Well, cut me a break. It\u2019s a long season. To the extent the Season Preview would have been insightful if I had published it today, it will be equally insightful (or not) when I publish it some time next week.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But, before we get to the team breakdown and the Season Preview, I wanted to spend a bit of time talking about football tactics, including formations, positional roles, and styles of play. Hopefully this Part will give you newbies some new vocabulary and \u2013 to some extent \u2013 a new mindset that may make watching the game more interesting. Finally, because I often refer in my football writing to a few advanced statistics \u2013 most notably expected goals (xG) \u2013 here in Part III I will give you a brief overview of what those stats mean.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Let\u2019s dive right in.<\/span><\/p>\n Often, you might hear TV football announcers casually refer to a team playing in a \u201c4-3-3 system today,\u201d or that, following a substitution, the manager has \u201cshifted to a 4-2-3-1,\u201d <\/span>etc.<\/span><\/i> These numbers may seem nonsensical, but they are labels to describe the tactical <\/span>formation<\/b> that a team is using. A football formation acts as a positional blueprint of sorts to help each player understand where they should be and what they should do. Just as basketball has the \u201ctwo-three zone\u201d (and many others),\u00a0 and American football has the \u201c3-4 defense\u201d (and many others), real football (soccer to you American philistines) has the \u201c4-3-3 formation\u201d and many others.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Each of the numbers in a formation refers to a theoretical line of players across the pitch. I say \u201ctheoretical\u201d because, in reality, everyone on a football pitch is constantly in motion. Thus, it\u2019s rare for players to be in a straight line, or otherwise be positioned exactly in the spots indicated by a formation map.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The numbers in a team\u2019s formation give us some sense of where the ten \u201coutfield\u201d players on the pitch will be positioned for that team. The \u201coutfield players\u201d are everyone on the team other than the goalkeeper. The poor goalkeeper is left out of the formation altogether, because everyone knows where s\/he will be.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The first number in the formation refers to the \u201cback line\u201d of the team, also known as the defense. For example, in a 4-3-3 formation such as the one that Liverpool usually employs, the number four refers to these four players: the left back (a\/k\/a left \u201cfullback\u201d), the two center backs, and the right back (a\/k\/a right \u201cfullback\u201d), as shown below. By the way, the dots below are labeled with numbers, which in this Part will correspond with the kit (that\u2019s \u201cjersey\u201d to us American philistines) number worn by Liverpool\u2019s usual starters in those positions. In these examples, Liverpool will be shown attacking the goal on the right side, and defending the goal on the left.<\/span><\/p>\n Similarly, the middle number(s) in the formation name refers to the \u201cmidfield\u201d line(s). In the example of the 4-3-3, although there\u2019s only one midfield number, we nonetheless typically envision the three midfielders as being set up in a triangle, rather than a straight line. Also, you may notice that the midfielder positioned in the middle of the picture below is labeled \u201cdefensive midfielder,\u201d while the two players positioned ahead of him to the left and the right are both labeled as \u201ccentral midfielder.\u201d I know this is confusing. Why not call the two players closer to the sidelines \u201cwide midfielders\u201d? Sigh. If only it were that easy.\u00a0 All three of these players in a 4-3-3 can be called \u201ccentral midfielders.\u201d\u00a0 Sometimes you will see the middle player referred to as a \u201ccentral defensive midfielder.\u201d\u00a0 Other formations, such as the 4-2-3-1, use \u201cwide midfielders,\u201d but we don\u2019t usually use that label with respect to players in a 4-3-3.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Finally, as you\u2019ve guessed by now, the last number(s) in the formation refers to the attacking line(s), as shown below. This attacking line may be visualized as a straight line, as a triangle with the middle attacker seen in a more advanced position, or a triangle with the middle attacker playing farther back from the two attackers on either side. In our example, we will position the players in a straight line for now, and we will label the three positions in this line as wide forward, center forward, and wide forward. More about the positions and the many names\/labels associated with them in a bit.<\/span><\/p>\n If we visualize all 11 Liverpool players in their 4-3-3 formation, it will look like this:<\/span><\/p>\n There are dozens of variations of formations, but only a handful of them are commonly employed today. These are: 1) the 4-3-3; 2) the 4-2-3-1; 3) the 4-4-2; 4) the 4-4-2 with a diamond midfield (a\/k\/a the 4-1-2-1-2); 5) the 3-4-3; and 6) the 3-5-2.