John Aldridge highlighted the difference in Liverpool’s away form under Kenny Dalglish:
“It’s a million times better away from home than it was. We’ve still lost a couple but it’s much, much better. Last season under Rafa and the first half of this season under Roy, the away form was pitiful. And that’s being kind. I had no confidence that we were going to win games so I’ve no idea how the players felt. But Kenny has come in and even though we had the defeat to Blackpool, he’s got the belief restored into the players. We’re going away from home looking to win games now rather than fearing the opposition.”
Away form has certainly been something that the Reds have struggled with, especially over the last two years or so. The two most common reasons attributed to having such a poor away record were alluded to in Aldo’s quote above. Tactically and mentally, Liverpool seem to be approaching games in an entirely different way under King Kenny. Certainly, the defeats to Blackpool, West Ham and West Brom do suggest that some things still need to be ironed but victories against Chelsea and Sunderland, as well as a draw against Arsenal, have shown Kenny and his team have slowly turned things around.
Tactically, the changes that both Steve Clarke and Kenny have employed away from home have varied depending on the opposition the Reds have faced. There are certain areas however where the staff have evidently encouraged the players to utilise some of the same tactics as they do at home. Defending from the front has become very important, rather than sitting back in your own half, letting teams to come onto you and denying them any space around your own penalty box. Players such as Suarez and Kuyt have been very important as a high pressing game has been implemented and the emphasis of pressurising opponents off the ball early on is a stand out feature of the Reds both away and at home when they don’t have the ball. In the matches againt West Ham and West Brom, the intensity off the ball to implement this game plan was distinctly lacking, leading to defeats.
Continue Reading on Page 2 . . .
