Slot's set up and tactics!

What are the tactical differences that I should be seeing? 

I've read that Slot's setup uses alot of pressure and passing outside and inside the box. He also employs a press like Klopp. However, I dont have the tactical knowledge to know whats different in Slots tactics to Klopps tactics.

What are the tactical differences that I should be seeing? 

I've read that Slot's setup uses alot of pressure and passing outside and inside the box. He also employs a press like Klopp. However, I dont have the tactical knowledge to know whats different in Slots tactics to Klopps tactics.

Hey dude I think it may take a little bit of time to see all the differences. I think the most obvious difference is in possession. Much more patient approach, I believe he has used the term “kill them with possession”. It will be interesting to see how he uses the full backs, they were such an integral part of Klopp’s approach and provided all the width for many years before he had them playing in a more inverted role this past couple of seasons.

I think this chat will probably go into the ongoing tactics thread that  has been running for a few years.

What are the tactical differences that I should be seeing? 

I've read that Slot's setup uses alot of pressure and passing outside and inside the box. He also employs a press like Klopp. However, I dont have the tactical knowledge to know whats different in Slots tactics to Klopps tactics.

Heavy Metal Football is over,
Which might be good in terms of less injuries.

Slot certainly seems to want to move teams around more in possession but there are still times when we see a high press.

Given we haven’t had our starting back 5 play it’s hard to say too much on formation as we’ve seen 4-2-4, 4-1-4-1 & 4-3-3 so far.

What are the tactical differences that I should be seeing? 

I've read that Slot's setup uses alot of pressure and passing outside and inside the box. He also employs a press like Klopp. However, I dont have the tactical knowledge to know whats different in Slots tactics to Klopps tactics.

It’s going to be a lot more paitent and less hectic , it’s going to suit the more technical players

They will be pressing high from what we have seen so far but looks like more of a double pivot in the middle

Looks like we may've seen the last of the inverted roles. Something I've definitely noticed is that he likes his fullbacks underlapping which actually allows our wide men to find them easier as they're not constantly overlapping and thus running past their blind spot.

Also been a lot less long diagonals to switch play/long passes in general and more ground football/short intricate passing if you like, although that could be more down to personnel, once Virgil and Trent who both love to display their passing range come back in, we'll mix it up a bit more.

Hmm what else? I'd say on the defensive side it's not 100MPH counter pressing/sprinting back 50 yards to try and stop a counter attack, whilst there is pressing involved - it feels more controlled...out of possession we look really compact and don't leave spaces for teams to exploit, over the 2 games so far (playing our 2nd string back 5) we've given up 1 clear cut chance.

I haven't seen enough of our pre-season to get a full gauge - plus I think we've been somewhat limited so far as there are some key players either missing or only just got back from their tournaments.

That high press has now become mainstream - Arsenal were doing it against us very well yesterday (at least initially anyway) - so we have to find ways around it.  If I remember rightly Atalanta did it to us as well. 

We've got a lot of players in their 30s now so for them they can't be expected to play like they did in 2018.  Think we all remember Robbo running and chasing a goalie and defender about. 

What I have noticed is the increase in short passing.  Not sure what Trent is going to think about all that but it should certainly suit the likes of Elliott and Salah.

It honestly reminds me of what Rodgers marketed his approach as. Keep the ball as long as possible, if you give it away, go get it back and then rest in possession. It's not full on attack, but I think it may suit the fact that so many teams are trying to high press us now. Let our more technical players be technical with short passing, waiting for that long pass or play to open up. I feel like that's one reason Endo may not be as ideal of a DM for Slot as he was for Klopp. Endo can get dispossessed easily because he sometimes dwells on the ball and he's not the most technically gifted. I feel like it may favor Curtis and Harvey though as they seem to have better close control and passing. Trent will adapt I'm assuming, he's not quite as good at close control but with his range of passing teams will still respect him. I feel like we may not blow teams away by 3 or 4 goals as often as we used to, but we also may not give up cheap goals or have as hard of a time scoring against low block teams. I suppose that's the hope anyway.

I wasn't too impressed with the defense against Arsenal, they did ok...but that was without Virgil, Trent and Robbo so that's to be expected I suppose.

OK...so it seems he's really keen on the quick passing outside the box and inside. It's more pressing and technical "tiki taka"?

