da bet sport： A new side of Jurgen Klopp’s footballing philosophy has emerged this season which has seen the rampant high-press decrease in its importance to Liverpool’s success.
da bet7k： Klopp’s style of football is easy on the eye, devastatingly effective and a recipe for silverware. That sounds rather similar to the iconic philosophy which his closest title rival, Pep Guardiola, has imprinted at Barcelona, Bayern Munich and now Manchester City to unprecedented effect.
But there are clear lines of distinction to be drawn between the two managers. Guardiola is renowned for his Tiki-taka possession-based style, while Klopp has sought to eliminate the need to dominate control of the ball and focused primarily on recovering possession high up the pitch before directly slicing through the opponent.
It’s one which served him remarkably well at Borussia Dortmund as he achieved the unthinkable by tipping Bayern Munich to the Bundesliga title in 2012, but a trophy continues to elude him on Merseyside.
What is interesting, though, is that he has adapted his style this season and taken a hint of intensity out of the press which characterised Liverpool’s route to Kiev last season. Perhaps that is due to the physical demands that the high-press requires from all ten outfield players, and the lack of recovery time during the summer as a consequence of the World Cup is a factor which unquestionably must be taken into account.
But it’s the long-term loss of Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – a player who embodied everything that was so brilliant about Liverpool last season – which has forced Klopp’s hand.
The Ox decided to complete a controversial transfer from Arsenal to Liverpool in the 2017 summer transfer window worth £40 million, and the early stages of his career did little to inspire the Reds faithful.
A particularly dismal performance in the Carabao Cup against Leicester City was ridiculed by football fans nationwide, and a highlight reel compromising of misplaced passes and abysmal touches hinted that something was seriously not right with the England international.
But fears of a transfer flop were laid to rest in the coming months as a string of fine performances in central midfield showcased a level of quality and suitability to Klopp’s demands which would increase in prominence throughout the season.
With the physical attributes to boss the midfield in a box-to-box role, Oxlade-Chamberlain epitomised the most defining aspects of Klopp’s philosophy.
He was regularly seen hunting relentlessly to recover possession, running with dynamism and purpose at the heart of the opposition and providing explosive moments of match-winning quality which enabled Liverpool to destroy Manchester City in the Champions League.
That Klopp has adapted his style this season in Oxlade-Chamberlain’s absence is certainly no coincidence – if anything, it’s a testament to how crucial he is to the fundamental mechanics of the Liverpool machine.
Liverpool fans – thoughts? Let us know below!