Klopp's Tactics

[Mil-ing Around]

I'm starting this thread to specifically to talk about how Klopp has been setting us up in the first 5 games and how we might or have set up in future games. 

 

I think there are some posters on here who really have a real interest in the specific details of our tactical approach and it would be cool to discuss exactly what has changed since he took over and what direction we will take in the future under Klopp.

 

Personally, i have watched the first 5 games with huge interest. I'm sad enough to admit i have watched a few games over and over, rewinding certain parts and wanking over lots of moments. Saddo, yes, but i coach myself and I'm interested in this shit. I love to learn about football and who better to try and learn from than him.

 

Klopp is fucking brilliant. To do what he has done in 3 weeks, going unbeaten in 5 games, and galvanising the entire squad and many under performing players, is amazing. I know its early days but i think we all know we have a special manager here and he is going to do amazing things for us and our club.

 

Tactically i think there are subtle yet huge differences in the way we play now. He has made the players actually believe they can win the ball back, not half arsed "closing players down" but actually sprinting at them with belief that they can win the ball back. I guess that comes from motivation and inspiration rather than just a tactical thing. But we block the lines of the first easy pass for the opponent, making them think and allowing other players to join in with the press.

 

Another tactical change has been the rotation of the deepest midfielder, or DM, I don't think we play with only one now. We rotate that area with a few players at any given moment, depending on who has pressed further forward to join in with the strikers pressing. You can see this by how far forward Lucas gets now, he has had more shots and attempts on goal in these 5 games than he had in entire seasons under previous managers. It can't just be a freedom of expression thing, it has to be tactical.

 

Our awareness, is 100 times better under him. You can see the players constantly looking left and right and behind them for threats who might counter us. Is that a tactical thing as much as the motivation of the manager? I think it's abit of both. But if you look at when Lucas won that header at the back post against Chelsea, in the first half, he did not sprint back into his DM position. I found that interesting, he obviously has a different job in that moment and when higher up the pitch. 

 

Our players are way way way closer together now, definitely a tactical thing and I'm glad he has done it. Once we win the ball back, there is a series of short passes before we spread out and build an attack. If we lose the ball in that moment, we are still close enough to suffocate. Very clever.

 

The weight of passing has totally changed, normally you see pro footballers zipping the ball into feet, but that means most players have to take a touch. We now seem to roll the ball with little pace on it, especially when going through the midfield on a slower building attack. It allows the receiving player to get his head up and increase his vision rather than concentrate on his first touch and have his head down. Sure sometimes we pass it hard and fast, like Sakho does but if you watch us bulding up through the midfield, its quite noticeable how much slower and softer we pass to feet now. 

 

Pressing zones, I don't think we just press high, we do at times but then if we can't win the ball back we have a default zone that we drop back in to, recover, breath and then press again. It's amazing how quickly they have got this information into the players heads but they seem to have picked it up really quickly. You can't press from the front for 90 minutes and Klopp has 2 or 3 different ways to press and area's on the pitch to do it from.

 

Tackling, is an art and all our players seem instantly better at it. How? Fuck, I'm not sure to be honest. But we are like ravage dogs who haven't seen a ball in weeks under Klopp and it's brilliant to watch. I think the manner in which we press is to force the player on the ball a certain way, which allows us to tackle a certain way because we know his next move. 

 

There is also a game plan now to suit the individuals we have out on the pitch (and according to the opponents) When Firmino was up top, we allowed him to receive and then come deep, which allowed our midfielders to go past him. Benteke came on and pealed onto Azpilicueata for the 2nd goal. That seemed too easy for it just to be a fluke. It felt planned, down to the detail of the timing of the run from Benteke. 

 

We also seem to target our opponents strong points, Willian was stifled and forced to play into area's we knew he didn't want to. I think klopp knows that sometimes you can't win the ball back off players like Willian all the time, so the next best thing is to force him to pass to a player he doesn't really want to. It stops the flow of the opponents attack and allows us to recover some shape. We did a similar thing with Tadic and Erikkson. 

 

Will be interesting to see how Klopp can overcome teams that park the bus against us, because that is going to happen soon. I'm sure he has information running behind those glasses like Arnold Schwarzenegger did in terminator. He just seems like he will find a way to fuck everyone up. 

 

I know, tl:dr is coming. But, if words aren't your thing fuck off and stick to the match thread. I would be interested to read what others think about our tactics so far and how they've seen things under Jurgen in the first 5 games. 

