NABY KEITA AND CREATIVITY.
Naby Keita is largely viewed as a DLP (deep lying MF), who can play from the left/right side of the pitch, but he excels more akicheza deep kwenye double pivot yenye progressive power. he tries to emulate Zidane/Iniesta in his game.
The myth round Keita is, he cant defend/press thats why he cant get ahead of Hendo/Gini in the FX1, this myth is just stupid and lacks legs, for the past 8-9 years, LFC fans wamekuwa wakishuhudia brainless/workhorses MF ambayo main attribute yao ni kucove the groud kwa ku-press like headless chicken, hence ilichukua muda sana kwa baadhi ya fans kuelewa game-play ya Fabinho, and now inachukua watu muda mrefu kuelewa aina ya uchezaji wa Keita. (which is understandable),
When, at Dortmund, Klopp's main formation was 4-2-3-1, which included one DM and two ball playing technicians in the MF (Sahin and later Gundogan), then he had a complete AM (Kagawa/Gotze etc) behind his number 9. Klopp hajawahi ku-field in his team at Dortmund bila ya a complete number 10, but alivyokuja LFC, alikuta Club in a very bad shape, the only ball playing MFs walikuwa ni Emre Can na Mr. Joe Allen, and a complete number 10, Phillipe Coutinho, so quickly upon his arrival he tried to build the team around Coutinho, and because we were lacking creativity from the MF, he tried to play PC as an 8, and akajaribu kuingia sokoni kujaribu kutafuta attacking minded player mwingine, ambapo Alex texeira akaonekana anafaa, but deal ilivunjika baada ya kuonekana ni too pricey, so from there Klopp tried to find a way ili kubalance defense na attack kwenye MF, as Coutinho was good at 8 but hakuwa mwepesi kwenye ku-press, so akajaribu kutengeneza a defensive minded MF ambayo itampa uhuru zaidi Coutinho katika ku-operate (kama Barca wanavyofanya kwa Messi), so he went in and sign Wijnaldum, kwa kutumia records zake za kombe la dunia 2014 ambapo LVG alikuwa anamchezesha kama 2nd holding MF, so alivyokuja LFC role yake ikawa ni hiyo, 2nd holding MF. but kwa bahati mbaya Coutinho akaondoka LFC, so again tukabaki tena bila a complete AM, so we had no any creativity kutoka kwenye eneo la MF zaidi ya Emre Can ambaye alikuwa anajitahidi kusaidia katika creativity kwa kiasi, baadae nae akaondoka, so from here tukawa hatuna a single AM/attackimg minded CM, so Klopp decided to bid for Keita, but result ikawa ni kusubiri msimu mzima mpaka aje, so we had to find a good cover (a long term cover pia) ambapo tukampata OX, yote hii ilikuwa ni ku-add creativity kwenye MF, then after a good run, OX got injured. knowing that we already have Keita kwa msimu utakaofatia na OX atapona pia, Klopp hakuona tena sababu ya kununua an attacking minded CM tena, and he decided to go for a complete number 10, Fekir ambapo signing yake ilifail and we decided to settle for Shaqiri, so kwa mtiriko huo ilimfanya Klopp aje na mfumo ambao utablance defensive game yetu na attacking game yetu kwa wakati mmoja bila ya kuwa na AM/DLP, hence the birth of TRENT-ANDY attacking combination, which requires one DM to protect the last line (Fabinho), 2nd DM to restrict pressing patterns za oppotents na kuruhusu our FBs to move forward at will (Gini), and 3rd MF to control the half-spaces in advanced areas na kuconnect the ball from MF to Firimino ili kuruhusu attacking spaces kwa mane/salah na njia za kupokea mipira/crosses from our FBs, but it seems the one who is connecting the ball from MF ro Bobby ni Fabinho (Man, i wish ningekuwa nadanganya but kwa evidence zaidi sikilizeni presser ya Klopp ya jana aliyomuita Fabinho, Dyson), so kwa hali hii inafanya Fabinho awe na kazi ya MF wawili kwa wakati mmoja (defend the spaces/covering the back 5/progressing the ball & connect the ball kwa Bobby), na kama ana-defend spaces, whats the point ya mtu anaye restrict pressing patterns? maana kama unafanya kazi nzuri ya kurestrict pressing patterns kwanini number 6 wako awe na kazi ya kudefend open spaces? so inshort Fabinho anafanya kazi ya 3 MFs at the age 26, akiendelea hivi he will decline kabla hajafika 30, he needs good MFs wanaojua majukumu yao uwanjani, and we should give a lot of props to our FBs, they're doing a great job, having to attacking and defend at the same time without a good cover is not a joke, atleast Andy anapata backup ya VVD/Mane na Gini (siku hizi nimeona watu wanamuita Ghost), but Trent hana backup ya maana, as Matip is out, and Salah siyo mtu wa ku-track back and on top of that yupo Captain.
