Liverpool v Real Betis Review
I’m glad that this was only a trial match because overall it was pretty poor and clearly the players have work to do. Players were crowding each other out, making the wrong runs, passes were constantly going astray and the defending was dire at times.
However, you could see them starting to get the hang of how Arne Slot wants them to play, the pressing was a work in progress and the right side showed glimpses of what we have to look forward to this season. Mind you, the pitch didn’t help, clearly 2 paced, which meant passes were constantly being either under hit or overcooked.
It probably also was connected to the ball getting stuck under players’ feet (this improved as they got more used to it). Mind you, Pellegrini had done his homework and did a very good job of making it hard to play out from the back and winning the ball in dangerous positions.
Goalkeeping:
Kelleher looked assured though didn’t have much to do. However his distribution was nowhere near the level it normally is – partly to do with the pitch but also because he kept choosing the wrong option and putting his teammates (particularly the midfield) under pressure in dangerous areas.
Jaros also didn’t have much do to (except when his teammates made some poor passes back), he looked less comfortable on the ball, but his distribution was better.
Defence:
Quansah did well in both attack and defence. Covered the wide space well, his passing was not up to his usual standard (did I mention the pitch?) and needs to be more confident in the air.
Sepp – played solidly – wasn’t helped by the left side issues but also seemed slow to react when the ball went wide. However, I thought he probably did enough to convince Slot to give him more chances.
Bradley played well – linked up well with the right side, made some smart penetrating under lapping runs. Clearly still some work to do in terms of understanding Slot’s way of play, but the link play will only improve as they play more together.
Tsimikas – still coming to terms with inverting. Solid, rarely went forward. Some of his link up play was poor but didn’t disgrace himself. One thing that did frustrate me was he was too reactive. Seems to be happy to be told what to do and not really think for himself.
Midfield:
Endo worked hard, but his distribution was not up to his usual standard – partly due to the pitch but also his passes went astray quite a bit though this improved as the game went on.
Jones – worked hard, but he kept trying to occupy the same space as Endo making it hard for his defenders to play out. The problems on the left side also meant he was unable to make any real progressive passes and was reduced to playing it mostly sideways and backwards. Unfortunately for him, his knock meant he left the field just as Slot got a chance to address the left side shortcomings and so he didn’t get a chance to show if he was able to spot the forward pass or not.
Nyoni – worked hard to present himself as an option for his teammates, was lively and made some very incisive passes. He was helped by changes to the left side making more space for him, but still he made the best of his opportunity. He also did a better job (than Jones) of sharing space with Endo so it was much easier for the defence.
Morton – solid, calm in possession, didn’t stand out, but that’s often a good thing in the position he was in.
Fabio – in my opinion was the main cause of the left sided issues. He started off the game playing way too centrally, which coupled with Tsimikas being inverted meant the left side was massively cramped. The ball just kept getting recycled back and it was dire to watch. Everytime Elliot or Szob tried to make a horizontal run, the space was invariably already occupied by Fabio and Real Betis, so players like Jones or Sepp were unable to make a forward pass to them.
I can’t believe Slot asked him to play like this so it was frustrating that he couldn’t work this out himself. It was also concerning that no-one on the pitch realised this and talked to him earlier. However, at the first break, the coaching staff clearly addressed this as he started to play much wider and the play improved dramatically. Suddenly the defence was able to find forward players and the ball could progress.
However, he was still slow to react when the ball was switched to his side and he seemed to get caught ball watching in defence as well. I’m afraid to say I just don’t seem him as being close to first team ready unless he makes some big strides in the next few weeks.
Elliot – he was almost invisible in attack at the start of game – mainly due to the left side shortcomings. This improved as the game went on, but his link up play with the left was not as good as he would’ve liked. Worked hard in defence, his work rate was a standout, but his passing was not up to his usual standard.
Szob – worked hard but once the left side issues were addressed, life was much easier for him. Real Betis could no longer overload his area and he was able to showcase his high work-rate and passing. Took his opportunity well and worked hard to make life hard for Real Betis.
Salah – looked like a new player (must be the haircut and the added muscle). Linked well with the right-side, good passing, but his shooting was astray and he seemed hesitant to take players on.
In summary, i’m hoping the season will look much more like the right side because they showed some lovely glimpses of what could be in store for us. Fluid interchange, incisive running and passing and good counter pressing. However, too much of the game was like the left side, ponderous slow constant recycling of possession and open to counterattack. All in all, it was a game that Slot was probably happy with considering it was a trial. Real Betis gave them a good workout, exposed things they need to improve and enabled Slot to get a better idea of his players.