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The first four formations listed above all start with the number four, so we know that the defensive \u201cback line\u201d in those formations is composed of four players: 1) left back; 2) center back (left); 3) center back (right); and 4) right back. But, if you look at the last two formations listed, the 3-4-3 and the 3-5-2, they both start with the number \u201c3.\u201d Thus, both of those formations use a theoretical defensive back line consisting of three players instead of four: 1) center back (left); 2) center back (middle); and 3) center back (right). To make matters even more confusing, these formations that begin with the number three also bring with them a new label for two widely-positioned defensive players we previously referred to as \u201cleft back\u201d and \u201cright back\u201d in the other formations. In the \u201cthree-at-the-back\u201d formations, these two players are now called \u201cwingbacks\u201d instead of \u201cfullbacks.\u201d The wingbacks are now included as part of the midfield instead of the defensive line. Below is an example using a 3-4-3 formation to illustrate.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The other commonly-seen modern formations are shown below.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n To sum up, the numbers in a formation\u2019s name refer, in order, to the defensive line, the midfield line(s), and then the attacking line(s).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Please note that these formations provide a very theoretical and approximate guide for where you might find players on the pitch during an actual match. As noted above, everybody is in constant motion. Critically, when a team is in possession, the formations can be thrown out the window, because when a team attacks in modern football, many of the so-called defenders and midfielders will advance into positions where they are positioned near, even with, or even ahead of the so-called forwards. More on this later, along with some visualizations of how a formation might change shape when a team is attacking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The nomenclature around football positions is wildly confusing to a newbie (and sometimes confusing to people who have been watching and studying football for years). Football coaches and commentators can and will refer to positional roles on a football team using several different names and labels that may all actually refer to an identical or nearly-identical positional role.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I will try to cut through some of this confusion by giving you the names that are most commonly used in the modern game to refer to particular positions. These are the names you should try to learn and remember. Then, at the end of my description of that positional role, I will also give you some OTHER names for that position that you will sometimes hear. You don\u2019t need to learn these, but knowing that they are out there may help lessen your confusion if and when you hear those alternative labels. Some of these alternative labels actually suggest nuanced differences in the positional role, compared to the more common label. But there\u2019s no need for you to try to learn that stuff now (and probably not ever, unless you become a football tactics nerd).\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n I will provide the positional roles and names starting from the back (the defense), and working my way to the midfielders, and finally the attackers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The main job is simple enough \u2013 the goalkeeper is there to stop shots. But, in modern football, keepers also play an important role in helping the outfield players maintain possession, and in starting transitions from defense to attack. <\/span>Alternative names for the position<\/b>: goalie, keeper, #1.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These are the wide players in the defensive back line in a formation that begins with the number \u201c4.\u201d However, although they are nominally defensive players, they are called \u201cfullbacks\u201d because they are also expected to join in the attack when their team has the ball. Thus, fullbacks have responsibility for the \u201cfull\u201d pitch (that\u2019s \u201cfield\u201d to us American philistines). Fullbacks routinely will find themselves in very advanced positions. Indeed, when joining the attack fullbacks may often go all the way up the pitch within a few yards of the opposition\u2019s goal line, especially when the fullback has the ball and is looking to provide a pass into the center of the penalty box. This type of pass from a wide position into the center of the box is called a \u201ccross.\u201d In the U.S. you will also hear the term \u201ccentering pass\u201d used. Fullbacks are typically quite fast, because they need to defend against wide attackers, who often are the fastest players on the pitch. Fullbacks are usually very good dribblers and passers, especially with their strong foot. Right backs are usually right-footed, and left backs normally left-footed. <\/span>Alternative names for the position<\/b>: wingback (only applies when their team is set up in a formation that begins with a \u201c3\u201d). NOTE: Because fullbacks\/wingbacks are positioned very wide \u2013 on the \u201cwings\u201d of the team \u2013 it\u2019s easy to get this position confused with \u201cwingers,\u201d who are attackers. But, even though fullbacks do play on the wing, we don\u2019t call them \u201cwingers.