I have actually noticed that the pressing is not as good, but the fundamental problem is the inflexibility of our system/tactics. When we have a full team and everyone in form it works beautifully but if one cog is missing it has a big impact. That is really not a good system, especially now with so many missing cogs. I find it incredibly disappointing that Klopp is not finding a solution to this and persisting with a system/formation which is clearly not working, we have become incredibly easy to defend against and actually fairly easy to score against as well. Jürgen has to find a new system until everyone is back fit, if it was me I'd drop Bobby play 2 up top with an extra body in midfield tasked with taking the ball and running at the defence/linking with forwards. If in form this would be Ox, but Shaq, Minamino and Keita could also do this role. I would then play Sadio and Mo as more traditional forwards. I'd also consider having the defence sit a bit deeper and switching to more of a counter attacking stance until we get a full defence back.
As far as I understood, the plan in the summer was to buy Thiago not only because he is world class and was available at a very good price for such
a talent, but because Klopp wanted to add another arrow in our quiver after a lot of teams started heavily pinching Robbo and Trent all while keeping a very solid block of 6 or 7 players in the middle.
In my wannabe manager mind surely the idea was that with our way of playing and pressing the opposition high up the pitch for long periods of time and the ability of Mane and Salah to make intelligent runs between the Cbs and the full-backs this would leave space and time for Thiago to set up near or mid range from the opposition's box and deliver defence splitting passes to open up the solid and low blocks we encounter (3rd and disallowed goal v Everton would come to mind)
Them problem is that we lost the main component that allowed for such high-up the pitch pressing and possession. We now must dedicate more players in defence because whoever we pair with Fabinho at the back does not possess the speed VVD and Joe had + VVD's coaching of whomever played alongside him is also gone. In short, we are missing what any world class player brings to your team which is the ability to derogate from the laws of the game. Usually you put such a high line you pay for it yet we didn't because VVD and whoever played with him were so well positioned and fast and good at tracking back that you literally could do that against teams full of talent like City, Chelsea, etc and get away with it. This is why I'm saying to those who think buying a CB is suddenly going to solve all our problems to think again.
Do we need a CB? Short answer is yes because we have a need for able specialists (numerical problem).
Will this new CB enable us to play our usual football and solve all our tactical problems? Short answer is no. VVD is VVD because what he does is unique and maybe 1 or 2 other defenders in the world can compare (and surely would not match his skillset). We would however benefit from having Fabinho and Henderson back in midfield which would in turn mean much more tactical flexibility and maybe more freedom for Thiago on the ball which is something we really need with Ox still not seing regular time and Naby busy booking his next appointment on the physio's table.
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