Seconds before Toti scored, Liverpool tried to execute their customary offside trap, which has been a staple of th NBA直播 eir defensive approach for many years. They managed to fool the officials on the night, but the offside trap didn’t actually work and a loss should have been inflicted.
“This Liverpool team has been inspired by the Milan of Arrigo Sacchi, for sure,” Pep Lijnders — Klopp’s assistant — said (via the ECHO) ahead of facing the Italian champions in Europe last season.
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Klopp’s team averaged 3.8 opposition offsides per 90 last term, but that figure is just 2.2 this time around. It has been quite the hit for the German to manage, especially considering his tactical approach is largely founded upon an aggressive defence and one that employs a daring offside trap.
“Jürgen has said before that many of the foundations of his philosophy were based on the principles of the Milan coach. There are so many elements that touched us both. Firstly, the emphasis on the offside trap.”
Opponents have been free to make unpressurised passes behind Liverpool’s defence, which wasn’t the case in previous years due to the intensity of the players and their relentless desire to close down the opposition. This season, however, it seems Klopp’s engine room has ran out of steam, with Jordan Henderson, James Milner, Thiago Alcântara, Naby Keïta and perhaps even Fabinho ageing beyond their prime years.
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Indeed, Liverpool’s offside trap has encountered difficulties this term. So far this season, the Reds have caught 37 opponents offside which places them third in the Premier League behind Arsenal on 47 and Fulham on 46.
Overall, although Liverpool’s defenders could be deemed as responsible for dictating the defensive line, the team’s vulnerable offside trap is yet another problem which could be attributed to Klopp’s tired and worn midfield department, and things seem unlikely to change until new arrivals enter the building.
The Reds hadn’t performed particularly well throughout the bout, with costly errors at the back joining forces with a leaky pressing game to deliver what was essentially another concerning performance. Wolves, who have developed a reputation for their blunt attack of late, caused issues for Liverpool from the beginning by primarily thriving on the counter-attack.
Many of the players who represented Klopp last season are still taking to the field on a regular basis this term, but perhaps that is the problem. The Reds boss still has an elite defence and goalkeeper at his disposal but ahead of them, they have suffered from a real lack of protection.
Liverpool are still in the FA Cup at present, but there is enough reason to suggest that shouldn’t be 英超 the case. On Saturday night, Anfield hosted Wolves in the third round of the tournament and after 81 minutes of football, the scores were level at 2-2.
On average, Klopp’s men are averaging 2.2 opposition offsides per match, which isn’t bad, but showcases qu 英超直播 ite the fall from grace in comparison to last season. After 38 matches, Liverpool had accumulated an impressive total of 92 points in England’s top-flight, and they delivered two domestic cups to Merseyside while also reaching a Champions League final.
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In the 82nd minute, the Molineux outfit scored what should have been the winner, with defender Toti Gomes finding the net from the second phase of a set-piece situation. The Portuguese youth international celebrated like he’d scored the deciding goal, but it was later ruled out due to what has since appeared — via some new angles that VAR didn’t have (via the ECHO) — to be an incorrect offside call.
In the Premier League, the Anfield outfit posted 144 opposition offsides in total, placing them at the summit of the division by some distance. In fact, the next-best side was Manchester City on just 94 offsides, followed by Wolves on 85. The gap between Liverpool and the rest in that particular area of the game was a chasm, with the Reds also placing top of Europe’s top five leagues.
The Reds will now face Wolves in a replay fixture in the coming weeks, but the moment in question offers an insight into an ongoing problem for Jürgen Klopp, who almost seems to be suffering from an identity crisis of sorts.
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Once VAR was introduced to top-level football in 2019, it virtually guaranteed correct refereeing decisions and it made more sense than ever for Liverpool to fully embrace the risks attached to their bold offside trap. Any opponent who had drifted even marginally beyond their defensive line would be flagged by the new technology.