximize the

10:21

players that I've got. I can move them into different roles.

10:23

I can interchange them positionally. He doesn't seem to be focused

10:26

on saying, we want to play this perfect style this way

10:28

and I'm going to fit the players to it if it

10:30

was quite balanced both ways. I think that's a really nice

10:32

approach to have. And

10:34

in a Athletic Football Tactics pod first,

10:37

I'm going to bring up the word

10:39

alchemy before Mark Carey because when we

10:41

talk about Liverpool's midfield at

10:43

that time, a collection of

10:45

midfielders, Vinaldum Henderson, Fabigno Milner

10:48

as well at times, talk about

10:50

alchemy, Mark. Yeah, the blend

10:52

of Liverpool's midfield was, as I mentioned

10:54

before, designed to help and serve the

10:57

full backs because Liverpool's such good focus

10:59

on their width and of course their

11:01

forward line as I say. So there

11:04

wasn't as much need to chip

11:06

in with goals or contribute in more

11:08

of an attacking way like Liverpool's current iteration actually

11:10

seemed to do. So I

11:12

think it was more of a functional

11:15

role. They were far more disciplined and

11:17

I think that with the leadership of

11:19

Henderson, with Milner, with

11:21

Vinaldum to a certain extent as well, I thought

11:23

that their ability to dictate the tempo

11:25

was what was key there and Fabigno being arguably

11:27

in his peak years across the 18, 19 and

11:30

19, 20 season. So, so destructive. But

11:35

I think when Liverpool needed to go for

11:37

it and be far more sort of transitional

11:39

then the midfield could help in that regard.

11:41

But I think I've spoken

11:43

about it on this podcast before about how

11:45

good Vinaldum was at dictating the

11:48

tempo and being so press resistant, his ability

11:50

to be such a good kind of release

11:52

valve for pressure when it was getting a

11:54

little bit too transitional, Liverpool just needed to

11:56

calm it down. I think for all that

11:58

Liverpool have been viewed. as quite a

12:00

transitional all action side. There were

12:02

a lot of periods in that title winning season

12:05

where they did in the best, it

12:07

was a compliment to them in the best way possible. They

12:09

made the game quite boring in that

12:11

they just slowed it down. They'd killed the game after

12:14

60, 70 minutes. And

12:16

they had that midfield ability to be able to just kind

12:18

of dictate the tempo. It's interesting to me that

12:21

when we talk about midfielders that dictate the

12:23

tempo, what springs to mind for me is

12:26

a midfielder that's more of a

12:28

Pierlo Michael Karak type known for

12:30

passing range, for example. But Liam

12:32

and Mark's just mentioned it, setting

12:35

the tempo, particularly now where what a

12:37

team does and individuals do out of possession is

12:40

as important as what they do in possession. There's

12:43

also a meaning of that phrase which can relate

12:45

to a player like Vinaldin who wouldn't have been

12:47

profiled as a deep lying sprayer, shall we say.

12:49

Yeah, it's that idea I think increasing it there's

12:51

different ways to control the game in different styles

12:53

that the players can do it with. And we're

12:55

also seeing a balance now of, and I'm sure

12:57

we'll get onto this, Trent Alexander on a plane

12:59

more essentially, is a player that is really good

13:01

and really quite destructive, I think, with his passes

13:03

at times. He can really pit like a defense,

13:05

but probably doesn't add a lot of control because

13:07

so much what he does is kicking for distance

13:10

and the sooner it goes up, the sooner it can come

13:12

back. And you're obviously risking turnovers as well

13:14

and trying to maximize one v one. So that

13:16

can be a little bit more risky. And there's

13:18

a great way, I can't remember who left it

13:20

in the comments of a piece I wrote after

13:23

the Liverpool-Bournemouth game where someone was saying how Liverpool

13:25

being really efficient in their title winning season, which

13:28

I thought was a great way to describe it, that there's probably a bit

13:30

of retrofitting around them being all action and

13:32

smashing teams to bits. But they were in front at

13:34

halftime in 24 of the 38 games and

13:38

went on to win 23 of them. So there

13:40

were so many games where they scored early and

13:43

then they could take control of the game and basically

13:45

make it boring. You could turn off at halftime and

13:47

you wouldn't miss anything, which from a cop perspective is

13:49

probably great to see out a game

13:51

like that. And I think back to the win against

13:53

Villa earlier this season, at Anfield as being a great

13:55

example of that. And sure they've had to change and

13:57

have different iterations since, but when you have those pro.

14:00

Try to cannot be control games and you swore

14:02

so early. Then you become really really hard to

14:04

be. The fullbacks Michael Trent,

14:06

Alexander Arnold and and the Robertson really

14:08

felt like the era defining fullbacks in

14:10

the Premier League at least, but actually

14:12

only for a couple of years really.

14:14

And in the whether they played. yeah,

14:16

I think it's a funny situation with

14:19

them because we're very accustomed to attack

14:21

minded fullback south know I have a

14:23

recent innovation, but when you look at

14:25

the other fullbacks who won the Premier

14:27

League over the last decade, you look

14:29

at Marino. Chelsea has been question. Ivanovic

14:31

defend his first and foremost Leicester folks

14:33

and Simpson defend his first and foremost.