\u201d Yes, in a \u201cthree-at-the-back\u201d formation\u00a0 they are called \u201cwingbacks,\u201d but that\u2019s different. You can call me Ray, or you can call me Jay, but you doesn\u2019t have to call me a wingback (and, there\u2019s a <\/span>pop culture reference<\/span><\/a> for the kids, who grew up like me in the 1970s).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n These are the players at the heart of the defense. Typically, these guys are the biggest and strongest outfield players. Their main job is to anticipate danger and then position themselves in a spot to stop that danger from coming about. They also need to keep close track of the opposition\u2019s forwards and attackers, and they need to \u201cclear\u201d balls that are sent into the penalty box, whether in the air or on the ground. Traditionally, center backs play a very small role when their team has the ball. They typically come forward into the opposition penalty box when their team is taking a corner kick, because they are expected to be able to use their size and strength to win headers. However, they usually otherwise stay in their own defensive half, even when their team has the ball. Center backs are not traditionally known for being good dribblers or passers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Having said all of that, the best and most aggressive teams in modern football make extensive use of their center backs while in possession. Liverpool\u2019s center backs, for example, are all outstanding with the ball at their feet, and their passing and dribbling skills are very important tools for the team\u2019s attack. Center backs on these teams also tend to push much higher up the pitch toward the attacking end when their team has possession. <\/span>Alternative names for the position:<\/b> center-half (this is the old label that signified that these players\u2019 duties were limited to the defensive half of the pitch).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Depending on the formation being used, a team will typically employ either one or two players who can be described as \u201cdefensive midfielders.\u201d In Liverpool\u2019s typical 4-3-3 formation, they use a single defensive midfielder, also known as a \u201csingle pivot,\u201d because the defensive midfielder provides the link that pivots between the defenders and the attackers. Likewise, in formations that use two defensive midfielders, such as the 4-2-3-1, those two DMs are sometimes collectively called a \u201cdouble pivot.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The defensive midfielder has two primary jobs. First, the player must shield the back line, especially by breaking up counterattacks (that\u2019s \u201cfast breaks\u201d to us philistine Americans who grew up watching basketball). In this role, defensive midfielders block passing lanes, intercept, and \u201ctackle\u201d players as they dribble or receive a pass. In real football, by contrast to our American football, a \u201ctackle\u201d is an attempt to kick the ball away from an attacker and dispossess them.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The defensive midfielder\u2019s job of shielding the defense is sometimes referred to as \u201cdestroying.\u201d Among current Premier League midfielders, Chelsea\u2019s N\u2019Golo Kante is probably the paradigm of a \u201cdestroyer.\u201d Kante flits all over the pitch, breaking up the opposition\u2019s attack in a variety of ways, coming from a variety of positions and a variety of angles. Liverpool\u2019s Fabinho also excels at this job.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to \u201cdestroying,\u201d the defensive midfielder must also facilitate his own team\u2019s attack. This is often described as \u201cplaymaking,\u201d similar to a point guard\u2019s role on the basketball floor. However, unlike a point guard, a defensive midfielder is usually not the one providing the assist \u2013 that is, the last pass before an attacker scores. Certainly defensive midfielders can and do get assists, but when they are acting as playmakers they are more routinely making the so-called \u201cpass before the pass.\u201d In this context, these players are sometimes called \u201cdeep-lying playmakers.\u201d \u201cDeep-lying\u201d refers to their physical location \u2013 players are \u201csitting deep\u201d when they are far from the opposition goal.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Defensive midfielders in their playmaking capacity keep the team\u2019s tempo, they constantly make themselves available for a return pass, and they try to find their own players in open spaces. For Liverpool, Thiago Alc\u00e2ntara is a masterful deep-lying playmaker \u2013 indeed, throughout his career he has been known as among the best in the world at this role. Although Thiago is typically not positioned as the defensive midfielder in Liverpool\u2019s 4-3-3 (that\u2019s usually either Fabinho or Jordan Henderson), he nonetheless tends to stay in a relatively deep-lying position on the left side of the midfield, from which he can direct traffic and find his teammates in space. <\/span>Alternative names for the position: <\/b>holding midfielder, destroyer, deep-lying playmaker, regista, single pivot, double pivot.