Ten steps: Liverpool’s win over Aston Villa
Liverpool recorded a comfortable 3-0 victory over Gerard Houllier’s Aston Villa at Anfield on Monday night.
Note – this article originally featured photos from the match, which have had to be removed for copyright reasons.
The scoreline reflects the home side’s dominance – they were good, Villa were particularly bad. The game looked over after Ryan Babel made it 2-0 on 15 minutes, and Villa offered little threat for the rest of the contest. Houllier switched to 4-4-2 at half-time, as he did in the game against Arsenal when Villa were also 2-0 down at the break, but there was little sign of a fightback.
Roy Hodgson used a 4-4-2 system – his spine of Jamie Carragher, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres were all out. Ryan Babel and David Ngog started upfront, with Maxi Rodriguez keeping his place on the left despite the return of Joe Cole. Sotirios Kyrgiakos started at centre-back alongside Martin Skrtel.
Villa still had a midfield crisis and were also without the suspended Ashley Young, though they welcomed back Marc Albrighton. Stephen Ireland started rather than Robert Pires, and Gabriel Agbonlahor was the lone striker in a 4-4-1-1 / 4-2-3-1 system that saw Albrighton and Stewart Downing switching around throughout.
1. Villa play surprisingly high line
2. Liverpool play higher up the pitch
3. Ireland very deep
4. Liverpool wingers narrow
5. Lucas drops back to collect
6. Liverpool able to play out from the back
That was a rare occasion Lucas had to do that, however – Villa made little attempt to press Liverpool at goal-kicks, and therefore the home side were able to build attacks from deep. Pepe Reina played simple passes out towards his two centre-backs (and sometimes Lucas) and wasn’t forced to hit the ball long to the two strikers who didn’t fare well in the air.
7. Villa crosses unsuccessful
Without a ‘big man’ playing upfront and thriving on crosses, Villa’s width produced little. Only one of 14 crosses was successful.
8. Agbonlahor struggles
A good lone striker will win aerial challenges and link the play. A decent lone striker will do one or the other well. Agbonlahor was able to do neither (more because of (a) his height and (b) his lack of support, rather than his own failings) and therefore served little purpose.
9. Liverpool’s central midfield duo dovetails well
Of Steven Gerrard, Lucas Leiva and Raul Meireles, Gerrard is clearly the most talented footballer. But is Lucas and Meireles the best of the three potential partnerships? Their understanding was good, they shared defensive and attacking responsibilities, and they ended with near-identical passing records – though Lucas’ assist gives him the edge.
10. Liverpool sit back after half-time
Liverpool played much deeper after the break, soaking up pressure and denying Villa’s pacey players space in behind. The chalkboard of Liverpool’s interceptions shows this well.
Ten steps: Liverpool’s win over Aston Villa
Villa’s central midfield was absolutely hopeless – not only did they not press Liverpool, they didn’t string passes together in any kind of progressive way (I too noticed Ireland frequently getting frustrated and coming deep to forrage…not to any effect, though).
Conversely, Liverpool’s midfield of Lucas and Meireles had a nice balance to it, with both willing to sit deep or move forward – Lucas is an intelligent player in this respect. Liverpool almost played a 4-2-2-2, which could actually work quite well with these players – A) because both full-backs push on, and B) because both forwards are comfortable working the channels. Hodgson got his tactics spot on last night, whereas Houllier didn’t react. The lack of creativity in their midfield could have been helped by Downing moving inside, and Hogg being sacrificed (with Pires coming on). Houllier left it far too late IMO.
If Villa don’t get organised defensively, and don’t get key players back soon, they could be genuine relegation candidates.
a 4-2-2-2 with the acquisition of some new players could be interesting
Villarreal-stylee,
albeit without the attendent tippy-tappy football; can’t imagine Hodgson abandoning direct football.
I guess when Gerrard and Torres returm Hodgson would go for a 4-4-1-1/4-2-3-1 formation much like the one that took Fulham to the Europa league final with Gerrard and Torres combining up front.