14:35

City of either played in a half,

14:37

backs come inside intimate sale or now

14:40

they're play basically. For

14:42

centre backs at the back so. For

14:45

them to consistently produce that number of

14:47

it's it's not just in relation to

14:49

other fullback than league but in relation

14:52

to the rest of the team. They

14:54

work consistently the best to creative players

14:56

and I haven't ever seen another team

14:58

whose Betty playmakers oh betty created with

15:00

fullbacks. I think they are quite special

15:03

actually a time when a lot hims

15:05

have moved away from using both other

15:07

it's quite sitting as well as we

15:09

speak that am and this is partly

15:12

maybe because eyes on around us currently

15:14

and you'll find. That for an injury but

15:16

he and Andy Robinson at a joint top of

15:18

that the or time assists the sadly for defenders

15:20

and you look at how they've so a change

15:23

in that robertson's that real suspicious of across a

15:25

and you've got the palace now with ice on

15:27

the ronald someone who save a bit more but

15:29

generally scouted things and in different ways provident providing

15:31

much refundable now i'm and play more inside and

15:33

being a bit more people to to the do

15:36

it up but it's already good indication of a

15:38

team that can adapt and change over time even

15:40

with the players and of remodel am and not

15:42

be such a plane a certain way and just

15:44

of. Our idea of yeah you do it for.

15:47

His as many as you can aphorisms you can as

15:49

well as you can and then it was into that

15:51

doesn't And then he he changes. I. mean

15:53

she's going back to the two seasons

15:55

i referenced before twenty eighteen nineteen and

15:58

nineteen twenty season alexander arnold had 25

16:00

assists and Robertson had 23 assists in that

16:02

period and they were the top two of

16:05

any player in the Premier League in that

16:07

time. So that's more than De Bruyne, David

16:09

Silva, Salah, Son,

16:11

and Hazard, Christian Ericsson, all those, and granted

16:13

I'm not looking at per 90 here so

16:15

I'm kind of fudging the stats to sort

16:17

of serve this point but it's still absolutely

16:20

remarkable just how much that is the

16:22

case which speaks to Michael's point and

16:24

I think it's worth just absolutely emphasising

16:26

just how much it was Liverpool's strength

16:28

to have such creativity on either side. If

16:30

you've got a key player or a

16:33

key attacking threat then you can potentially nullify them

16:36

in a certain way to try and stop them in

16:38

their tracks but the fact that Liverpool had threat on

16:40

either side meant that it was really hard to stop

16:42

them. Okay so that's what

16:44

they were, what we're calling Jurgen Klopp's

16:46

Liverpool 1.0 and what about

16:49

how they are now? Another excellent Liverpool

16:51

team but in a slightly different way.

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in something of a new skin

18:02

Liverpool are back at the top

18:04

of the Premier League table with

18:15

just over the halfway mark in the Premier

18:18

League and Liverpool have a five point gap

18:20

as we record over Manchester City

18:22

who do have a game in hand at five points

18:24

as well away are Arsenal, be

18:26

it Liverpool and Arsenal have played the same amount

18:28

of games. Off the back of a big win

18:31

last night against Chelsea we've got tons

18:33

to talk about when it comes to

18:36

our table topping Liverpool team and I

18:38

think we should start as we

18:40

did reflecting on Klopp's Liverpool 1.0 at

18:43

the top of the pitch because this is

18:45

an area where plenty has changed

18:48

apart from Mohamed Salah or at least

18:50

apart from his presence perhaps his role

18:52

has changed a little. I mean

18:54

yeah there was a period where Salah

18:57

played number nine and scored an awfully

18:59

large amount of goals. I got his 12

19:01

goals in the sixer system from Transcir Mark in 2018-19.