It looks to me like we’re pressing with more intent and purposeful, more controlled if you like, like JD said we won’t see it in its fullest guise until the main players are used to it and accustomed to the difference to how Jürgen wanted,
I think we’ll see a hybrid of pressing and passing teams to death, less space between lines to which some teams  have exploited in the past, I also believe he will instill two maybe three systems depending on the opposition and how they set up, all this will of course take time to get used to so we’ll all have to be patient, as for new players coming in and who they are will depend on what Arne sees as requirements to his systems, hence our lack of activity,
We weren’t far away last season albeit in a transitional state, and we won’t be far off this season either in the same transitional state acclimatising to a new manager and his systems, in short Arne has most of the tools in his box to have us up there challenging .


YNWA

We weren’t far away last season albeit in a transitional state, and we won’t be far off this season either in the same transitional state acclimatising to a new manager and his systems, in short Arne has most of the tools in his box to have us up there challenging .

I really felt like the team was punching for much of last season. So many late goals and escape acts papered some cracks so I’m not as confident in this squad. There are a few players who may not adapt so well to the more patient approach. Nunez and Diaz are more heavy metal than Tiki Taka. The midfield as well concerns me. Endo appears as though he may be moved on, I also wonder how Szobo will get on and I don’t have much confidence in Gravenburch. City have used very technical players in the middle of the park ie. Foden, Silva, Bernardo,  Gundogan etc. I don’t see that sort of technical player in our midfield outside of Mac. We need some players.

I really felt like the team was punching for much of last season. So many late goals and escape acts papered some cracks so I’m not as confident in this squad. There are a few players who may not adapt so well to the more patient approach. Nunez and Diaz are more heavy metal than Tiki Taka. The midfield as well concerns me. Endo appears as though he may be moved on, I also wonder how Szobo will get on and I don’t have much confidence in Gravenburch. City have used very technical players in the middle of the park ie. Foden, Silva, Bernardo,  Gundogan etc. I don’t see that sort of technical player in our midfield outside of Mac. We need some players.

Gravenberch can play, I think hellprove doubters wrong this season. Id be far more confident in him then in Dom

You don’t shout “Kill them with passes!” to your players during a training session if your style is anything other than possession-based. Those were the instructions from Slot and his coaching staff on the U.S. tour.

For that brand of football to be efficient and effective, every player needs to possess the technical quality to be comfortable and secure on the ball. Within that, it can’t be underestimated how vital Slot believes the No 6 position to be.

Liverpool’s build-up play has begun from deep in their friendlies, aiming to bait opponents into pressing before playing through them.
The 4-2-4 build-up with a staggered pivot is not the only plan Slot has used during his coaching career to build out from the back, but consistent is the presence of a deep midfielder needed to knit everything together.

Slot’s first idea in possession is to go through the centre. There, the No 6 must be technically skilled, capable of playing in small spaces and have the qualities to play forward at the right moments, speeding up the game and attacking space.
Even when opponents force Slot sides wide, the aim is to bring the ball back into the centre, and the No 6 must be able to play between the lines and switch play.

It would be extreme to suggest that not having a No 6 with the technical proficiency to confidently execute passes and progress play would see Slot’s system fail, but for a team aiming to dominate possession, the importance of those attributes cannot be understated.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5687159/2024/08/08/liverpool-no-6-zubimendi-endo-mac-allister-slot/

Kill them with passes

You don’t shout “Kill them with passes!” to your players during a training session if your style is anything other than possession-based. Those were the instructions from Slot and his coaching staff on the U.S. tour.

For that brand of football to be efficient and effective, every player needs to possess the technical quality to be comfortable and secure on the ball. Within that, it can’t be underestimated how vital Slot believes the No 6 position to be.

Liverpool’s build-up play has begun from deep in their friendlies, aiming to bait opponents into pressing before playing through them.
The 4-2-4 build-up with a staggered pivot is not the only plan Slot has used during his coaching career to build out from the back, but consistent is the presence of a deep midfielder needed to knit everything together.

Slot’s first idea in possession is to go through the centre. There, the No 6 must be technically skilled, capable of playing in small spaces and have the qualities to play forward at the right moments, speeding up the game and attacking space.
Even when opponents force Slot sides wide, the aim is to bring the ball back into the centre, and the No 6 must be able to play between the lines and switch play.

It would be extreme to suggest that not having a No 6 with the technical proficiency to confidently execute passes and progress play would see Slot’s system fail, but for a team aiming to dominate possession, the importance of those attributes cannot be understated.

https://www.nytimes.com/athletic/5687159/2024/08/08/liverpool-no-6-zubimendi-endo-mac-allister-slot/

You’re definitely not talking about Endo! Mac will surely play the roll and in the mean time we will see if Hughes can redeem himself.