The Three Stages of Liverpool’s Tactical Evolution in the 2023-2024 Season

Manmohan KejeriwalModified: 24 May 2024 06:36 AM

Here we take a look at how Liverpool under Jurgen Klopp evolved through various tactical formations this season:

1. Playing with a recognized number nine/striker

The Premier League club Liverpool has been playing their Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez as the number nine for a majority of their matches in the last two seasons under Jurgen Klopp. Ever since the youngster was signed by Liverpool from the Portuguese club Benfica, he has been given ample opportunities to represent the Reds and lead their attacking line.

The same was the case for most of the 2023-2024 season, as Klopp played him as a central striker in his preferred 4-3-3 formation, with two wingers on either side of Nunez. However, the 24-year-old produced a mixed bag of performances, leading the manager to think of a few other tactical changes.

2. Playing with pretty much three wingers upfront

Jurgen Klopp wasn’t afraid of implementing the idea of playing three wingers upfront in the form of Mohamed Salah, Luis Diaz, and Cody Gakpo. He benched Darwin Nunez in a certain number of matches, especially during the later stages of the season, to have these three players playing together at the top of the pitch, keeping intact his preferred 4-3-3 formation, despite not having a recognized striker in the playing eleven.

While this style of play did make the Reds look more efficient during some of the matches, they did lack a focal point inside the final third during the crucial phases of some of their encounters. Jurgen Klopp managed to level up things by bringing on Darwin Nunez as a substitute player during such stages of the season.

3. Full-backs drifting into the midfield area to gain a numerical advantage over the opponent

Pep Lijnders reveals he BEGGED Jurgen Klopp to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in midfield… as Liverpool assistant promised 'you can have all my f****** salary' to persuade reluctant Reds boss https://t.co/lXEOkIGRQK
— Mail Sport (@MailSport) May 21, 2024

Klopp experimented during some of the games this season by bringing his full-backs – Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson to join his other three midfield players. It pretty much changed their 4-3-3 formation into a 2-5-3 formation and allowed them to outnumber the opposition in the middle of the park. However, the Reds manager used this tactical evolution very wisely by picking the moments in which it suited them to do so.

Also, some of the reports recently revealed that Jurgen Klopp’s assistant manager, Pep Lijnders was the person behind persuading the German manager to play Trent Alexander-Arnold in the midfield. The idea pretty much stood out as the 25-year-old right-back did make some effective contributions whenever he drifted into the midfield during some of the matches for the Reds.

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