Not only are Liverpool top of the Premier League, but they are also top of another table that will please Pep Lijnders and Jurgen Klopp.
Jurgen Klopp and Pep Leunders like to tell us nice things. Liverpool 2.0 is very much in vogue at the moment and the manager has put his useful stamp on the team’s development. Everything is going well.
This rejuvenated Liverpool side has now reached the halfway point of the season and sits at the top of the Premier League. Meanwhile, they progressed to the semi-finals of the cup competition and failed to progress to the play-offs, safely securing their place in the last 16 of the Europa League.
Unlike last season, at least. While many factors contributed to the promotion, it was clear that employment was the key to improvement.
The veterans of Klopp’s first senior Liverpool team moved on last summer, leaving Jordan Henderson, James Milner and Fabinho alone in midfield. All four transfer additions focused on the middle of the park.
Three players under 24 and veterans who like to make big runs and tackles.Quite simply, the key to creating Liverpool 2.0 was reinventing the basics of what came before. “Intensity is our identity” is another slogan Linders often uses this time around, and the new cog in the machine takes it a step further.
Fabinho and Henderson were not fit for purpose in Klopp’s midfield towards the end of the game at Anfield. Ironically, Milner seemed capable of filling the demanding role in a short period of time.
Wataru Endo looks set to take over that role, but even the most accomplished 37-year-old (now 38) can’t be expected to fly the flag.
Now that a new midfielder is in place, Liverpool’s play without the ball has improved. Intensity has once again been the team’s identity over the years and the key stats reflect this.
In addition to the Premier League ranking, Liverpool are also first in the number of passes allowed per defensive action (PPDA). This is a reasonable indicator of compression strength.
This shows how many passes are allowed on average before the opposing team has to deal with an oncoming redshirt.
Liverpool has allowed just 9.3 PPDA so far this season, which is the highest in its class. Only Tottenham and Arsenal can finish below 10 points, while Manchester City are 10th with 12.5 points (The Analyst). What is even more encouraging for Klopp and Lijnders is the increasing intensity as the season progresses.
In their last five games in a row, Liverpool have managed to lower their overall season average in what has been the busiest fixture of the calendar. Against Crystal Palace they dropped below 10 points for the first time and have continued to drop ever since.
According to Andrew Beasley, Liverpool allowed just 3.6 PPDA against Newcastle. This is the definition of suffocation and the Reds had plenty of big-loss chances, even if they proved harder to finish.
It introduces Liverpool’s latest slogan, which Klopp has used at the start of every Anfield game. Speaking on Sky Sports, he joked that pressing is better than any playmaker because he can create chances with high probability when the defense breaks down. The game creator is truly back.
If players like Darwin Nunes or even Mohamed Salah are sometimes more clinical (the Egyptian doesn’t quite hit his target and no one will blame him), then Liverpool will certainly be clearer with their flow. .
I haven’t done it in a while. As such, Liverpool 2.0 has a playmaker of its own and his tenacity is quickly becoming the hallmark. Klopp and Lijnders certainly couldn’t be happier.