 

I think we have all been impressed with what he has done so far but those are the things I've noticed. If he can do this in 3/4 weeks, with no fit strikers, imagine what he can do over the next few years and with some of his own players once he gets a few transfer windows and a preseason with them!

[ZonkoVille77]

Good post. That side of the game always interested me when I was playing but less so now. I'd love to expand on your post but I'm on my phone these days and typing is a pain.

[Kevin D]

Klopp's tactics in our first 5 games have me absolutely convinced, that he's trying to get sacked for the massive payoff.

[Babb'sBurstNad]

There was a great article about gegenpressing a while back, which detailed all the different moments, the communication and the phases of when it's to be used. Fascinating stuff. It really dispelled the myth that it's just running about a lot and pressing high up, which some pundits have intimated.

 

That communication is what's struck me thus far. Whilst we're nowhere near the finished article, there are already more instances where players are looking, pointing and just generally taking a position off another, thereby dictating what happens; this creates a domino effect - one presses, another looks to cut off the pass, and players move up. It was an insane amount of work against Spurs, then it receded a bit as players need to find a level they can consistently work at, but I expect it to pick up again as fitness improves.

 

I think Klopp's working out how to get the best out of Sakho and Skrtel as a partnership too, by focussing on the strengths of both and not leaving the CBs exposed. In lieu of a deep midfielder with a great range of passing, he's utilising Sakho as an outlet, and making sure there's cover for him from Skrtel - whose inclination will always be to run towards his own goal - and a DM.

 

The movement around the deepest midfielder is better as well. Players are subtly shifting five or so yards to make sure there's an out ball more often than not. All too often whoever we've played there has been left with no pass other than forwards, which has been a weakness of Lucas and Allen. Making sure there are more passes off to ninety degrees which can then be pinged back to a CB relieves a lot of pressure. 

 

None of it is really revolutionising our game, but it's the kind of thing that makes the best of key positions rather than rotating and placing the emphasis on individual mistakes. It's organisation really, and the big challenge will be the home games, where he has to figure out how to get a spark of creativity out of players.

[Trumo]

Injures to our forwards have meant that Klopp has been working with one hand tied behind his back so far, but for me the most noticeable aspect of our play is the compactness from front to back. It makes the pressing and closing down a lot more immediate because the players are covering a smaller area, and that negates the need for the midfielders to be pacey in that regard. Look how much sharper Lucas seems at the moment as a case in point. When we win the ball back, it also provides options to the man on the ball so in theory we can break much quicker and more effectively. The compact shape also makes it much more difficult for teams to get at us and play through us, which was probably the biggest flaw with Rodgers' set-up.

 

It must be said though that Klopp appears willing to start with a clean slate so players who perhaps were marginalised and not trusted by Rodgers feel that the new manager is showing more faith in them, so they are more motivated and confident. That effect is not specific to Klopp as it tends to happen at all clubs when they change managers, but the effect can make adjusting to the new manager's ideas that bit quicker, and show in any upturn in results.

[scudger99]

Klopp's tactics in our first 5 games have me absolutely convinced, that he's trying to get sacked for the massive payoff.

Just in time to become Chelsea's new manager when Maureen gets the hat rack.

 

Klopp is clearly organizing the team more efficiently, but I'm fascinated by the galvanizing effect he's had on the squad.  Sometimes the mental side of the game is underestimated, it is often the difference between a squad of good players and a winning squad.   Playing players who have earned their place in the side instead of trying to spite the Transfer Committee is also a good thing.  Tactically speaking, Klopp is easily the best we've had since Rafa.

[Tony Moanero]

I'm starting this thread to specifically to talk about how Klopp has been setting us up in the first 5 games and how we might or have set up in future games.

 

I think there are some posters on here who really have a real interest in the specific details of our tactical approach and it would be cool to discuss exactly what has changed since he took over and what direction we will take in the future under Klopp.

 

Personally, i have watched the first 5 games with huge interest. I'm sad enough to admit i have watched a few games over and over, rewinding certain parts and wanking over lots of moments. Saddo, yes, but i coach myself and I'm interested in this shit. I love to learn about football and who better to try and learn from than him.

 

Klopp is fucking brilliant. To do what he has done in 3 weeks, going unbeaten in 5 games, and galvanising the entire squad and many under performing players, is amazing. I know its early days but i think we all know we have a special manager here and he is going to do amazing things for us and our club.

