Tag: Liverpool

by Jan

Oranje looking forward: change!

Ronald Koeman comes across as a man who realises this is his last chance for eternal legend status. He was great as a player, he was ok as a coach, and this last (?) stint will make him either a hero or just another coach in the long list of well meaning coaches…

The semi finals at the Euros must have convinced Koeman that Oranje can go for gold and a look at the list of young talents establishing themselves ( Frimpong, Zirkzee, Hartman, Timber, Gravenberch) will have pleased him a lot.

So it’s out with the old ( Daley Blind, Wijnaldum, De Roon) and in with the new ( Hato, Timber, Gravenberch). Blind decided for himself enough was enough. Wijnaldum and De Roon were informed personally by the coach. Koeman also flew to Liverpool to discuss future with Virgil van Dijk. “I felt he wasn’t there fully, at the Euros. I had the idea he was not at his best, defensively. So I flew to see him, spend time and discuss. As I did notice how great he played under Slot, at the start of the new season. But Virgil is committed. He can see his role in Oranje moving forward.”

The “new” squad – logical as it is – does need some more tweaking as Veerman and Van der Ven pulled out due to injuries, and JP van Hecke of Brighton is called in, alongside Justin Kluivert of Bournemouth.

This weekend, the nations league games commence and Oranje is playing Bosnia Herzegowina tomorrow and arch rivals Germany on Tuesday. Asked about the short time in between the Euros semis and these matches, Koeman responded: “The loss versus England didn’t bother me very long. A couple of days, I guess. The end of such a campaign is always abrupt for the loser. You go home, players leave for their break and then you are simply left to evaluate. I think overall, it was a good Euros. We were close and we could have gone all the way. I experienced it all as very positive.”

De Roon and Wijnaldum might have accepted their fate, what about Memphis? “He doesn’t have a club, which is a bit odd. If you don’t play, I won’t select you, of course, but I do find it odd that a player of his standing, with his stats, is still without a club. But a fit Memphis will always be an option for me. He’s only 30 years old. I am in contact with Memphis and I know about his situation and what he is working on.”

Steven Bergwijn, only 26 years old, does not have to count on a new invite. “It’s different for Steven. He has options to show his ambition in Europe and decided to go for the money. That is all good, but I don’t think I will need him moving forward. And yes, Wijnaldum went there and I did select him, but Gini went there as he had no other options. PSG didn’t play him and he needed a place to play, to prepare for the Euros. Wijnaldum had not much choice, but Bergwijn clearly put money over sport ambition so I close the book on him. He could also go to the EPL which is also not bad, financially, but he selected this option.”

As for the striker role, Koeman is interested to see who steps up. “We have three candidates now, with Brobbey, Zirkzee and Weghorst. Weghorst hasn’t played much, if at all. Brobbey is not 100%. But if I had stuck to my rules of “only fit players”, I would only have 13 players. And with Wout and his energy, workrate and passion, I felt I had to select him. I can’t play him for 90 minutes, but it’s good to have him.”

Stefan de Vrij, also an older player, was not selected. “But not because of his age. He played everything at the Euros and was one of our best players. He’s simply not fit, struggled with a hamstring, but he’ll be part of the campaign once he starts playing again.”

Kluivert’s selection was a surprise. “He’s fit, he plays and he plays well too. And he can play in the 10 role, this is how he plays for Bournemouth these days. And I selected Jurrien Timber ahead of Maatsen because I was impressed with Timber’s first games for Arsenal and I felt he deserved a little positive push after his ordeal last season.”

Frenkie de Jong was mentioned as well of course: “He is slowly getting there. It’s been a long time, he had the same ankle issue now three times. There is damage and it needs time to heal. I do hope he will return at full fitness at one stage.”

Joey Veerman expressed his disappointment recently how there was no real interest in him, this summer. “Joey needs to be challenged. I think the Eredivisie is too easy for him, to be honest He wanted to make a step and I actually also felt he had to. It’s necessary for him as he simply has too much time on the ball in Holland. He needs to play under way more resistance.”

What will be different for Oranje in this campaign, compared to the Euros? “It’s a different situation. With a tournament, most players arrive rested and focused on the tournament. And you get 2 weeks usually to prep. This is different. Some players won’t be 100% fit, others might carry a knock, and again some will come in after a loss, others after a win, so it’s a mixed bag and you need days to get everyone at the same level, so to speak. We need to improve our forward press, the build up in possession and we need to bring more energy, more intensity. And once we get to that stage, that is when you can really look at the ideal starting eleven.”

