Ajax win hints at how Jurgen Klopp plans to cope without Virgil van Dijk
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Updated 22/10/2020 at 00:58 GMT
Fabinho partnered Joe Gomez at centre back in Liverpool's Champions League season opener, with Virgil van Dijk on the sidelines for the foreseeable future following his ACL injury suffered in the Merseyside Derby against Everton on Saturday. The signs were tentatively positive for the Premier League champions as they claimed a 1-0 win, writes Graham Ruthven.
Liverpool's English defender Joe Gomez reacts during the UEFA Champions League Group D first-leg football match between Ajax Amsterdam and Liverpool FC
Image credit: Getty Images
Jurgen Klopp wasn’t in much of a mood to speculate how his Liverpool side might cope without Virgil van Dijk. Asked by a rather forthright reporter whether the Reds would stand a chance against a quick and nimble Ajax outfit on their own patch, the German’s body language was prickly. His response gave little away other than a sense of exasperation.
A factor in this was also surely that Klopp, like the rest of us, couldn’t be sure of how the Premier League champions would fare without their best defender. Van Dijk had, after all, played every possible minute of league football for Liverpool since January 2018. Now, he has some evidence to base a fuller answer on.
Faced with a tricky Champions League season opener away to Ajax, Klopp fielded Fabinho alongside Joe Gomez as his centre back pairing. This, of course, is a role the Brazilian has performed a number of times for Liverpool, but without Van Dijk there to provide defensive sensibility he had a point to prove.
It wasn’t just in terms of personnel that Liverpool’s defensive game plan was a little different. A high defensive line has become a hallmark of Klopp’s side, particularly since the arrival of Van Dijk two years ago, but without the Dutchman’s speed to cover space in behind the Reds boss dropped his backline five yards deeper.
This ploy worked well in the first half at the Johan Cruyff Arena, with Ajax held at arm’s length for the most part. When the hosts did get in behind, Fabinho was alert enough to follow in Dusan Tadic’s shot to make a spectacular clearance on the goalline. This was proof the Brazilian does possess some defensive instincts.
Fabinho enjoyed a good first half in general, winning 100% of his duels, making four tackles, four clearances and two interceptions. In the second half, however, the 26-year-old looked vulnerable. Ajax identified the space between the Liverpool defence and midfield and did their best to exploit it.
Liverpool had the woodwork to thank for keeping Davy Klaasen out, with the former Everton midfielder striking the inside of the post with a powerful drive from 20 yards out. Klaasen was afforded too much time and space to get the shot away. He wouldn’t have had that time and space had Klopp employed a higher line, as he ordinarily would have with Van Dijk in the side.
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Davy Klaassen of Ajax battles for possession with James Milner of Liverpool d
Image credit: Getty Images
Of course, Klaasen also wouldn’t have been afforded such a luxury with Fabinho in his usual midfield role. Plenty has been said and written about how Liverpool will cope without Van Dijk at the back, but there has been less discussion over how the redeployment of Fabinho will rob the Reds of structure and protection in the centre of the pitch.
The difference here is Klopp has a number of top tier midfielders to fill the gap left by Fabinho, while he will have to be imaginative to compensate for Van Dijk’s absence, but while a gap left by one key figure can be plugged, replacing two key figures (Fabinho and Van Dijk) could alter Liverpool’s identity as a side.
In other ways, Liverpool were the same as always in the Netherlands. They still played in a 4-3-3 shape. Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andy Robertson were still given the freedom to fly forward from full back, with the latter in particular giving Ajax problems in the attacking third. The changes were subtle, but still noteworthy.
Wednesday’s 1-0 away win over a talented Ajax team will settle some nerves at Anfield over the impact of Van Dijk’s injury. Liverpool still have enough within their ranks to win games at the elite level, but opposition teams with a greater cutting edge than the Dutch champions will have plenty to analyse when plotting how to get at the Reds.
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