I don't quite get all the calls to try different formations. A different formation doesn't change much when it's the same players executing the tactics on the pitch. A formation is just what they show you at the start of the game: "These are the 11 that will be playing and they'll be roughly playing in these positions."
A 3-5-2 like Chelsea: our attacking shape already very much is like a 3-5-2 / 3-4-2-1 (Whatever you want to call it.)
If you look at us and compare our attacking shape to Chelsea's starting / attacking shape:
Henderson and Luiz almost have the same roles. The big difference (apart from the obvious fact that Luiz actually is a defender, not a very good one to be honest, but a defender nonetheless and Henderson isn't) is that with us Henderson is part of the pressing machine when we lose possession and he gets pulled out of our 'back three' (so to spreak, he usually drops deep and sits between our CB's to effectively form a back three). Luiz isn't part of their's. Both Kante and Matic are the ones regaining possession, not necessarily high up the pitch like our players are asked to do. Not Luiz and he doesn't expose their CB's nearly as much as Henderson exposes our's which time and time again makes us vulnerable on the counterattack as we have seen numerous times in January because it leaves us a man short at the back.
The big difference here isn't the formation or the starting positions (their backline usually sits a little deeper). It's the players, mainly the type of players and their mindset (attacking / defending), executing the formation and the tactics. If you look at their midfield and you look at our's. What do we lack that they do have? Power and a defensive mindset. Look at Grujic, a strong, big lad to play in midfield who has these qualities, but has been unlucky with injuries. Klopp knows what he needs and he knows what he's doing. Their front three might only be marginally better than our's. Same for their back three. The big difference sits in midfield and of course the goalkeeper. Both Kanté and Matic are defensive minded. Lallana and Wijnaldum are essentialy attacking midfielders being pulled back to play in midfield and Henderson is a midfielder being pulled back to almost a CB / CDM. So we're only playing three defensive minded players out of 10 outfield players. Milner might be playing at LB, but he is a(n) (attacking) midfielder too.
In my opinion we don't have the players to do what Chelsea does, we would get overrun in midfield. Matip would be our middle CB with Lovren and Klavan either side of him. Henderson / Wijnaldum or Henderson / Lallana, whatever pair you would put in the middle, it's too lightweight. And what happens when one of our 3 CB's gets injured? We revert back to our 4-3-3 like we do now? We only have three CB's (and Gomez who still is on the way back.)
Just to be clear, a change of formation CAN make a difference, like it did at Chelsea, but ONLY if you have to players to fit that formation. We do not have the players to change formation because the ones that we would need to come in to change our formation, are the ones that everyone has been shitting on the past few weeks / months / years (Moreno and Can, who I agree have been below the level that is required for Liverpool).
The same with 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1.
What's the big difference there? In my opinion, it's just asking either Wijnaldum or Lallana to defend first and to attack second. It's still the same 11 players on the pitch in roughly the same positions, they're just given different guidelines then they are now.
The problem isn't the formation, the problem isn't necessarily what Klopp is asking the players to do. What we have is Klopp trying to get the best out of the squad we currently have available. Which is why I think he deserves more credit for what he has done so far this season because our squad, other than our starting eleven, lacks quality. Klopp is madly obsessed with football. If you think that he hasn't been thinking about changing formation, changing tactics, trying to find ways to break teams down, you're wrong. He's a F***ing sore loser and I'm sure the man is absolutely fuming with the performances of our players and I'm sure he's also disappointed in himself.
Now all of you will be saying:"If we don't have the players to try a different formation or to try and mix up things during the game, why hasn't Klopp brought in reinforcements this window or why hasn't he bought more players in the summer?"
It's just unrealistic to expect Klopp to sell 20 players over two windows and bring in another 20. Just have a look at the Dortmund team he took over in '08-'09 and his squad two or three years later. There are almost no players left from when he started. The difference is that he had 5-6 windows to mould that squad exactly like he wanted it. Without having his fans asking him to bring in 10 players every window and to make wholesale changes. The players we all agree on that lack quality: some of them we're in the starting line-up last season, most of them were either sold or are on the bench now and barely play. Where do you think they will be come summer or the season after? Gone.
Patience is a virtue. We all crave success, we all want to win the F***ing league, more than anyone else, I do too. All we can do now is give the man some time. I know that's what some of you have been hearing for the past almost three decades, but it's what Klopp (and actually any manager who has been at any club for only a year and half) deserves.
With this post I do not mean to defend our performances at all, if anyone thinks that. Just my view on the formations / tactics / ...