The press conference ended with Koeman’s view on Gravenberch. “He has done ever so well at this season’s start. We all knew he was an exceptional ball player but it seems he also turned a corner in terms of focus and tactical understanding. We all felt he had some focus issues and seemed to be a tad lacklustre at ties. It seems he now realises what it takes to play at world top level. This experience at Liverpool might be exactly what he needed. He is definitely an option for the 6 position.

 

by Tarcísio Neri

Sepp van den Berg is loaned to 1. FSV Mainz 05

Liverpool announced this Thursday the loan of Sepp van den Berg to 1. FSV Mainz 05 in Germany. The 21-year-old defender will return to Germany. The defender defended Schalke 04 last season, also on loan from Liverpool.

This will be the third time that Liverpool have loaned the young defender to other clubs. Initially, he was loaned out to Preston NE. Then it was time to head to Germany, where he defended Schalke 04 and will now return to wear the colors of 1. FSV Mainz 05.

 

Last season, he featured in just nine games for Schalke 04. With 1. FSV Mainz 05, he hopes to get more opportunities throughout the season. In the Netherlands, he played for PEC Zwolle before being sold to Liverpool in July 2019 for €1,900,000.

by Jan

On the Road to Qatar: Virgil van Dijk

The 31st year old has never played on a big tournament. The World Cup would be the realisation of his boyhood dream. And as skipper of Oranje, he will lead the team out. He discovered himself at Liverpool. A heavy knee injury might have delayed his debut at a Tournament with capital T, but he came back as if nothing happened.

Virgil can come across lacklustre. Lazy even. That was the comment on scouting reports from Ajax scouts, some 12 years ago. Complacent. This was the case then and it’s still the case now. His biggest strength is also his biggest pitfall. When he does make a mistake, he will hear that he was trying to solve the problem without getting his jersey dirty. Van Dijk does not throw his energy around but tries to solve problems by positioning smarter and making the right choices. Nothing arrogant about that.

Take that goal Man United scored. Sancho chopped inside. Milner slides past, while Becker dove to the wrong corner of the goal. Sancho simply passed the ball in the other corner. All this time, Van Dijk was ball watching with his arms behind his back. Milner was seen in close up after the goal was scored, scolding Virgil for not throwing his body on the line. But Virgil did what he always does. He’s always trying to organise so that flying tackles aren’t needed. He is like the CEO amongst defenders. He makes sure others do their job, so he doesn’t need to do it.

When Klopp was asked about the contributions of Van Dijk, in his first season, he answered: “Influential. Very very very influential”.  On December 27, there is a sort of public holiday in Liverpool. The Virgil’s Arrival Day. When he finally came over from Southampton, for 85 million euros. Where the amount is constantly dug up when Maguire makes another mistake, this Virgil transfer fee is simply a foot note.

As Klopp put it: “Thanks to Virgil, we can defend differently. Higher up the pitch. We can make the playing field smaller now.”

When he returned after his injury, the Daily Mail asked him if he was back to normal and he nodded yes. What people didn’t realise, and Virgil was a bit taken aback with that fact, is that he had to literally learn how to walk again! While his team mates were playing football and had their summer break or the Euros, Virgil was working like a beast, all by himself. He didn’t want to hurry his recovery by focusing on the Euros, knowing how tough it is to get back from this crucial injury.

“Everyone seemed to think it was normal that I got back at my level. As if nothing had happened. Based on my research, being able to get back at your normal level is not something that can be expected. And I’m not a spring chicken anymore either, so I felt that I could have received a bit more positive feedback than I did, as I started to play in every single game again…” His colleagues in England did give him the kudos he deserved, by picking him as the only non creative player in the list of nominees for Player of the Year (along side Salah , Mane, C Ronaldo, Kane and De Bruyne).

Check the personal duels won by Big Virgil. 

Virgil was asked during a presser with Oranje and Van Gaal whether he was able to hear any of the commands from the side-line, usually given by Danny Blind at Oranje or Klopp at Liverpool. “No, I am too loud myself, so I can’t hear the coaches yell at me, hahaha”. And it’s true, Pep Lijnders once said he sits more comfortable if he can hear Van Dijk’s bassoon in the stadium. He is the command centre of the Liverpool build up.

