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Liverpool Echo
Liverpool Echo
Sport
Josh Williams & Matt Addison

Liverpool can unlock full Diogo Jota and Thiago Alcantara potential with formation switch

Liverpool fans have only seen a small amount of all three of the Reds' senior summer signings so far, with Diogo Jota having featured the most of the trio, totalling 209 minutes to date.

But they are going to see a lot more of Jota and Thiago Alcantara, in particular, over the next few weeks, while Kostas Tsimikas is likely to get a start at some point as well, to give him a chance and Andy Robertson a rest.

A feature of pre-season, though, could help Jota and Thiago settle into life at Anfield quicker, and help Liverpool against certain opponents over the next few weeks.

Jurgen Klopp moved towards a 4-2-3-1 system during some of the warm-up fixtures for the season proper, but is yet to utilise it in competitive action since.

It could, though, be beneficial after the international break concludes, as Josh Williams explained on the Analysing Anfield podcast.

He said: "A 4-2-3-1 can work in certain matches, especially when you are against a team who are inclined to be content to leave with a draw - or even a 1-0 defeat.

"The difference between a 4-2-3-1 and a 4-3-3 is that rather than selecting a midfielder, you opt for an additional attacker instead, and are that bit less focused on midfield control.

"But if you deploy a player like Thiago, who naturally offers you an element of control, you will get that back even with one less midfielder in the team.

"It’s not a big shift that is needed but in certain matches, you may want to sacrifice a midfielder for an additional attacker.

Listen to the full Analysing Anfield Q&A podcast from Blood Red by clicking HERE

"[The reason he has stuck with 4-3-3 in the past is that] Klopp has always had better midfielders than attackers outside of the starting three, so then it makes sense to use a midfield three most of the time."

But with the signing of Diogo Jota from Wolves, however, and with Takumi Minamino settling more into life at Anfield as time passes by, that may no longer necessarily be the case.

Against an in-form Everton at Goodison Park, the tried and trusted 4-3-3 is likely to be seen once again, albeit with Thiago and Jordan Henderson reinserted if they are both fit and ready to play.

In their next two Premier League games, though, both at Anfield against Sheffield United and West Ham, a change could be in store.

Thiago played in a 4-2-3-1 system at Bayern Munich, and Jota would be better suited to playing with all three of Sadio Mane, Mohamed Salah and Roberto Firmino around him, rather than being tasked with replicating one of their roles.

It is no accident that Klopp was experimenting in pre-season, and Liverpool might be about to put into practice the results of that trial run.

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