Jurgen Klopp’s tactical revolution & how Liverpool have crushed Man City & Man United in recent transfer markets

Jurgen Klopp’s tactical revolution: FT analysis

As Liverpool stand on the cusp of winning the 2019-20 Premier League, the Financial Times have done a deep-dive in the numbers behind Jurgen Klopp’s success at Anfield.

FT graph guru John Burn-Murdoch has produced the following data to explain how Klopp has transformed Liverpool both on and off the pitch.

 

Big picture: Liverpool jump from the middle to the top

When Klopp arrived at Liverpool, the Reds were a middling team. They were slightly better than average.

However, the German has overseen a dramatic upwards swing. These days, Liverpool may not score as many as in their heyday, but they are overall picking up more points.

Liverpool have picked up more points by being ruthless and winning games by narrow margins. The FT report that Liverpool “have 13 more points this season than a team with their goal difference would typically achieve.”

1) Liverpool’s progression has been remarkable. Here they are compared to all clubs in Europe’s big leagues over 20+ years.

Since Klopp’s arrival in 15-16, they’ve gone from middle of the pack to elite. pic.twitter.com/ZJQFPAMu5W

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

2) This season they’ve been especially efficient, eschewing blowout victories and instead shutting down matches after taking a narrow lead.

Liverpool have 13 more points this season than a team with their goal difference would typically achieve. pic.twitter.com/9OTgCAEYee

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

 

How Klopp has changed Liverpool’s attacks

Back in the Rafa Benitez days, Liverpool were centred around Steven Gerrard in centre-mid.

Gerrard was the driving force for much of the creativity in Liverpool’s attacks.

However, Klopp has shifted creative attention away from midfield. Those players are now given the job of controlling the tempo.

When it comes to creating chances, full-backs Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold have that job, together with Liverpool’s lethal three-man attack.

3) We can break the Klopp revolution into two distinct phases:
• First, creating a lethal attack. Over his first three seasons, Klopp added almost one goal per game to Liverpool’s attacking output.
• Then over the last two seasons it was all about defensive solidity. pic.twitter.com/2pAWvM9YAA

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

4) More things to note here
• Benitez’s Liverpool is remembered as being defensively solid. Klopp’s side are just as tight at the back, but with much greater firepower
• Klopp’s front line don’t match Suarez-led attack of ‘13-14, but Rodgers’ side was far too defensively porous pic.twitter.com/axk0pkU3hs

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

5) Getting into more detail, one of the most notable changes under Klopp has been his tactical changes:
• Central midfield now more for control, less for creation
• Fullbacks stepping up as creators, now contributing to more goalscoring opportunities than the midfield pic.twitter.com/EdPfbhbPpt

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

6) Indeed, Liverpool’s attacking build-up now favours rapid breaks down the flanks, cutting out the middlemen:

91% of chance creation comes thru fullbacks and the front three. This is a higher % than any other team in the major European leagues has recorded in at least 5 years. pic.twitter.com/bVKHPc6Wqc

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

 

Liverpool: Set-play masters

Another key development in Klopp’s Liverpool side is how they perform during set-plays.

Offensively, only Newcastle have a better return of goals from dead-balls.

While the Reds are 4th tightest team in the league when it comes to defending set-plays.

7) And it’s not just rapid open-play moves — Liverpool have also made huge strides in how they deal with set-pieces, both in attack and defence:
• League’s second highest scoring rate from set-pieces
• One of league’s lowest conceding rates
• Man City markedly worse on both pic.twitter.com/4DOGc8yxz9

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

 

How Liverpool have crushed Man City & Man United in recent transfer markets

The FT’s final set of data points related to Liverpool’s performance in the transfer market, compared to Man City and Man United. The key conclusion is:

Liverpool pay much less per minute played than other big-spenders. They may have spent big on Alisson, Van Dijk etc, but every penny has been paid back on the pitch.

(Man) City and (Man) United have left a lot of their big spending on the bench or off the squad list.

For Man City, the likes of João Cancelo and Benjamin Mendy haven’t proven to be value for money.

For Man United, some of their recent bad buys include Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Alexis Sanchez.

8) Lastly, Liverpool’s excellence in the transfer market.

Here are fees paid & minutes played by new signings since Klopp came in.

Liverpool’s spending clusters to the right: players who slotted straight into the team & stayed there. Many more transfer "misses" for other sides. pic.twitter.com/3KcGNxqJBH

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

9) The result: Liverpool pay much less per minute played than other big-spenders.

They may have spent big on Alisson, Van Dijk etc, but every penny has been paid back on the pitch.

City and United have left a lot of their big spending on the bench or off the squad list. pic.twitter.com/3qmkVpIzI9

— John Burn-Murdoch (@jburnmurdoch) June 21, 2020

 

Also see: Everton FC vs Liverpool FC live streaming & betting tips.

Newcastle United vs Sheffield United live streaming & betting tips.

Aston Villa vs Chelsea live streaming and betting tips.

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