As the CEO of the Liverpool defence, he has ample tasks. After he went from Groningen to Celtic, he was described as a big unit (a wardrobe is the literal translation) with imposing physical qualities. And yes he is tall and yes he can head a ball.  Lijnders always says you need to really run around him if you want to get past him. But he’s not a very physical defender. He’s not like Man United’s Martinez or Mathijs de Ligt who love some Greek Romanian wrestling. With all the space in Virgil’s back, he needs to conduct the defence. And make sure it’s all fine tuned and in sync. It’s a balancing act, as he himself is usually situation on the halfway line. In the Big Five competitions, there is no team that was able to play the offside as much as Liverpool, last season.

It does fail at times and when it does fail, it looks really amateuristic. But, Klopp wants it like this and if there are mistakes made, it’s just par for the course. Because overall, it will work often very well and it allows every Liverpool player to be part of the attacking flow.

Van Dijk is a mind reader. He plays mainly with his brains. He tries to get into the head of the forward and he slows their attack. He won’t “bite” immediately, he will simply slow things down so his mates can track back. He basically pushes the pause button. He delays his decisions and actions, he pushes the opponent to the sides, with his running pattern and he hardly ever needs a foul or a tackle, even. He’s strong, very good in the air, relatively fast, technically solid and he oozes confidence.

Unbeaten record at home. Cool to see two other Dutchies and one former Dutch Eredivisie player (Alex) in the mix. Virgil NEVER lost a home game in the PL.

It’s probably his intelligence that makes the real difference. He can organise his defence in such a way that the opponent’s forwards think they’re always a step too late. The magic is in his timing. He developed a masterful sense of timing, when to press up, when to drop back. How to offer cover, when to mark and how to push a forward to the sides. He has the highest winning % in personal duels in the Premier League and it’s not a coincidence. He’s like Mr Charisma, the ability to foresee the moves of the opponent and to almost attract them to do what Virgil wants.

Lijnders: “We knew he would be a direct contributor as an individual player, but he also contributes indirectly, by making other players better.”

We all know Virgil’s story. A lazy right back at Willem II when he was 16 years old. Nothing special . When he turned 17, he suddenly grew another 18 centimerers. And his life changed. Grads Fuhler, scout of Groningen (now at FC Emmen), saw him play by coincidence. Fuhler was on his way to a game in Belgium and realised Willem II A1 played PSV A1 so he took the Tilburg exit. A week later, Virgil and mum were on their way to Groningen to sign for the local FC.

At Groningen 2, he spent a lot of time on the bench. His coach, Dick Lukkien (now head coach at FC Emmen) spent a lot of time on Virgil, who was still complacent. Lukkien desired more from the player and slowly but surely, Van Dijk started to change his mentality. The Top 3 didn’t see it in him, although Ronald Koeman was keen to sign him for Feyenoord. There was no money though. Ajax decided to get Mike van der Hoorn from FC Utrecht. At Celtic, he made some crucial steps but it was when Koeman was able to sign him for Southampton that the Oranje captain started to thrive. Both Lukkien and Koeman are mentioned by Virgil when asked which coaches were instrumental in his career.

If you ask English fans who were or are the best defenders ever in the PL, his name is mentioned, alongside players like Terry, Rio Ferdinand, Tony Adams and Nemanja Vidic. Not bad for a player who never played a big Tournie.

Ironically, Virgil is now the captain of the WC squad under a coach who in 2014 decided to leave him home. Van Gaal said he saw the same mistakes being made over and over again and decided to take Martins Indi, Stefan de Vrij and Ron Vlaar. Willem Vissers interviewed Van Gaal who said more negative things about Van Dijk. After the interview, Van Gaal instructed Vissers to delete these comments. Vissers can not remember exactly what the current team manager said, but it was something like “he doesn’t press forward enough, and he doesn’t see players running in behind, he is simply not good enough…”. Van Gaal did say in 2019 that Van Dijk has the personality to instil fear in his opponents.

Van Dijk says something interesting in the book “Thou Shall Not Pass: The Anatomy of Football’s Centre-Half”: “I want my opponents to think everything I do is easy for me. Look at Roger Federer. He doesn’t even break a sweat, or so it seems. Mentally, that will be tough for the opponents. They think Federer doesn’t even need to work hard. I try to do this too.”

The Liverpudlians call him VVD. Superman on Anfield. Mr Cook. With Van Dijk in the team, they hardly ever lose at home.

