Best formation and tactics to beat Liverpool...

[Airfixx]

Yeah I do realise that and I think that they have their strengths but beating a high press isn't one of them. Sounds obvious but were fucking great at playing out when not being pressed, or when teams abandon it to either protect a lead or because they dont have the energy to keep it up (and i think liverpool have been very susceptible to that in some games.) Our back line look like they're shitting themselves every time they face it. I dont trust them to do it. we dont have the players, especially on the right and i hate to say it, Hugo. (although winks playing would be a massive plus, he treats the ball like its his last fiver). with their front three if we keep losing it there, we will pay the price.

I'm certain poch will start with it, we'll go at least a goal down and then he'll change it and we'll win so its all good.

re: Aggressive, high opposition press:

Liverpool aren't anywhere near as aggressive this season.

However, we got 4 points from them when they were the year before; including a 4-1 slaughter, at Wembley.

The same season, beating BVB 3-1 (H), 2-1 (A) and 3-0 & 1-0 this year; a team that seemingly know little other than to press.

It's not clear from above what your prefered approach is, but we're a versatile team. We have our own strengths in our own right that we can, and arguably should be looking to impose on them.

 

[Leondna]

how we demolished Dortmund?

we definitely beat them, but it wasn't a demolition, the first game was pretty even (despite the goals) and in the second it was a backs to the wall job, with one shot on target.

job done, but to suggest it was a walk in the park is reaching a little

We demolished Dortmund in the second half at Wembley. If u watch the game closely, you will realise that we press high aggressively during second half. Dortmund couldn’t cope with this at all and kept conceding chances after chances.

First half Dortmund was slightly better but that’s because we allowed them to. Pochettino knew we could not press them for 90 min (fatigue and injuries taking its toll) and a change in the second half does the job.

 

[Mick Cooper]

We demolished Dortmund in the second half at Wembley. If u watch the game closely, you will realise that we press high aggressively during second half. Dortmund couldn’t cope with this at all and kept conceding chances after chances.

First half Dortmund was slightly better but that’s because we allowed them to. Pochettino knew we could not press them for 90 min (fatigue and injuries taking its toll) and a change in the second half does the job.

OK so we have gone from demolishing them to being on top for 45 minutes out of 180

 

[Tomo]

I am sure Poch will have a plan. Issue with a Liverpool has never been the overall game, we where stronger in both the second halves of our defeats this season, it’s more stopping Liverpool’s fast start.

Liverpool advantages

1 Overall a stronger squad with a few exceptional individual performances this season.

2 A clear standard way of playing to maximise each player.

3 Brilliant form in the final months of the season.

Tottenham Advantages

1 First time perhaps all season we have a fully fit team.

2 3-4 weeks rest should push form out of the window, if it was just 1 week after the season it would matter but not now.

3 Poch seems more tactically adaptive than Klopp. Klopp makes changes when he has to such as injures, we know how Klopp will play. Poch is more likely to have surprises and 3-4 weeks of planning should give us quite a few.

 

[Coops40]

Some on here have suggested our full backs have to be defensive in order to counter their full backs.

In my view this makes it worse. It gives them free rein. We have to have an attacking threat down the flanks to keep them mindful of flying forward.

 

[Eli]

Score more goals! Seems to do the trick most of the time though Man.city and Ajax may not agree but hey ho......

 

[Notabadsquad]

Predictions mean sh!t.

Thr first thing is that Pochettino trusts the medics and the players if they declare themselves fit.

Next is that Liverpool have the single best defender and all in all we have the best front man.

The midfield are on a par in my opinion, with ours slightly more creative and their overall defence a touch more potent going forward.

Maybe small margins but we are good enough to beat Liverpool and that's not just a matter of 'on our day' but because we are.

3 week's rest helps us more than them but we shall see.

Best tactics to win. Outscore them but please no penalties.

 

[Steve73]

Poch has to learn from the league games, especially the game at anfield. He won't play a back 5 (if he does he wants shooting), we did it first half and it invited their fullbacks on, 2nd half we changed to a back 4 with midfielders given the remit of stopping them getting forward and it worked a treat. We also wrestled control of midfield which is Liverpool's biggest weakness.

