Looking at the stats from Saturday's game between Liverpool FC and Tottenham Hotspur, one might say that even the great Jurgen Klopp can't take a struggling club and make them winners overnight. The former Borussia Dortmund manager was announced as the new manager for Liverpool following the sacking of Brendan Rodgers. Jurgen Klopp's first Liverpool game ends in a 0-0 draw at Spurs, not a bad result but perhaps not the win many fans were envisioning.
A Running Game
Even if Klopp didn't get a win, though, the general consensus seems to be that he has already changed the way that the football club plays the game. As ESPN FC noted in the days following the match, Liverpool's players were running and moving more than they have all season. The Spurs typically play a very running-oriented game of soccer and hadn't been outrun-in terms of combined player distance-all season long.
Until now at least: the Reds tallied a combined 116 kilometers in Saturday's match, more than the Spurs and notably more than in their last match-also a scoreless draw, against Everton. In the Everton game, Liverpool looked disjointed and de-energized. It wasn't surprising when, following the draw, Rodgers was sacked. In contrast, the soccer club's game at Tottenham had much higher energy. The scores may have been the same, but the second match was much more hopeful for fans in the Liverpool away shirt.
The Reds came roaring out of the gate, with attacker Divock Origi nearly scoring in the first 10 minutes of play. Origi, who took the main attacking position in Klopp's chosen 4-3-2-1 tactical lineup, headed the ball into the crossbar for a narrow miss. Still, the gauntlet had been thrown down, and Tottenham had to fight hard to keep the game at a stalemate. It didn't hurt, of course, that Liverpool goalkeeper Simon Mignolet stopped not one, but two shots on goal from Harry Kane.
A Lengthy Disabled List
Klopp's chosen on-field soccer strategy at Borussia Dortmund was the 4-2-3-1. Obviously, that strategy served the coach well at his former football club, winning him two league titles and earning him a runner-up finish at the Champions League.
The chances are that Klopp will implement the 4-2-3-1 once again in his coming weeks and months at Liverpool. On Saturday, though, it's possible that he changed his plans to compensate for Liverpool's lengthy disabled list.
Origi won't always be the Reds' lead attacker, either-though he acquitted himself just fine in the role. Indeed, most of Liverpool's best forwards were on the bench for Klopp's first game-including Christian Benteke, Daniel Sturridge, and Danny Ings, the club's top three scorers for the 2015 2016 season so far. Also on the bench were Roberto Firmino, Dejan Lovren, Jon Flanagan, and Joe Gomez.
Unlocking the Potential
Bottom line, it's hardly surprising that Liverpool couldn't win the game outright with so many of their best players sitting out. Still, Klopp was pleased with how his team played on Saturday, praising James Milner in particular for being "the complete football player" and "the perfect professional." In Klopp's estimation, his club already has all of the tools necessary to win games: he just needs to boost the work rate, consistency, and confidence. His players, he said, can give 20 or 30 percent more than they are right now.
If Klopp can get his team to give one-third more than they did in Saturday's match with Tottenham Hotspur, then he could bring the Reds back to the level they achieved two seasons ago. In any case, it will be interesting to watch Liverpool in the coming weeks, as they take on teams like Southampton and Chelsea.
Right now, the Reds are sitting 10th on the Premier League standings table. How much can they improve that position by Christmas? By the end of the season? Pick up a Liverpool shirt 2015 2016 from Soccer Box, then connect with us on social media to share your thoughts on the football club's first game under Jurgen Klopp. You can find us on multiple social networking platforms including Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