When Virgil made his first entrance in the Oranje squad, he was in awe of Robben and Kuyt. He was observing them. How they acted, what they ate, how they behaved. As kid, he wanted to be Ronaldinho and he thought Jaap Stam was two meters tall. The World Cup was millions of miles away from the kid in Breda. Virgil became his version of Ronaldinho.  Now, kids in England and Holland dream of being Virgil van Dijk.  In Liverpool, he’s a demi God.

Virgil’s debut.

It was a different time. Oranje at a historic trough. The Euros of 2016 are out of sight. In the final away game versus Kazachstan, coach Danny Blind gives Virgil a chance, alongside debutant Kenny Tete. The game is won, 1-2 but three days later, the Czechs are too strong in the JC Arena. Oranje ends 4th behind the Czechs, Iceland and Turkey. Blind played: Krul, Riedewald, Bruma, Van Dijk, Tete; Wijnaldum, Blind, Sneijder; Depay, El Ghazi, Huntelaar.

by Jan

You voted: Virgil van Dijk, Dutch International of 2018

Well guys, not a big surprise. I think Virgil got twice as many votes as the number 2. I respect your choices of course.

You all nicely kept the blog up to date this last week or so, while I was slaving away to make some bucks to maintain this blog (hint hint) you kept us up to speed with the different draws, the Liverpool-Everton derby and more. Thanks.

The man who got the assist vs Everton (….) won the poll and will be our first “Dutch Best International of the Year”. A new “thing” on our blog. And as promised, an interview with the new Captain Fantastic. Thanks to Blendle.com and the amazing sports magazine Helden (Heroes), by Frits and Barbara Barend.

What a year is was for Virgil van Dijk. This time last year, the big money move to Liverpool, becoming the most expensive defender on the planet. Then, five months later playing the Champions League finals. And Ronald Koeman named him captain of the new Oranje, while Klopp also gave him the band, most recently vs Everton. Life is kind for Virgil.

And the new skipper of Oranje is now a big man in England. Walking the streets in his town is not longer an option and every great pass or every failed pass will be accompanied by commentary about the fee Liverpool paid for him. 85 mio euros, in case you forgot. When we meet him at the Liverpool training complex, he is the perfect host. “Can I get you something to drink?” And when he sees some kids who won a prize to watch Liverpool’s practice session, he goes to them, puts his arms around them for a selfie and laughs. “What is better than giving children the day of their lives…?”

For the photo session, Virgil looks straight in the lens, with his hair in the typical Virgil man-bun. Can we get one without the hair tie? “I usually wear my hair loose at home, but once I’m going to the club, the hair tie goes in. But, if you make some good pics, I’ll let my hair out.” And during the photo session, he talks passionately. “There is no better job in the world than pro football player, at Liverpool and Oranje. What can be better? Yes, we have moments when it’s tough, or you’r tired but I do all I can to see the fun side of it all. This is so special and it is only for a short time, really. So it’s key to enjoy every minute.”

Lots of athletes forget to enjoy it, as they always have to deal with pressure…

Virgil: “I don’t have that. I don’t suffer the pressure, must be tough to have that. And it becomes easier, in some way. The Liverpool move should have added pressure probably, but it’s not. When you’re young, you tend to think about all that can go wrong, I don’t have that anymore. I know what is important in life.”

What is that?

“Family! When my family is happy and doing well, I am too. Football really is number 2 for me. Family is always #1. En that will always be that way. My daughters give me so much. And my wife is the centre of the family. She is the playmaker, haha. And I value her tremendously. A footballer’s wife always needs to be strong, positive and happy. I realise this. But we simply can’t stroll through the park, or go out for a glass of wine. We are still young, but we never go out. The first two weeks in Liverpool, we were at this hotel and within a day, the media, paparazzi and the fans were in the hotel lobby. So, in all seriousness, I am not going into the city, ever. But, I am not complaining, the benefits outweigh the negatives by a country mile, hahaha.”

Does Mrs Van Dijk work?

“No, we decided that she wouldn’t. If she really would want to, sure, I would never stop her, but we train at different times, so it could be that I’m away at night while she works in the morning and it would be hard to have a relationship. We like it as it is.”

In what way were you influenced by the fact that your dad left the family when you were so young?

“That plays a role. For sure. What exactly happened is private and I won’t tell the media. It’s nobody’s business. But my father is no longer in my life. That definitely plays a role in how I am with my kids. I will never abandon my kids. Never. I will always be there for them.”