19:04

I can't really specifically remember why he ended up

19:06

doing that, I don't know if the others have

19:08

more insight there but it sort of fits similarly

19:10

to what we've seen now with Son Tottenham and

19:12

probably Huang at Wolves as well where you get

19:14

these really good wide forwards that have actually got

19:16

really good finishing instincts that can finish well off

19:19

of both feet. He's also really quick

19:21

so he can really dart away from players

19:23

and get into positions where scoring happens. A

19:25

lot of the time they'd be boxcrashing anyway

19:27

when they'd attack from the other side so

19:29

it's not solely cutting type and score,

19:31

you're iron-robin type finishes from distance and

19:34

I guess that adapts maybe as you get older as

19:36

well and we've spoken about that with Adrian's stuff before

19:38

that you might lose a bit of

19:40

your physicality and your intensity. Salah also has really

19:42

good availability, he plays a lot of games so

19:44

to be really intense all the time probably isn't

19:46

practical to do it over a full

19:48

season and play internationally as well but I

19:51

really like the set of forwards they've got

19:53

now. They're so all quite varied,

19:56

players that can play across the line

19:58

in loads of different ways and Klopp just spoke

20:00

about it. the difficulty really isn't anything individual but

20:02

it's how you fit them it's again the Mark

20:04

Kerry alchemy of how you balance them all and

20:06

there's a great example against Bournemouth where they weren't

20:08

phenomenal in the first half and he switched them

20:10

around at half time so he moved Diego Giotto

20:12

from the nine to right wing and put Darwin

20:14

Nunez from the left and to the right and

20:16

then put Luis Diaz on to the other side

20:18

on the left and they clicked an awful lot

20:20

better and won't wander that from a long

20:23

ball but then a good combination between some of the

20:25

forwards. Yeah I want to get

20:27

Michael's thoughts on Darwin Nunez and his kind of

20:29

best role down the centre and the left but

20:31

just on the Salah note I looked

20:33

into the location of his touches because I think that's

20:35

the main thing that people have been saying that he's

20:38

getting his touches a hell of a lot deeper and

20:40

there are occasions where that is the case because of

20:42

Trent cutting inside but I don't think hugely there's a

20:44

massive difference in the location of his touches but this

20:47

season one thing that I've noticed and the numbers show

20:49

it is that because of Trent's

20:51

change in role where he's sort of earlier

20:53

on in the attacking sequence he's obviously getting

20:55

the ball deeper he's not the one to

20:58

play the final ball from that right hand

21:00

side Salah is therefore the one to play

21:02

that final ball and be the creator rather

21:04

than necessarily the attacker so looking

21:06

at his creative numbers his chances in open

21:08

play as a consequence is expected assists are

21:10

the highest that they've been since 2018-19 per

21:13

90 and his

21:16

shots and his touches in the opposition box are

21:18

the lowest they've been in that period as well

21:20

so it's more just that this which speaks to

21:22

the podcast episode that there's an evolution in his

21:24

role a little bit whether or not

21:26

that is kind of the best decision for him because

21:28

we know how much he really likes to be on

21:31

the end of attacking sequences is

21:33

another question but there's definitely been more of

21:35

a move towards having more

21:37

of a creative role than the necessary a finishing

21:39

role should we say I

21:42

find the aspect of clicking

21:44

really interesting here because there was a

21:46

period where a lot of the current

21:48

Liverpool attackers had joined the club and

21:50

they were being used often in different

21:53

roles and I think a lot of

21:55

the narrative would have been clock needs

21:57

to work out who's best where and

22:00

find the alchemy that Mane,

22:02

Firmino and Salah had.

22:05

Has that been the outcome

22:07

or have they achieved an

22:09

ability to play as a

22:11

unit together in various

22:13

different positions and still maintain the

22:15

level of unit attacking

22:18

output? Or has he finally found

22:20

round pegs in round holes? No, I think

22:22

it's more the fluidity. As Liam mentioned before,

22:24

I think the fact that they can all

22:26

play in different roles has been

22:28

to their benefit. There is maybe reverse engineering it because while

22:30

things are going well, you think it's fluid and then while

22:33

that same thing happens and they're not doing so well, you

22:35

think it's okay because they don't know their roles. I

22:37

think you put very, very

22:40

good, if not world-class players in a front

22:42

line, they'll often score lots of goals. I

22:44

think the main thing for Liverpool this season,

22:46

compared to last season, where it

22:49

was largely the same personnel, I know that

22:51

Gackpo came in in the winter but their

22:53

press is so much better from the front

22:56

and that they are able to stop the

22:58

opposition from building out and

23:00

there's so much less pressure on the back

23:02

line as a consequence and they're far more

23:04

coordinated in that and I wonder whether, well

23:06

I'm sure it has been something that Liverpool

23:08

worked on in pre-season, making sure that as

23:10

a unit you know when to go because

23:12

as the guys mentioned before, Mane,

23:15

Firmino and all three of them in

23:17

the first iteration were so good out

23:19

of possession and that's where Liverpool sort

23:21

of faltered a little bit more last

23:23

season in this new iteration of the

23:25

front line and as I say,

23:27

once you're in possession, the rest will work itself

23:29

out. Yeah, the front three now is gonna be

23:31

ridiculously quick. If you think of Nunez and Diaz

23:33

in particular being able to press defenders, again it's

23:35

a small detail but having someone that can cover

23:38

ground half a second to

23:40

even a second quicker isn't always that visible to see

23:42

on the pitch but makes a difference when

23:44

you are really, really trying to press that way and

23:47

it's something I think we need to factor in that

23:49

Klopp sort of spoken about. He spoke about it relating

23:51

to new classes, specifically of having a really settled 11

23:53

and then the difficulty of players

23:55

that aren't playing regularly trying to come in when you do

23:58

get injuries and you are forced to rotate because of your...

24:00

European competition, then not having the

24:02

match fitness or the sharpness or just looking a bit incoherent

24:05

almost sounds a bit disrespectful but not having those

24:07

established relationships all the time and knowing who they're

24:09

playing with. But being able to chop and change

24:11

things means players are more settled, you've got better

24:13

established relationships when you're going to be flexible because

24:15

this is a Liverpool team that have played pretty

24:17

much every single game possible for, put it the

24:19

last two or three seasons, that club

24:22

often says they don't really coach things on

24:24

the training ground anymore, they might get one

24:26

or two sessions maximum a week, it's play,

24:28

recover, play again, so having that talent where

24:30

you don't know where to go, only to coach this

24:32

third, fourth way to press or this different way to

24:34

attack, I can just go switch my wings at half

24:36

time and that can be enough. And

24:38

Michael it is some unit isn't

24:40

it because Darwin Nunez

24:43

and Mohamed Salah's underlying

24:45

numbers when it comes to

24:47

getting chances are elite but

24:50

outside of that where some teams drop

24:52

off completely to their second, third, fourth

24:55

goal scoring options, Gackpo, Jota, Lewis Diaz,

24:57

whenever they're on the pitch as well

24:59

they're all goal threats. Yeah

25:02

I think it's quite interesting how a club

25:04

likes to use his forwards or his strikers

25:06

because when you think about when Divock Origi started

25:09

which wasn't too much because he was usually a

25:11

super sub, but he was a proper

25:13

number nine but when he did start he

25:15

usually played from the left and Mane

25:17

went inside to play the Firmino role

25:19

and when you look at what's happened

25:21

with Nunez and Gackpo, Gackpo

25:24

was generally cast as a winger

25:26

or versatile forward before he came to Liverpool.