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A defensive midfielder is a sub-category of central midfielder. Often, however, when the term \u201ccentral midfielder\u201d or \u201ccenter mid\u201d is used without further embellishment, the speaker is referring to midfielders who are playing a slightly more advanced role than defensive midfielders. These more advanced midfielders may have a so-called box-to-box role. That is, they may have responsibility both for dropping back all the way to the edge of their own penalty box to defend, and also for advancing all the way to the opponent\u2019s penalty box when attacking. For Liverpool, Jordan Henderson typically plays this \u201cbox-to-box\u201d role when he\u2019s playing ahead of Fabinho (although when Henderson is playing <\/span>without<\/b> Fabinho in the lineup, Henderson usually takes Fabinho\u2019s spot as the defensive midfielder).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In a diamond-shaped midfield, as used in the 4-diamond-2 formation (a\/k\/a the 4-1-2-1-2), there are two central midfielders who are positioned in the slightly wider area between the defensive mid at the base of the diamond and the attacking mid at the point of the diamond. These two slightly-wider central midfielders in a diamond formation are often called the \u201cshuttlers,\u201d because their job is to shuttle the ball between defense and attack.\u00a0<\/span>Alternative names for the position:<\/b> box-to-box midfielder, shuttler, mezzala.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Formations such as the 4-2-3-1 and 4-4-2 employ wide midfielders. Sometimes these wide midfielders play like a traditional central midfielder who is merely positioned out wide \u2013 that is, they generally stay in the middle third of the pitch, and they facilitate play and link the defense and attack. However, especially in the 4-2-3-1 formation, wide midfielders will often have a more attacking role, and will play as much like a forward as a midfielder. Wide attacking midfielders often have the job of dribbling toward the center of the pitch from wide areas. If they can dribble past a defender, this will open up space and provide opportunities for creating shot-making chances (opportunities to shoot are often simply referred to as \u201cchances\u201d).\u00a0 <\/span>Alternative names for the position: <\/b>winger, #7, #11.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The 4-2-3-1, which is among the most popular formations in modern football, uses two wide attacking midfielders and a central attacking mid. All attacking midfielders, as their title suggests, act as hybrids between forwards and midfielders. Attacking mids often make forward-like runs behind the defense, but they will also receive the ball \u201cin between the lines\u201d of midfield and attack, then turn to try to link with their forwards. Attacking midfielders play the advanced playmaker role that corresponds with the deep-lying playmaker role of the defensive midfielder. Unlike defensive midfielders, however, attacking midfielders <\/span>are <\/b>expected to generate quite a few assists. <\/span>Alternative names for the position<\/b>: #10 (specifically refers to the central attacking midfielder), advanced playmaker, trequartista, fantasista.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In the 4-3-3 formation, the two wide players in the attacking line are often called \u201cwide forwards.\u201d They are equally likely to be called \u201cwingers.\u201d In modern football, the wide forwards in a 4-3-3 are often also described as \u201cinverted wingers.\u201d\u00a0 This sounds like some type of aerospace technology, but it\u2019s not that complex. The \u201cinverted\u201d aspect of the label actually refers to the fact that an \u201cinverted winger\u201d is one who is positioned on the opposite side of the pitch from their strong foot. So, if you\u2019re a right-footed forward who plays on the left side of the pitch \u2013 like Sadio Man\u00e9 or Lu\u00eds D\u00edaz, you\u2019re an inverted winger. In the same way, you\u2019re also an inverted winger if you are left-footed and play on the right side of the pitch, like Mohamed Salah.<\/span><\/p>\n Strangely (at least to me), wide forwards are also sometimes called \u201cinside forwards,\u201d which strikes me as a counter-intuitive label for a player in a wide position. In this context, \u201cinside\u201d refers to the fact that players in this position are expected to cut inside toward the center of the box from their starting wide position.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Wide forwards are expected both to provide assists and score goals. Liverpool\u2019s wide forwards tend to do both of those things quite a lot. <\/span>Alternative names for the position:<\/b> winger, inverted winger, inside forward.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Every commonly-employed modern football formation uses at least one center forward, who is equally-likely to be called a \u201cstriker.\u201d Typically, the center forward is the main goal-scoring threat in the team. In addition to scoring goals, center forwards are responsible for providing the team an outlet when their team regains possession in the defensive half. In this context, center forwards typically hang out near the midfield line, waiting for a pass or a defensive clearance to come their way. Strikers should then use their body to shield off the defense, similar to a basketball player posting up a defender. Once a forward takes control of the ball, s\/he should then keep possession long enough to permit teammates to join the attack. This process is often referred to as \u201chold-up play.