Do your girls know exactly what daddy does for a living?

“Ha, well the youngest….no. She is two years old, but the oldest does know. Whenever people line up for autographs, she will say “Daddy needs to do some signing”. Recently we were at Disneyland and people wanted a picture, so she is like “Daddy needs to make a selfie with people” hahaha. And we have our family box at Anfield and she is there when we play. I wave at her when I enter the pitch and she waves back.”

You never seem to publish photos of yourself with the family?

“That is on purpose. I will not share anything private on social media. They don’t have a say in this and I don’t want them to become the kid of a famous dad or something. We keep information and photos to ourselves. And you know, it’s not just the fans who want to see these pics, there are also the haters, you know.”

Back to the past: you basically grew up next to the NAC stadium in Breda, but never player for NAC.

“Well I did, once when I was seven. I had a practice session there with two friends. We had had a youth coach who was yelling and screaming all the time. I was scared of the guy. And I decided I didn’t wanna go to NAC, hahaha. I couldn’t handle that. I was a wee kid, really little. And two weeks later I had a practice session at Willem II. That went well, a lovely bunch of people and I got into the so-called talent school.”

Who else was in that?

“Jurgen Locadia, PSV and now Brighton, was part of that. He’s the only one that made it, with me, as a pro.”

Locadia moved from Willem II straight to PSV. You took the long and winding road…

“I always had something or other… Like I said, I was little. Considered too small. I was almost sent away but was offered one last chance. And guess what: that summer I had my growth spurt. And as a result, I got knee issues. We played the big tournaments with Willem II. It was a tremendous time. We never won anything, but we competed. Against Ajax, with Ricardo van Rhijn and Marco Bizot (now AZ) and against Feyenoord with Clasie. I still talk to these guys, it does give some sort of bond, as we all play pro football now.”

You never played for Willem II’s first team. Why did you go to FC Groningen?

“I was second year A Junior, I played there for 10 years and I was hoping to get a contract, but…nothing. And there were several sub top clubs from the Eredivisie interested. Only when Groningen made a move, Willem II quickly offered me a contract. Well, too little, too late. So I decided to go to Groningen. I started in the second team. Rode my bike to the stadium. I lived alone in Groningen and had a wonderful time.”

Groningen is a university city. Lots of young people. Did you notice?

“You bet, hahaha. I was 19 years old… My coach was Dick Lukkien, currently coach of FC Emmen. He’s not unlike Ronald Koeman. Really direct. I learned heaps from him and we still talk. I made my debut in that first year in the first team. And then I got into the spotlights and I loved that aspect as well.”

Did the Top 3 (Ajax, Feyenoord, PSV) ever check you out?

“It’s the summer of 2013 and I wanted to make a move. The logical step was the top 3 of course. I wanted to. I was open to all three clubs. I know Ajax was interested but also checked out Van der Hoorn of Utrecht (now Swansea). They ended up going with him. PSV signed Bruma and Feyenoord had De Vrij, Martins Indi, Van Beek and didn’t want to add me to the mix, also due to their financial woes. And suddenly Celtic came. With a check and a good level of urgency. And they played Champions League football. So I decided to do it. And we played AC Milan, Barcelona and Ajax in that season. I played against those clubs and I played well too.”

And you never played for the Dutch rep teams??!?!

“Well, in all honesty, I wasn’t that good. Seriously, I was not better than the ones who did play. I am a late blossomer.”

Do you ever get upset? Or angry?

“Well not really angry. Definitely not at home. I did get really pissed off recently, when we lost a practice match, 5 v 5. The losers needed to bake a cake. And in the game, I noticed we weren’t going to win. And I realised I had to bake a carrot cake and they would also film that. I almost gave someone a truly nasty kick. I can’t stand losing and my mates and the coaches know this now. They know to leave me alone after a lost match. Don’t make jokes or try to make it all sound as if it doesn’t matter. You’re not doing yourself any favours, hahahaha.”

Ronald Koeman is important in your career. He signed you at the Saints, made you Oranje skipper. But also very critical, like when Giroud scored that goal against you….

“He is allowed to be super critical. I think Koeman is a top coach and he knows how to reach me. I am forever grateful for giving me the opportunity in the EPL. I remember the phone call, when he told me he would sign me from Celtic, but it took time and I waited and waited…”

Was it merely a phone call?

