Liverpool hinted that a significant formation change could be in their future. The Reds went to it against Ajax last week.
Things haven’t always been perfect at Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp. The first few years were a mix of frustration and brilliance – signs of a team still finding its way. Eventually, the team did find it’s way and the Reds produced near-perfection as they swept up every trophy.
But now things are faltering. Liverpool just don’t have the same rhythm that they did and may need to change things.
That would be new for Klopp. He’s stuck fairly rigidly to his 4-3-3 system since arriving at the club and it’s a formation that brought incredible success.
Liverpool, though, aren’t finding that the system works right now. Part of that is down to injuries, while losing Sadio Mané – an integral part – hurts, too. The Reds are finding that star signing Darwin Nunez only really works in bursts, with him struggling in starts.
And perhaps that necessitates change at Liverpool, maybe even a significant one. Klopp must do something to fix the current form – and he may be about to lean into the past for his answer.
A Liverpool formation change
As Liverpool chased a goal against Ajax, Klopp put Nunez into the game. He also switched the system, though, as he used Thiago and Fabinho as deep-lying players and introduced Roberto Firmino as a no.10. They went 4-2-3-1, in effect, in an attempt to get the ‘best of both worlds’ up top.
Liverpool’s success has come with Firmino as a False 9, after all. He’s been the link-man between midfield and attack, dropping deep and creating space for others. Nunez doesn’t do that. He leads the line, forcing players out of his space and occupying defenders.
With both on the pitch, Liverpool can both occupy defenders and allow Firmino to link between the lines. The sacrifice is in midfield, while the wingers also get less space to drive into centrally.
We wonder if Klopp will try this for a bit, though. Essentially, it would be a bridge-system between the Liverpool old and the new plan with Nunez. It’s something he’s done before.
Fabinho also wasn’t quite up to scratch in Liverpool’s 4-3-3 when he arrived. Klopp didn’t use him in that formation, in a big game, until the March after he arrived. Until then, it was 4-2-3-1 with Mohamed Salah playing centrally.
As we detailed here, Salah played 13 games as a central-striker in 18/19 as Fabinho got up to speed. He scored 13 times in that span, carrying the side at times.
Perhaps Klopp can try similar, then, as Nunez finds his way at Liverpool. A temporary switch that allows him to generate an understanding with his teammates before going back to 4-3-3 for the last months of the campaign.
It wouldn’t rely on Salah playing centrally, of course. Instead, Liverpool would be relying on Fabinho and Thiago to hold down a two-man midfield. If they can do that, Firmino can play as a no.10 and Nunez up top. This seems to be something Klopp is thinking about, with his change at Ajax hinting that way.
It would be a significant change in the short-term but as with Fabinho, Liverpool could reap the rewards come May.
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