25:28

I don't think he's played wide once this

25:30

year, I think he's almost always played as

25:33

the number nine or the fourth number

25:35

nine and it's kind of been

25:38

reversed for Nunez, I mean he's played through the

25:40

middle sometimes but I think he's actually more effective

25:43

out wide and actually things

25:45

went a bit further because in the first two

25:47

games of the season, maybe after that that's certainly

25:49

the first two. Gackpo actually played

25:51

more than number eight in a four three three and

25:53

I thought that was quite interesting as well. I

25:56

thought to a certain extent that was trying to build

25:58

something different, not just say this is the the template

26:00

of what used to be with a Firmino role,

26:02

there was a Manu role. Let's try and do

26:04

something different because they hadn't usually played with

26:06

a player a number 8 like GAC Pro, that's

26:08

quite different. So yeah, I mean I

26:11

don't think they found the right solution or

26:13

the right balance but it is

26:15

kind of working. I mean Jot is a funny player as well.

26:17

He almost never looks great, he's a bit scrappy, he's

26:19

a bit of a triad but he really gets

26:21

the job done, he scores some very important goals.

26:24

So yeah, I'm not sure they're going to find the right

26:26

balance between now and the end of the season, I think

26:28

they're going to mix and match and make do but it's

26:31

kind of working at the moment. But that's fine isn't it? Yeah,

26:33

it's kind of working. I think it's better than okay. I think

26:35

there's maybe a hyper focus now

26:37

on teams having a really clear style to play and

26:39

almost like this level they need to hit every time

26:41

of saying it needs to look how it used to

26:43

three or four years ago because

26:46

that's how we won a league doing it and that's

26:48

how we liked playing and it was really good and

26:50

effective but you look at a vast

26:52

majority of that squad have either left aren't

26:54

there anymore or have gotten older and the

26:56

game around them has changed so you look

26:58

at maybe not like the

27:00

average start in the Premier League but the sheer amount of

27:02

possession football now gets played, the sheer amount of pressing that

27:04

now occurs and you go well if you try and play

27:07

exactly the same way in a slightly different league

27:10

with quite a few different players you're kind of like what's

27:13

the point in you doing it? You're trying to fulfil something

27:15

that doesn't really fit the people that you've got now and

27:18

I think it's maybe a bit

27:20

more tournament football style to say they're

27:22

just about good enough in every game

27:24

and without, you know, it's almost in a

27:26

critique of them that they don't like they get out

27:28

of second or third gearing games but they're really really

27:31

good and flexible and adaptable and I think now that's

27:33

one of the biggest ones they can have and I

27:35

think people really underrate that in a nearer way. You

27:37

don't get a lot of time to train and coach

27:39

things, Newcastle are a great example of that of having

27:42

a really good plan A, Tottenham maybe a little bit

27:44

this season as well even though they're early into the

27:46

process Liverpool will now go under admittedly from a better

27:48

starting point of trying to instill a new style but

27:50

you need to be able to not just go one

27:52

lap in games but to respond when you do go

27:55

behind or to see out games because I think the

27:57

overall quality in the league has definitely gone up. the

28:00

case of Liverpool in terms of getting back

28:02

into games or not being able to break

28:04

down a team in the early stages, that

28:06

versatility across the front line to come up

28:08

with different solutions depending on what's going on

28:10

within the game, which is testament to Clough

28:12

and his coaching staff, but also the players

28:14

to rotate and find different spaces and maximise

28:18

the areas that maybe need to be done. I

28:20

mean, Liam mentioned the Bournemouth game where there was

28:22

the rotation, but it happened in the Arsenal FA

28:24

Cup game as well, where Nunes I think started

28:26

down the middle and then in the second half

28:28

they needed to change something and Nunes was on

28:30

the left and it became far more direct, just

28:32

making sure you just use his pace and he

28:34

was just his destructive self and he kind of

28:36

brought Liverpool up the pitch and they kind of

28:38

built from there and got a bit more of

28:40

a foothold in the game. So you don't

28:43

even need to make substitutions sometimes with the

28:45

way that Liverpool's versatility is that it's okay,

28:47

well this is the game that we need

28:49

to play in the second half now or

28:51

we need to be better out of possession

28:53

with this player or Gackpone needs to tuck

28:55

in a little bit more, whatever it may

28:57

be, that's another strength to Liverpool which in

29:00

the same way wasn't, for all the Liverpool good

29:02

in the first iteration, wasn't quite the same in

29:04

terms of having a plan B within the personnel.

29:07

They're really not great starters this season, I've just

29:09

had a look at the numbers and they've scored

29:11

two and conceded three in the first 15 minutes.