“Yes, we never met. We played qualifiers for the CL. Celtic didn’t want to let me go before we qualified. Only afterwards, Southampton made an offer. And then Celtic said: nah. I got so angry. And late in September I could make my move. He is hands down one of the best coaches I ever worked with, as he is really tough on me and spends a lot of time on me. I have a similar bond now with Klopp at Liverpool. They both demand 100% all the time. Every practice. I love that.”

Do they work a lot on you because of your potential?

“I think so, and I get better with them criticising me, I do see it as a good sign. When we did a pass practice at Southampton, on average, most players would have 6 good passes and 4 stray ones. Koeman didn’t seem to care. But if I had 1 stray pass out of 10, he would come down on me like a thunder storm. I could handle that. He demanded 100% from me.”

What are your weaknesses?

“Hmm, well, I’m not lazy. I think I always work hard, but I can be complacent. Klopp sees it too and is on the alert and my team mates at Liverpool too. James Milner for instance… I told him, I want you to have a right go at me if I am not running back quick enough or seem to be taking things to easy. Just scream in my face, I sometimes need that.”

When did you realise you could become a really big player?

“I think when Koeman told me. He said, if you play without loss of concentration and work 100% hard always, you’ll be moving up from Southampton. And Claude Puel who came after Koeman made me skipper at the Saints.”

That Liverpool move was not a pretty scene though… Lots of problem with Southampton?

“It was hectic because I was quite injured. I never refused to play for Southampton, that was concocted by the media I think. I focused fully on Southampton when I was fit again and played my games and in December, the board allowed me to talk to Liverpool. That was a nice Xmas, we had an extra glass of wine, hahaha.”

The most expensive defender, you become. And you met Gini Wijnaldum at Liverpool. How is your bond?

“Gini is Gini. Always smiling, always happy. We talk a lot. I spoke to him before I came her already, of course. Gini is a good lad, very social and a much much better player than most think. In Holland, he is underrated while in England people recognise his value more and more. He is unbelievably good.”

And then you play the CL finals vs Real Madrid and your goalie has two howlers.

“We went to Oranje straight after so that helped to process it all. And then I went straight on a holiday with my family. We were so close, it did hurt, yes.”

How did Koeman manage to get Oranje to perform as they do?

“It’s his style of coaching, his communication and clarity. Koeman wants to work with a fixed squad, so people know what is expected from them. Sure, when new players suddenly emerge, he will pick them up, like with Dilrosun. The team spirit is amazing, everyone is prepared to walk through fire for their mates. We do a lot of things together and have bonded really well. We talk a lot too, we are becoming closer and closer on and off the pitch. We also have lively tactical talks with Koeman and everyone has a say. We need to hold on to this.”

The move from Noordwijk to Zeist is always mentioned as well…

“And that made a difference, yes. Less distractions. We do more as a team. We have better pitches to work on and the focus is on performing. We also play more games together, not just PlayStation but also table tennis and 30seconds. Everyone wants to win all the time and it’s quite a circus at times. We also have a group app and we can stay in touch like this.”

You ticked off a lot of dreams already, what is next?

“Well, winning trophies. I won three with Celtic. But I also want to win at Wembley one day. I want to win the Champions League and the title here in England. And with Oranje, I want to win a tournament. All big dreams, I know, but if you can’t have big goals, you should stay at home, hahaha.”

Source: Helden Magazine – Barbara Barend

 

by Jan

Why Virgil and Gini will win the CL!

Finally, an English team will break the reign of the Spanish CL rulers. It is possible to break the combination and possession play that dominated European football for so long. In the 2005/06 season, the CL became a chess game on grass. In the four semi final matches, only 2 goals were scored. The average that season, was 2,3 goals per game which is the lowest since 1992/393.  The success of the Italian clubs and conservative coaches like Benitez and Mourinho led a new trend. The best way to win something in Europe, was the thought, is to build a strong defensive organisational unit and hope for a counter attack.

Twelve years later and offensive football is victorious. A trend that started with Barcelona. Between 2006 and 2015 they win the most important prize in club football four times! And with dazzling attacking play. And now, this style is being followed, obviously by Pep Guardiola himself, as he brings Bayern Munich and now Man City to the level of his Barca teams. When Barca wins the trophy in 2011, they are one of the few teams to pass 500+ times per match. In this season’s CL tournament, there are 10 clubs that manage this.

