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Match Thread [Dee can suck it - Friendly] Real Betis (N) 19:30 EDT (00:30 BST)

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Nyoni moved into the Slobbers role.l - then off for Koumas - best performance so far.

Didn’t Harvey Blair first appear as a LB - now playing as a CF.

Gordon on the left, Doak on the right.

Badger & Morton in the centre.

By
 
Can’t tell Baj and Morton apart, same size, similar hair colour and style and both play with their socks to their ankles.
 
Standout performances:

Nyoni - very good - is he ready to stake a claim for a first team role???

The spider crawling over the camera lense at the end - truly mesmerising performance.

Doak looked lively.

Solid from everyone else, without standing out.
 
1:0 full-time

Youngsters are doing some additional springs after the match; looks like Baj has some slight discomfort.
 
Didnt watch the game.

So how's our general play ? i'm only interested in that. Is it same ole same ole ?

Did you guys notice any significant change in playing style ? More heavy metal #intensity or more tippy tappy #slowball instead ?
 
Didnt watch the game.

So how's our general play ? i'm only interested in that. Is it same ole same ole ?

Did you guys notice any significant change in playing style ? More heavy metal #intensity or more tippy tappy #slowball instead ?

Tippy tappy Slowball for sure, but it wasn’t helped by not having a proper striker or any pace up front bar Salah (who didn’t look lightning-quick either). There was almost no one to break beyond the defensive line, except a few forays from @Bradley. Nyoni was a breath of fresh air when he came on, playing mostly as a DLP and pretty much controlling the proceedings.
 
Didnt watch the game.

So how's our general play ? i'm only interested in that. Is it same ole same ole ?

Did you guys notice any significant change in playing style ? More heavy metal #intensity or more tippy tappy #slowball instead ?

More tippy happy build from the back, rather than direct to the forwards. Playing through the press rather than around it.

Quite a fluid system with players rotating position in midfield.

Played a weird double 20 system with no CF in the first half - we won’t do that when forwards come back.

No sign of FBs inverting into central midfield, but encouraged to go high, overlap and come inside up the pitch when the wide forward doesn’t.

Good forward press.

Feels like more controlled football - but if we can’t get through opposition press we’re in trouble and we’ll have to see have tactics develop against low blocks.

There’s going to be a lot more sideways and backwards passing, but the style really is for short sharp passing and moving the ball quickly - less long diagonal switches and more one touch short move it side to side almost quickly - but less risk and higher percentage chance passing.
 
It’s pretty much what I expected from Slott apart from the double 10, which is more out of necessity at the minute.
 
We did seem to be playing with a double-pivot rather than a lone #6, Morton-Bajcetic was definitely a double-pivot and Nyoni/Curtis and Endo also played more like a pair, even though one of them was usually slightly deeper. I think that was the biggest tactical change from Klopp. We did not leave large open spaces in midfield when losing the ball.

The biggest surprise for me was Nyoni mostly playing deeper than Endo - he didn’t look out of place in that role! When he moved further forward in the 2nd half, he disappeared.
 
We did seem to be playing with a double-pivot rather than a lone #6, Morton-Bajcetic was definitely a double-pivot and Nyoni/Curtis and Endo also played more like a pair, even though one of them was usually slightly deeper. I think that was the biggest tactical change from Klopp. We did not leave large open spaces in midfield when losing the ball.

Yep, agreed, although one of the 2 #6’s definitely did have more license to get forward when in possession - it can be either though, that seems to be Slot’s way - same with wide areas - mix it up, one goes forward the other holds, but it’s not the same one that holds each time.

So we’re looking at central midfielders that can play comfortably in at least 2 of #6, #8 and #10.
 
It’s hard to make any real assessment based on one pre-season friendly - particularly of specific players, but there are some interesting things to note.

- We’re going to be talking a lot about box midfields this coming season.
- Anyone expecting us to set up with a CF sitting on the shoulder of the last defender waiting for balls over the top to run on to is going to be disappointed.
- embrace order and reject chaos
- we’re going to be the tippy-tappy bellends we always accused City of being
- get used to shitting yourself as we pass it about the back

I think there are already questions forming in my head about how Darwin will fit in and where Gakpo will be utilised.
 
It’s hard to make any real assessment based on one pre-season friendly - particularly of specific players, but there are some interesting things to note.

- We’re going to be talking a lot about box midfields this coming season.
- Anyone expecting us to set up with a CF sitting on the shoulder of the last defender waiting for balls over the top to run on to is going to be disappointed.
- embrace order and reject chaos
- we’re going to be the tippy-tappy bellends we always accused City of being
- get used to shitting yourself as we pass it about the back

I think there are already questions forming in my head about how Darwin will fit in and where Gakpo will be utilised.

I dont think you can conclude with the CF after this friendly as Slot played 2 x 10s because the lack of forward in the team.

Slot football works even better with two pacey wingers and there is a perfect role for Gakpo/Gordon/Kudus/Mbuemo who will recieve the ball high and 1v1 with the full back. You didnt see that yesterday because of Carvalho not being that type of player.

The quick box passing between CBs and CMs created loads of chances to attack the final third but again we lacked players.
The goal was a perfect example of the correct combination. Nyoni forward pass, link up Szobo and Salah.

We’ll create loads of chances going forward and we wont be in trouble as you allude to manily because the team against Ipswich will have the right Slot profiles.

Really encouraging to see how controlled our defence and defending is shaping up to be. Not many shots conceded yesterday and you can see why Slot’s teams have been on top in those stats.

The need for a 6 is very clear. Endo isnt good enough to be a starter given the responsibility to resist press, tackle and pass in tight areas.
A Zubimendi type would be fantastic.

Slot shows that he’s an excellent tactician in this game and that they prepared well for how Betis set up. Bigger test against Arsenal.
 
In what way?

His footwork doesn’t look top-notch for sure.

More his all in style when coming out for the ball. Looks a decent keeper with potential but his footwork wasnt great. But all in all an improvement on Adrian. Made a good save when called upon.
 
Arne Slot: "We played with a double 10 that we're not going to do during the season but we don't have a striker at the moment. Once we have centre forward, we will set up a bit differently."

Arne Slot on LFC improving once Nyoni came in: "It started with a player who came on [Nyoni] who speeded up the game for us a lot, he found these players in between the lines a lot of times, that's the quality we needed in those 6 positions."

Arne Slot on Nyoni: "I mentioned yesterday young players impressed me, if you see him come on after 30 minutes for Curtis you could expect that I meant him [Nyoni]."
 
Jota will be in the team next friendly so i guess we’ll see a different approach against Arsenal.

In general i expect to have more 0-0 frustrations with possession based footy where defences can frustrate us, and a higher reliance on scoring from 20-25 yards
 
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