 

Tactically i think there are subtle yet huge differences in the way we play now. He has made the players actually believe they can win the ball back, not half arsed "closing players down" but actually sprinting at them with belief that they can win the ball back. I guess that comes from motivation and inspiration rather than just a tactical thing. But we block the lines of the first easy pass for the opponent, making them think and allowing other players to join in with the press.

 

Another tactical change has been the rotation of the deepest midfielder, or DM, I don't think we play with only one now. We rotate that area with a few players at any given moment, depending on who has pressed further forward to join in with the strikers pressing. You can see this by how far forward Lucas gets now, he has had more shots and attempts on goal in these 5 games than he had in entire seasons under previous managers. It can't just be a freedom of expression thing, it has to be tactical.

 

Our awareness, is 100 times better under him. You can see the players constantly looking left and right and behind them for threats who might counter us. Is that a tactical thing as much as the motivation of the manager? I think it's abit of both. But if you look at when Lucas won that header at the back post against Chelsea, in the first half, he did not sprint back into his DM position. I found that interesting, he obviously has a different job in that moment and when higher up the pitch.

 

Our players are way way way closer together now, definitely a tactical thing and I'm glad he has done it. Once we win the ball back, there is a series of short passes before we spread out and build an attack. If we lose the ball in that moment, we are still close enough to suffocate. Very clever.

 

The weight of passing has totally changed, normally you see pro footballers zipping the ball into feet, but that means most players have to take a touch. We now seem to roll the ball with little pace on it, especially when going through the midfield on a slower building attack. It allows the receiving player to get his head up and increase his vision rather than concentrate on his first touch and have his head down. Sure sometimes we pass it hard and fast, like Sakho does but if you watch us bulding up through the midfield, its quite noticeable how much slower and softer we pass to feet now.

 

Pressing zones, I don't think we just press high, we do at times but then if we can't win the ball back we have a default zone that we drop back in to, recover, breath and then press again. It's amazing how quickly they have got this information into the players heads but they seem to have picked it up really quickly. You can't press from the front for 90 minutes and Klopp has 2 or 3 different ways to press and area's on the pitch to do it from.

 

Tackling, is an art and all our players seem instantly better at it. How? Fuck, I'm not sure to be honest. But we are like ravage dogs who haven't seen a ball in weeks under Klopp and it's brilliant to watch. I think the manner in which we press is to force the player on the ball a certain way, which allows us to tackle a certain way because we know his next move.

 

There is also a game plan now to suit the individuals we have out on the pitch (and according to the opponents) When Firmino was up top, we allowed him to receive and then come deep, which allowed our midfielders to go past him. Benteke came on and pealed onto Azpilicueata for the 2nd goal. That seemed too easy for it just to be a fluke. It felt planned, down to the detail of the timing of the run from Benteke.

 

We also seem to target our opponents strong points, Willian was stifled and forced to play into area's we knew he didn't want to. I think klopp knows that sometimes you can't win the ball back off players like Willian all the time, so the next best thing is to force him to pass to a player he doesn't really want to. It stops the flow of the opponents attack and allows us to recover some shape. We did a similar thing with Tadic and Erikkson.

 

Will be interesting to see how Klopp can overcome teams that park the bus against us, because that is going to happen soon. I'm sure he has information running behind those glasses like Arnold Schwarzenegger did in terminator. He just seems like he will find a way to fuck everyone up.

 

I know, tl:dr is coming. But, if words aren't your thing fuck off and stick to the match thread. I would be interested to read what others think about our tactics so far and how they've seen things under Jurgen in the first 5 games.

 

I think we have all been impressed with what he has done so far but those are the things I've noticed. If he can do this in 3/4 weeks, with no fit strikers, imagine what he can do over the next few years and with some of his own players once he gets a few transfer windows and a preseason with them!

Load of shite.

[Jairzinho]

I'm starting this thread to specifically to talk about how Klopp has been setting us up in the first 5 games and how we might or have set up in future games. 

 

I think there are some posters on here who really have a real interest in the specific details of our tactical approach and it would be cool to discuss exactly what has changed since he took over and what direction we will take in the future under Klopp.

 

Personally, i have watched the first 5 games with huge interest. I'm sad enough to admit i have watched a few games over and over, rewinding certain parts and wanking over lots of moments. Saddo, yes, but i coach myself and I'm interested in this shit. I love to learn about football and who better to try and learn from than him.

