When given fully fit choices from inside his Liverpool squad, Jürgen Klopp is more tactically adaptable than he is generally thought to be.
On Sunday afternoon, German head coach Jürgen Klopp adopted a new defensive formation in an effort to surprise Roberto De Zerbi. In order to push Brighton & Hove Albion, Liverpool used a midfield diamond, with the Reds creating a strategy especially for their opponents.
It almost resulted in a victory because Klopp’s team was difficult to play through throughout the game, giving up just 27 total progressive passes as opposed to 53 the last time the two teams faced off in the Premier League. Liverpool did allow two goals, but one was the result of a catastrophic error, while the other came from a set-piece circumstance.
The Reds have only lost once in all competitions so far this season, and that setback occurred after Curtis Jones and Diogo Jota received two yellow cards in the same match. This season, Liverpool appears to have been given new life, and the obvious improvement may be attributed to the choices that Klopp now has at his disposal.
The Reds manager is frequently portrayed by Merseyside fans as an obstinate coach for reasons that are largely unexplained. He has a reputation for being dogmatic in his tactical choices and adhering to his go-to 4-3-3 formation every week, but he has really shown to be incredibly adaptable during his time in England.
At Anfield, Klopp undoubtedly adheres to a set of guiding ideas and foundations, but his tactical acumen is greater than sometimes acknowledged. The element of surprise is actually one of his strengths, but because he is rarely pressed to elaborate during interviews before or after games, his small adjustments frequently go unnoticed.
His audacious weekend decision to assume the shape of a diamond is only one instance. He has employed a wide range of different formations over the years to trouble his adversaries. For instance, in just one season last year, he alternated between the 4-3-3 and the 4-4-2 before settling more on the 3-2-5 offensive formation, which had Trent Alexander-Arnold being an inverted full-back.
Klopp altered his pressuring strategy last season as well. Liverpool went on to close down their opponents as a tight unit in the centre of the field rather than pressing high after the manager realised that his players were having trouble recovering the ball, mostly due to the worn-out and fatigued midfield department.
Beginning with the most prosperous phase of his career, Klopp shown that he was a master when given the luxury of options. He is one of the best around at switching up and switching around games when none of his players are injured, frequently to keep the opposition guessing.
In the summer of 2018, when Xherdan Shaqiri first moved to Anfield, Klopp was eager to put his talents to use. He was utilised as a number 10 and on the right, and Liverpool occasionally changed their formation to a 4-2-3-1 just to make room for the Swiss international at the expense of a midfielder.
When Jota was acquired from Wolves, he followed suit. The most important aspect of Klopp’s tactical changes is player availability; last season, he had to deal with a variety of fitness issues involving important players like Jota, Roberto Firmino, Luis Dáz, and Ibrahima Konaté, to mention a few.
In 2020–21, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, and Jol Matip all sustained season-ending injuries, and Jordan Henderson and Fabinho were also sidelined for protracted periods of time. He also experienced similar problems. When those challenging situations arise, Klopp is constrained, but when he is free to use his players as chess pieces, he is a great operator.
He arguably has more weapons at his disposal right now than at any other time. With Dominik Szoboszlai, Cody Gakpo, Darwin Neez, and Mohamed Salah, Liverpool has assembled a talented team with a wide range of possibilities. Additional instances are Jota, Dáz, Jones, Alexander-Arnold, Harvey Elliott, Andy Robertson, and Ryan Gravenberch.
This season, Klopp has a lot of depth in his squad, and the Reds are looking very tough to beat as a result. On Sunday afternoon, the Reds threw a diamond against Brighton and Hove Albion, and as long as everyone stays healthy, that won’t be the final curveball they throw this season.