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n A striker is often referred to as a \u201cnumber 9.\u201d Over the last 15 years or so, many teams have chosen to have their striker play a so-called \u201cfalse nine\u201d role, which is a bit different than the more traditional job of a striker. A \u201cfalse nine\u201d plays more like a central attacking midfielder than a traditional center forward. The false nine will drop deeper, often functioning as an extra midfielder, and will link up play with other attackers. The false nine is typically more of a facilitator and playmaker than a scorer. For Liverpool, Roberto Firmino usually plays as a \u201cfalse nine.\u201d <\/span>Alternative names for this position<\/b>: striker, #9, \u201cfalse nine.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n When teams are sitting back in defense, the shape of the team will usually roughly correspond with the formation they are playing. However, even that\u2019s not always the case. \u201cThree-at-the-back\u201d formations, such as the 3-5-2, usually become \u201cfive-at-the-back\u201d when the team has been pushed back in defense. In that defensive situation, the three center backs are joined by the two wingbacks in the back line, thus creating a five-man back line.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Regardless of the formation, when teams regain possession and move up the pitch to attack, their shape quickly changes. We still talk about the team as playing in a 4-3-3 or a 3-5-2, but the actual shape of the team will usually look quite different.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n For example, in Liverpool\u2019s 4-3-3 formation, when LFC are in possession the fullbacks (that\u2019s the left back and the right back) will join the attack. Depending on how far the team has progressed up the pitch (sometimes referred to as the \u201cphase of play\u201d), the fullbacks might be in the midfield line or even the forward line. Because the fullbacks have left their defensive roles for the moment, the shape of the team can no longer fairly be described as a 4-3-3. To be clear, we do still <\/span>call it<\/b> a 4-3-3, but 4-3-3 has stopped being an accurate description. Let\u2019s look at an example, when Liverpool have regained possession but have only progressed the ball into the midfield \u2013 they have not yet made it into the final, attacking third of the pitch. The players\u2019 positions will probably look something like this:<\/span><\/p>\n As you can see, the two center backs are alone in the back line, unless you count Fabinho (the defensive midfielder) as being with them. I think, if we were trying to give this shape a formation name, it would be more accurate to give Fabinho his own line. So, what would this formation be called, if we were to name it? Remember, the keeper doesn\u2019t count for purposes of the formation. So, we\u2019d start with van Dijk and Matip. Our first number is a 2.\u00a0 The next line has only Fabinho. Now we\u2019ve got 2-1.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The next line is where it gets really interesting. At this point, from left to right, Robertson, D\u00edaz, Thiago, Firmino, Henderson, and Alexander-Arnold are all compressed in a pretty tight strip across the pitch. We could split them into two lines of three, but I think it\u2019s fair to call this one line of six. And then Salah is by himself in a more advanced position.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Thus, above we\u2019ve got a shape that looks far more like a 2-1-6-1 (or perhaps a 2-1-3-3-1) than it does a 4-3-3.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now, let\u2019s see what might happen when Liverpool advance even farther up in attack.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Now, Robertson has advanced on the left sideline all the way past D\u00edaz and into an area even with the opponent\u2019s penalty box. He also has the ball. The center backs and Fabinho have both pushed much higher up the pitch as well. Meanwhile, there are six attackers in or around the top of the opponent\u2019s penalty area. At this point the shape might be called 2-2-6, or 2-2-4-2.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n My point here is not to try to explain Liverpool\u2019s attacking patterns, which would be a much longer conversation. I\u2019m just trying to illustrate that you should NOT expect the shape described by a formation\u2019s name to make much sense when that team is attacking.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Enough about formations and positions. Let\u2019s get to the good stuff.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Regardless of formation, the most important tactical decision any manager makes is what overall <\/span>style<\/span><\/i> his or her team will employ. Football teams play with wildly varying tactical styles, which is what allows English Premier League matches to be competitive, even when they pit the big boys against relatively tiny opponents. Because there is no salary cap in football, the salaries (or, as Brits would say, \u201cwages\u201d) paid by the rich clubs dwarf the money paid to players at smaller clubs. According to spotrac.com, in 2022-23, Manchester United pays the most salary of any team, coming in at an estimated \u00a3202.8 million. That salary total presents a crazy contrast with the smallest estimated salary total in the league, Brentford F.C., which is only \u00a316. 