FT PARTNERSHIP.
I remember it like it was yesterday, the day we signed Fabio Henrique Tavares, that same day nilisema kuwa ni Klopp's best signing na personally itabakia kuwa hivyo siku zote.
The i remember when we signed Thiago Alcantara, niliandika a long and tiring thread ya kumkaribisha at Anfield, the Maestro, one of the last joga bonitos of our era.
I'm renowned Henderson big hater (its already in the blood), but i said "hapa" kuwa Fabinho-Thiago-Henderson will be Klopp's first choice MF for few years, (Ilikuwa inauma but niliona kile Klopp alichokuwa anajaribu kuki-vision), two skilled+techical MFs who can do it it all sitting behind, supplying & covering for the flat-bully/workhorse/runner and physically gifted MF, with two overlaping FBs creating/moving and feed mipira kwa 3 gifted goal-scorers, its mesmerizing.
Now, back to FT partnership.
Fabinho ni the best skilled DM in the world right now, his reading of the game is next to nothing, a good passer, holder, ball progresser, tackler, intercepter, accelerator etc, Thiago ni world class midfielder, his all-round play is out of this world, wonderful passer, ball controler, tempo controler, holding MF, presser, you cant test him under pressure.
So uki-combine hizi traits unapata a perfect partnership, a perfect pivot, any MF ambaye atakuwa ni 3rd feeder wa hii partnership lazima acheze vizuri maana wanakuwa na uwezo wa ku-cover kila angle kwa ustadi mkubwa sana.
Interchange yao kwenye ku-attack na ku-defend ni joy to watch, kwenye ku-attack ni thiago ambaye anakuwa anapush mipira mbele na mara nyingi wakati wa ku-attack anakuwa kwenye opposition half, kujaribu ku-stop counters incase jaribio ya kushambulia limeenda mrama, then kama aki-fail, fabinho ambaye wakati wa ku-attack huwa anabaki nyuma ana-dive in, ndiyo maana this season Fabinho amekuwa mzuri sana kwenye last ditch tackles kwasababu anakuwa anasoma mchezo na ku-screen mchezo kwa upana zaidi.
Let me EXPLAIN THIS.
Imekuwa ngumu sana kwa opponents ku-read our attacking patterns this season, especially tunapokuwa na Thiago uwanjani, kwasababu ironically yeye ndiyo anaanzisha attacks from the middle of the pitch kwa passes zake (watu watahoji inakuwaje wanashindwa kumzuia Thiago? wakati ana-hold zaidi space katikati ya uwanja so its just easy to read him), well ukiwa una-coach kwenye ubao ni easy kum-mark Thiago, but uwanjani ni ngumu, because we have 3 runners wanaotokea nyuma, Trent/Robertson (Kostas) na Hendo, Hendo runners zake hazianzii kwenye opposition box zinaanzia nyuma, sasa unaweza ukam-mark Thiago but huwez ku-mark channels ambazo our 3 runners wanakuwa wamezitengeneza tukiwa tuna-attack the ball, unam-mark mtu ambaye ana three options zinazotoka nyuma, but tena ana three positioned attackers mbele yake, ambaye mmoja (Jota/Firmino) anakuwa yupo karibu na D zone kupokea mipira na ku-spin mpira incase Thiago ameshindwa kutoka kwenye pressure na kuamua kutafuta a short option, let put it this way kwa kutumia writing board (lol), so the attack is on, Trent, robertson (Kostas) & Hendo are overlaping from the back, Thiago has the ball but he's under huge pressure na hawezi ku-square his usual line-breaking passes, so he'll try to hold the ball for some seconds kwa kufanya hivi zile overlaping za our 3 runners zitakuwa zimefail, so our FBs watarudi kutengeza a ruler shape, watakaa uwiano sawa na Thiago na Hendo atarudi kidogo but atakaa upande wa kulia karibu sana na Salah (hapa ikumbukwe kuwa Thiago ana mpira na hii yote inafanyika kwa sekunde kadhaa), sasa Thiago ataangalia for a simple pass ambapo kwenye D atakuwepo Jota au Firmino, atapewa pass Firmino/Jota, ambaye atarudisha mpira haraka kwa un-marked Fabinho, ambaye atakuwa free kuazisha build-up nyingine, na lazima Fab amchague Trent, na Trent lazima atamtafuta Hendo, ambaye yupo close na Salah, Salah akipata mpira atakuwa na MANNE.
