Jurgen Klopp has suggested that he could soon partner Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah up-front for Liverpool.
The two forwards are yet to play centrally together in Klopp’s new-look 442 formation. But speaking to Viaplay after last night’s 1-0 win over West Ham United, the Reds boss said the two could form a new strike partnership for Liverpool very soon.
“We all have to defend, and Mo has to defend then slightly different to what he did in the past, or what he does in the centre,” he said when asked about Salah’s wide role during last night’s game.
“There’s a chance that we play with Darwin and Mo in the centre. That would be a high-speed combination, but we need to get there somehow. We are still developing this kind of system and we have to figure out how is it best for the specific game.
“Mo can play ten positions and he was constantly in the centre and finishing situations off, a bit unlucky here, a block there. But it’s not different offensively, defensively, slightly different.”
Klopp still figuring out his 442 vision
From Jurgen’s comments, you get the impression that this could be what he had in mind as the end goal of the new system.
Salah playing off Nunez is certainly a tantalising prospect for Liverpool. As things stand though, Liverpool perhaps don’t have the personnel to quite make that stick.
Besides, the second forward role is one that Roberto Firmino is particularly suited to. Bobby played alongside Salah against Manchester City last weekend, which worked pretty well against a top, top side.
Last night, it was Nunez who got the nod, with Mo surprisingly asked to stay wider on the right.
Should Klopp decide to go with both Nunez and Salah through the middle, you’d have to think Harvey Elliott would take up that right-side role.
In theory, this is okay. But with Luis Diaz and Diogo Jota currently out injured, this would require Liverpool leaning heavily on Elliott and Fabio Carvalho.
Both are very capable of making an impact from wide. Although perhaps it might be asking a little too much to have two youngsters playing such defensively important roles.
In certain games, maybe against sides lower down the table, this might be more appropriate. Otherwise, we might have to wait until one of Diaz or Jota is back before we see this ‘high-speed’ dream in action.
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