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Liverpool with Van Dijk and/or Gomez: 2.13ppg.
Liverpool without either of them: 1.7ppg.
Having either/or means so much more than just having good defenders on the pitch. It means Liverpool can take more risks higher up the field and the full backs can be further forward.
Liverpool without either of them: 1.7ppg.
Having either/or means so much more than just having good defenders on the pitch. It means Liverpool can take more risks higher up the field and the full backs can be further forward.
When Van Dijk (and to a lesser extent, Gomez) play, Liverpool get the full backs high, the wide players tuck in and it’s essentially a 2-5-3/2-3-5. Without, it becomes a flat 4-3-3 with full backs deeper, Salah/Mane wider, and the midfield more of a grind. Even with Thiago.
I’m not quite sure how this is solved without forcing Matip to play with a horseshoe around his neck to avoid injury, or signing another centre back. The former isn’t guaranteed, and without starting murder, I don’t think most clubs can sign anybody right now given the pandemic.
TL;DR: It might be like this in any game which doesn’t have one of Matip, Gomez or (most crucially) Van Dijk in central defence because Liverpool’s system needs the kind of centre backs they are — and I think the pandemic causes real problems to sign that sort of defender.
Sorry again.
