How to beat Liverpool

I don't normally write tactical blogs.

The reasoning may become clear after reading this.

My only coaching to date has involved shouting "Stop bunching!" at kids so I don't expect that I will be uncovering anything that hasn't been thought of before.

However, having said that here is how to beat Premier League leaders and Champions League semi-finalists Liverpool FC.

Annoyingly from an Everton fan point of view, Liverpool are really, properly good at the moment. Well run, doing all that marginal gain stuff (set pieces, throw on coaches) I love, and if it were any other club then them I'd be holding them up as a beacon of what we should try and replicate.

*washes mouth out*

Having said all that I don't think they are unbeatable. What they have is a game plan they are follwoing really well, I don't think other teams have adapted to it as well as they could have done.

The basic premise is a really high press, what makes their version of it different is they effectively play a 2-5-3.

From the back:

A really good goalkeeper who is an excellent shot stopper and passer of the ball.

Two big, tall, fast defenders who win everything in the air and are mobile enough not to be caught out on the break.

A five across the middle consisting of two play making full backs and a solid barrier of three central midfielders who effectively act as a wall pushing up the pitch and dominating possession and territory.

Three attackers that are all capable of scoring and creating chances. When I compared the Liverpool front 3 to the Everton front 3 on interplay and chance generation it was a complete contrast. The Liverpool players combined far more, generating high levels of expected assists for each other whilst the Everton team were far more direct, very rarely combining.

The main difference between this team and previous incarnations of high pressing attacking teams is the midfield 5. Yes, other teams have had attacking full-backs who often combined into a 5 across the middle, with the idea that you forced the opposition into playing long. but they have certainly been less "wall" like. The Liverpool central midfield allows them to press but also dominate the ball. Teams seem to be lured into the idea they have to play through the press, which is really hard with three big midfielders to pass through, or go over the press where they inevitably lose out on aerial balls to Van Dijk. Not to mention you generally have the three attackers snapping at your heels whilst you are picking a pass out.

There are two ways I can see of beating such a system:

Copy it

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. Any successful tactical scheme will be copied. Obviously with the world's most expensive ever goalkeeper and central defender, and a wage bill the size of Belgium's GDP this team is hardly a shoestring operation but I think the main advantage Liverpool have is tactical rather than technical.

Teams who like to play the standard 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 find themselves pinned back by that midfield 5. All their build-up patterns are disrupted by the pressing and they get sucked into a game that suits Liverpool, either surrendering possession to keep sufficient men behind the ball and stop the front three running into space, or trying to pass through the press.

So could you not just copy the formation? Go man for man against the current set up?

Liverpool have first mover advantage. they've build a squad over three seasons to get to this point, and have been drilled every day on how to play the system.

Even if the system can't be replicated exactly I think you'll see more teams putting in a third central midfielder against Liverpool. A 4-5-1 designed to allow you to clog up the middle of the field and double up on the creative Liverpool wing backs. Picking quick wide midfielders capable of forcing Robertson and Alexander-Arnold backwards but also fielding full backs to ensure a lack of space for Salah and Mane to drift in to.

Press higher and position attackers wide

The two teams I have seen give Liverpool the toughest games recently were Tottenham and Everton. Both press high.

Whatever formation Everton have tried to field this season the nature of Sigurdsson's positioning means it often looks more like a 4-2-4.

Spurs play more of a 4-diamond-2 but with a striker who drifts wide and Delli Alli who presses, creates and hurries high up the pitch.

Both these formations have caused problems for Liverpool's game in contrasting ways, but with some subtle similarities.

Everton went very direct against Liverpool (62% pass completion), bypassing the press with Dominic Calvert-Lewin able to compete aerially with their defenders. This forced Liverpool's 5 to operate deeper and reduced the suffacating pressure which meant more time for the midfielders and defenders at Everton to pick out the longer balls. When Richarlison came on wide right it caused further issues with his physicality in wider areas.

Having Alli and Sigurdsson who are both excellent at applying pressure, alongside strikers meant that the Liverpool defence were matched and often outnumbered. The likes of Lucas and Son at Tottenham also offer physicality in wide attacking positions . Putting these players in wide behind Liverpool's attacking wide fullbacks pins them back and removes a major component from their build up play. It also allows the long diagonal ball to be used. Rather than central long balls being mopped up by the centre back the space wide of the boxes can be used. And if there is a weakness to Allisson's game it is his ability on crosses.

So next season I expect we'll see more teams moving towards crowding the midfield and forcing the wide defenders back with long balls towards wide forwards.

Either way I'll be looking for any evidence of it and linking this blog as proof, so you've got that to look forward to.