To stop the Barcelonas and Bayern Munichs of dominating, the “park the bus” tactics were used, and with success too! Mourinho with Inter Milan, Chelsea under Di Matteo. Atletico’s Diego Simeone turns it into an art form, by playing a solid 4-4-2  with very tight space between the players in a zonal defensive system.

But it’s a German coach who plants the seed in 2013 as a response to the Spanish combinationdomination. And that seed will result and has already resulted in the spectacle in the Champions League we saw this season…

It’s Borussia Dortmund vs Bayern Munich. Both teams have a football approach that starts with possession of the opponent, but with a thrust of pressure forward. A way of thinking reminiscent of the famous AC Milan team of the late 80s, early 90s under Arrigo Sacchi. Dortmund coach Jurgen Klopp: “My teams are modelled on the AC Milan team of Sacchi. He was my mentor. I actually never met him but my former assistant coach Wolfgang Frank, who did work with him.”


Exactly like Milan, Klopp’s teams are trained to re-possess the ball in areas and in moments where losing the ball will bring the opponent immediately into trouble. The opponent is unorganised and Klopp’s team will pounce. In 2013, Dortmund beats Malaga and Real Madrid, while Bayern humiliates Barca by winning 7-0 on aggregate!

It doesn’t result in a new German era of success, but it does bring about the new trend of zonal marking, aggressive forward pressure and immediate pressing when the ball is lost. This is how AS Monaco beats Man City in the CL season last year. And this is how PSG beat Barca 4-0 at home. Sadly, the Parisians lose their cool in the Camp Nou and resort back to their defensive, park-the-bus tactics and actually lose on aggregate…

The UEFA’s annual technical report is quite clear, in the 2016/17 season. More than 20% of all goals are scored from a fast transition in open play from defence to attack. And this is even without all the free kicks and penalty kicks that derive from this. The number of passes to create a goal is decreasing as well. As is the average time it takes to win the ball back and score. And almost half of the goals are the result of possession turnaround high on the pitch, in the final third.

That season, Liverpool isn’t in the CL otherwise the stats would have been even more prolific. In the EPL, Klopp is still faced with teams that are happy to use the long ball and by pass the whole build up. And in the EPL, Liverpool does lose too many points against those opponents. In the CL however, teams like to build up, to pass the ball, have possession and break down an opponent.  In the CL, it helps if you can play out from the back with incisive and risky passing, and it helps if you can re-possess the ball swiftly and set up a lethal attack at the same time. Liverpool can do both.

This Liverpool is not the best organised lot. Bayern Munich, Real Madrid, Juventus, Man City and Tottenham come to mind as being much better. But Liverpool is the King of Chaos. With the Reds, it is all about the turn around. When the opponent is just off the pace for seconds. When half the team of the opponent is still in forward motion and the other half breaks down to move back. Whenever Liverpool have the ball, they are prepared for when they lose the ball. When Liverpool are without the ball, they are preparing for the counter attack that will come, when they re-claim the ball. And, when Liverpool does start their turn-around move, they’re sheer unstoppable.

Ready for the press!

Klopp summarized it once as such, when asked what the difference was between Arsene Wenger’s Arsenal and his Liverpool. “Wenger loves to have the ball and loves to play from foot to foot. They’re well structured and balanced. Like an orchestra. They play lovely harmonies. I prefer heavy metal. I like noise. I like chaos.”

The Liverpool Stats on their way to the CL finals are stunning. Out of the 33 goals they scored, 28 goals were set up with less than four passes. No other team has scored or shot on target as often from the turnaround as Liverpool have…

Klopp organises his teams in such a way that winning the ball back equates becoming a threat immediately. This is how it’s done. The Liverpool team will veer with the opponents movement. The pace goes down a bit, every player protecting his zone. The team on the ball will actually believe they get a moment to breath and build up nicely. But Liverpool players are taught to recognise when the opponent gets into trouble. For instance, a pass on a midfielder with his face towards his own goal. Or a square pass to a back who is with his back to the line and has less options. Or a pass lacking the pace. A stray pass. Anything. And when that happens, it’s like Liverpool turns from kittens into leopards. They suddenly increase the intensity and hunt for the ball. Klopp’s team is like a predator, allowing the pray to think they’re safe. Until they’re not anymore.

