Tactical Analysis: Where It All Went Wrong v Villa

PAUL Lambert won the tactical battle on this one through a clear knowledge of Rodgers, Liverpool and perhaps more importantly, Luis Suarez.

Aston Villa got a deserved win by exploiting Liverpool’s major weakness this season – defending the counter attack.

It certainly was a gritty performance from a young Villa side.

The tactics for Lambert’s defence were simple. When the ball was in Liverpool’s half, Benteke and the midfield were very energetic, maintaining high pressure to worry Agger and, particularly, Skrtel.

Martin Skrtel did not have a good game against Christian Benteke. Normally Skrtel does act as more of a Sweeper, but this time he was often left entirely exposed by Johnson and Agger.

In the Villa half, the Villa team sat deep in a 5-4-1, denying Gerrard and Suarez space between the lines due to the extra man at the back and forcing the ball wide, where Liverpool’s wide men had no choice but to cross towards Suarez. This was tactically astute. Chelsea beat Barcelona in much the same way, knowing that a cross towards a quick, short dribbler is horribly ineffective.

With Villa’s formation and deep block, Liverpool’s fullbacks frequently saw the ball.

Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson attempted the most passes of any player on the pitch, with Downing attempting 80 (completing 67) and Johnson attempting 77 (completing 65). Incredibly, they attempted nearly three quarters of Aston Villa’s total attempted passes (157 vs. 211).

Liverpool’s fullbacks were the providers of width for the Reds. This meant when they received the ball in wide positions the only passing options were inside. This suited Villa’s set-up, which crowded the central areas of the pitch. Looking at Downing and Johnson’s passing directions both had 50% or more of their passes going back inside.

The centre back trio, of Herd, Clark and Baker, had simple tasks – to defend. It is quite incredible to look at the passing statistics for the trio: In the whole 90 minutes Herd, Clark and Baker attempted 21 passes. To make this more incredible they only passed the ball three times in the second half. Clark competing two passes and Herd having one incomplete pass.

Despite that, they performed 33 of Villa’s 53 total clearances, won 83% of their combined aerial duels (5/6) and 78% of their combined ground duels (7/9).

Though unlikely to be tactical, Shelvey seemingly made a point of coming inside, getting into the same positions that Gerrard and Suarez were aiming for, but this hindered rather than helped. While Shelvey is aerially, it resulted in less space in the middle and Downing then had to cover the entire left flank. This left Skrtel even more exposed against Benteke when the ball broke quickly.

Halfway through the first half, Shelvey and Sterling were swapped over, which seemed a strange move to make from Rodgers. With the ball being played wide, Sterling was on his stronger foot to cross for Shelvey, who could head the ball. The other way around was never going to work, but perhaps this was an attempt to get Glen Johnson more involved in the game and to set-up chances.
[ad_pod id=”unruly-video” align=”center”]
Defensively, Benteke ran Liverpool ragged, and the poor positional discipline of the Liverpool players resulted in a lot of frustration being added to this. For Benteke’s first goal, Suarez had received the ball on the half-way line, tried to break free by back heel dribbling, and lost the ball. He could of tried to play the ball off a Villa player for a thrown in.

After that, it broke quickly, Allen lost his man and Benteke put the ball past Reina from range hitting the post as it went in. Reina was either unsighted or his knees buckled, but either way, he maybe should have stopped that ball.

The second goal was bizarrely similar. The ball goes in to Benteke, who drifts wide. Skrtel follows, while Agger tries to cut off the pass. At this point Allen is marking Weimann, but sees Downing overlapping Skrtel into the middle and decides to let his man go. Once again, the man Allen loses is the one who scores. Allen needs to work on his marking skills and he sometimes loses the ball in important areas of the pitch. Opposing players are quick to pounce and win the ball back for their team while Allen is in possession.

This, quite simply, was a goal conceded through fear from Martin Skrtel. If he had let Downing take over marking Benteke, he could have easily been into position to stop the pass, but he had clearly been instructed, as a tall, physical defender, to stick to the tall, physical striker. It didn’t work out. Allen loses his man, and the rest is a very smart finish and a good counter attacking goal.

Joe Cole got caught in possession which started the build up for the third goal. The third goal once again features fear from Martin Skrtel, only this time he was terrified of making a tackle. Benteke got into his head good and proper.

Where did Liverpool go wrong?

Well there are many small ways. Johnson was too obvious. Sterling, as well. Both tried to go wide and cross to nobody, or jinked inside and passed it safe. Downing was much more inventive, and was the best player Liverpool had on the pitch by far (it takes a lot for me to praise Downing). Lucas was never sure whether to get on Benteke or not, and Allen was peripheral in attack and absent in defence.

For me a partnership of Allen and Lucas is unbalanced playing one of them alongside someone else would be better. If it was me Lucas would start ahead of Allen as he is easily knocked off the ball and is only able to pass to either side of him. I don’t think it’s in his game to be a box to box midfielder either.

Gerrard, once again, proved a shadow of his former self. The presence of Henderson, a late second-half sub for the still recovering Lucas, worked in Liverpool’s favour, given that he and Allen then started to hold in tandem, limiting space for Benteke and providing Skrtel with some actual support, but it was far too late.

Liverpool dominated the match, but they were forced into taking half chances due to excellent defending and goalkeeper positioning. When the ball went the other way, their midfield abandoned the defence, and Shelvey in particular offered nothing to the Liverpool cause.

Overall though, Rodgers made some poor choices – particularly bringing on Joe Cole to offer width when what they needed was speed down the middle to try and catch the Villa defence off guard. Even Brendan’s options on the bench were limited to try and change the game.

Why he had Coates and Carragher on the bench together I don’t why. He could have had Oussama Assaidi available as an option to play on either wing or linking with Suarez. He is a player I would like to see be given game time as he offers pace and is direct in taking opponents on. We won’t know what Assaidi is like in the league unless we try him out. Now is the time do so especially if Rogers wants to rest Sterling and Allen. After all it is a squad game.

Lambert won the tactical match-up this time, and the win, in the end, was well deserved.

Follow me on Twitter @MRSSG
[ad_pod id=’DFP-MPU’ align=’right’]
Live4Liverpool is recruiting columnists. For further info contact the site editor at live4liverpool@snack-media.com

Follow us on Twitter here: @live4Liverpool and ‘Like’ us on Facebook