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When Trent Alexander-Arnold started playing in-field for Liverpool, Jon Mackenzie wasn’t convinced by his performances. But in the 26 games since Alexander-Arnold became an inverted-full back Liverpool have picked up more points than any other Premier League team.
So is the Alexander-Arnold experiment working? Jon eats his words and explains why.
Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:31 Why do teams invert their full-backs?
02:01 Analysing Trent Alexander-Arnold’s new role with data
06:29 Are Liverpool getting the typical benefits from inverting Alexander-Arnold?
10:38 Why is this working?
12:53 Was Jon wrong about Trent Alexander-Arnold?
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Additional footage sourced from freestockfootagearchive.com
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#LFC #Liverpool #PremierLeague
22 Comments
Liverpool were never "comfortably" top of the table.
production quality here was particularly fantastic
FINALLY. Thanks Jon.
Look, most analysts are fundamentally biased when analyzing LFC. If you judge LFC from a spanish school of possesion perspective, there is no way you fancy them. But Klopp is not that type of coach. He never was. He is different. So when analysing his teams, you should look from a different perspective. You should use Klopp's glasses.
He is a direct attacking coach or as Pep Guardiola once defined, "Red Bull School" coach.
It is not inferior to Pep or Arteta. It's different and it mostly works.
The Japan shirt continuity is great.
Alternately titled: "Well actually, you're wrong about me being wrong, so nurrr"
This video came out too late, should have come out a month ago. Now the right side seems really dysfunctional with TAA, Szoboszlai and Salah. Mostly because TAA occupies the same spaces as Szobo and it's just not clicking. Big part of causing a pointloss at home against Manchester United. I'm not even going to talk about Nunez or Diaz.
You should do a deep dive on John McGinn's role (I am not joking)
Incorrect. An inverted fullback is the guy who acts as a wide centre back in a back 3 when in possession. Trent is an inverted wing back, who goes into midfield to act as an extra midfielder. Support duty.
Great one jon
The lack of width since Trent inverted has become especially apparent in the past 2 months and the forwards have suffered as a result. There's gotta be a better way to balance this. It's extremely annoying to watch Tsimikas constantly pass back instead of crossing due to the plan now to play through the centre which is just nuts to me as crossing is the only thing Tsimikas is able to do at Robbo's level.
The advantage gained with Trent inverted being Liverpool is able to play more direct attacks might be to utilize the strengths of Darwin and Diaz who are more effective in transition. I can't quite explain why this worked initially in finally overcoming LFC's problem with teams that play a very deep and low block and why it's less so now. But I do think that when this new approach is being blunted, that they should have the flexibility to revert to their previous 2018-2020 style of crossing from the flanks during the game. Gakpo has the intelligence to link play in a crowded box like Firmino and as much as Darwin seems to strike better on the break, his physical attributes mean that slinging crosses to his head might yield dividends especially if other attackers mass into the box to occupy defenders.
The only thing working about it is him not getting as much stick for his sorry defensive basics because 1/2 the time or more someone else is covering his position instead.
Every time I check this video it's got a new thumbnail / title. 🤣
Moyes should have watched this before the match
What a beautiful Japanese training kit
Tifo IRL after a bad performance by Trent "Why Trent new role isnt suited for him"
After a good performance "Here is how Trent can be a midfielder"
but there a flaws in this, based on what he said the fact no one is in that half-space he would normally operate in and salah is been forced to either go very narrow or stay wide means they are not getting a midfield overload like for say, arsenal, city and spurs who achieve this while still using there 8's to get in the half spaces and affect the defensive line of the opposition. trent playing as a 6 doesn't make any sense either as hes not a Zinchenko hes more of a KDB who kills opposition further forward so if he playing long passes from a deep area and hes not carrying the ball forward as much it means , teams just play a low block against liverpool and trent becomes totally useless inverting as liverpool have 1 less player affecting the opposition back line thus either force them to take mroe long shots or relying on pinpoint cross or through balls in very small area to be affective. this in turn leads to your stats about liverpool been very high against direct attacks cause wen teams break there is a area where no one for liverpool is defending or in that zone that they can exploit for an outball to they trigger a counter.
Well in Jon La' 👏
Where did you get that ace Japan top?
Funnily enough regarding the point on Liverpool’s attackers being good enough to score chances that other club’s attackers aren’t, lately we’ve seen a downtick in chances scored via Liverpool’s attackers. So maybe, Trent should be occupying that space a bit more to accommodate for Liverpool’s recent inefficiencies in front of goal, at least until the form patches up
That kit is beautiful
I think this shows why Liverpool were ready to break the piggy bank for Caicedo. He would have been the player to cover for Trent inverting, as he played as the 6 and the right back in Brightons similar attacking formation. A ton of the fragilities against the counter would be covered by him.
I need this Japan kit John is wearing. @tifoIRL please help