Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has admitted that Southampton’s style of play forced him into a half-time tactical tweak on Saturday.
Klopp claims that he had to switch Fabinho and Jordan Henderson’s positions because of the nature of Southampton’s counter-attacking play.
He admits that Fabinho struggled with the rhythm of the game, due to Southampton’s style, and that prompted him to make the change.
Speaking to Sky Sports, as quoted by TeamTalk, Klopp said this:
It was easy to move Hendo. Fabinho is naturally more a defensive-orientated player than Hendo.
We had to control the counter-attacks of Southampton. He [Fabinho] has struggled with rhythm. The first two games when he came on it was not Fabinho before he got injured. That is normal, so Saturday was a big step for him. He was key for us.
We needed a calm player in the centre, not too active. That was the change at half-time. We used him more for the switches – find Fabinho, pass to the other side and then accelerate and use the power of Hendo in the half-spaces.
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Despite Southampton losing the game 4-0, Klopp’s comments should be seen as a huge positive. Ralph Hasenhuttl clearly got his tactics spot on in the first-half and caused Klopp to rethink his game-plan for the second-half, with the scoreline at 0-0 going into half-time.
As Klopp says, he needed a calm presence in the centre of the pitch due to Southampton’s relentless pressing and counter-attacking. Fabinho was seeking out the ball to make challenges and leaving gaps in the middle, allowing Southampton more chances to play their game.
In the second-half, he put Henderson in the centre and it meant that he was able to control the game in midfield and stop Southampton from doing what they do best – press. He was able to bypass the Saints press with his excellent range of passing and then Fabinho was afforded the freedom to buzz around the pitch doing his defensive work without having to worry about leaving Liverpool exposed to the counter through the middle.
Unfortunately for Southampton, Klopp was able to find a remedy to their pressing game, but it shows how far they have come that they were able to cause Liverpool that many problems to begin with. Against the, with all due respect, lesser teams in the league, Southampton will hopefully find more joy in their last 13 games.