6 million. In other words, the highest \u201cwage bill\u201d in the league is more than <\/span>12 times higher<\/b> than the smallest.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Over the course of a 38-game season, the money usually wins out (although Manchester United have struggled to reach the top in recent seasons in spite of their huge spending). In other words, the little guys have very little chance of winning the Premier League (but \u2013 ask Leicester City \u2013 \u201cvery little chance\u201d is not the same as \u201cno chance\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But in any given match, despite the huge disparities in money \u2013 and therefore in talent \u2013 any team in the Premier League is capable of winning or drawing a match against any other team. In part this is due to the types of variability and uncertainty that make us watch any sport \u2013 sometimes athletes perform above their normal skill level in a particular match. Sometimes the ball bounces in exactly the right way. Sometimes the playing conditions level out differences in talent. But, in my opinion, as much or more than any of those factors, tactics plays a huge role in closing the gap between two teams with widely disparate talent levels.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n At its most basic level, the playing styles employed by the big teams and the little teams are fairly simple and consistent. In general, the smaller clubs cram as many defenders as possible in and around their own penalty area, giving their opponent <\/span>very little space<\/b> in which to attack. In the parlance of football, they \u201cpark the bus\u201d in front of their own goal to block their opponents from scoring. Think of it like a very tight zone defense in basketball.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n By contrast, in general the rich clubs play very aggressively. When they don\u2019t have the ball, they tend to press their opponent all over the pitch in an effort to get it right back. Then, when they do have the ball (which is almost the whole time against the smaller clubs), they pass it creatively and skillfully all over the pitch, forcing their opponent to shift their defense as the ball moves from one area of the pitch to the other. Then, when the defense has been sufficiently stretched, the rich teams search out an opening somewhere in the penalty area. They\u2019re looking for just enough space to find an attacker with time to get off a shot. Often this space gets created by very quick combinations of short passing. The first passer cuts toward the goal, and then receives an immediate return pass (what we call the \u201cgive-and-go\u201d in basketball \u2013 here they are called \u201cone-twos\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The control and skill required to stretch the defense and execute these intricate passing combinations is unbelievable. Even though the defenders may be getting paid as little as one-tenth as much as the attackers, they are still very talented professional footballers. They know exactly what\u2019s coming, and they are typically very practiced at maintaining their positional discipline and blocking the path of their more gifted opponents.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When the little guys finally manage to get the ball, they often launch it a long way forward, hoping that one of their attackers can gain control of it and find a quick opportunity to shoot. Critics might derisively label this offensive approach \u201cRoute One\u201d football, because the long passes and clearances are low-percentage plays. One might think that such long balls reflect more hope than plan.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, the strategy is in fact quite smart. Often, by the time the underdogs have gotten possession, their opponents have pushed all (or almost all) of their outfield players into the opposition half. When the underdogs send a long ball into their opponent\u2019s half, they stand a decent chance of catching those opponents short on defenders.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This clash of styles has occurred for decades. Both approaches are tried and true. The balance is tight. Over time, skill (and therefore money) will eventually win the day. But across a mere 90 minutes, anything goes.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n As one of the Big Boys of the Premier League, Liverpool\u2019s tactical style broadly fits the approach I described above. But there are certainly gradations and variations within that broad approach. Liverpool \u2013 like all of Klopp\u2019s teams \u2013 are well-known for playing with higher intensity than their opponents, regardless of who those opponents are. Klopp pushes his team very, very hard in the preseason, seeking to bring them to higher levels of fitness than any team in the league.