A few less obvious facts from yesterday's game

Off-the-ball

1. Tackles (quite low) 25 LFC - 21 Swansea.

2. Interceptions were 23 Swansea - 16 LFC

3. Skrtel, Agger and Gerrard had only 1 successful tackle out of 2 attempts between them (that's Gerrard's. Our CBs put in no tackles)

4. Sterling put in 0 tackles

5. Allen managed 5 successful tackles, joint second with Flano, behind Johnson who led with 7.


Positions/flow/passes

6. Johnson and Sterling both played on the left rather on their original right flank

7. Sterling was the most advanced player on the pitch

8. Coutinho remained on the left of CM, whilst Hendo had a free role with equal presence on the left and the right of midfield.

9. Coutinho's preferred pass target was Suarez (14 times), Henderson's was Gerrard (15 times). Neither made more than 7 passes to anyone else.

10. Out of our top 12 pass combinations, our flanks (LB, RB, LF, RF) were the recipient in none of them.

 

One can see (points 1-4, 7,8,10) that Brendan opted for tactics VERY different from the Everton and Arsenal home games. Probably the keywords were 'sit back' on defence and 'all out' on attack.

A courageous experiment by Brendan, yet was it justifiable that we diverted so much from gameplans that brought us success at home vs strong possession-inclined opposition?

Sterling and Hendo were both fielded in a very cavalier fashion, which left Coutinho with much harder defensive task on the left and Gerrard without much cover in the middle.

Johnson for all his rust or lack of drive led in tackles, as did Flano and Allen who played only 35 mins. The fullbacks however were rarely the channel forward as most play developed through the middle (LCB did not pass much to LB, ditto RCB to RB, ditto Gerrard).

Johnson & Sterling is an interesting flank - maybe too much forward will on that side? esp, if Sterling plays like he did yesterday.

 

Let's hope Lucas is back soon.

 

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