Over the past few weeks, Jürgen Klopp's Liverpool have been gaining not only traction in the league, but scrutinized attention over some new principles of play. That "new" principle involves the use of Trent Alexander-Arnold where all of us always knew he could excel, in central areas. I wanted to throw my hat into the mix, partially because there's an argument to make that this is not all that new.
Anchors tend to play at the base of a midfield three, holding the midfield together, and allowing others to work their magic up ahead. Their role is in both screening in front of the defense to disallow progressive passes forward, particularly into the opposition's striker, and to 'anchor' the midfield by holding everything together as other members step out of position or drift into the half-spaces. Unlike the 'Midfield Destroyer' they do not need to be overly active in defensive phases on sheer statistical contributions, but should be equally active on the hard work done off the ball to shift, shuffle and slide with the play.
Fabinho has been instrumental to Liverpool's success for almost four years now, as the Reds have won four major trophies - including the Champions League and Premier League, with the Brazilian at the heart of their midfield. It may not be time for the Reds to move on from a man who has made the position his own, but there is certainly an opportunity to recruit fresh, young talent that can learn the role and grow into the side, just like Liverpool have done with Luis Diaz.
Liverpool have been utterly rampant this season on all fronts. With the strength in depth Jurgen Klopp has to offer in almost every position, the Reds look strong contenders to win each and every competition this season - going strong in the UEFA Champions League, Premier League and FA Cup. With an EFL Cup win already under their belts, a historic quadruple remains in their sights with a little over a month of action to play.
"If Manchester City win the match, the title race is over." - every Premier League pundit in existence. Well, Manchester City didn't win the match, so what happens now? First of all, what a match. Second of all, I am of the firm belief that Manchester City thoroughly outclassed Liverpool on the day, and that Raheem Sterling should have been ruled onside from that VAR disallowed goal (surely it's too close to say clear and obvious?). But I digress. I am not here to talk about refereeing decisions. Instead, the tactics! So let's jump into it, and discuss whether or not the title race is over, or in fact, still with everything to play for.
With 23 matches gone, Manchester City are evident favourites for the title. But Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool haven't been too far off, and still have both a game in hand and a game against City to play. The Reds have been brilliant this season, regardless of their competitors, scoring the most goals in the league and returning to their best under the return of Virgil Van Dijk, and other players restored to their normal positions. Through it all, Jurgen Klopp's team have continued to perform to the highest standard in all the areas expected of them, from their heavy metal pressing to meticulous methods of playing out from the back. Here is our tactical analysis of Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool in 2021-22.
The end of the year is nearly here! And that means it's time for our annual Top 100 Footballers list to kick off. This year, you had your say in our voting polls, and this is where you landed. Here is numbers 60-41 in the Top 100 Footballers in the World.
The end of year is almost here, and that means it's time for our annual Top 100 Footballers list. This year, you, the readers of our website, will get to have your say. Just simply see the list of nominees below, and rearrange the list to suit your preference of first to last in each position. When we rank the Top 100 Footballers of the Year, we take into consideration a player's form throughout 2021, their club and national team success, difficulty of league, and their reputation + performances in the year prior. You can rank based on any criteria you desire! Below is our poll ranking the best defensive midfielders in 2021.
Over the past decade at Manchester City, Sergio Aguero has established himself as one of the best strikers in Premier League history. After the announcement that he will be leaving City at the end of the season, the Futbol Masterminds examine the Argentine's career and whether or not Pep's team need to replace him with a summer buy. The panel also break down Tuchel's first defeat as Chelsea boss, Timo Werner's lack of goals (again), Liverpool's hot streak, and Lampard's future. To cap it all off, Russell has some strong takes about Serie A and whether or not it's truly a top four league. Follow @futbolmasterminds on Instagram to see more of the show and subscribe via Itunes and Spotify!
The last time Everton won at Anfield, Trent Alexander-Arnold had just had his first birthday. September 1999 was the date, a match that lives long in Don Hutchinson's memory and almost no one else's. But even though it had been more than twenty-one years since Everton last won at Anfield, you just got the feeling that it might happen again this season. In the end, Carlo Ancelotti put on a tactical masterclass and his team put on a defensive clinic, but Liverpool were also woeful in attack and looked on different wavelengths at times. It all culminated in a historic win for the Toffees and an embarrassing defeat for Jurgen Klopp as things continue to go from bad to worse for the Reds. Here is a tactical analysis of Everton's historic 2-0 win over Liverpool.
Much of the dialogue going into this weekend’s Liverpool-Manchester City match centered around the fixture as a potential title decider for Liverpool. The assumption was that if Liverpool lost, their hopes and dreams of winning the title would dash before their eyes. As it turns out, Liverpool didn’t just lose, but were badly beaten and bruised by a terrific Manchester City side. With all of their struggles this season, not just against City, we take an in-depth look at where Liverpool have gone wrong tactically and beyond. Guest: Russell Tho is a Liverpool and Barcelona fan and friend of the show. You can find him on Instagram @russelltho96. Host: Rhys Desmond is the creator and owner of TMS. He is lifelong lover and educator of the beautiful game. You can find him on Twitter @DesmondRhys.
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