TAA's forward press movement after Ederson's lob appeared extremely bold, and perhaps some fans questioned whether it was just a personal impulse on TAA's part. However, considering Klopp's firm attitude towards tactical execution (which everyone should have a deep appreciation for), coupled with the alignment analysis of the defense in front of him, it was undoubtedly a highly offensive tactical setup.
Looking at the matchup diagram above, Elliott needs to keep an eye on both Gakpo and the opposition's double back, which means that Ake's position needs to be manned with a pressing press to ensure that Klopp's high defensive tactics are implemented. Although we have struggled to maintain a high frequency of pressing up front this season, Klopp usually asks his players to sprint early in the game, which I'm sure we can all agree on (and this was the case in the first half as well), before gradually slowing down the tempo and shifting to Mid Block defense.
There is practically no harm in putting TAA in charge of this task (opposite Ake). After all, in the opening phase, TAA is physical enough to play the patterns we specialize in, and he is positioned far enough forward to have more room to play. Looking at the overall standings (Attachment 2, close to 334 or 3214):
Block City's short passes through the middle of the backfield and force them to pass long. A long pass to Mahrez or Grealish would give us enough time to get back on defense (even though the defense was facing a three-on-four situation), while a long pass to the middle of the field would give the midfield a significant numerical advantage, which would help with the ball transfer and protection. In fact, the opposition did pass the ball to Fabinho.
Unfortunately, Fabinho's header control didn't make it easy for TAA to gain possession:
After the puck fell to Ake's feet, TAA did not make the first snap (which, by the way, is inexcusable):
It's the next few seconds of footage that's really worth watching. City found a big opening to break through our offside trap after a simple pass:
It's not really a big deal, as Klopp's tactical system itself inevitably carries that cost. This situation is not new to Liverpool fans.
So here's the thing, on the pass from Alvarez to the slot behind Robertson with Mahrez chasing the ball, there's about five seconds between the pass and when Mahrez gets the ball, and I think Alisson had all the time in the world to come out early and clear the ball.
Of course, this is not to blame our patron saint. Even if they succeed, they may not last until the end. The main point I want to discuss is that against the backdrop of Klopp's high-risk style, our underwhelming performances this season, and even more so against City, there is very little room for error, and any less-than-perfect decision-making can lead to a loss.
At this point, it's easy to go back to a cliché: why is Klopp so adamant about a tactic that has very little margin for error in this context? I think Klopp is indeed stubborn, but the "compromise" and "flexibility" he has shown this season is also obvious. Perhaps the reason for not compromising or being stubborn in the face of such a strong opponent is that he knows that losing may not change the outcome, so he chooses to give it a go.
Frankly speaking, City's pressing advantage in the first half was obvious, Grealish and Mahrez faced three to four men on the wing every time they got the ball, but they still managed to finish off the shift, and in this state, it's actually very, very difficult to really hold on to the ball until the end. What's more, we were able to score in the first half, and it was Klopp's courage to switch between offense and defense at a disadvantage that allowed the connection between TAA and the attackers up front.
Oops, writing as if I'm making excuses for Klopp again?
