Why Liverpool are feeling effects of Trent-shaped gap

Liverpool’s squad was strengthened by some of Europe’s most impressive talent after winning the Premier League with respectable success last year.

The most money any club has ever spent on a summer signing has been spent by Arne Slot’s Reds, which brings Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz, and Hugo Ekitike to Anfield, totaling $ 416.2 million.

However, despite sitting third in the table, Liverpool has lost three games in a row against Manchester United on Sunday, with some questions being posed about them.

Although Trent Alexander-Arnold’s departure to Real Madrid may have had a bigger impact on Liverpool’s squad than initially thought, new signings need time to settle.

The 27-year-old has 18 goals and contributed 64 assists during his time at the club, but it is for less obvious reasons that he is missing. He has occasionally been questioned about his defensive skills.

Some of the best defensive setups in the world are found in the Premier League, whether they are physical high-presses or stubborn, compact blocks.

There are two ways to play through the pressure without avoiding a high press: playing long and over the pressure, or both.

Liverpool have struggled to move the ball up the pitch as effectively as they did last season despite a strong press or a higher defensive block.

Spurs used a high press throughout the game to try to get the ball out early. Son Heung-min quickly closing Alexander-Arnold down caused the right-back’s body to be angled in the field, cutting off play to players in the wide areas.

His ability to play with his weak foot is a hugely underappreciated aspect of Trent’s game, which Liverpool misses a lot. In this situation, Trent was able to pass the unmarked Alexis Mac Allister with both of his left feet.

Finding the central midfielders who were frequently staggered was a hallmark of Liverpool’s expansion last year.

In this instance, Ryan Gravenberch has dragged his marker along with him after leaving the pitch’s center. Dominik Szoboszlai and Mac Allister cross paths to form a sort of zig-zag-like pattern.

Bradley struggled to build up play in these situations because he, like his right-back rival Jeremie Frimpong, is weaker and therefore was unable to do so.

It is obvious that short buildup needs to be addressed, and there have had to be other ways to get the ball to the attackers. Utilizing Wirtz more frequently has one way that Liverpool have done this.

The German midfielder has the greatest potential in the final third, but given his excellent technical skills, particularly his passing, Wirtz is dropping further to get the ball before helping to raise the pitch.

Before getting involved, Wirtz would frequently wait for the ball to be brought up the pitch by team-mates for Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen. This season’s receiving percentage is significantly higher than last year, which is a significant improvement.

Long passes and switches are essential for teams to avoid press or alter the defensive block’s formation, aside from the short build-up and technical quality.

Last year, Liverpool averaged 3.4 switches per 90 minutes, and this season, it averaged 1.3. Trent’s departure allows the English full-back to consistently make crossfield passes with both feet, frequently finding the left winger, which partially accounts for this decrease.

A deeper defending side had to shuffle across the pitch, tactfully. The players receiving the ball can make use of the openings in the opponent’s less-compact shape by switching the play quickly.

Virgil van Dijk’s excellent long diagonal pass has helped Mohamed Salah have been secluded on the right wing numerous times over the past few years with comparable effect. The rest of Liverpool’s current generation of defenders, however, don’t typically play for as long as they do.

Without Alexander-Arnold, skipping short build-up to find Liverpool’s quick attackers in space is less of a possibility because the players at the coach’s disposal dictate what tactics work.

Isak and Salah both excel when facing defenders or attacking quickly in space. Their strengths aren’t being platformed as frequently as they could be because this choice is not being chosen as often.

As the attacking team has more time to recover from their desired shape, a slower build-up results in attacking situations against deeper, compact defenses. Salah has also discovered that he plays more often with his back to goal both in the center and the back in the back.

Amorim has occasionally asked his team to defend in a 5-4-1 formation out of possession, changing from his standard 5-5-3 formation, and choosing a different approach will likely aggravate Liverpool more.

A larger portion of Liverpool’s possession will be with the central defenders, who are less capable of breaking down a stubborn shape, by defending deeper and effectively blocking the center of the pitch. This could cause Wirtz to go deeper and farther away from the areas in which he might be more destructive.

Liverpool’s inability to break down a 5-4-1 formation that has good coverage starting with the pitch’s width will be compounded by their reluctance to play switches of play.