The Reds did it again this weekend. They beat the opposition into submission, passing and pressing them to death. Virgil van Dijk’s header was enough to win it, Mo Salah’s goal was the icing on the cake. Manchester United proved us right this weekend – teams are beaten before kick off against Liverpool.
Back in November we presented a theory about Liverpool’s invincibility. We asserted that one of the reasons The Reds are so unbeatable is that other teams don’t believe they can win.
We theorised that opposition players are not as careful in possession because they are so intimidated by The Reds.
You cannot deny that teams make more mistakes against Liverpool than you’d see them make against other teams, players miss more chances.
This is because when you face Jürgen Klopp’s side you are rarely afforded the ball and when you do have it you are swarmed by players immediately.
This means that when players are in possession they are anxious to keep it and play negatively or use it quickly and carelessly.
The mental pressure exerted on the opposition by Liverpool’s relentless approach makes it more likely that players will make mistakes.
Manchester United proved us right in this respect at the weekend. The most glaring example was Anthony Martial’s glaring miss.
With just a goal in it, Martial broke through the Liverpool back line with a neat one two, with just Alisson between him and the net, the Frenchman blazed the ball over the bar. He wouldn’t have missed so badly against any other opposition.
When you are afforded so few chances, players get anxious, they feel the pressure. Teams are beaten before kick off against Liverpool because they don’t think they can win.
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