Sports Mole examines what Arne Slot has changed tactically to rescue points for Liverpool against the likes of Arsenal and Bayer Leverkusen.
Liverpool boss Arne Slot‘s in-game tactical tweaks have earned the club numerous points in the Premier League and Champions League this season from games that the Reds had started sluggishly in.
Slot has started life at Anfield better than most could have expected given he has now won more games in his first 16 matches in charge of a Premier League team than anybody else in the history of the competition.
The fact the Dutchman has already won 14 fixtures makes a mockery of those who suggested the Merseysiders would collapse without previous boss Jurgen Klopp leading the side.
The Reds are first in the top flight with a seven-point lead on title rivals Arsenal, and though they are only two points ahead of champions Manchester City, Pep Guardiola‘s team look particularly vulnerable this campaign in the absence of defensive midfielder Rodri.
Slot’s time at Liverpool could hardly have gone more smoothly results wise, but that does not mean that his team have always found it easy to achieve victory.
Indeed, the Reds have started a number of games slowly and have had to overcome adversity, but Slot should be credited for making tactical adjustments that have effectively salvaged matches on several occasions.
Tactical mind from the start
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It was clear that Slot had a keen tactical mind from his very first game in charge against Ipswich Town in August, a match in which Liverpool initially fielded narrow full-backs before switching to a wider system in the second half that helped them eventually win 2-0.
The reason behind the switch was that the Reds had struggled to escape Ipswich’s man-oriented pressing system, and by positioning Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson wider, the Reds were able to stretch the Blues’ defensive lines and open up gaps.
Another important tweak made by Slot was substituting on Ibrahima Konate for Jarell Quansah in the heart of defence at the half-time interval.
The move was seen as somewhat controversial at the time, with some suggesting that Quansah’s confidence may have been negatively affected, but Konate has started every Premier League game since and has arguably been one of the division’s best centre-backs.
Slot managed to beat Manchester United 3-0 at Old Trafford on September 1, and in the aftermath of the win Slot was able to meticulously explain how his side achieved victory, saying he deliberately altered Dominik Szoboszlai‘s position from that of a right-sided midfielder to that of a left-sided one.
Slot also changed the position of Ryan Gravenberch, who has primarily functioned as Liverpool’s number six, and instead played him as an eight against United because he wanted powerful runners either side of Alexis Mac Allister.
This tactical fluidity helped the Reds earn a famous win against their fierce rivals, and highlighted the Liverpool manager’s sharp mind.
Recent changes
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There have also been a number of tactical changes made in recent matches, including against Arsenal at the Emirates in the sides’ 2-2 draw on October 27.
Slot admitted that the Gunners were the better team in the first half, but by inverting Alexander-Arnold further into midfield and bringing on Szoboszlai in the second half, the Reds wrestled control of the match from Mikel Arteta’s side.
Liverpool also started poorly against Brighton & Hove Albion last weekend and were arguably fortunate to only be trailing 1-0 at half time.
Brighton too easily bypassed their opponents’ press and were able to transition towards goal with little resistance.
One of Slot’s underlining principles has been to try and keep an extra defender in the backline in order to outnumber opposition forwards four to three, but at times the Dutchman has been reluctant to allow his spare defender to engage higher up the pitch.
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In fairness to Slot, Liverpool boast the best defensive record in the league having conceded just six goals in 10 games, but this approach was problematic against the Seagulls.
The Reds boss deployed a far more aggressive 4-3-3 shape in the second half, one that could almost resemble a 4-4-2 at times, and allowed Alexander-Arnold to attack his opponents in advanced areas.
Brighton lost control of the game under that increasing pressure, and Liverpool eventually emerged as 2-1 victors.
Slot’s tactical acumen was also evident against Bayer Leverkusen during their 4-0 win on Tuesday, with the Dutchman pushing both Mac Allister and Curtis Jones higher up the pitch in order to pin Leverkusen deeper in their own half and provide the likes of Gravenberch with more time on the ball.
Most notably, Slot utilised Luis Diaz as a striker, asking him to drop deeper to help link play, overload Leverkusen’s midfield and draw out defenders from the backline.
The extent to which the Dutchman has been able to implement so many different tactical variations into his playing style should not go unnoticed, and the Liverpool boss is clearly a very adaptable coach.
Not the same as Klopp
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To suggest that Klopp was nothing more than a motivator during his time at Anfield would do a disservice to the German’s legacy, especially as he made the Reds famous for their high press.
However, it is not unfair to suggest that Slot is more flexible in his approach than Klopp, something that has been particularly evident when the Reds have either been trailing or held at bay early in matches.
The current Liverpool boss will be the first to admit that he would ideally prefer to not have to make as many tactical changes in order to win games, but it should be seen as a positive that the Dutchman has been able to give the Reds the platform from which to succeed.
If Slot can fine tune aspects of his side such as their out of possession shape, then there is no reason why he would not be able to win major silverware.
Liverpool are set to host Aston Villa at Anfield on Saturday evening and they will hope to maintain their lead at the top of the Premier League table and go 10 points clear of Arsenal before they play Chelsea on Sunday.
Sports Mole editor Barney Corkhill spoke with Liverpool expert David Lynch to discuss the tactical changes that Arne Slot has made in order to ensure victory.
Press play on the video at the top of this article to hear the full discussion.
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