29:13

Overall they've got 19 first half goals and conceded

29:15

11 and they've scored 20 in

29:17

the final 15 minutes of games, which is more than

29:19

anyone else this season, more than anyone else last season

29:22

and people often I think overlook that insurance is not

29:24

always a sustainable thing to do because you can say

29:26

oh we're just scoring later on, that's not how you

29:28

plan to win a game. No it's not but that

29:30

shows the quality you've got in your depth of the

29:32

academy players that come through and can contribute later on

29:36

and the skill and the individual quality that you've got

29:38

then to have an impact. Well that's particularly interesting

29:40

the point you made earlier about Klopp's

29:42

Liverpool 1.0 and how often they

29:45

were ahead at half time and saw games

29:47

out from that position, that is a very

29:49

clear difference between this team and that team.

29:52

In midfield compared to the 2019-21

29:56

batch that we mentioned earlier, what

29:58

is this new mix? central midfielders add

30:00

up to a lot of new faces and names

30:03

added over the last 18

30:05

months, two years. What sort of spaces

30:07

do they occupy and have they refound

30:09

that alchemy? I think

30:11

maybe and then maybe lost it a bit now that you know

30:14

they've had players go to continental tournaments. I think

30:16

this is probably the one area you can be

30:19

maybe hypercritical of them for in terms of their

30:21

squad building. Hasn't been excellent. I mean they've sort

30:23

of refit Alex and Michaelis I think really well

30:25

actually into a sort of a single pivot role

30:27

where you know signed for Brighton as a number

30:30

10, played in sort of a double pivot. It's

30:32

great, it's really aggressive, a big hustler, he made

30:34

a load of tackles against Bournemouth, it was something

30:36

like the most money livable player for quite a

30:38

number of years but he's also it can be

30:40

a little bit wild and quite eager as a

30:43

defensive player and he's not really the sort of

30:45

player that's going to shuffle and just screen it

30:47

and not a roger-type midfielder necessarily. Not you know

30:49

managers now seem to want a big guy to

30:51

be that number four and I think maybe that's

30:53

to do with the overall they haven't sort of

30:55

the scouting department and the changes that they had

30:57

there but I like the balance

30:59

profiles they've got in midfield. Shobazar is a great

31:01

example now makes a lot of sort of these

31:03

crashing runs between fullback and centre back to really

31:05

sort of attack the space which is good because

31:07

if Salah is receiving not always in those advanced

31:09

spaces in behind you still want the same you

31:11

know penetration of that back line is

31:13

just coming about a different way so again it's

31:15

really different solutions. I think it's similar to speaking about

31:18

the forward line in the sense that Michaelis

31:20

can play defensive midfield, you'd mentioned it

31:23

Liam, centre midfield or attacking midfield. Ryan

31:25

Gravenberch was in his Ajax days

31:28

yes a centre midfielder but he can play as a

31:30

double pivot as a defensive midfielder. Curtis

31:32

Jones who was a number 10 winger

31:34

in the academy days he was trialled

31:36

as a defensive midfielder in preseason I

31:39

think he did it in the England

31:41

international setup as well which obviously England

31:43

won but you've kind of got the

31:45

ability to rotate across there it's obviously

31:47

I could arguably play in the forward

31:49

line as well Harvey Elliott could as well

31:51

so that could

31:53

maybe come with its caveats as

31:56

well because Liverpool still are quite

31:58

vulnerable in transition because that's their

32:00

game, but I

32:02

think with Haro Endovers he was just getting into

32:04

some really good form before he went away with

32:06

Japan to the Asia Cup, so it would be

32:08

interesting to see how Liverpool respond

32:11

and fit him back into the team

32:13

when he's back, but I

32:15

think the main thing in terms of the difference

32:17

between this iteration and the last one is that

32:20

they are, because of what I said of having

32:22

so many potential attacking players, Michael mentioned Cody Cackpow

32:24

playing as a number eight as well, that they

32:26

can contribute and chip in with goals as well,

32:29

which wasn't really the case with the first iteration.

32:31

They'd chip in with

32:33

the odd goal, maybe Milner taking

32:35

penalties as well, but yeah, Curtis

32:37

Jones has scored five goals in

32:39

all competitions this season, Dominic Sobersleif

32:41

five, Ryan Gravenburch three, which granted

32:43

aren't the huge numbers, not

32:45

into double figures, but they are just contributing

32:47

more and more and ghosting into the box

32:49

and getting on that attacking line as Liam

32:51

mentioned, so that would be the main difference

32:53

for me in terms of the first and

32:55

last iteration. They're better technically,

32:57

I think it's the best technical midfield that

33:00

Klopp has had at Liverpool. The one I

33:02

don't really fancy, I've got to be honest,

33:04

his endo at the

33:25

endo, he's a surprise if he's a real first team regular

33:27

in the title winning season, I could be wrong. It

33:30

feels like maybe the importance of the

33:34

performance of one individual or two individuals

33:36

or three perhaps is less than it

33:38

was in that previous team,

33:40

a bit like what we talked about

33:42

with the forward line. It just feels

33:44

like you're talking about more players here

33:46

contributing to Liverpool's midfield this season and

33:48

somehow it all coming together and working

33:50

out fairly well. Are you comfortable with

33:54

that aspect of it not being a

33:56

tight, consistent unit, You know

33:58

who's going to be there, You know what they'll do? And

34:00

it's dependable. You're happy with the a wider

34:02

number of players and and just so making

34:04

it worked yeah again is maybe reverse engineering

34:06

the narrative if they do start to have

34:08

that of poor form and you say okay

34:11

you need to have bit of a settled

34:13

side so. Maybe. Difficult

34:15

to to truly on that. What I

34:17

mean I d Marcus point about the

34:19

end though. Examples that he did staff

34:21

really quite poorly. As Uma he wasn't

34:23

up to speed at all. And am

34:25

I have mentioned on this podcast it

34:27

felt like he was almost playing midfield

34:29

by numbers were it was like okay,

34:31

look up, control the ball, look up

34:33

again, try and possible and it felt

34:35

very very spice, stilted and and slow

34:37

burn it was just the final few

34:39

weeks he started to really crush insists

34:41

and tackles reading it really well, pressing

34:44

really well despite. Some simple performances in the

34:46

Europa league as as well as the prime

34:48

you the exact to go up by that

34:50

point of who do need settled defensive midfield.

