After Liverpool’s $151 million move, Jurgen Klopp faces a new midfield issue.
After the summer transfer window, Liverpool have a tonne of alternatives in midfield. What formation is ideal for Jurgen Klopp?
Last season, the midfield would have kept Jurgen Klopp up at night several times.
The alternatives the Liverpool manager has in the engine room for the upcoming months, though, present him with a new type of challenge.
There is a sense of the unknown surrounding the Reds’ midfield, which under Klopp has been very stable in terms of personnel throughout the era when trophies were being amassed after spending more than £150 million on four new recruits.
But what is the ideal midfield lineup for Liverpool right now? Our ECHO contributors weigh in…
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Horses for courses, but at six, Thiago can assist direct.
By Paul Gorst I believe Jurgen Klopp will use a horses-for-courses strategy with his midfield three over the upcoming months. Wataru Endo, who is tenacious and defensively minded, will occasionally be needed in the base of the midfield while more expansive alternatives are needed to dismantle teams that are sitting behind the ball.
When you take into account players like Curtis Jones, Ryan Gravenberch, Harvey Elliott, and Trent Alexander-Arnold as well as the tactical versatility of Klopp to deploy four or three, the combinations are numerous.
It appears to be a new-look midfield, different from the hard-running, pressing machines of the past, that has been developed with technical excellence as its most desired attribute.
Since there isn’t necessarily a “first choice” midfield, this is who I would choose if Liverpool were to play in the Champions League final and had a full roster of healthy midfielders to choose from.
Despite his fitness issues and injury issues, Thiago Alcantara is still in my opinion Liverpool’s best midfielder, thus Klopp can deploy him at the base alongside Alexis MacAllister in a two-man pivot formation.
They are joined by the tenacious and refined Dominik Szoboszlai up front, creating a midfield that is brimming with poise and accuracy with the ball. In fact, it may not be necessary to use a typical destroyer as often.
Klopp has not frequently favoured a starting midfield.
Inigo Doyle There is bad news for everyone who thinks Liverpool currently has the greatest starting midfield. One does not exist. Even if Jurgen Klopp has consistently pursued a horses-for-courses philosophy, it will be some time before it is made public.
for his engine room approach.
Think about the next contests. It wouldn’t be a shock if Liverpool started the same three against Aston Villa last weekend against Wolves; Alexis Mac Allister as the defensive midfielder, Curtis Jones to his left, and Dominik Szoboszlai on his right.
However, there will be adjustments for the Europa League debut at LASK in Austria five days later. You can anticipate seeing Wataru Endo at the six, with Harvey Elliott on his right. Which means Ryan Gravenberch, a recent addition, will likely take the final spot. Not to mention the injured Thiago Alcantara, the promising Bobby Clark, and of course the fit-again Stefan Bajcetic, who might be given a few minutes off the bench to ease back into action.
The latter pair might not get their first starts until the League Cup match at Leicester City the following midweek. The struggle for spots demonstrates why Klopp hasn’t frequently desired a first-choice midfield.
“Thiago must just begin.”
Tom Cavilla: Liverpool will face a struggle in making sure important players stay healthy. The club has learned the hard way how challenging it can be to contend for the biggest rewards when key players are forced to sit out.
Summer enlistments Since entering the team, Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai have had significant effects, and based on their recent performances, Jurgen Klopp will frequently turn to them.
Because no player has yet claimed the number six spot after Fabinho’s departure, Klopp is testing to see who would be the best fit for this duty. When Curtis Jones’ preseason experiment in this area met with only little success, it was Mac Allister’s turn to take on the challenge.
