Liverpool vs. West Ham United: Tactical Preview of Premier League Game
Liverpool will hope to swallow the disappointment of missing out on the Capital One Cup final by turning their attentions to, and beating, West Ham United this weekend.
Sam Allardyce's men dipped in form over Christmas, but their recent 3-0 win over Hull City helped right the ship, and now they're a true force to contend with.
Liverpool Setup
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The Reds have struggled for defensive consistency throughout Brendan Rodgers' tenure, and the midweek loss to Chelsea threw another spanner in the works. The Liverpool Echo suggests Mamadou Sakho will miss this weekend's clash with West Ham due to injury, forcing a rejigging of the back line.
Glen Johnson subbed in for him (at left-centre-back) at Stamford Bridge, but he performed rather poorly in his short stint. Against the Hammers, £20 million man Dejan Lovren should get a chance to impress in his place.
Adam Lallana will battle Steven Gerrard for a spot alongside Philippe Coutinho in midfield, with the latter playing 120 minutes against Chelsea and therefore a serious question mark. Daniel Sturridge could make the bench—cue frenzied hysteria and general excitement.
West Ham Setup
Per WhoScored, James Collins, James Tomkins, Joey O'Brien and Carl Jenkinson are all doubts for the game. That could mean the back four essentially picks itself.
Sam Allardyce has been finding success with a midfield diamond of late, and that system should be set to continue, with Alex Song at the base, Liverpool old boy Stewart Downing at the tip and the two timeless stalwarts either side.
Andy Carroll will start up top alongside Enner Valencia or Diafra Sakho. Given the former's iffy performance against Bristol City, coincided with the fact the latter scored the winner off the bench, it would be a surprise if Sakho wasn't given the nod.
Key Point 1: The Midfield Battle
It's pretty rare you'll see a 3-4-2-1 tackle a 4-4-2 diamond, so relish this opportunity as it comes along. The intriguing part will arrive in watching how the midfield battle unfolds, as West Ham have enough men to dominate numerically but may bow to superior quality.
In a defensive shape, Kevin Nolan and Mark Noble can drop back level with Alex Song, forming a band of three and leaving Downing to pick up a spot between the lines as an out-ball. If the trio can squeeze the space and trap Coutinho and company, the Hammers will remove the Reds' strongest method of moving the ball forward.
Coutinho is the wizard in this formation, and we've spoken before about Lucas Leiva and Jordan Henderson's timidness in passing him the ball in tight spaces. If Song can shut down this area and make it difficult for the duo to pass into feet, that's the centre of the pitch won.
It's harder said than done, though.
Key Point 2: High Wing-Backs
If a team dominates one area numerically, they are going to relent in another. In Allardyce's diamond, they pack the middle but leave the flanks a little bare—especially in transitions.
This, on paper, spells out Rodgers' proposed attack method in simple terms: Push the wing-backs high and attack the West Ham full-backs early and often. Make them squirm.
Not only will Lazar Markovic not have to mark a winger and worry about constant runs in behind, but he can canter forward and receive the ball with space to run at Aaron Cresswell. The same can be said for Alberto Moreno on the opposite flank against Jenkinson or Guy Demel.
There will be an element of Nolan and Noble sliding outside to help protect, but that will lighten up the shield in the middle. In reality, it will be a case of Liverpool trying to tempt or move their opposition around to try to create holes. If that fails, it should be straight down the flanks in an attempt to work Cresswell and company for space.