34:52

I think that's where I'd prefer that to

34:55

be the case, the number eight or think

34:57

this rotation and different needs for that the

34:59

different games but I think if they can

35:01

brady solidify a defensive midfielder that will that

35:03

be the solid base. Assume we

35:06

may be overestimate how consistent and for

35:08

were even at them much It's. Secret

35:12

Service and Ice on the second upon often

35:14

brings up that the Twenty nine teen Team

35:16

Austin that Champions League final is the only

35:18

time the Iconic living with him, his staff

35:20

together sats Allison I can there on out

35:22

market Van Dyke Robertson and a Method for

35:25

of Henderson for been yeah my now them

35:27

and the iconic from Faith Salah mean your

35:29

money and you look at how this on

35:31

the only time they only styles and I'm

35:33

so she never in a premier league. game

35:35

had never before never after that am went

35:37

out and started thirty seven a set it

35:40

premier league games that season and since ah

35:42

to thirty for be no twenty eight so

35:44

that's appearances plate of a chambermaid thirty appearances

35:46

milner twenty two navigator eighteen and on the

35:49

sistine say i love those are pets of

35:51

the bench and chopping and changing throughout but

35:53

it's interesting how things so stick in their

35:55

mind and it makes sense to as big

35:57

games and know and someone's going to remember

36:00

38 games plus of a season four years

36:02

ago. Well, Mark Carey might need to test

36:04

it, but yeah, that's, it's

36:07

clearly a feature that's still true for them now. Trent

36:14

Alexander-Arnold always feels like the biggest part

36:16

of Liverpool discourse or has done over

36:19

the last year or two. We've

36:21

waited till this point in the pod to

36:23

really zoom in on Trent's change in

36:26

his in-possession role and responsibility.

36:28

Michael, are we

36:31

at the point now where there's enough evidence,

36:34

enough data, enough games to look back

36:36

at to say that this move, that

36:38

Trent's coming inside much more than he

36:40

ever did before, has been a successful

36:42

ploy to help evolve this Liverpool team? Yeah,

36:45

I think so. I mean, it's funny that it's happened

36:47

at the time where, like I say, I think the

36:50

midfield otherwise is more technical than it's been before. I

36:52

think in a way it would have made a bit

36:54

more sense when they had Milne or Oxlade-Chamberlain

36:57

in there, you know. Right, when they had

36:59

less obvious on-ball creativity, I

37:01

guess. Yeah, exactly. I quite like

37:03

Oxlade-Chamberlain, but he's never going to

37:05

thread a pass through the defence

37:07

like Alexander-Arnold can. But no, it's worked very well. I

37:10

mean, they've got the right-of-side centre back to play. I

37:12

think that's a really important part of it. And

37:14

it's not fixed. There's been some games where they've

37:17

played against a deep defence, you

37:19

know, Alexander-Arnold has been tracked in field or been

37:21

marked closely by a central midfielder. And then they've

37:23

said, OK, we'll go out to the right and

37:26

get some cross with him because he's still really

37:28

good at that. I mean, it's interesting

37:30

at the moment Conor Bradley's come in and was

37:32

excellent last night against Chelsea. I mean, brilliant

37:35

goal, really good all-round performance. What

37:37

I think is a bit of a shame in terms of tactical

37:40

intrigue is that now Andy Robertson is

37:42

back from injury. Because I think,

37:44

I mean, they haven't got anyone else

37:46

who can play left, but I don't like Joe Gomez there. I

37:48

think he's really pedestrian on the ball. If

37:51

Alexander-Arnold was just going to come inside into midfield,

37:53

Would they have played Bradley on the right and

37:56

played Alexander-Arnold on the left and got him to

37:58

come inside? Because I Think if you do... I

38:00

don't think that.my I'm in there is a

38:02

difference for the not that much difference between

38:04

the two sides. Enrico Louis made his England

38:06

debut going from left back to century so

38:08

have not done that the at him but

38:11

he went right back to sentiment said with

38:13

city is pretty accustomed to during it's I'd

38:15

love to see what are exhausted or on

38:17

would would be from the last like cutting

38:19

inside would issue more I deny by I

38:21

would love to say it no offense to

38:23

and you have some but if he can

38:25

just get a couple of a lie liar

38:28

minor injury, missed a couple again you. Can

38:30

see this as it's about six months out of

38:32

the major yeah united. Some someone tipped him

38:34

as I'm Suzie a hamstring strain of I'm saying

38:36

and ice. Hideaway. Family to say.

