Andy Robertson picked up a shoulder injury while representing Scotland on Thursday night, and that could force Jürgen Klopp to adjust his Liverpool system.
Six months ago, Jürgen Klopp and his assistant, Pep Lijnders, seemed to reluctantly seek inspiration from the team that would later go on to win the treble. Fierce rival Manchester City dominated Europe last term, delivering the Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup to the Etihad Stadium by using a specific tactic.
Pep Guardiola installed a system which involved John Stones becoming a makeshift midfielder whenever his team had possession under control. Manchester City formed a box shape in the middle of the park using the English defender, and it allowed the team to control games with ease while maximizing the contributions of Erling Haaland, who could be accommodated as a poacher up front. The Norwegian forward broke the Premier League record for most goals scored in a single tournament and his side also scored the fewest goals in England with just 33 in 38 games. While Guardiola’s outfit dominated most of their opponents in Manchester, Liverpool struggled to find any form. of consistency on Merseyside.
The Reds finished eighth in the Premier League at the end of the switch, having already been knocked out of every cup competition on the calendar and in desperate need of improvement. Lijnders proposed a solution to Klopp and his idea was largely that Trent Alexander-Arnold mirrored Stones in many ways.
The right-back would become a reverse full-back at Anfield – allowing Liverpool to benefit from the shape of their box in the middle of the pitch – which in turn allowed them to win the ball back. The Reds played the rest of the season with a new lineup and didn’t lose a single game, and that continued this season as well.
Lijnders recently talked about the new lineup on the Training Guru Podcast. “The team came together again and we were really balanced, we didn’t suffer counter-attacks like before,” he said. “A small change can be enough for the players to feel comfortable again. If you control the midfield, you also control the game.”
Klopp almost adopted one of Guardiola’s ideas to get back on track, but he added his own twist with the help of left-back Andy Robertson. The high-flying defender continued to progress to Liverpool’s final third despite the system change.
Guardiola, on the other hand, advised his equivalent version of Robertson to stay away.
Manchester City tend to form a back three, with left-back Nathan Aké – or new signing Joško Guardiol – pushing in when Stones moves back. Guardiola always makes sure he has five, Rodri and three players behind the ball in Stones.
Klopp offered his own take on the concept. Whenever Alexander-Arnold strays into midfield, Robertson is given permission to move forward when he sees fit, the Reds boss said in an interview last season.
“Of course [the new-look 3-2-5 attacking formation] has changed his role a bit,” he said (via the ECHO). “It’s clear. We can’t have one full-back in the middle of the pitch and another constantly high on the left. It’s difficult, so Robbo has to assess the situations when he can get involved and when he can overlap.”
Robertson used Aké at times, but mostly he linked the attacks and relied on Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté to form a two-man duo on the defensive side of the game. This allowed Liverpool to benefit from dynamism in the final third and Klopp is known for attacking with as many players as possible.
However, on Friday night, the Reds were dealt a major blow. Robertson represented his national team against Spain and suffered a shoulder injury after the 44th minute. At the time, the Liverpool defender had to be replaced due to fears that he might suffer a possible dislocation.
Scotland boss Steve Clarke said after the match: “Andy hurt his shoulder. He will now return to his club.” less prone to attacks.
Striker Kostas Tsimikas is the obvious replacement for Robertson, but the Greece international has had questionable performances at times over the past 12 months, which explains why Klopp managed Robertson’s absence by bringing in Joe Gomez or Joël Matip. These two players are natural defenders and would rather penetrate like Aké than gallop forward.
Liverpool have been using their unique version of Guardiola’s 3-2-5 formation since April, but in the coming weeks, with Robertson set to leave the dressing room, the Reds could finally adopt Manchester City’s full plan.
