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Arne Slot passes first Liverpool test thanks to savvy in-game adjustments
There was plenty for Ipswich to be pleased with. Squad size and a lack of resources may do for them in the end, but they pressed high and played boldly out from the back just as they have in winning successful promotions. Southampton did similarly in losing at 10-man Newcastle, and the courage of promoted teams, trying to play the progressive football that got them up, has been a feature of recent seasons. The case of Burnley last year shows that intent isn’t enough. It may not be for Kieran McKenna’s side but, in the first half, without really threatening themselves, they prevented Liverpool from developing any sort of rhythm.
At that point, the temptation was to look at Liverpool and see a side looking a little flat, in need some sort of inspiration. If it had stayed like that there’d have been a lot of talk about the post-Klopp hangover and questions about the lack of transfer activity this season after the arrival of Michael Edwards as chief executive of football and Richard Hughes as sporting director. But it didn’t, and for that Slot deserves credit.
He withdrew Jarrell Quansah for Ibrahima Konaté, concerned about how the 21-year-old was struggling in the air against Liam Delap. Quansah won only 50% of his aerial duels; Konaté won 80%. That relieved the sense of potential threat but also gave Liverpool greater control of the ball, and that allowed them to set pressing traps for Ipswich, using their approach against them.
There was a clear effort in the second half to get Mohamed Salah into positions where he was running one-on-one against the Ipswich left-back Leif Davis. The most obvious, perhaps, was the opening goal, which started with Andy Robertson in the left-back position. Ipswich’s press went to that side of the field to try to pin him in, at which the ball was switched quickly through Alisson to Konaté. Ryan Gravenberch, playing at the back of midfield, gave an option inside, getting beyond Conor Chaplin. That then forced Massimo Luongo infield to cover, leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold with a channel of space in front of him. Gravenberch went forward to Salah on halfway, he knocked it back to Alexander-Arnold and span into the space behind Davis to receive a perfectly weighted return, ran on and crossed low for Diogo Jota to score.
Chaplin and Luongo were perhaps feeling the pace – both were withdrawn soon after – but while it may be that Ipswich ran out of steam, Liverpool also deserve credit for the greater zip and purpose of their passing after half-time. But there were repeated balls over the top to Salah, while Gravenberch was far more involved offering options to his back four, with the movement of Jota drawing covering defenders away. In the second half they had 15 shots as opposed to three before the break, with an xG of 2.6 after half-time compared with 0.1 before.
There are a huge number of issues that will dictate whether Slot is a success at Anfield, but his first test of in-game management, of working out a way of bypassing an opponent’s press, was passed in some style.
At that point, the temptation was to look at Liverpool and see a side looking a little flat, in need some sort of inspiration. If it had stayed like that there’d have been a lot of talk about the post-Klopp hangover and questions about the lack of transfer activity this season after the arrival of Michael Edwards as chief executive of football and Richard Hughes as sporting director. But it didn’t, and for that Slot deserves credit.
He withdrew Jarrell Quansah for Ibrahima Konaté, concerned about how the 21-year-old was struggling in the air against Liam Delap. Quansah won only 50% of his aerial duels; Konaté won 80%. That relieved the sense of potential threat but also gave Liverpool greater control of the ball, and that allowed them to set pressing traps for Ipswich, using their approach against them.
There was a clear effort in the second half to get Mohamed Salah into positions where he was running one-on-one against the Ipswich left-back Leif Davis. The most obvious, perhaps, was the opening goal, which started with Andy Robertson in the left-back position. Ipswich’s press went to that side of the field to try to pin him in, at which the ball was switched quickly through Alisson to Konaté. Ryan Gravenberch, playing at the back of midfield, gave an option inside, getting beyond Conor Chaplin. That then forced Massimo Luongo infield to cover, leaving Trent Alexander-Arnold with a channel of space in front of him. Gravenberch went forward to Salah on halfway, he knocked it back to Alexander-Arnold and span into the space behind Davis to receive a perfectly weighted return, ran on and crossed low for Diogo Jota to score.
Chaplin and Luongo were perhaps feeling the pace – both were withdrawn soon after – but while it may be that Ipswich ran out of steam, Liverpool also deserve credit for the greater zip and purpose of their passing after half-time. But there were repeated balls over the top to Salah, while Gravenberch was far more involved offering options to his back four, with the movement of Jota drawing covering defenders away. In the second half they had 15 shots as opposed to three before the break, with an xG of 2.6 after half-time compared with 0.1 before.
There are a huge number of issues that will dictate whether Slot is a success at Anfield, but his first test of in-game management, of working out a way of bypassing an opponent’s press, was passed in some style.