38:39

I mean be great. And

38:41

finally we get. In depth

38:43

ways, Virgil Van Dyke, plus one

38:45

at the back, and Allison in

38:47

That's Who spawning Both Ears have

38:49

been absolutely crucial to the way

38:52

that liberal play and to that

38:54

success. But what in particular, liam

38:56

about the roles that club has

38:58

them during and that suitability for

39:00

s has been so important. Of

39:03

and Dutch that a colossal sensible you she's

39:05

of space out wide and passing ranges is

39:07

phenomenal. You see this internationally as well for

39:09

his country where they've on how stuck him

39:11

in a back three and was like not

39:13

really my preferred choice and still really thrive

39:15

in a site he's he's excellent and you

39:17

saw on know when it's high completely to

39:19

that says miller put up a bit but

39:21

he did mister big term can eat then

39:23

became bring out your place in there that

39:25

defense suffer because of it as soon as

39:27

is a phenomenal round a goalkeeper I think

39:29

critically one the ones that are was great.

39:31

Data from from John Harrison. on a

39:33

fantastic goalkeeper guys on twitter pets awesome some

39:35

great start someone be one specific to don't

39:37

happen to hamper often you see is tables

39:39

madison is a west wales at the top

39:41

of them and i can protecting the title

39:43

winning season had a massive i did performance

39:46

makes and executes already good decisions and i

39:48

think is distributions great as well as they

39:50

decide to the go disorder west brom that's

39:52

that's his ability to to claim corners or

39:54

free kicks and then send these launching both

39:56

up to the sorrow for the forwards that's

39:58

running behind the winning goal against it I

40:00

think of and the tanfield where he sat

40:02

Salah through and he scored 1v1 small details

40:04

But you know, that's just where you see

40:06

the real real excellence there I

40:08

think the trait that ties both of them together and

40:11

kind of encapsulates what we've spoken about with the Liverpool

40:13

1.0 is their

40:15

ability to allow Liverpool to play a really

40:17

high line and that will allow the forwards

40:19

to press really aggressively the midfield to jump

40:22

up and for village of and

40:24

I to basically stand alongside either a Joel Matip

40:26

or a Joe Gomez on the halfway line and

40:28

dare the Opposition forwards to try and beat them

40:30

in a foot race if they do play over

40:32

the top and even if they do then play

40:34

over the top Allison is so quick off his

40:37

off his line in a 1v1 to Liam's

40:39

point But off his line and out of his box

40:42

in general in his sweeper keeper actions

40:44

that you'll see on FB ref that

40:46

you'll see that Allison is consistently been

40:48

among the the top three top five

40:51

For all that you could think think about Allison's

40:54

Goalkeeping metrics as well their ability to actually

40:56

allow them to play the way that clock

40:58

wants them to play I think has been

41:00

the pinky so it feels like in breaking

41:02

down what the current team is like and in looking at some

41:04

of the standout statistics from

41:06

this season that actually it's Liverpool's

41:09

ability to adapt within games that

41:11

is Causing so many problems

41:13

for their opposition. They are not so

41:15

good at nil-nil as Clops Liverpool 1.0,

41:19

but when it comes to scoring late goals coming

41:21

from behind at times as well there's

41:23

obviously a lot to be said for the

41:25

amount of rotation that clock is able to

41:27

do within games and game to game and

41:29

the adaptations within

41:31

game that probably define this team more so

41:34

than the the Liverpool team

41:36

from the previous era. I mean Michael if you

41:38

look at it like that How

41:41

strong do you think this Liverpool team is

41:43

compared to? 1.0

41:45

Clops Liverpool given that they do feel

41:47

and look quite different in some ways

41:51

Yeah, I mean they were fantastic last night against Chelsea. That

41:53

was one of the best performances. I've seen them play for

41:56

a long time, but overall haven't been that convinced by them.

41:58

I Know the top of the league. I.

42:00

Don't think they're quite close to where

42:02

they were rarely when there are cops

42:04

pay and they still fell to me

42:06

a little bit. Live in between you

42:08

know to areas of great team and

42:11

I think it's quite interesting because. The.

42:14

Certain managers who when they leave they just

42:16

leave a pedophile. I mean. When.

42:18

Folks and of magic not that was not a good

42:20

squad to be taken over and I didn't think he

42:22

was really. thinking. It's all about

42:24

progression or what was going to come next

42:26

in a bind. Van Persie, for example with

42:29

when you look at what top is done.

42:32

Pays. Brought through a lot a young players through

42:34

the season, he just giving them some minutes. Some.

42:36

Plaza paid incriminate. is he a corner?

42:38

Bradley? Bobby Clarke and dog own back

42:41

James Mcconnell cat a kite Gordon. I

42:43

think he is not just with that both would

42:45

apply that been brought in. I do think that

42:48

they they a really good squad for someone to

42:50

inherit and an idea and Jones is wow leave

42:52

yeah for sure I think lip will be back

42:54

next season or season after my ah this yes

42:56

my still win the league this year. But.

42:59

I think this I mean when you look at

43:01

that the average age. And. Of

43:03

it's not that many times he won't be

43:05

around into your time or who when be

43:07

better than two years time said he. I

43:09

think they're gonna come again I think the

43:11

be really good into always depended managers. I spent

43:14

a saw a you just ignoring the flat that

43:16

there may be but that's a good squad take

43:18

over again I think I'd is really talented versatile

43:20

yeah thing as quite an proposition I think the

43:23

best time away from to walk out on his

43:25

own times. we say lot and we've spoken about

43:27

management and in multiple episodes publisher back to

43:29

listen to and as they can we said

43:31

there is. This is often a shameless. Someone. Has

43:33

a pretty good legacy and that gets a

43:36

bit tarnished by staying longer than the Peak

43:38

and then and the Up gang. Sachs or

43:40

it's all in the up in flames admitting

43:43

fingers at a great example of that advice.