As others have said, we can't give them a start again so let's try and play out from the back but only when it's clear we can, otherwise we hit Kane long and have players getting around him to feed off the scraps.

With Winks and Eriksen especially we can control midfield and thus the game. It's gonna be tight and it'll come down to small margins, a bounce of the ball, a bit of luck or an error, we just need to make sure we're not the team who commits one.

433, press em when we can, and make them go long - they're not tall up top and we should wrestle back control in midfield and hurt them, with Kane, Son, Alli, Eriksen etc.

If Poch gets it right I make us a more cohesive team, then it comes down to taking chances and not making errors...

 

[MiddxSpur]

Liverpool outplayed us at Wembley, fair play but also 8 months ago.

But the Anfield game was telling.

Outplayed in first half with back 3.

But once we went to back 4, we were the better team in second half, and obviously should have won it via Sissoko.

Similar story of formation versus Ajax in first leg.

In general the back 3 struggles against teams with fast movement.



I think most of us would like to play 4 at the back however Poch does seem to like to play with 3 CBs in big games eg Vs Real last yr & this yr vs Dortmund. I wouldn’t be surprised if he does this again.
But my preference would be Rose, Jan, Toby, Tripps - Sissoko, Winks, Erikson - Son , Ali and Moura.
Kane to come on from the bench

 

[Bazali]

I am sure Poch will have a plan. Issue with a Liverpool has never been the overall game, we where stronger in both the second halves of our defeats this season, it’s more stopping Liverpool’s fast start.

Liverpool advantages

1 Overall a stronger squad with a few exceptional individual performances this season.

2 A clear standard way of playing to maximise each player.

3 Brilliant form in the final months of the season.

Tottenham Advantages

1 First time perhaps all season we have a fully fit team.

2 3-4 weeks rest should push form out of the window, if it was just 1 week after the season it would matter but not now.

3 Poch seems more tactically adaptive than Klopp. Klopp makes changes when he has to such as injures, we know how Klopp will play. Poch is more likely to have surprises and 3-4 weeks of planning should give us quite a few.

4. The Dippers don’t normally do well after a break and need momentum after a few games!

5 a side in Marbella won’t cut it so press the fuck out of them right from the off

Make history boys as the whole football world outside Bootle wants us to win !!

 

[Bazali]

Poch has to learn from the league games, especially the game at anfield. He won't play a back 5 (if he does he wants shooting), we did it first half and it invited their fullbacks on, 2nd half we changed to a back 4 with midfielders given the remit of stopping them getting forward and it worked a treat. We also wrestled control of midfield which is Liverpool's biggest weakness.

As others have said, we can't give them a start again so let's try and play out from the back but only when it's clear we can, otherwise we hit Kane long and have players getting around him to feed off the scraps.

With Winks and Eriksen especially we can control midfield and thus the game. It's gonna be tight and it'll come down to small margins, a bounce of the ball, a bit of luck or an error, we just need to make sure we're not the team who commits one.

433, press em when we can, and make them go long - they're not tall up top and we should wrestle back control in midfield and hurt them, with Kane, Son, Alli, Eriksen etc.

If Poch gets it right I make us a more cohesive team, then it comes down to taking chances and not making errors...

They have good quick attacking full backs

We have quicker wingers who can exploit any space and run at VVD and Gomes

This is where the game will be won and lost

And we have Harry to come on for last 25-39 mins to cause maximum pain

We can do it

 

[deadleyledley]

1. Get a corner
2. Aim at Llorente's hip
3. ????
4. PROFIT!!!!

Tripps took the corner. Does that solve the RB issue?

 

[deadleyledley]

Some on here have suggested our full backs have to be defensive in order to counter their full backs.

In my view this makes it worse. It gives them free rein. We have to have an attacking threat down the flanks to keep them mindful of flying forward.

But that threat doesn't necessarily have to be from the full back.

I want to see Lucas and Son have a go at their full backs. Let's see if mane and salah want to track back. I don't think they will because they have 3 midfielders to help their full banks but it should then give players like Eriksen and Alli more time in the middle.

Of course this is all theoretical.....

