Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham: Tactical Breakdown | Jurgen Klopp Takes Jibe At Antonio Conte

Following Liverpool’s disappointing 1-1 draw against Tottenham, LFCTR take a look at the tactical breakdown in a match that has all but ended our race for the title. What went wrong? What could have been done differently? Was it Jurgen Klopp’s fault rather than Antonio Conte’s?

First, let’s start with Tottenham’s tactics. A back three of stubborn centre-backs and wing-backs who played like full-backs were the foundation that Conte needed in a match like this to build upon.

Everything put into the box by Liverpool, you get rid. Every shot they have, you get in the way. It was clear what the manager’s instructions were to his tireless defence and it worked. Players were putting their bodies on the line at every opportunity to clear the ball and block shots. Three shots on target, that’s all Liverpool had, despite attack after attack.

Along with a Rodrigo Bentancur andPierre-Emile Hojbjerg, the back five made sure they left a mark on the Liverpool players when making tackles. A rough tackle on captain Jordan Henderson by Cristian Romero was surprisingly unpunished by referee Michael Oliver, which not only set the tone for the match, it gave the away side the green light they needed to continue their frustrating yet successful tactics.

In terms of an attacking viewpoint, hardly offered anything for the majority, however, when the time was right, the hold-up play from Harry Kane and the runs of Heung-Min Son and Dejan Kulusevski paid dividends. One moment of lapse by the Liverpool defence and they capitalized. Antonio Conte’s plan worked.

Why was Antonio Conte’s plan allowed to work? We knew how they were going to play. We knew we had to play against the low block. We knew that Kane would be the link up to the wide men. So why did we draw? Simple answer for me. Jurgen Klopp.

Jurgen Klopp’s tactics of heavy metal football and quick transition are just exceptional. Even when things aren’t going to plan, he usually changes the match with substitutions and tactical changes. However, despite the substitutes being right, the tactics did not change.

Cross after cross was put into the Spurs box all match and was cleared every single time. When the team did shoot on goal, it was after taking an extra touch or to the detriment of passing to someone in a better position.

When the game plan is to cross the ball into the danger area and you see it not working countless times, as a manager you should admit you got it wrong and fix it. Liverpool played the hands of Tottenham, as they could stand up and clear the ball for another 90 minutes.

Half-time was key in this match. We saw clearly what Tottenham’s approach to the game was and that’s where Jurgen Klopp should’ve changed the way the team attacked. Luis Diaz was the only player that showed how to get at the Tottenham wall and the manager failed to see that. It was reminiscent of the Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid in 2020.

Naby Keita’s dummy towards the end of the match to tee-up Mohamed Salah summed up why Liverpool saw their title chances fade away. Instead of having the confidence to shoot from a better position, he passed on the responsibility.

What could have Jurgen Klopp done differently? When bringing Naby Keita on, have him drive through the middle to open up space, instead of continuing to get it out wide. Bring Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson in a little when attacking and give the two midfielders another headache to think about.

Tottenham were happy to just sit back and allow Liverpool to go out wide and cross into a penalty box full of Tottenham shirts. Another player that would’ve been a difference-maker in this match is Joel Matip. Just like Naby Keita, his drives through the middle attracts attention from opposition players and create space for the likes of Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah.

As Jurgen Klopp slates Antonio Conte in his post-match interview and taking a dig at their league position, he needs to look closer to home to how we didn’t manage to come out with all three points. Hopefully, this is a lesson going into the future when playing teams like this. The transfer window is also an opportunity to purchase players that will change these types of matches.

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Liverpool 1-1 Tottenham: Tactical Breakdown | Jurgen Klopp Takes Jibe At Antonio Conte

Bydamon-carr-lfctr