The Liverpool boss detailed why he doesn’t see a problem in changing his winning formula for a player.
One very notable thing about Liverpool this season is just how often Jurgen Klopp has moved away from the winning formation of last season.
4-3-3 was virtually all we saw from the Reds throughout last season, both in the Premier League and Champions League, but there has been far more 4-2-3-1 this year.
The two biggest reasons for that appear to be a desire to play Mohamed Salah centrally and the introduction to the side of Fabinho.
The Brazilian has been very hit & miss so far, thus the change in midfield has come under some pressure as an unnecessary one.
And ahead of Liverpool’s game with Burnley, Klopp addressed the concerns, admitting that he doesn’t see a problem.
“So far, for Fabinho, it feels very familiar together with another No.6 [defensive midfielder] in the centre,” Klopp told the Mirror. “But of course he has to [play in other systems] and he will.
“The difference is not that big. We adapt to our defensive players as a unit and our attacking players as a unit with slight adjustments depending on the skills.
“That’s how it is. If you have quick centre-halves, you can defend higher, then the ball in behind isn’t a problem. That’s what we have to do in these situations.”
It’s difficult to argue with Klopp’s results – domestically, anyway – as Liverpool sit unbeaten in second having won every game except a visit from Manchester City and trips to Chelsea and Arsenal.
They’ve also only conceded five goals in 14 games, an average of 0.4 a game that is well below the goal-a-game average of last season.
He may be changing the midfield for one player who isn’t playing all that well but Liverpool are certainly getting more consistent results than last year.
They may not be as easy on the eye but until the results don’t back him up, Klopp deserves plenty of praise for taking a risk with his tactics.
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