Jurgen Klopp can help ‘quality’ Liverpool player thrive with an old tactic

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Jurgen Klopp can help get the most out of Cody Gakpo by reverting to an old Liverpool tactic. It may be time to try it.

Jurgen Klopp hasn’t been able to get Liverpool right this season. He’s tried many things, too, but injuries continue to interrupt the plans.

Right now, he’s without Virgil van Dijk, Luis Díaz, Diogo Jota and Roberto Firmino. All four would compete for starting roles right now. Three would arguably win those fights.

But this isn’t the first time he’s run into this problem. Klopp also found himself short up top earlier in the campaign and it forced a formation change. He tried a 4-4-2 or 4-2-4 system, with player sliding out of midfield and behind a lone striker.

It first came into effect against Rangers and Liverpool did enjoy a decent run with the system. The formation shook things up in the team – and we wonder if it’s time to try it again.

Liverpool aren’t threatening enough going forward, after all. It’s also a system that could get the best out of Cody Gakpo.

Cody Gakpo at Liverpool

Gakpo has had a very difficult task since moving to Liverpool. He’s having to find a way to shine in a muddled team – something even Mohamed Salah struggles to do right now.

Making matters worse, Gakpo has spent the last few games playing as a centre-forward – a position he doesn’t actually like to play. The Dutchman prefers playing behind a striker if he’s central, otherwise the left is his best place.

A return to 4-4-2 could allow Gakpo that central role, though. He could drift behind Darwin Nunez, potentially forming a lethal pairing with the £64m striker. There’d be less pressure to operate in behind or play up against centre-backs – instead, Gakpo would have true freedom to find his place in this Liverpool team.

Alternatively, he could play from the left in a 4-2-4 or 4-4-2. Again, it would bring less pressure than the 4-3-3, with a no.10 in there who could offer an easier link-man for Gakpo. As things stand, he’s finding himself far more isolated out on the flank when Nunez is a lone central striker.

Gakpo shone in a 4-2-3-1 system with PSV Eindhoven, after all. At the World Cup, he played in a front two. Giving him an extra player around him – even temporarily – could be the best way to help him adapt to Liverpool.