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Then, once the games begin, Klopp expects his team to work harder and more intensely than everyone else.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n This week, Klopp\u2019s lead assistant, Pep Ljinders, released a new book about his time at Liverpool. Fittingly, the title is <\/span>Intensity<\/span>. Klopp gives Ljinders primary responsibility for designing and running training sessions (that\u2019s \u201cpractice\u201d to us philistine Americans). Ljinders has long said about Liverpool that \u201cour identity is intensity.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When Liverpool loses the ball, they immediately work as a unit to get the ball back as quickly as possible. To help them do this, they push their defensive line very high up the pitch, so that there is very little space between Liverpool\u2019s defenders and their attackers.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Compressing this space between its own lines, gives Liverpool greater numbers in the opponent\u2019s half, which allows them to strangle the opponent\u2019s time and space on the ball when they get it. Players who have just recovered the ball are vulnerable to losing it, because they may still be getting the ball under control, and they have not yet had time to assess the relative positions of their teammates and opponents, so that they can find the right pass. This approach of attempting to win the ball back is often described as <\/span>\u201c<\/b>gegenpressing<\/i><\/b>,\u201d<\/b> which is a German word for \u201ccounter-pressing.\u201d For a great three-and-a-half minute explanation and illustration of <\/span>gegenpressing<\/span><\/i>, watch <\/span>this video<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Playing such a high defensive line intentionally leaves the opponent space in only one place \u2013 behind the Liverpool defense and in front of Liverpool\u2019s goal. Obviously, this tactic creates a high risk that opponents will send a \u201cthrough ball\u201d to a player who runs behind the defense. If the \u201cthrough ball\u201d is successful, the attacker who receives the pass will be one-on-one with the goalkeeper (also known as being \u201cthrough on goal\u201d).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n However, the risk that the opponent will get behind the defense is probably not as dire as you might expect, if you play the high defensive line as effectively as Liverpool does.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n First, Liverpool press so effectively when they lose the ball, that their opponents have very little time or space to pass the ball. And, generally speaking, a \u201cthrough pass\u201d requires perfect timing and touch. Pass the ball too hard and the goalkeeper will be able to come get it. Pass it too softly and a defender will intercept it. Because Liverpool is probably all over you whenever you get the ball, effectively making such a delicate pass becomes very difficult.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Second, the timing of the run of the would-be recipient of the through pass must be close to perfect, or the player will be offside and Liverpool will get the ball back. I\u2019m not going to explain the offside rule here, but if you\u2019re not certain you understand it, you should stop right now and watch <\/span>this video that explains offside in less than two minutes<\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Third, Liverpool\u2019s goalkeeper, Alisson Becker, is exceptionally quick off his line. This allows him to reach many through passes before the attacking player. Alisson\u2019s positioning also helps him save shots when an attacker gets a one-on-one chance against him. In those situations, Alisson typically charges out at the attacker and cuts off his shooting angles. <\/span>Alisson\u2019s record<\/span><\/a> for making saves in those difficult situations is quite good.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n When Liverpool\u2019s pressing is successful and they get the ball back, they typically try to score as quickly and directly as possible. On this front, Liverpool\u2019s tactical approach differs significantly from its primary Premier League rival \u2013 Manchester City. Both teams use the counter-press extensively, seeking to regain the ball as soon as they lose it. But when Man City wins the ball, unlike Liverpool, they are typically quite patient with it. City look to pass teams to death, moving the defenders all over the pitch before finally cutting them open. With Man City, it\u2019s death by a thousand cuts.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\nWhat\u2019s a Formation?<\/b><\/h2>\n
What do the Numbers in a Formation Mean?<\/b><\/h3>\n
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What Are the Positions on a Football Team?<\/b><\/h2>\n
Goalkeeper<\/b><\/h3>\n
Fullbacks (Right Back and Left Back)<\/b>:<\/span><\/h3>\n
Center Backs<\/b><\/h3>\n
Defensive Midfielder<\/b><\/h3>\n
Central Midfielder<\/b><\/h3>\n
Wide Midfielder<\/b><\/h3>\n
Attacking midfielder<\/b><\/h3>\n
Wide Forward<\/b><\/h3>\n
Center Forward<\/b><\/h3>\n
How Formations Change When a Team Advances in Possession<\/b><\/h2>\n
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Tactical Styles<\/b><\/h2>\n
Parking the Bus vs. Pressing, Possession, and Control<\/b><\/h3>\n
Gegenpressing \u2013 the Liverpool Way<\/b><\/h3>\n