The Midweek Maxi #20: Supreme Salah, Dirtylake Owning Chelsea & Awful Antonio
Our new Liverpool FC weekly compendium. News. Stats. Views. Debate. Links. Data. Insights. Delights.
To read about why we’ve replaced Free Friday with The Midweek Maxi, see the intro to the first edition.
So far the bumper weekly roundup is going down extremely well with paying subscribers:
This week:
Excerpts and links to the different pieces we've published across the TTT Substack network, prior to the paywall kicking in;
Then, some of the best comments from the site this past week;
Next, Daniel Zambartas’ bumper LFC News, Media & Transfer Round-Up
Job done! (Oh, and it’s also a discussion thread for the issues raised.)
Note: the Maxi may exceed the email size limit on Substack, but the whole piece can be read online by paying subscribers.
TTT Network Roundup
Links and excerpts to articles on the various TTT sites, which are run by different people and require separate subscriptions to this, the TTT Main Hub.
The Main Hub
On the Main Hub this week there’s been lots going on, especially because the Reds had two matches, and two victories, in two different competitions. First up though is Paul’s analysis on the similarities between this current squad and the title winning team in 2019.20.
The approach to selection at LASK made sense to me.
It mirrored the Man City method of rotating key players and yet still playing some of them in minor cup games; using one or two kids, but when you have six or more attackers, they actually need these games. And with five subs available, using them after 60 minutes means no one burns out.
I no longer think it makes sense to wrap players in cotton wool, having seen what Pep Guardiola did in the domestic cups with a squad of a similar size (just 20 or so senior players, and a few kids).
The game and travel can be used to bond, and to work on patterns in training and during the game itself. Everyone gets a bit of football, and the strikers might grab a goal or two, in 60 minutes or 30-minute cameos.
I had liked the idea of keeping the manager and the key players back, but then who do they train with? The Europa League is not so important that all the key men must play.
Supreme Salah
As a late sub, Mo Salah seemed to play more centrally, or at least take up positions there as moves unfolded. He produced one lovely bit of wing play – again using quick feet rather than trying to sprint.
But then he had a shot from the right side of the box, and scored a goal from a centre-forward's position, as Darwin Núñez (who always takes a good penalty) made a run to the right of Salah.
I noted last season at home against Man City (and I think against Rangers) that he was able to use his pace more effectively in central areas as a lot of centre-backs don't seem to be as fast as full-backs, certainly off the mark. There are still some slow giants, and some clubs prioritise footballers rather than defenders.
Against City, he got away and scored, before anyone could catch him, in part as it was a straight line to goal, and he also didn't need to try and find the extra zip to go past a defender; he was in, with just the keeper to beat.
But the goal against LASK was special. It showed that he could perhaps become a false nine, given his new creative supremacy; can get into the box, too.
His touch and strength over that yard to take out the defender was immaculate.
…
As well as the two match previews from the West Ham and upcoming game at home to Leicester City tonight there is the regular Bumper Post-Match Analysis.
Andrew Beasley
When thinking of home games against West Ham, my pre-match assessment was that they are usually difficult matches for Liverpool but that they almost always win. That’s exactly what occurred today.
It wasn’t just a repetitive game in that sense either. A slow start by the Reds with a decent opportunity or two for the opponents? Check. A goal contribution from Mohamed Salah? Yep. Darwin Núñez missing a couple of clear-cut chances? Oh, good lord, yes. Salah winning a penalty like he does every other week? Wait, what?
Yes, for the first time since December 2021, the Egyptian won a Premier League spot kick. It has reached the point where I wasn’t certain it would be awarded even though it was a certain foul. On average a Premier League penalty is awarded for every 164 touches a team has in the opposition box; Salah had in the region of 450 between his last one (at Leicester, when he missed) and today.
While it was a bit of a frustrating watch, ultimately Liverpool were pretty good in a low-key way. Their seven clear-cut chances were more than any team hosting West Ham for a league game has recorded since at least summer 2018 (and likely longer, I just don’t have the data). Concerns regarding early fragility will linger but ahead of two very tough away games in the league it was imperative to get the points, and they did.
Now, excuse me. I must ring up Michail Antonio and ask him about his recent prediction.
This Red Planet
Here’s the next part in my deep dive into the Reds’ chances of winning the league this season by analysis on the rivals, and also Liverpool’s key attributes and tactics, below is a snippet of the detailed look at our pressing this season.
Pochettino’s team received a big chunk of change (around £250m) but allowed around £450m of player market value to depart for just over half that figure. Which, in essence, is exactly how Clearlake have run the club since they arrived. Burning money for fun. One day this strategy will surely become, erm, clearer. From the outside, the lake looks muddy, polluted and infected with disease.
Liverpool
Wahoo. The Redmen. Felt dirty spending so much time dredging in the murky waters of Stamford Bridge.
This part will look at the best bits of the Reds’ pressing so far this season, as well as some underlying attacking and defensive data; followed by some tactical analysis and a look at our transfer window in the final part next week.
There’s no data for the Bournemouth game as I was in Belfast visiting family, but as you would expect, that game and the trip to St James’ Park were moot when it comes to the high press because we had a man sent off in both so had to sit deep and hit the opposition on the break.
The video below is the four matches that I’ve collected this season, and can take up to six hours stopping and starting the match collecting each individual occasion when a Liverpool player ‘applies pressure’ to an opposition player.
This involves several ‘events’, such as: press pushed opposition back/sideways, press led to a shot, press led to goal, failed press etc… all the definitions with relevant symbol are below as well.
Pressing
The Chelsea game was very much a different approach to the traditional gegenpress we’ve come to know and love under Klopp. It is a clear mid block with our players barely pressing in the Blues’ penalty area or final third.
Aston Villa was without doubt the stand out pressing performance of the season, and below you will find the highlights from that.
Wolves’ first half was a mixed bag off the ball with plenty of effort, plenty of distance covered, but unfortunately plenty of fails that stemmed from a fatigued Mac Allister at the base of the midfield. The double pivot in the second half not only allowed us to control the ball but eliminated any need to press very often (70% possession). We did still have two shots and one goal from pressing though.
TTT Transfer Hub & Deep Dives
Stats comparison with the player Szoboszlai has directly replaced
As mentioned above, Szoboszlai has effectively replaced Henderson in the midfield for Liverpool. Keeping that in mind, let’s have a look at the table comparing the latter’s numbers in the league last season to the former’s numbers so far. Early days for the Hungarian, but the pattern is set after five games and 450+ minutes.
In all the key metrics, Szoboszlai has been better than Henderson. The ones where the Hungarian is behind are the things he is naturally good at anyway - progressive passing and creating chances. It's just that he has been used in different positions to save the team’s back side that the chance-creation numbers are low for the moment. Expect them to take a surge once we stop going down to 10 men and the squad is fully fit.
Engaging with opposition midfielders and making it tough for them to penetrate through the middle was something Liverpool lacked last season. Henderson contesting close to seven less duels per 90 than Szoboszlai shows that quite clearly.
The latter is so good at holding onto the ball, dribbling past players and carrying it forward as well, something Henderson wasn’t very good at even in his prime (the captain had other good qualities). So, in a way, Liverpool have got an upgrade on the right-hand side of their midfield in a very high proportion! What's more, Szoboszlai is a national team captain who is going to add the leadership acumen to his game in a Red jersey in due course of time.
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