 

[Leondna]

 

[Leondna]

Interesting tactical analysis above.
Which could means, 4-2-3-1 is a viable formation:

Lloris
Trippier- Toby-Vertonghen-Rose
Sissoko-Eriksen
Moura-Alli -Son
Kane
​

This formation requires Son and Moura to track back and mark Robertson and Arnold. At the same time, this gives us pace to exploit the spaces left behind when Liverpool press high.

​

The weakness of this formation though is the weakness we are showing in defence - man vs man. Both Sissoko and Eriksen aren’t naturally defensive players. Son and Moura can’t defend well and are prone to errors. I believe it will be “who can score more” type of game if we adopt this formation

 

[MiddxSpur]

Interesting tactical analysis above.
Which could means, 4-2-3-1 is a viable formation:

Lloris
Trippier- Toby-Vertonghen-Rose
Sissoko-Eriksen
Moura-Alli -Son
Kane
​

This formation requires Son and Moura to track back and mark Robertson and Arnold. At the same time, this gives us pace to exploit the spaces left behind when Liverpool press high.

​

The weakness of this formation though is the weakness we are showing in defence - man vs man. Both Sissoko and Eriksen aren’t naturally defensive players. Son and Moura can’t defend well and are prone to errors. I believe it will be “who can score more” type of game if we adopt this formation

Your suggested team selection is attractive but I would worry about it leaving us too open to attacks.
Personally I wouldnt change much, but would like to see Kane on the bench and come on in the 2nd half for a couple of reasons. Obviously the 1st is he wont be match sharp, but in addition I think the game will go to extra time and so he will be far more affective against their players once they are fatigued. Another reason is that in a final refs can allow players to get away with persistent fouling in the 1st half and I wouldn’t be surprised if Liverpool deliberately targeted Kane’s ankle early on. If he is a sub then that would offer him more protection.
So with Kane’s place freed up I would be tempted to start Winks as he would be well capable of playing thro balls to Son and Moura.

 

[Luvf]

In a one off game we are capable of beating anyone, we have shown that this season and in the past. The game at Anfield this season and last season we were probably the better team in both, and but for some poor finishing and Lloris mistake we'd have beaten Liverpool.

What we need to do is take our chances, not panic and have the defence as solid is possible. 3 at the back doesn't work, and we can't leave the midfield exposed. Aurier has the pace to match Mane, but is also as clumsy as Trippier. I'd lean towards Aurier due to his brilliant performances against Dortmund, who had a very good attacking side to them.

Lloris
Aurier - Alderweireld - Vertonghen - Rose
Winks - Sissoko
Lucas - Dele - Eriksen
Kane
​

Harsh to leave Son out after his Man City heroics, but it would be even harsher to leave Lucas out after his hatrick to get us here. Alli plays brilliantly when he has Kane to work with, as does Eriksen when he has movement like Kane's to play with.

From a Liverpool team view, I have noticed Salah is a very selfish player. More often than not he will go for it himself rather than look for an option. I don't think they'd have beaten Barca if Salah started. We stop Mane, I think we stop their flow. He is the main driver in that team. Midfield will be the battle to win. Wijnaldum is a player who can really hurt you, as shown vs Barca, stick Sissoko on him to hound him and we'll see more of the ball in there. Kane will occupy Van Dijk so it's up to Lucas and Dele to move into the space left and Eriksen (who needs a big game, if it is going to be his last) needs to be picking the space out every time.


We have performed miracles to get here, like nothing before. As long as we don't fall apart in the final then we have every chance. We have shown this UCL campaign that if any team gives us a chance, we will take it. One more huge 90 minutes to write this team into Tottenham and European history.



COYS

The best formation you came up to beat dippers and you don't have Son? That's a good one.

 

[Redcoast]

I think the biggest decision is on Kane vs Moura at this point. We can all ride the momentum Lucas built against Ajax or gamble on Kane, undoubtedly one of the best striker in Europe, to be fit 100%. In my mind, there is no way Kane will play at his best after such a long rest, but it would also be cruel to exclude any of them from the startup line.

Lloris
Aurier Alderweireld Vertonghen Rose
Sissoko Winks Eriksen Dele
Lucas Son

Sub Winks for Kane and go 4-2-3-1 .

 

[Achilles]

Whatever Poch rolls out there.

 

[HyNdZee]

I feel the team picks itself and the only real decision is RB and ST.