Gary Neville may find it hard giving Liverpool praise, but he has outlined what makes them different in the Premier League title race.
The Reds are flying at the moment, with last weekend’s win at Man City followed up with a 2-0 victory at home to Newcastle on Wednesday.
To most, the title is now done and dusted, but Arne Slot and his players won’t allow complacency to creep in.
There are many reasons for Liverpool’s success this season, and speaking on It’s Called Soccer, Neville admitted their ability to change their style of play has been key.
“I said it earlier on in the season, there was a game, I can’t remember which game it was where I thought that they played three or four different styles within a certain half or within a certain game,” Neville said.
“And that’s what I like most about this Liverpool team, because we’ve been conditioned for years now to think you have to have this principle and this value and this philosophy of playing, you must stick to it.
“And then I see (Andy) Robertson lump one over the top for a penalty at Bournemouth, I see (Virgil) Van Dijk playing 60-yard direct passes in behind, I see Trent Alexander-Arnold playing long passes in behind for (Mo) Salah from deep.
“I think yeah, that’s how football should be played.”
In fairness to Neville, this is an astute observation, with Slot so impressive in the manner in which he has been willing to switch things up this season.
The win at Man City saw him showcase his tactical acumen, using both Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai as false nines, before a defensive masterclass in the second half more akin to a Jose Mourinho team.
Slot then switched back to a more straightforward 4-2-3-1 against Newcastle, deploying Szoboszlai as a No. 10, with Liverpool showing a great ability to adapt.
As Neville alludes to, Liverpool are capable of a possession-based game one minute and a longer-ball style the next, and it keeps their opponents guessing.
Too often in the modern game, managers feel too stubborn and one-dimensional in their tactics, but thankfully, Slot couldn’t be more different.