Overall, I am happy that Hodgson has reorganised the shambles that Benitez left, who knows, they still could be in with a shout of the top 4…
One assumes you are indulging in a little sarcasm?
Pairing Gerrard behind Torres in a 4-2-3-1 is what Benitez was doing during the ’shambles’ of collecting 86 points in 08/09.
Doesn’t make it a bad formation. The writer hints that perhaps Lucas/Meireles could be Liverpool’s first choice centre-mid pairing.
Where would that leave Gerrard? One of the attacking mids in a 4-2-2-2?
I would guess the most likely solution, were Roy to really run with Lucas/Meireles, would be to revert back to his most successful formation – 4-4-1-1 with Gerrard behind Torres.
According to Jonathan Wilson, Gerrard’s best position remains open to debate (http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jonathan_wilson/09/06/gerrard.position/index.html). What is clear is that the holding role is definitely his worst position. Brazilian-style interiore may turn out to be the right one for him. Two things are needed, though, to make it work. The full back behind him must be effective with overlapping runs. The other attacking midfielder must provide width and stretch defence out.
In other words, Gerard lacks the footballing intelligence to adapt to the new realities.
I wouldn’t equate guile with intelligence. Anyway, Gerrard is a joy to watch. Also, on his good days (which don’t come by as often as they did half a decade ago) he can win the game single-handedly. As far as Liverpool are concerned, reality needs to adapt to Gerrard.
interesting article..I was quite surprised with how high liverpool pressed in the opening half hour. I also though Lucas and Meireles were very impressive . Things were played at a quicker pace and the neat nature of Liverpools passing game was refreshing to watch during the opening exchanges. A thought? , without Gerrard in midfield and Torres up front is this a more balanced Liverpool team in that maybe the other 9 players dont feel an onus to play through Gerrard and play to Torres.
On the back of Spurs and Villa, Lucas and Meireles is definitely the best central midfield partnership for Liverpool. As you say, their understanding is good and general philosophy of quick, simple passes is giving Liverpool more success when building attacks.
As good as Gerrard is, you only have to look at goals recently conceded to Stoke and Wigan to see why he’s better off out of central midfield – he gave the ball away attempting ambitious passes which led to conceding 2 goals and might have covered Konchesky for the one at Wigan as it was a forward run from the left back that Gerrard was trying to hit.
As for Hodgson’s decision to play Meireles on the wing for so many games this season when so many spectators/supporters could see that he’s considerably more effective in central midfield, it was so frustrating. Hodgson seems such a slow learner for someone with ‘35 years of managerial experience’.
Are these the same ’supporters’ who could see that Lucas was plainly crap…..oh
No, these are the same ’supporters’ who could see that Poulsen was plainly crap……oh
In my experience, those people tend to overlap.
I think Gerrard should be playing as a deep-lying forward/second striker (Whatever you want to call it). He should be looking to run into channels and slot passes in between the back-four and also put pressure on midfielders.
Villa’s four defenders are combative but none of them are comfortable on the ball. As Arsenal showed, and Hodgson followed, just press their midfield tight and they are unable to work the ball out of their own half.
Martin O’Neill built this team to play a direct style with lots of wing-play to provide crosses. Without that Heskey/Carew focal point they struggle to break opponents down.
Villa can still be a threat on the counter with the speed of Agbonlahor, A.Young, Downing and Albrighton, but when the defence is shipping easy goals like they are at the moment, they are just going to be chasing the game too often to rely on that.
I’d like to see Liverpool try a 4-3-3 with Torres supported by two from N’Gog/Babel/Kuyt and constantly switching positions across the front line.
Also, with regard midfield; all talk surrounding Gerrard tends to be either as central midfielder (in a pairing) or advanced midfielder (in the hole)…but what about something in between? As an interior alongside Lucas and Mireilles?
Then again, Hodgson is not a 4-3-3 man.
