Exactly what I'm thinking. Hendo doesn't seem cut out for the double-pivot and Gini probably could do it, but only alongside a more creative partner like Thiago.
There is another aspect to this – this article details how our front 3 has less of the ball and less of a statistically measurable attacking impact season after season (maybe @737Max can post a free version for us non-subscribers?), which they explain in various ways, but perhaps the simplest explanation is that their impact is gradually getting blunted. So particularly against deep-defending teams, perhaps it's time to think about adding an extra attacker to consistently break through. Take the example of Bayern Munich – they play with two wing-forwards who like to stay narrow much like Salah and Mane, but they also have a "real" #9 and a #10/second striker in Mueller. At least for Germany, the double-pivot in midfield is usually enough to maintain balance (might be more tricky in the EPL) and Goretzka often joins the attack as almost an additional striker as well.
So if we switch to something like 4-2-3-1, it would be less of a classic, defensive interpretation of that shape – wingers who track back and a #10 who joins the 2 midfielders as needed, leaving the striker alone up top, but something closer to Bayern's, playing basically with 4 forwards, supported by 2 creative midfielders and attacking full-backs as well. That requires superb fitness, quick and physically dominant defenders not afraid of playing a high line and a great GK capable of dealing with the inevitable couple of defensive breakdowns per game – but we have all that and are arguably more solid at the back than Bayern.
4-2-3-1:
-------------------Firmino/Brewster----------------------
Mane/Sarr---Ox/Minamino/Jones---Salah/Shaqiri
-------------Thiago/Keita----Fabs/Gini-----------------
Any time you need more midfield solidity and strength, substitute Ox/Minamino/Jones for Hendo/Milner as one of the 3 midfielders.
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