43:45

Similar as an aside, my theory on nights

43:47

out west I possibly should always leave I

43:49

still having a good time so that in

43:52

the morning there's no chance of remembering that

43:54

so pretty shabby few hours. a

43:57

certain type my shabby hours regular channels

43:59

ago No, with the Shabby Lonzo

44:01

link. You

44:05

didn't get that, as well. OK. So we're talking about

44:07

this podcast, having a bit of a shabby. The far

44:09

nights out together. And now a shabby chat. We've

44:12

gusted you out every season. I know. The

44:14

ones that get it get it. The ones that don't don't. I

44:18

had a quick look at Liverpool's current points for game pace

44:20

and what it's on for this season. It's going to come

44:22

up to just over 88 if they stay as they are,

44:24

which will be on the lower end of what we've seen

44:26

in recent seasons. But as Michael sort of

44:28

alluded to, I think there's other teams

44:30

in the league that it's just not as competitive

44:32

at the very top end. So City

44:35

don't look quite as perfect as they have been.

44:37

Chelsea and Manchester United definitely in very iffy periods.

44:39

Spurs look largely good, but are fading a bit

44:41

in games and tailing off. And look, they appointed

44:43

a new manager or head coach in the summer.

44:46

So I think now is also a really good time

44:48

where you go. It's not as impossible or

44:50

perfect as you need to be to sort of win

44:52

in recent seasons. Liverpool were excellent for

44:54

two years and then came second with really high points

44:56

tallies. Really, City, they could bring in a new coach

44:58

now and account for the

45:00

fact that you can have a bit of issues with teething problems

45:02

and bringing in a new coach. And as we say

45:05

now, bleeding in these new players. And you could

45:07

still get 80-25 points and be top two or

45:09

top three. Less important now with the

45:11

Champions League places and more being allocated, but principally

45:13

where you want to finish. It's very doable. So,

45:16

Mark, quite a lot to work with for the

45:18

next manager, even if Liverpool aren't

45:21

usually active in the transfer market this summer, which makes a

45:23

bit of a change from the last few summers. Yeah,

45:25

which speaks to the guy's point that Klopp

45:28

is leaving on a high

45:30

for himself, but leaving Liverpool in such a good

45:32

position. And Michael mentioned the academy players.

45:35

I think Liverpool, in all competitions, have

45:37

played seven teenagers this season, which,

45:40

again, thinking about the future, they've got some really

45:42

good players out on loan as well to maybe

45:44

come back. But they've got really

45:46

good options, 30 players in total in all competitions that

45:49

they've played. And I think

45:51

the way that this season has gone for Klopp as

45:53

well has helped in terms of

45:55

having some favourable cup draws and

45:57

the Europa League to allow them to... to

46:00

bloat more players and get a bit of rhythm and things

46:02

like that. But, yeah, whoever comes in

46:04

doesn't necessarily need to buy. In

46:06

terms of that sort of consistency as well, speaking

46:09

about Chevy Alonso potentially, but I think it

46:12

would be a shame not to have

46:15

a conversation with Pep Linders, who's Liverpool's

46:17

current assistant coach and has had spells

46:19

as a manager with NEC Nijmegen a

46:22

few seasons ago in the area divisied,

46:24

but that didn't work out quite so

46:26

well. But more akin to the Liverpool

46:29

boot room style, it would be quite

46:31

good to have that continued transition from

46:33

one manager to another who really understands

46:35

the club, understands the exact cohort of

46:38

players that I think they'd

46:40

be foolish not to try and actually maybe

46:42

entice him back if the current news is

46:44

that he's going to go along with the

46:46

other staff. Chevy Alonso,

46:48

Pep Linders, Ryan O'Hanlon

46:50

made an interesting case for Thomas Frank,

46:52

potentially being a good option for Liverpool

46:54

as well. Michael, any thoughts

46:56

on where they should turn next? What sort

46:58

of manager profile? I actually

47:00

really like Chevy Alonso as an option. OK,

47:03

there's there's no argument that it's a difficult

47:06

manager to follow. Maybe you don't want to use

47:08

it up too early, but I actually think the

47:10

style of football he plays and this is what

47:12

Liverpool have got would work really well. So I'd

47:15

be tempted to go for him early because because

47:17

others will be looking to pounce. Thank

47:19

you, guys. A really interesting podcast in light of

47:21

the news that Jurgen Klopp will leave Liverpool at

47:23

the end of the season. As

47:25

we speak, they are the Premier League leaders

47:28

and the next few months are going to

47:30

be very interesting indeed. Thank you to Liam,

47:32

to Mark and Michael as well for talking

47:34

me through it and to you for listening.

47:36

Make sure you subscribe to this podcast feed

47:38

so you get next week's episode as soon

47:41

as it drops and subscribe to The Athletic

47:43

as well. The athletic.com/tactics, the best

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place to go for a discount on an annual

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subscription. You can read everything that these guys and

47:49

their colleagues are writing on The Athletic site today.

47:53

That's it from us. We'll be back again next week. Thanks

47:56

very much and go well.