Our writers look at Liverpool's midfield setup and whether they should move away from the 'box' system used at the end of last season
Paul Gorst: It felt as though the initial tactical tweak from Jurgen Klopp back in the spring was done with a short-term view of getting his side playing once more after a chastening few weeks that saw them beaten at Bournemouth, knocked out of the Champions League and then humbled at Manchester City.
It essentially demands Alexander-Arnold play in two positions while also overexerting the right side of the backline, as evidenced by Ibrahima Konate pulling up with a muscle injury against Bournemouth and Joel Matip being withdrawn as a precaution against Newcastle. Last season, it was thought the issue was the midfield, which has since been addressed in a more dramatic way than was anticipated, with three who started in the engine room at Newcastle United on Sunday seeing an engine room having all been bought in the summer.
That Liverpool were able to play out more then 90 minutes in their last two games without conceding a goal in a 4-4-1 formation suggests that, when organised defensively, they can frustrate opponents. The box midfield hasn't been progressively decisive yet this season. Using that system to varying degrees saw the Reds rack up a lengthy unbeaten run to finish 2022/23 on a relative high - with flashes of it also contributing to seven points from three games so far this term.
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