The moment Nangolain made the wrong pass…

With Mane and Salah up top, Liverpool has the speed. And they work well together with false #9 Firminho, the first station in the counter attack, he will find the pass towards the two speedy forwards. Firminho is also the man to join in and his bursts usually create space for the upcoming midfielders, like Can or Wijnaldum or Oxlade Chamberlain. The Liverpool midfielders are all built for this chaotic style of play. They can all come up with creative solutions under pressure. Klopp: “How I coach the counters? That is not hard. I start with signing players who are willing to work hard every match and who are happy to run constantly, even if they won’t get the ball.”

And Liverpool is away….

And the entertainment value of Liverpool matches is the result of all this, as Liverpool also makes mistakes in their execution. They score 5 against Roma, using their strengths and concede 2 against Roma in situations where the cohesion is gone. When the field becomes too stretched or when a defender misses the challenge, Liverpool can become really open and vulnerable. Klopp doesn’t seem to care. “As long as we score more on the other end…”

These are the 6 principles of Jurgen Klopp’s philosophy:

  1. Lure the Opponent in

Liverpool doesn’t need the ball. Liverpool wants to control space. They determine where the opponent can go and where they can’t. By pressing early and high, opponents can either play the long ball, and there is a fair chance The Reds will win that (Virgil van Dijk) or they play out of the back, which is a high risk game. Because if they lose the leather, the likes of Salah, Mane and Firminho will tear you apart. Liverpool will drop back a bit, giving the opponent the idea it’s safe to start building up and then – as explained above – when a certain risky situation appears, they will pounce. They will all move towards the side where the ball is and suddenly block off the next pass.

2.  Direct the ball towards one side

Liverpool doesn’t mind it when the opponent has the ball as long as they have it where Liverpool wants them to have it. And they do this by not being totally in balance. It’s the smart body language and smart runs that will slowly force the opponent into a certain area. Roberto Firmino is the king of this game. He’s got the intelligence and the energy to repeatedly do this in a match. Klopp will find the weakest link in the opponents team and seemingly leave that player unmarked. Once he is played in (usually a full back) Firminho will move towards the player in such a way that the next pass is predictable. And pray for the next Liverpool player. Another element that is key is the ability of the Liverpool players to “mark” two players. Basically, the midfielders and the defenders of Liverpool are capable of putting pressure on the man with the ball but also by blocking a pass to a team mate of the opponent.

Liverpool forcing the goalie to make the risky pass into one of the central backs

3.  Prepare the trap

When Liverpool is at the point where the opponent is forced to the side where Liverpool wants them, the trap will be set. Liverpool will block every pass, except the one that Liverpool likes to see used. Liverpool keeps one option open and the player under pressure will usually use that option. In some situations, four Liverpool players will be ready to immediately put pressure on the ball with intensity and pace. Once the ball is won, Liverpool can immediately attack.

4. Set the trap

Liverpool, as a result of the number of players used in the trap, will always have players available to release the ball to. There is usually always a man more situation created as a result. Obviously, Liverpool will be understaffed on other areas of the pitch and sometimes a really special player will be able to play the ball in one time in that area, but Klopp is happy to have that risk. Because when Liverpool do win the ball, they have a man more situation (at least one man more) and most of Liverpool’s goals are scored from this situation.

5.   Do get the ball!

Apparently, this is the past where Klopp needed most work. Because putting pressure on the ball or actually getting the ball are different things. Klopp wants his players to go for the kill. Not complacent pseudo challenges. But go for the ball 100%. The result in the 2016/17 season: Liverpool players re-possessed the ball most out of all EPL players, and that includes creative players like Philippe Coutinho.

6.  Attack!

The last ingredient of the Klopp recipe is to actually attack. Don’t repossess the ball and recycle it with a square pass or a back pass. No. Attack! Immediately. The opponent usually is badly organised in these situations and Klopp wants to use that situation. But it does mean his players have to work ever so hard and cover so much ground. With Mane and Salah he has speed and with the likes of Firminho, Wijnaldum, Milner and Can he has the work horses to support.

With this style of play, it is easy to see why the top teams don’t like to play against Liverpool. But it also shows why it ‘s hard for Liverpool to win the EPL title. Most of the teams in the bottom half of the league will not try and dominate, or play possession and walk into the Liverpool trap. Against these teams, the long ball will be used by the opponent and Liverpool will have to find a Plan B to break these clubs down.

Winning the Champions League seems easier for Liverpool than winning the EPL title…

Thanks to VI Pro for the insights…