Slot the difference - Liverpool's tactical tweaks under new boss

Liverpool's modulation from Jurgen Klopp to Arne Slot could hardly person felt much seamless.

Since swapping the German's 'heavy metallic football' for an seemingly much measured approach, the Reds person won 19 retired of their 23 games crossed each competitions, losing conscionable once.

But however has Slot really managed it? What has helium changed? And what problems could prevarication ahead?

BBC Sport takes a person look astatine the tactical tweaks Liverpool person made this season.

In his archetypal fewer interviews with the media, Slot spoke astir how some Klopp and Pep Guardiola had influenced his ideas astir football. However, it is wide to spot that erstwhile Brighton brag Roberto de Zerbi has besides had an impact.

De Zerbi's teams became celebrated for their mode of playing done the absorption press, by asking their goalkeeper oregon cardinal defenders to clasp connected to the shot and hold for their opponents to adjacent them down earlier releasing a pass.

It is simply a risky approach, but 1 which is made easier with the skills of modern keepers similar Alisson and Caoimhin Kelleher.

There is simply a large woody of patience required connected the portion of the centre-backs excessively and, successful Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konate, Slot has 2 defenders who are comfy connected the shot and much than up for the challenge.

After 15 games successful the league, the numbers amusement that Liverpool are looking to circulate the shot much successful their ain antiaircraft third.

Last season, the Reds averaged 117.2 passes per crippled successful their antiaircraft 3rd according to Opta, whereas this word that fig has gone up to 133 passes. A tiny tweak and Liverpool look each the amended for it.

Slot's squad are besides attempting less shots successful each match, down to 15.2 from 20.6 past season, which is possibly different by-product of introducing a spot much power and conservatism into the system.

All of this is not to accidental that Liverpool bash not inactive trust connected transitions and a nonstop attack-led approach. Rather, the mode they manufacture these advantageous scenarios for themselves has changed.

Teams astatine the elite level these days typically acceptable up successful a 4-2-4 signifier without the shot and this is thing Slot has carried connected from Klopp's benignant past season.

Once again, though, this alteration has travel with a much measured approach.

In practice, Liverpool's 4-2-4 artifact is 1 that focuses connected retaining operation and utilizing that arsenic a means of blocking favourable passing lanes to the opposition, alternatively than perpetually pressing precocious to triumph the shot back.

The fig 10 moves up and joins the beforehand line, which forces the absorption into doing 1 of 2 things: either play the shot agelong and hazard turning implicit possession, oregon play the shot into the wide channels wherever Liverpool are comfy pressing and winning the shot back.

However, a deficiency of proactivity successful this attack has been exploited by teams already successful the Premier League, with Arsenal and Chelsea some uncovering ways to bypass Liverpool's beforehand enactment of 4 and advancement the shot further up the transportation centrally.

Slot is alert of this contented and, for now, seems to beryllium contented with the mode Liverpool's defence has dealt with the flaws.

"We privation to person power of the game, we privation to beryllium precise assertive without the ball," helium said earlier the Champions League necktie against Bayer Leverkusen.

"Maybe if we are not arsenic assertive past we are sometimes a spot excessively high. We inactive privation to try, but if you're conscionable a fraction excessively precocious oregon unfastened a definite lane, past they tin play done you.

"The bully happening is I ever spot my players moving backmost truly hard to forestall the different squad from getting a chance."

One of the precocious metrics connected which Liverpool person dropped disconnected is PPDA (opponent passes allowed per antiaircraft action), which shows a relaxation successful the strength of their press.

Last season, they were 2nd successful the league averaging 8.9 per game, which has risen to 10.8 this season. This means they are allowing astatine slightest 2 much passes from the absorption earlier engaging successful antiaircraft duties.

Looking astatine precocious turnovers, Liverpool ranked 3rd past play with 392 crossed 38 games. So far, they person accumulated 127 and fertile seventh successful the league for the metric.

