The Liverpool set-piece problems became an increased problem in an otherwise promising campaign in the Premier League, with the captain, Virgil van Dijk, acknowledging that the vulnerability that the team faced when in dead ball circumstances is hurting them. Although the Reds defeated Wolves 2-1 in Anfield and climbed to fourth place on the table, the problems associated with defence set-pieces persistently undermined their work and became a critical tactical problem faced by the Reds head coach, Arne Slot.
To begin with, the figures emphasize the reason why Liverpool set-piece issues are emerging as unavoidable. The 12 set-piece goals that the Reds have allowed this season are joint highest in the Prem with Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest. That statistic, by itself, puts Liverpool in an unenviable state of being one of the weaker sides of the league in correlation with matters that pertain to defending corners and free-kicks.
The same problem occurred again in the victory against Wolves on Saturday. The net was discovered by Santiago Bueno in a corner, and made out of the fact that the Liverpool failed to clear their lines completely. Only a week prior to the incident, Richarlison of Tottenham had scored after Liverpool had been unable to cope with the second stage of a corner condition. These scenes have already become annoying to the audience at the Anfield.
Van Dijk, who was open-minded following the Wolves match, admitted that the situation was that bad. Although he emphasized the fact that Liverpool have managed to withstand numerous set-pieces throughout the season, the number of the goals scored speaks otherwise. The Dutch defender says that the damage is not always the outcome of the first contact with an opponent but what follows.
The “Second Phase” Problem
Nevertheless, Van Dijk was explicit in determining the cause of the problems in Liverpool set-pieces. Even in the case of the first contact, it is not even always about the first contact, at least 75 percent of the time or even no less, he explained. It is the second stage that is the murderer.
The second stage is called the instances following the initial clearance when the defensive structure is dispersed and the opponents attack loose balls. They have been continuously punished due to Liverpool which failed to reset fast in many occasions, and this provides the opponent players with time and space within the penalty area.
Notably, Van Dijk disregarded the concept that the problem is mental. In his opinion, it would just serve to bring in the element of doubt and aggravate the situation. Rather, he insists that the answer is focus, repeat and shared responsibility. The only solution he thinks can turn around the trend is training.
Issues on Each Side of the Coch.
Problems with Liverpool set-piece do not concern only the defense. The Reds as well have not been able to make dead-ball situations count offensively. Liverpool have hit the net only three times at the expense of set pieces in the league this season without including penalties. Their set-piece difference against the minus-nine is their lowest since the start of a Premier League season.
Such an imbalance has increased the questioning of the coaching staff and the players. In the games, where the open-play dominance is not connected with the goals, the inability to exploit corners and free-kicks is even more expensive. Van Dijk has openly acknowledged that production of set pieces has not reached a satisfactory level and confirmed that it has long been a repeated issue within the team.
Arne Slot, who is the manager of Liverpool, has in the meantime approached the criticism softly. Although he admitted that the Liverpool rarely works out of a set-piece and always gives up, he also mentioned the increasing stability of the team.
Slot indicated that during the two consecutive matches in the league, Liverpool had conceded set-pieces yet gone ahead to win the matches. That in his opinion is progress. These kinds of setbacks usually were deciding earlier in the season. At this time now, Liverpool are learning how to win even with their imperfections.
However, Slot was not afraid to make a admission that there must be improvement. Having completed 18 league games there, he feels that the team has had its time to identify the issue and shall do everything to fix it. He also proposed that misfortune also has contributed to certain circumstances, but luck cannot be the sole reason as to why this issue is always the same.
Influence on the Liverpool Season Goals.
Lastly, issues of Liverpool set-piece would be significant in the course of the season. As the Reds currently enjoy a three-match winning streak and move up the table, the issues of fine margin will decide whether the team will be able to maintain a title push or a top-four placement. Going behind on free plays against a high caliber team would be very important.
The team is well informed of what is at stake. Such tactical discipline in Slot and leadership in Van Dijk will play a vital role in seeing that Liverpool use this weakness as at least a neutral field in their game. It might be too early to talk about improvement, though with the further focus on the training ground, Liverpool will be able to hope that the set-pieces need no longer be considered as a killer, but as an asset as well.
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