 

Klopp is fucking brilliant. To do what he has done in 3 weeks, going unbeaten in 5 games, and galvanising the entire squad and many under performing players, is amazing. I know its early days but i think we all know we have a special manager here and he is going to do amazing things for us and our club.

 

Tactically i think there are subtle yet huge differences in the way we play now. He has made the players actually believe they can win the ball back, not half arsed "closing players down" but actually sprinting at them with belief that they can win the ball back. I guess that comes from motivation and inspiration rather than just a tactical thing. But we block the lines of the first easy pass for the opponent, making them think and allowing other players to join in with the press.

 

Another tactical change has been the rotation of the deepest midfielder, or DM, I don't think we play with only one now. We rotate that area with a few players at any given moment, depending on who has pressed further forward to join in with the strikers pressing. You can see this by how far forward Lucas gets now, he has had more shots and attempts on goal in these 5 games than he had in entire seasons under previous managers. It can't just be a freedom of expression thing, it has to be tactical.

 

Our awareness, is 100 times better under him. You can see the players constantly looking left and right and behind them for threats who might counter us. Is that a tactical thing as much as the motivation of the manager? I think it's abit of both. But if you look at when Lucas won that header at the back post against Chelsea, in the first half, he did not sprint back into his DM position. I found that interesting, he obviously has a different job in that moment and when higher up the pitch. 

 

Our players are way way way closer together now, definitely a tactical thing and I'm glad he has done it. Once we win the ball back, there is a series of short passes before we spread out and build an attack. If we lose the ball in that moment, we are still close enough to suffocate. Very clever.

 

The weight of passing has totally changed, normally you see pro footballers zipping the ball into feet, but that means most players have to take a touch. We now seem to roll the ball with little pace on it, especially when going through the midfield on a slower building attack. It allows the receiving player to get his head up and increase his vision rather than concentrate on his first touch and have his head down. Sure sometimes we pass it hard and fast, like Sakho does but if you watch us bulding up through the midfield, its quite noticeable how much slower and softer we pass to feet now. 

 

Pressing zones, I don't think we just press high, we do at times but then if we can't win the ball back we have a default zone that we drop back in to, recover, breath and then press again. It's amazing how quickly they have got this information into the players heads but they seem to have picked it up really quickly. You can't press from the front for 90 minutes and Klopp has 2 or 3 different ways to press and area's on the pitch to do it from.

 

Tackling, is an art and all our players seem instantly better at it. How? Fuck, I'm not sure to be honest. But we are like ravage dogs who haven't seen a ball in weeks under Klopp and it's brilliant to watch. I think the manner in which we press is to force the player on the ball a certain way, which allows us to tackle a certain way because we know his next move. 

 

There is also a game plan now to suit the individuals we have out on the pitch (and according to the opponents) When Firmino was up top, we allowed him to receive and then come deep, which allowed our midfielders to go past him. Benteke came on and pealed onto Azpilicueata for the 2nd goal. That seemed too easy for it just to be a fluke. It felt planned, down to the detail of the timing of the run from Benteke. 

 

We also seem to target our opponents strong points, Willian was stifled and forced to play into area's we knew he didn't want to. I think klopp knows that sometimes you can't win the ball back off players like Willian all the time, so the next best thing is to force him to pass to a player he doesn't really want to. It stops the flow of the opponents attack and allows us to recover some shape. We did a similar thing with Tadic and Erikkson. 

 

Will be interesting to see how Klopp can overcome teams that park the bus against us, because that is going to happen soon. I'm sure he has information running behind those glasses like Arnold Schwarzenegger did in terminator. He just seems like he will find a way to fuck everyone up. 

 

I know, tl:dr is coming. But, if words aren't your thing fuck off and stick to the match thread. I would be interested to read what others think about our tactics so far and how they've seen things under Jurgen in the first 5 games. 

 

I think we have all been impressed with what he has done so far but those are the things I've noticed. If he can do this in 3/4 weeks, with no fit strikers, imagine what he can do over the next few years and with some of his own players once he gets a few transfer windows and a preseason with them!

 

Fuck off to the MF.

