Wednesday evening was a significant moment for observers of the style, optics and physical theater of Liverpool FC during the reign of Jurgen Klopp. 83 minutes before the end at Anfield and despite the fact that the Newcastle players maintained a high level of defensive aggression, in addition, of course, to the equally subtle waste of time in defense, Kostas Tsimikas, Fabinho and Harvey Elliott made a three-man bombardment. on the left side of Liverpool’s midfield, as a result of which the Newcastle players lost control of the ball. he cuts and clicks Joe Willock’s heels and lands a free kick 40 yards from goal.
And then, finally, I was there: Anfield’s face, Klopp’s sweat, red rictus, wet with sweat, restless, with dazed eyes, looking at the world from a mind-blowing journey with lactic acid. Maybe a little late. But he was undoubtedly present when Willock turned to protest to the referee, to take a break before the first really long spell of the familiar condenser football in a red shirt.
It’s not personal. This is a tactic. Willock played very well on Wednesday, like all Newcastle players, resisting this process with a big heart and a clearly defined plan. But this is a Liverpool team that built an era by exhausting their opponents, that defeated Anfield from Vicarage Road to Camp Nou – a moment in any game that signals victory, like a cut over a boxer’s eye. or a long-distance runner a distance rolling and twisting in a straight line
Klopp’s Liverpool will make you run, score goals in the second half, push you to another place with red fog and shaky fibers. In the early years, they did it with purely physical pressure, sprinting and lightning pressure; more recently, with the grueling kind of high-speed football with possession. The system works this way. Fabio Carvalho’s late triumph was a heavy blow for the Newcastle players, who simply fainted, cut the ropes and emptied the tank. But this state of induced exhaustion was just as revealing. That’s how Klopp wants you to look. However, the ability to achieve this is the key to Liverpool’s continued progress in the season.
Moreover, he is aiming for an exciting Merseyside derby on Saturday, a mix of dynamic styles that is familiar, ancient, neighboring territory and tactically vital for both teams. Fulham and Manchester United have shown that opponents are finding ways to deal with this applied and structured exhaustion.
It was never just about running or passion, but also about smart play, about trained collective movements. At Old Trafford, United conceded possession and territory, ran less and made fewer passes, but still seemed to push Liverpool to their own physical limits to win key individual duels.
Everton’s best moments with Frank Lampard were associated with similar pressure. Last season changed after he thought aloud about the need to play with “balls”, which apparently translates as high pressure, a tight three-man midfield and doing interesting things with Alex Iwobi, who turned from walking around the field. like a man playing a ball game. three-on-three tennis with a sausage roll in one hand to a maniacally busy deep striker who wins the ball.
Everton are among the top five in the league in terms of the number of fouls, ball selections and cards. James Tarkowski, Conor Cody and Amadou Onana are a serious defensive group. Dwight McNeil may not score or score goals, but he knows how to take the ball away. It can be tedious, high-energy stuff. But then what do we want from the Merseyside derby? An instant and inconsolable sense of outrage. Collisions, adrenal fog, performative managerial rage. The last one is probably in the cards anyway.
“You’ve won the championship title and you’re giving him a big chance, you can fuck off and sit down.”That was your slogan, Frank Lampard. Or at least that was the case during that strange and empty 5-3 summer victory over Chelsea two years ago. It’s hard to reject Lampard’s attempts to evoke some feelings about this. He also likes to give a lot of money, and he has something with Liverpool. But the most pleasant thing in this perspective is that it is, in fact, a tactical issue, two teams whose final position in the league will probably depend on the ability to bring opponents to the limit of their capabilities.
In particular, for Klopp’s Liverpool, this is an existential question. It’s easy to forget that Liverpool’s recent series shouldn’t have happened, that it was conceived and directed by the coach. It is rare to find an elite team in any sport where success depends so much on the emotional state, on evoking feelings from the opponent, the crowd, your own players.
There has been a lot of talk about the need for a new midfielder, and the arrival of Artur Melo from Juventus promises energy, skill and Soprano memes. But the sheer tactical effect of Liverpool, the feeling of this team on the pitch, is something more than just adding quality elements, just as Sadio Mane was something more than just a high-class replacement striker. If you lose to Mane, you lose to the perfect player, the player who offers Ayoze Perez levels of ball selections-45 of them per season-combined with the number of goals in the golden boot. Mane directed the press and forced the center of the field to work in an endless creative movement. It was also perfect for Mohamed Salah, who had four shots on goal this season.
In addition, other teams come prepared. In their first three Premier League matches (two draws and one defeat), Liverpool made fewer ball selections, lost more often, received fewer headbutts than the opponent, and sometimes were ambushed by opponents who reacted to Klopp’s innovations, finding ways to distract this physical load or raising their own level.
Eddie Howe’s reconfigured team equalized within an hour at Anfield, although Klopp changed the trajectory at half-time. Fabinho and Elliott started playing together more. Carvalho added skill in narrow areas. And this is perhaps what Klopp will appreciate the most, starting on Wednesday: the spectacle of two young technical players who relentlessly confront each other, following training sessions, restoring the intensity of the last five years.
On Saturday, a lot will depend on Everton’s ability not only to withstand this pressure, to resist Klopp’s blows, but also to defend their interests, to follow Klopp’s men in the red zone.