Jurgen Klopp finally ended Liverpool’s 30-year title drought after clinching the Premier League against Chelsea. The Deutsche man steered his team to the League triumph not only with a dominant side but also with composure. Liverpool’s unbeaten run until February 29, 2020, was one of the best in the top-flight. Once, they had a chance to eclipse the “Invincibles of 2003-04”. However, Watford ended their unbeaten run at Vicarage Road on that day.
Despite Liverpool winning the title with seven games to go, the chinks in the armoury was glaring. In the post-pandemic games, the Reds were unable to muster out easy wins and were less ruthless. With Pep Guardiola losing the chance to do a hattrick of PL trophies, the former Barcelona manager will leave no stone unturned to clinch the glory back.
On the other hand, Manchester United and Chelsea are also trying to beef up their side with signings to challenge the title. It will be a huge task for Klopp’s men if they have to win it for the second successive time in England.
Despite the fact that the Reds were able to win the title, the frailties are up for grabs. As the saying goes, there is no issue which doesn’t have a solution. Similarly, if Jurgen Klopp has to succeed for the second time in the top-flight, he can learn from Sheffield United. Sheffield United were promoted just before the 2019/20 season and came a long way in the league. Though they were relegation candidates initially, Chris Wilder almost secured the European spot. But the things didn’t go in Blades’ way as they slipped in the “Project Restart”.
Here is what Liverpool can learn from Sheffield United:
Wing-Backs Are Key to Success
Liverpool have the phenomenal full-backs on their side in the Premier League. Trent Alexander Arnold and Andy Robertson have been instrumental in their trophy pursuit. However, when they are absent, the team finds it difficult to adjust to the game, and the same thing happened against Watford.
Chris Wilder fielded a different formation in the Premier League. They came up with 3-5-2 formation having three centre-backs and two wingbacks. Opposed to traditional full-backs, these wingbacks operate in both attack and defence. On the other hand, TAA works as a speed merchant and has a lot of assists but has conceded goals as the player lacks defensively. If Liverpool are to win the title once again, employing 3-5-2 formation can be more effective as additional centre-back would cover up for the wingbacks.
Consistency in the Formation Is the Key
Chris Wilder employed 3-5-2 formation throughout the season barring 2-3 games. Despite the side came to the Premier League through promotion, they didn’t change their strategy. The Englishman went to the open-play strategy rather than sit back and defend like their fellow promoted teams. High risks yielded high gains for the Blades’ as they finished strong.
On the other hand, Jurgen Klopp has also played the same side but with different formations. This hampered Roberto Firmino’s goal-scoring ability as the player scored a solitary goal at Anfield in the whole season. There should be consistency in the formation so that a new player can settle in the side.
Smart Buys and Bench Strength
After the Premier League resumed, Sheffield United struggled to win the games and were even romped home by Manchester United. This happened to them as they lacked the bench strength when players were suspended or injured.
Despite adding the talented players like Minamino, Liverpool lack a creative playmaker on the bench who can walk-in and create the goals. So, Jurgen Klopp should sign up the players who can be a potent weapon in his arsenal.
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