MSN Meets Klopp: P2P Snacks - Issue #15
First, the squad:
The squad in game:
Tactics
Defensive Style: Pressure after Possession Loss
Width: 30
Depth: 90
Build Up: Balanced
Chance Creation: Balanced
Width: 1
Players in Box: 1
Corners x FK: 1
Instructions
LW: Stay Forward
ST: Stay Central, Stay Forward
RW: Stay Forward, Free Roam
LCM: Stay Back, Stay on the Edge, Cover Center/Wide (use wide if your opponent is using a RM)
RCM: Get Forward, Cover Center
CDM: Cover Center, Deep Lying Playmaker
LB: Balanced, Overlap
RB: Stay Back
GK: Come for Crosses, Sweepa Keepa
Playstyle
A lot of short quick passes sprinkled in with through balls and play wide on the left. Your LW will sit out wide until your LB pushes forward. If you want to drag players out of position, you should attack with your mismatch on this side of the pitch. The RW will do a full Messi impression and naturally drop into the midfield to help progress the ball as well as pop up in interesting spots in and around the box. This player will interchange with your attacking RCM and cover occasionally as needed. You should cross. You should look for cheeky little through balls if you have to recycle possession. Sometimes, you should play patient and sometimes you need to play direct. If you win back possession immediately after pressing, play direct. If you have to build from the back, look for line-breaking passes (tapping RB/R1 helps to have your wingers check to you) to progress the ball and draw players out of position.
Other things of note:
Your ST needs to be able to do it all. Völler could be a better passer, but I’ll forgive him because he is insanely clinical and has outrageous movement and unparalleled reactions.
Play with a left fooded player wide left. You’re going to want to cross the ball and this will help. You can use a righty or lefty on the right.
Learn power shots. I’ve talked about it before, but this formation sets up superbly to take power shots from a variety of different spots. As a +1, learn a nice corner routine to go with them.
Your LB will need a change. Make sure you have an adequate sub on the bench for him. I have Gosens right now, but I might purchase an upgrade.
Your RB should feel like a CB. I’m using Cordoba. He has Low/High work rates and I think you’d be wise to at least select a player with Medium/High for this position. The RW and RCM are going to float around, so this player occasionally ends up on a defensive island.
Your CDM needs to be on balanced. This helps with the deep lying playmaker instruction. He’s better able to support the attack and more aggressively gets into positions to play long driven through balls (R1/RB).
Your LW needs to have pace. Kewell is fast enough, but a tricky winger with bags of pace would be preferred.
DO NOT UNNECESSARILY PLAY TIKI-TAKA. DON’T. You might be tempted to do so, but this isn’t built to purely recycle possession. The attacker has Barca instructions but a Klopp-Liverpool feel.
You can run the LW tactics on the RW. This is player dependent. Dalglish just doesn’t like running with those tactics out wide. He’s been wonderful for the squad but I’m leaning towards a more natural winger to occasionally help with width on that side of the pitch.
As a final note, my pack luck was wild this past week. I packed WC Blanc and WC Casillas to go along with KDB & CR7. Casillas is tradeable and will likely see his way to the trade pile…he’s just not that good.
As always, I appreciate all of you reading through this and chatting in Discord. Best of luck this weekend!
Best,
Japes