Looking back at that Genk game, Keita/OX walifanya kazi yao vizuri, shaping our attacking patterns and create a solid pattern katika kudefend, Keita who was close in a false-pivot with Faby, helped in closing down Genk phases/pressing patterns and moving the balls into good spaces which helped us to pin the entire Genk MF down, Berge started to use long/diagnal ball to Samatta and other wingers, as he had a little room to operate in the MF, because tulivyofanikiwa kuclose down their phases, Faby found himself playing most in an advanced line, with VVD/Lovren receiving the balls out of the D zone, hence it was easy to design our attacks from the MF and play the entire MF bila kutoka jasho sana, mpaka kupelekea Lovren kuwa comfortable na kupelekea kufungisha goal kwa kutaka kujifanya anaweza kudribble.
So, star wa game ya Genk alikuwa OX, kwa zile 2 good goals, but the main man in the MF was Keita, and we need to see his influence in the 2nd goal, and understand the brain behind football.
So here you have, Keita with the ball, he has like 4-5 options za pass, ya kwanza angeweza kutoa a simple pass kwa Fabinho aliyekuwa pembeni yake, au kama MFs wetu walivyo angempa Mane Pass hapo ili apambane na hali yake, au angetoa a long ball kwa Robertson kule juu, au angepiga pass ya kutoa lawama kwa OX aliyekuwa akimface, au angeturn na kupiga pass kwa VVD/lovren, but he saw Firmino there, NOT A SINGLE GENK player aliyekuwa anafikiria kuwa angepass mpira kwa Firmino, not even other LFC players walikuwa wanafikiria hivyo, hence Faby/Robertson and even OX walikuwa wanaomba awapasie, but yeye alimuona Firmino, na pia aliona open space ya OX mbele ya low block ya Genk, so angeweza kumpasia Robertson kwaajili ya traditional hoof and hope crosses (ambazo tunaziita chances). but he saw Bobby in a very tight angle.
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So why did he pass to Bobby aliyekuwa kwenye very tight angle? was he stupid?
No, kama nilivyosema earlier, alishaona space kwa OX, ambaye at this time sidhani hata kama yeye mwenyewe aliliona hilo, because anae alikuwa anataka kupasiwa. so here Naby trusted Firmino ability to hold (he's a techinician), and akampasia Bobby mpira, and as soon alimvyompasia Bobby, low block yote ya Genk ikawa inamfata Bobby, na kumwachia a huge space OX, ambayo Bobby aliona hilo na kumpa mpira fasta, ambapo OX hakufanya makosa
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So, y'all can tell, MF yetu ipi inaweza kuwa na vision kama hii? do you Henderson angeweza hata kumuona Bobby hapo? do you think Gini angekuwa na guts za kumpasia Bobby hapo? tunaposema creativity from the MF, tunamaanisha hivi, ni vision na brain ya ku-exploit open spaces na kutengeneza big chances za magoal. ni mambo kama haya ndiyo yanayofanya tuone kina Zidane/Iniesta/Xavi/Alonso etc kama legendary CMs.
Our team is very good, because we're winning a LOT of games, but imagine kama tungekuwa na good MFs around Faby? sometimes you dont have to chase games, because siyo kila game utatota behind na kushinda, Yes hakuna shabiki yeyote mwenye akili timamu anaeweza kulalamika kupata draw at OT, but uwezo wa kuwafunga UTD tulikuwa nao mkubwa sana, na kama tutashindwa kupata matokeo mazuri against City at Anfield, draw yetu na Utd at OT inaweza kuwa sababu kubwa ya kuamua title kufikia May, so we need to be perfect, we dont need to invite pressure because wote tunajua kuwa team na mashabiki wa LFC huwa hatuwezi ku-deal na pressure, ubora wetu katika game ya City utategemea zaidi matokeo yetu na Aston Villa, kama tukishindwa kupata matokeo at Villa, then pressure at Anfield dhidi ya City itakuwa kubwa sana, we just need to be perfect. hakuna muda mzuri wa kushinda title kama msimu huu.