I think Hodgson will stick to his 4-4-2 with Lucas + Meireles in the centre and place Gerrard as the support striker. That way he can keep this seemingly successful partnership while maintaining his beloved formation.
I for one would like to see it. If Cole gets back to form and goes to LMF, with Kuyt in the right, that’d be arguably the strongest combination possible.
The way Gerard has been playing for the last couple of seasons, he might do well at right back – he defends as well (as badly) as Glen Johnson.
At right back, he will have all the space and time that he needs for his ‘Hollywood’ passes.
And, it also gives Woy the option of trying Glen at RM/RW – something similar to where Bale is playing this season.
Look at the way Busby and Shankly phased their midfielders with vision that lacked speed – they were immediately moved to defense.
Maybe this might just be where Gerrard would really be effective.
I to would enjoy to see ‘pool play 4-3-3
however I would like to see Gerrard as false nine/trequartista/secunda punta/well whatever you now could call the role Totti held in Spallettis system, and move Torres out wide
Liverpool seriously need to find natural wide players, esp on the left side. Maxi, Cole and Jovanovic tend to run inside whenever they with or without the ball. I believe Liverpool will do better with traditional flankers who can dribble and cross the ball.
Actualy, That’s because of the Hodgsons tactic…
He plays 4-2-2-2 and attacks through middle, like he did with fuhlam…
Jovanovic played extremely wide winger for Serbia national team, and he was best player in wc qualifications alongside Krasic…
When he was joining Liverpool on one interview he said that he is coming to liverpool because Benitez loves to play on wings…
He is not so comfortable in central positions, probably because his main quality is pace and dribbling…
I can see that. But I don’t think that tactic is working out for Liverpool.
I don’t know, there’s a clear lack on the Lucas/Meireles chalkboards of long red arrows pointing from the center line to the far goal line. Clearly they’re missing Gerrard.
Wow, Reina played 54 passes? Were these mostly goal-kicks or was he receiving a lot back passes?
Heaps of backpasses, and a number of goal kicks were played short.
You forgot one main factor in the better display from Liverpool:
No Jamie Carragher allowed the team to play a higher defensive line. Along with the long balls hit to Gabby and none even successfully hit to Carew’s head, Skrtl and Kyrg had the pace and physicality to play higher up and consistently win headers. The higher defensive line allowed a higher midfield, higher attack, and higher pressing game than Hodgeson’s allowed all year.
Playing Gerrard when he comes back higher up the pitch will also mitigate his propensity for hollywood passes and eventual turnovers. He’s a tremendous footballer, but one who toes the line very close and is much better up the pitch where he can create goals and his turnovers won’t be as detrimental.
Also, Lucas has become a phenomenal player higher on the pitch due to his fouling. Purposeful or not, his fouls are in less dangerous territory than before, and stop play without warranting a yellow card.
Correlation does not imply causation: Skrtel and Kyrg may have been higher up the pitch but that has very little to do with Carragher being injured as: 1) Kyrg is slower than Carragher and Skrtel is hardly pacey and 2) Carragher is still vastly superior to Agbonlahor in the air and stronger than him on the deck, so would have had no problems playing in the higher line.
I think the high line was more likely a recognition of Liverpool’s need to take the game to a side severely lacking in confidence.
Why did Meireles and lucas partner up well? Because they both speak portuguese
Hi, first of all I love this site and I’m a regular reader. I just wondered if ZM would be willing to re-assess the idea that a defensive world cup would be followed by a defensive premier league?
As described in: http://www.zonalmarking.net/2010/08/13/defensive-minded-football/
It seems that at least so far this hasn’t been borne out (I speak just from intuition, or a feeling that the league so far has been pretty exciting/goal-ridden). Perhaps my intuition is off and the data can reveal otherwise, or perhaps it’s just too early to tell?
Thanks.
Probably too early to tell – for the record, it’s on 2.74 GPG this season, compared to 2.77 last season – so slightly down but not much difference so far…
oh okay thanks for responding. It ‘feels’ like it should be up on last year, but that just goes to show how reliable feelings are.