[Nelly-Szoboszlai]

http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/michael-cox-stats-zone-analysis-proves-jurgen-klopps-influence-liverpool#:nMovYJ772rCLDQ

[TheHowieLama]

I have seen a willingness to work together defensively off the ball and trust teammates to do the same. Even in our 100 goals for pomp you would see Suarez closing down on his own and then turning and throwing his hands up as one (or two) of the three around him was not willing to make that effort.

 

In the modern game, tactics, can be reduced to how you react when the other team has just gained possession. The offensive transitional game is built on moments of individual brilliance, pace or power more often than not. Effective teams work together to negate that. 

[Rotpeter]

The main difference I see now is that there is a plan which encompasses the whole team not just the attackers. The team is again being orchestrated as a unit.

[G Richards]

Very good opening post. Repped.

 

I see the fluidity in the middle too, as Lucas has been all over the place.

 

I think our pressing will evolve further. It still seems a bit hit and miss to me, but I think in time it will be coordinated and seamless. What is clear is that everyone is working hard for the team and long may that ideal continue.

 

Coutinho and Firmino both seem better centrally. At first I thought it might end up one or the other, but they are both adept at playing in a tight space and working the give and go, so I think we may end up with a very Brazil like 4-2-2-2 when everyone is fit (!)

[bonesman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2FAr-SdpvE

[aRdja]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y2FAr-SdpvE

"Milly"

[Jennings]

I got bored half way through because he's not Kloppo.

[Hades]

Good post mate. What you're describing are 'tactics' , which is something Fraudgers never understood as part of the game of elite football. He though you just send players out there in weird formations and out of position and they'd somehow win by being better than the opposition.

[Bjornebye]

They are all trying harder to impress the new manager.

[Paco]

They are all trying harder to impress the new manager.

This cannot be overemphasised.

 

Yes hes a world class manager but there is always a natural upsurge in effort when a new man comes in because everyone is playing for their place again.

 

good point about lucas having more shots and being further forward at times. Someone slotting in for him when he gets forward is how football should be played in my opinion. Its like when the full back gets forward either the left mid, if hes not involved further forward or one of the cms has to keep an eye on that position that has been vacated and the left back fills in somewhere else until he can get back into position. This is common sense but it doesnt always happen.

 

Im not surprised we ve got the pressing thing so quickly we were doing it to great effect 2 seasons ago but stopped doing it for some reason. The most exciting thing for me is we re back doing this again.

 

There is no doubt we re defensively stronger already and I havent heard the laurel and hardy music since the spurs game so he deserves huge credit for that.

 

The big thing now is going to be transferring the pressing energy into creative energy when we re at home because the home form is killing us.

[El Rojo]

Not a tactic as such, but I love the way he's on the pitch, arms folded, eyeing the players like a hawk during the warm-up.

 

We're in for some great times with this guy.

[Philbert]

This cannot be overemphasised.

 

Yes hes a world class manager but there is always a natural upsurge in effort when a new man comes in because everyone is playing for their place again.

 

good point about lucas having more shots and being further forward at times. Someone slotting in for him when he gets forward is how football should be played in my opinion. Its like when the full back gets forward either the left mid, if hes not involved further forward or one of the cms has to keep an eye on that position that has been vacated and the left back fills in somewhere else until he can get back into position. This is common sense but it doesnt always happen.

 

Im not surprised we ve got the pressing thing so quickly we were doing it to great effect 2 seasons ago but stopped doing it for some reason. The most exciting thing for me is we re back doing this again.

 

There is no doubt we re defensively stronger already and I havent heard the laurel and hardy music since the spurs game so he deserves huge credit for that.

 

The big thing now is going to be transferring the pressing energy into creative energy when we re at home because the home form is killing us.

It's the Hawthorne Effect:

 

 

"The Hawthorne effect is a psychological phenomenon that produces an improvement in human behavior or performance as a result of increased attention from superiors, clients or colleagues"

[Hades]

Interesting post from Spielverlagerung. Amazing how much better organised we are already. Main thing I noted during the game, which this guy also did, is that we seem obsessed with going out wide early in the attack rather than patiently waiting for an opening. We're improving but Rodgers' panicky legacy remains. 

 

 

http://spielverlagerung.com/2015/11/01/chelsea-liverpool-13/ Chelsea – Liverpool 1:3

von TP am 01.11.2015 in den Kategorien Premier League mit 1 Kommentar

1:3

Jurgen Klopp achieved his first win in the Premier League to the ever-extending misery of Jose Mourinho as Liverpool won at Stamford Bridge following a brace from Phillipe Coutinho and one from Christian Benteke.