1. kujaribu ku-force kuingia kwenye box kupitia pembeni
2. Ku-link up na Hendo na ku-dive in katikati ili kuwaweka Mane na Jota/Firmino karibu
3. Ku-hold na kusubiri Trent a-overlap kwaajili ya cross/pass
4. Kusogea na mpira nje ya box upande wa kulia na kujaribu hizi out of the box shot.
So what if Salah or Henderson lose the ball? na upande wa pili ukaanzisha counter? then it depends kama wakipita kwenye flanks, its up kwa Fabinho & two CBs ku-read na kustop counters, kama Fabinho akishindwa, its up kwa VVD na Matip kuepusha hatari, so kwanini inakuwa siyo Trent or Robbo? ni kwasababu tuna-assume kuwa walikuwa wame-overlap wakati tunaatack, especially Trent ambaye nimemzungumzia hapo juu, so wakat Trent hayupo Matip anatakiwa ku-cover the last ball baada ya Fabinho kushindwa, aki-fail matip tutaombea VVD/Robo/Fabinho/Thiago/Trent ambao wote wanakuwa wamerudi kwenye box ku-stop the sequence, wakishindwa then Alisson needs to step up.
Sasa, kuna Counters afu kuna in-field attacks and set-pieces, Counters zinaweza kupita katikati, na kwenye flanks, inategemea, wakati wa corners counters nyingi sana zinapita katikati kwasababu unakuwa umeacha 1-2 players nyuma (goal la Sancho dhidi ya Chelsea ni perfect Example ya ain hii ya counter), then kuna counters za kwenye flanks, hizi ni mara nyingi zinatokana na in-field attacks, kwa mfano kama nilivyoelezea hapo juu, Trent akipanda means anaacha space, opposition wanakuwa wameisoma ile space na wanakuwa na mtu tayari wa kumake runs na ku-attack ile space (inachekesha kwasababu ukiwa una-attack huwaoni hawa runners, poteza mpira ndiyo utajua shughuli yao), sasa kwa sisi Fabinho huwa ana-sit katikati ili kuwasoma hawa runners, sasa ikitokea mpira umepotea au attack imefail, na flank ipo wazi ni lazima opposition wataatack hiyo space, sasa fabinho aki-fail ku-place tackle au ku-time zile runs, linakuwa ni jukumu la RCB, kujaribu kum-sustain huyu attacker yaani kumpeleka mbali na box na kujaribu kuzuia cross, because counter ikiwa on players karibia wote huwa wana-bomb forward ili kutengeneza multiple channels ili ku-divert defenders/pressing traps, sasa attack ya opponent ikiwa sustained, first gate-away huwa inakuwa ni kupass mpira wa kwa Thiago (hii inakuwa coached kabisa, sijui kwa Tanzania, but team lazima iwe na gate-away player ambaye ni good under-pressure), gate-away players wetu ni Thiago na Keita, misimu iliyopita alikuwa ni Gini, hawa ni press-resistant, sasa tofauti ya Gini, Keita na Thiago ni kwenye diversion balls/passes, hapa ndo huwa tunaua hizi naive teams, Thiago ndiyo eneo lake hilo.
Weakness ya hii set up ni Matip, tunacheza high line, ndiyo maana huwa tunakuwa wazito sana kwenye kuziba counters, Fabinho anaziba sana counters but akipitwa huwa inakuwa ngumu sana kwa Matip because hana recovery pace, Konate is good but Klopp anamuingiza kwenye game taratibu na wote nadhani tunaona baadhi ya flaws zake especially kwenye ku-read counters kwenye high-line, but he's a very good defender, CB mzuri kwenye high line ni Gomez, him and VVD are rapid, watu wanaonaga VVD hana pace, he's very rapid and he's good at timing the runners.
People, huwa wanachukia sana tunavyo-bash players, football ni mchezo wa "seconds", dakika 90 ni ndogo sana uwanjani, maamuzi ya mpira yanafanyika kwa sekunde, kutengeneza nafasi/channels/attacks/defending patterns etc ni kwa sekunde, ndiyo maana mistakes huwa zinagharimu kwa sekunde tu, so mchezaji lazima awe na akili ya ziada sana katika mpira, na ndiyo maana wanaitwa "Professionals"
Klopp ball is back.