In a recent commentary, Arne Slot, manager of Liverpool, discussed the strategic adjustments made by his team in response to the evolving playing styles of their opponents. After the midweek victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, Slot had some urgent, short-term matters to address. He zeroed in on Mohammed Salah’s goal drought and the tactical conundrum that teams encounter by playing a 5-4-1. The analysis is released at an especially opportune moment, as Liverpool gears up to face Brentford in their next match.
Slot noted that Liverpool was up against a sharply drilled Frankfurt side. Frankfurt’s low block approach has become a trendy strategy for sides at least attempting to keep the score low against Liverpool. The recent shift in tactics has marked a more drastic change from last season, as the manager only alluded to.
Adjusting to Tactical Challenges
Slot said they needed to respond to switching to the 5-4-1 shapes that so many sides are now using against Liverpool. He said, “We just have to bend, and that’s what we’ve done.” Degree of change This change is not just responsive but part of a larger initiative to make Liverpool a more attacking team.
Slot understood the value of penetrating through highly organized defenses. He continued, “Sometimes a moment of magic or a set-piece is the only thing that can open the game up against teams that come in with a low block. This little nugget just goes to show how crucial set-pieces are in today’s football, with teams so difficult to break down from open play.
Slot observed that Liverpool has created more chances against such formations this season compared to last. This development should give hope that the unit’s attacking approach is improving, even though teams are making changes to their defensive setup.
Mohamed Salah and Squad Fitness
Mohamed Salah’s recent struggle to find the back of the net has had Liverpool fans, and football watchers in general, worried. Their star player got shut out in six straight games. As such, the coach sent him out to warm-up, but chose to bench him for the game against Frankfurt. Slot agreed this is a disturbing trend, saying, “I don’t know if it’s sharpness or not. It’s so difficult. I could come up with a few reasons which I’m not sure are the reasons.”
The burden on Salah is clearly being felt as the demands on his shoulders never seem to lighten. Slot will have to monitor Salah’s form and fitness very closely. This demand will be key to getting Salah’s goal-scoring confidence back ahead of those big games.
Along with worries over Salah, Slot offered updates on other members of the squad who were injured ahead of the clash with Brentford. Ryan Gravenberch (ankle) remained at home and did not make the trip to Germany. At the same time, Jeremie Frimpong and Alisson Becker will miss the next matchup after suffering hamstring injuries. Furthermore, Slot is awaiting updates on Alexander Isak’s groin problem as he evaluates his squad’s readiness.
Long Ball Strategy and Future Matches
The manager highlighted a trend where Liverpool has faced a total of 178 long balls in their last seven games, including 59 against Manchester United. This dependence on opponents lumping long balls shows a tactical change to counteract and halt Liverpool’s offensive supremacy. Slot commented on the importance of Liverpool figuring out how to respond to this issue going forward.
He referenced that Eintracht Frankfurt had consulted with Crystal Palace’s manager Oliver Glasner on how best to set up against Liverpool, underscoring the lengths teams will go to develop effective strategies against them.
Slot seemed unsurprised and supremely confident in his team’s ability to adjust. As I tell our players, and I tell the media this all the time. If we play a game and do not win, guess what After that game, I was kind of wishing I’d been able to at least congratulate the other manager for figuring out the correct response to how we play.
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