Klopp Decides on a 4-2-3-1 whilst Oscar is Reintroduced on the Wing

The two starting formations.

For his first few games as the boss at Anfield, Jurgen Klopp has opted for a 4-3-2-1 formation with Lallana and Coutinho operating in a narrow midfield behind a lone striker. Despite a relatively similar line-up, Klopp decided to set his team in a 4-2-3-1 shape, more reminiscent of his tenure at Borussia Dortmund.

Roberto Firmino was the striker and made frequent dropping movements as expected whilst Adam Lallana was directly behind him in the 10 position. Coutinho took on the left half-space whilst Milner was more variable, fluctuating between a position in the right half-space and the touchline.

A key feature of Liverpool’s attacks was the partnership between Lallana and Firmino, particularly the Brazilian’s variable movements. During many movements in the first half you could suggest Liverpool were playing without a striker and often looked like a 4-2-4 with Firmino coming into the midfield. In other moments however, the two central attackers rotated positions to some success.

Although the movements between Can and Lucas were rather typical of a double 6 partnership, it was interesting to see more expansive runs from Lucas. In matches so far, the Brazilian has played a restricted role and commonly dropped deeper however against Chelsea, he could be seen moving ahead of the ball quite a bit. This is particularly intriguing being away from home in a potentially tricky game, yet is perhaps an indicator to how Chelsea are viewed currently as well as Klopp’s positive attitude. Another possible reasoning could be Hazard’s central role as the Belgian is not known for his defensive efforts, yet this still leaves a counter-attacking threat.

Mourinho stuck with his 4-2-3-1 formation yet made some changes to the selection. An under-performing Fabregas only made the bench as he was beaten by a double 6 of Mikel and Ramires. Although the Brazilian gave his side the lead early on, there was a distinct lack of playmaking ability from the midfield as Chelsea struggled to create throughout the match.

Oscar was brought back into the squad but was interestingly elected to play in a position on the left of the ‘3’. He frequently moved back towards the centre whilst Hazard made movements to the left flank in particular, whilst he permanently returned to a central role once his Belgian teammate was replaced by Kenedy in the 60th minute.

 

Chelsea’s Passivity and Weak Counter-Attacking

Mournho’s side caused themselves some issues by playing a passive defensive game. During Liverpool’s build-up game, they would only press with intensity once the ball reached around the half-way line – up until that point, no pressure was made on the centre-backs. This was potentially influenced by the early goal for Mourinho’s team as they reverted back to old ways and sat without enough pressure.

It was particularly an issue in the half-space, as they lacked a defensively-strong 10 with Hazard there.

Chelsea’s passivity caused issues for themselves.

Without much pressure against them, the Liverpool centre-backs (particularly Sakho), had more freedom to play penetrative passes towards the centre. Spaces were commonly opened through the flexible movements across the trio of Coutinho, Lallana and Firmino which was strong against the man-marking of Chelsea’s midfield. Although the orientation of Liverpool’s possession game was maladaptive, they created some decent situations during these moments but simply didn’t capitalise on it through a weak wing-focus.

It should be noted that this may have been more successful against a less-aggressive Liverpool under Rodgers, however the increased verticality which Klopp has introduced was a strong counter to Chelsea’s organisation. His attacking structure occupied more (and better!) passing lanes which not only improved Liverpool’s access when moving the ball into higher positions, but benefited the counterpressing following the turnover.

Upon regaining possession of the ball, Chelsea looked to add to their lead through counter-attacks. Hazard offered potential centrally whilst Costa would shift the ball-near half-space which was presumably to exploit Liverpool’s highly-positioned full-backs whilst he dragged a centre-back out with him in the process.

However, counter-attacks in such positions lacked threat for the most part due to the spaces used. The wings offered little variabilty and often counters struggled to even start as Chelsea struggled to find Costa initially whilst the striker had issues in bringing in other attackers due to his position near the touchline.

Liverpool Pressing

The development of Liverpool’s pressing game will be under much scrutiny following Klopp’s appointment and the side put in a reasonable performance in an aggressive showing. They showed key signs of improvement since the managerial change looked strong as they will soon (if not already) become the best in the league for this defensive aspect. It may be unlikely that Klopp will ever have Liverpool reach the pressing ability of his Dortmund though it will not take long for them to be comfortably ahead of any other Premier League competition.

