It will be borderline impossible for Liverpool to win the league with their current out-of-possession setup. It is unsustainable to concede transitions of this quality over a 38 game campaign. An assessment of Liverpool’s current rest-defence issues and potential remedies.

In the build-up to Antoine Semenyo’s goal, it is important to assess the positioning and intensity of Liverpool. Liverpool commit 8 players into the final third, leaving just Virgil van Dijk & Ibrahima Konate as the rest defence. This does not provide anywhere near enough cover in the case of a Bournemouth transition.

But when you further examine the individuals that commit into the final third, one of the glaring problems with Liverpool OOP become evident. Joe Gomez, Dominik Szoboszlai & Curtis Jones all make runs into the final third - 2/2 of the double pivot and a defender all withdrawing themselves from rest defence responsibilities.

This is where personnel can definitely *influence* the issues with Liverpool out-of-possession. The instincts of the players in question. Would Ryan Gravenberch or a more defensive-minded MF make that Curtis Jones run? I don’t think so.

Furthermore, the addition of Florian Wirtz has definitely influenced Liverpool’s vulnerability OOP. Last season, Dominik Szoboszlai’s main job without the ball was to cover the space behind the front line during the press. His athleticism, engine and relentless work alleviated the side. But now, with Wirtz taking his higher position, Szoboszlai is now further back relinquishing his influence.

The addition of Marc Guehi would definitely help Liverpool without the ball. This is an individual that is incredibly comfortable defending high and large spaces.

But personnel can only HELP to alleviate Liverpool’s issues without the ball. The main problem for Liverpool’s vulnerability stems from a systematic failing in their setup.

With Liverpool’s new-look midfield, there has been an emphasis on dynamic rotations and interchanges of space across the pitch. Players exchanging the ball, space and intentions to provide dynamic solutions and stretch the opponent. Note, the intensity and pace of these rotations.

Liverpool again, through dynamic rotations, manage to successfully build-up and occupy Bournemouth’s final third. But these rotations in midfield and defence have left them vulnerable with players in suboptimal positions covering large spaces. Milos Kerkez ends up in the left half-space with no cover meaning in the case of Liverpool losing the ball, Van Dijk would have had to have covered the whole LHS.

Again, these quick rotations between Florian Wirtz -> Alexis Mac Allister -> Dominik Szoboszlai lead to Liverpool being more vulnerable. With Jeremie Frimpong occupying the RW position, Wirtz is the deepest midfielder protecting the backline of Kerkez - Van Dijk - Konate. This is not optimal.

But it is not just the intensity & tempo of these rotations that have been exposing Liverpool. The attacking intention of Liverpool’s positioning has been clear. Even after Jeremie Frimpong has been replaced by Wataru Endo, the RB is still incredibly high and wide, looking to support the attacking phase rather than protecting the backline.

In previous years, Ibrahima Konate would have had Trent Alexander-Arnold by his side to give the ball to progress play. But Jeremie Frimpong is a different kind of RB, with more front-footed instincts. These zones are where he thrives, but he should be looking to take up these positions later during the play.

Starting in a deeper position would help Liverpool build-up whilst providing more protection to the backline. The rotations are fine but the intensity & speed of the rotations are causing issues.

I have confidence that Arne Slot can sort out these issues without the ball. In his first Premier League season, he demonstrated unprecedented levels of pragmatism to adapt his system around the players available to him. In some ways, it is good that these glaring issues have been presented as early as the first game. It is also important to understand that Liverpool have had lots of new additions that are still familiarising themselves with the system.

The solutions for Liverpool OOP concerns are: 1. Rest defence positioning - at the bare minimum, either a 2/3 3/2 rest defence to cover these large spaces 2. Tempo & intensity of rotations - slow down the tempo of their rotations 3. Positioning & personnel - Gravenberch is key - FB’s needed to be deeper in initial phases

End of thread! Any likes, comments & shares are greatly appreciated!