Tactical Analysis: Nottingham Forest
By Kripa Krishnan
Reminiscing our trip down to the theatre of (Mo’s) dreams
We definitely witnessed Slot’s tactical prowess here that really exposed United. He definitely did his homework! We did see United take charge and lead on momentum initially more so on the left wing with Rashford’s press on TAA supported by Dalot. We saw a few penetrative runs but they were few and far. Formation transitions up front coupled with positional changes allowed us to showcase what we have always been best at - high press!
"We always want to press high. That's what Jurgen did. That's what we try to continue," said Slot. "And we scored a few goals from a high press - [including] one disallowed."
Tactical insights:
Formation adaptability when in possession :
In order to minimise Rashford’s impact, we saw Salah playing more wide which allowed TAA to intervene as a third midfielder thereby forcing Rashford back
We also saw glimpses of our powerhouse and machine, James Milner, in Szoboszlai as he also often moved to the left inside channel, when we needed to maintain possession.
Intelligent Positioning and capitalising weaknesses
We saw Szoboszlai often move higher between the lines, working closer to Díaz and Jota. This helped create multiple 1v1 situations.
Jota and Szoboszlai were key in choking the central midfield. Things took a turn in our favour when Casemiro dropped back. Further coupled with United’s out-of-position fullbacks, we were able to better press inwards.
Liverpool's recent performance data paints a picture of a team built on solid foundations, with tactical flexibility and of course room for growth. We have seen consistent passing accuracy, particularly from the defensive line, of course spearheaded by VVD average > 90% per game thus far. This proficiency in ball distribution, coupled with the aerial dominance of central defenders and the versatile long-ball capabilities across the squad is evident of our possession-based and direct playing style. Further, VVD and Konate excelled in aerial duels.
The midfield have shown a commendable balance of defensive grit and press-resistant ball retention. Gravenberch was effective in breaking up play with his interceptions and recoveries. Alexis Mac Allister stood out with an 83.3% success rate in tackles, showcasing his defensive contributions from midfield. Following the trend we have seen, Gravenberch and Mac Allister were pivotal in midfield. Their ability to win duels and recover the ball helped Liverpool maintain control.
On the attacking front, Salah was highly active in the attacking third, creating chances and taking shots. I do see opportunity especially in terms of shooting and dribbling success rates across the forward line. Particularly Luis Diaz who had a relatively lower rate at 25%.
What can we expect from Forest?
Albeit having an unbeaten start to the season, they have dropped 4 crucial points. Nuno Espirito Santo is definitely trying to strengthen their counter attacking abilities, which we will definitely have to be wary about. Nottingham have a very low conversion rate - whilst they currently have the most number of shots in the league, they have only produced three goals.
Forest were active in the transfer window and added several new players, including James Ward-Prowse and Elliot Anderson, in an attempt to improve their attacking options and set-piece effectiveness.
It will be interesting to see if Nuno Espirito Santo chooses to indulge in formation changes. He definitely faces tough decisions regarding team selection. Jamie Carragher and Roy Keane predict a challenging game for Forest with odds in favour of Liverpool.