Another absorbing diminution is that of dribbles challenged - however galore times they tackle an absorption subordinate who is dribbling. According to FBref, the Reds averaged a league-high 20.2 per crippled past play but that has gone down to 17.6.

Slot wants Liverpool's players to run higher up the transportation but without the manic aggression shown by Klopp teams of the past. Instead, it is astir picking and choosing their moments to outpouring connected the opposition.

This attack feels much sustainable successful the medium-to-long term, too, meaning we are little apt to spot the benignant of drop-off that saw them autumn retired of the 2023-24 rubric contention successful the second stages.

Gravenberch arsenic a 'number six'

Slot's teams person been known to acceptable up successful a 4-2-3-1 enactment connected the pitch, which is simply a determination distant from Klopp's favoured 4-3-3.

This alteration successful strategy meant a caller relation for Netherlands midfielder Ryan Gravenberch, who present finds himself dictating affairs from the mediate of the parkland having been asked to play higher arsenic a 'number eight' nether Klopp.

Gravenberch brings a fig of strengths to the array - press-resistance, consciousness of abstraction astir him some successful and retired of possession and a passing quality which helps link defence and attack.

His determination into the 'number six' relation has meant Slot has been capable to usage Alexis Mac Allister further up the transportation successful possession. In fact, Gravenberch's relation successful Liverpool's broadside this word mirrors the Argentine's relation from past season.

Moving Gravenberch further backmost has meant helium has the abstraction to some person and crook distant from markers. His progressive carries tin beryllium of immense assistance to Liverpool successful getting up the pitch.

However, the 22-year-old is inactive learning the relation and has been stifled astatine times erstwhile pressed precocious by opponents - specified arsenic successful the 3-3 gully astatine Newcastle - which tin deed Liverpool's quality to physique up.

Back to basics for Alexander-Arnold

After stepping into midfield for some nine and state past season, Trent Alexander-Arnold has been playing much arsenic a 'traditional' right-back nether Slot.

While this has provided much antiaircraft stability, helium has inactive been capable to marque the champion of his passing talents from those deeper areas - specifically erstwhile Liverpool are trying to physique retired from the backmost oregon determination the shot from defence to attack.

However, Slot has besides fixed Alexander-Arnold licence to run much centrally successful immoderate of the Reds' matches.

Against Manchester City, for example, the 26-year-old enjoyed plentifulness of abstraction successful the Liverpool fractional to play long-ranging passes to his attackers.

Not lone that, erstwhile Alexander-Arnold does determination into much cardinal zones it creates 1 v 1 opportunities for Salah, portion besides containing immoderate imaginable counter-attacking menace down the middle.

Although his relation has been simplified, Alexander-Arnold is inactive making a large difference.

Salah the main antheral again

With 22 goals and assists to his sanction frankincense acold successful the apical flight, Mohamed Salah has started the play similar helium means business.

According to Opta, Salah leads Liverpool for:

Salah's numbers person been beardown passim his career, but this play Slot's tactical tweaks person helped permission him isolated against his marker much often.

This has a batch to bash with Alexander-Arnold's relation arsenic good - either overlapping Salah to make abstraction for the Egyptian to chopped wrong for a transverse oregon shot, oregon inverting to propulsion defenders distant from Salah and springiness him country to thrust astatine his opponent.

With 9 assists successful the league already, Salah is conscionable 4 abbreviated of his champion full-season tally for Liverpool (13 successful 2021-22) - proving his worthy arsenic a creator arsenic overmuch arsenic a goalscorer.

In one-on-one duels, Salah volition much often than not person the precocious hand, and by putting him successful specified scenarios Liverpool are capable to get much violative output from their prima player.

All successful all, Liverpool and Slot are successful a precise beardown spot to capitalise connected the weaknesses shown by Manchester City and Arsenal this term.

Introducing much power into the attack and repurposing players according to their strengths has worked marvels for the Dutch tactician.

There is country for improvement, but overmuch to beryllium pleased with already for Liverpool fans.