Liverpool pressed well in wide areas.

Again they were strong at forcing the ball into wide areas during Chelsea’s build-up to trap them, with their shift in intensity particularly impressive. This was more commonly done down Liverpool’s right, perhaps to make more of Milner’s defensive ability as opposed to a weaker Coutinho. Similar features remained from their 4-3-2-1, such as the actions of the ball-near winger in pressing the ball-carrier as they press vertically.

Like in the match against Southampton, this may have been a precaution against wider developments – both Hazard and Costa shifted towards the touchline during wider developments which gave them slightly more potential (yet still rather weak). Despite this, the pressing was still nicely stable and effective (more-so than against Southampton) pressing down the wings which disrupted the build-up of Chelsea well.

With the ball-near winger, Lallana and Firmino/Benteke, Liverpool were able to form a competent press across the 3 major angles. In co-ordination with the man-marking by the full-back and nearer midfielders, they could isolate the ball well.

Wing-Orientation Issue for Liverpool’s Possession Game

One downside of Liverpool’s performance was their focus on wing-play in possession. Despite making decent openings in the centre of the pitch, they moved the ball towards the touchline not only far too frequently, but also too early in the play.

A moment from the 32nd minute, Firmino unnecessarily passes to Moreno instead of a centrally-focused attack,

As I mentioned when talking of Chelsea’s passivity, Liverpool were able to break through the first line of pressure quite commonly in a central position, yet for some reason they quickly wanted to shift the ball over to wider spaces.

This resulted in limited options and variability in the final third as the access of space weakened amongst other strategical issues associated with wider positions. When they looked to bring the ball back inside, it was usually too late in the attack and could easily be restricted by Chelsea. It was not helped by relatively weak structures – particularly down the right where Milner and Clyne would often be positioned in a straight vertical line.

In comparison, Chelsea were more focused on breaking through the centre yet struggled to do so against a Liverpool defense which controlled space well. They were more patient and would circulate the ball horizontally in attempt to open up a lane inside yet these opportunities were quite rare and not always taken advantage of.

I expect that this will be something which Klopp will want to address thoroughly in training as it seemingly stems from the orientation on an individual-level which Rodgers developed. Because of this it may be a while for clear improvements to be seen though the impact will be significant. Meanwhile, alternative issues such as poor structures and attacking strategies are typically-English and likely to improve as Klopp takes over what Rodgers left behind at Melwood.

Later Developments

Probably encouraged by their equalizer late into added time of the first half, Liverpool came out following the interval with increased aggression. They attacked with greater impetus which was probably most evident in their pressing, both during developed Chelsea possession and transitions which benefited from a greater intensity. This helped to sway the momentum further and Klopp’s side developed a better control of the match as the latter 45 minutes progressed. The German manager emphasised this in his first substitution which at 1-1 he replaced Milner with Benteke. Through doing this, he created a more attacking-minded ‘3-1’ whilst Firmino dropped into a central position which in-turn shifted Lallana out to the right whilst Coutinho maintained his half-left role.

Once they took the lead and then more-so after the third, Liverpool’s possession game became more stability-oriented as they saw out the rest of the match with composure. During their build-up they brought more players closer to the ball for increased-resistance against the Chelsea press, whilst were more patient and less vertical in their passing.

Conclusion

We saw yet another weak performance from Chelsea where the usual issues were their downfall. Again key players failed to deliver even competent performances whilst their typical lack of adequate pressure brings weakness in their defensive game. On the flipside, Klopp will undoubtedly be delighted to register his first Premier League win at Stamford Bridge. His side were not great – just superior as there are still clear problems to amend, albeit amongst some positives.

[El Rojo]

It's the Hawthorne Effect:

 

 

"The Hawthorne effect is a psychological phenomenon that produces an improvement in human behavior or performance as a result of increased attention from superiors, clients or colleagues"

The Hodgson effect is a little different.

[moof]

Cheers for posting that Hades, interesting read

[Elite]

It's the Hawthorne Effect:

 

 

"The Hawthorne effect is a psychological phenomenon that produces an improvement in human behavior or performance as a result of increased attention from superiors, clients or colleagues"

Doesn't work for West Brom.

[Philbert]

The Hodgson effect is a little different.

Plus...the Hawthorne Effect is temporary, whereas The Hodgson Effect is permanent.