New Additions Have Liverpool Looking Rejuvenated In Attack, And Withered In Defense | Jonathan Wilson

It was nan Community Shield, and that should not beryllium forgotten. There isn’t anybody who has been watching English shot for immoderate play of clip who hasn’t made nan correction of taking excessively earnestly a conclusion drawn successful nan midst of nan accepted curtain-raiser, giddy connected nan show of Wembley successful its pomp and nan return of competitory nine shot from nan summertime wilderness.

Any study has to beryllium tempered. Teams are ever useful successful progress, evolving and developing, but that is ne'er truer than successful early August pinch caller signings adapting to their teammates and surroundings, and others shaking nan summertime from their legs. Things will change. But aft Liverpool’s 2-2 tie pinch Crystal Palace and consequent conclusion connected penalties successful nan Community Shield, it tin beryllium said pinch a grade of certainty that their caller signings person gelled amended astatine nan beforehand of nan transportation than nan back.

Hugo Ekitiké, signed from Eintracht Frankfurt, and Florian Wirtz, signed from Bayer Leverkusen, had hugely encouraging debuts. Ekitiké and nan attacking right-back Jeremie Frimpong, different from Leverkusen, some scored. But Liverpool were shockingly, startlingly unfastened astatine times, arsenic they person been passim pre-season – and it costs them nan game.

They are learning a caller system, nan 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 hybrid of past play yielding to a 4-2-3-1. It’s not a immense displacement but Wirtz, arsenic nan astir precocious of nan triangle of cardinal players betwixt nan centre-backs and nan centre-forward, is very overmuch a forward, whereas Dominik Szoboszlai, who tended to beryllium nan astir precocious of nan cardinal midfield triangle past season, is an attacking midfielder. It’s not that Wirtz does not execute his protect duties – he does, and is notably assiduous successful doing so, a highly effective presser of nan shot – it’s that he does truthful successful somewhat different positions.

The anticipation is that nan midfield 2 successful astir games going forward, astatine slightest erstwhile Liverpool are not going to monopolise possession, will beryllium Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister. Gravenberch was unavailable for nan Community Shield aft becoming a begetter connected Saturday night, while Mac Allister is still regaining fittingness and was restricted to nan last 20 minutes. That led to Szoboszlai occupying a deeper domiciled than accustomed alongside Curtis Jones, who made a convincing lawsuit for occupying nan domiciled much often pinch a controlled capacity successful which he completed each 53 of nan passes he attempted. It was aft he and Ekitiké were withdrawn that Palace began to equine concerted pressure.

Coming to position pinch an unfamiliar strategy without nan 2 cardinal cogs astatine nan backmost of midfield, nan area that was ever apt to travel nether unit pinch nan alteration of formation, was acold from perfect for Liverpool. They had looked wholly comfortable for nan first 15 minutes but past a elemental consecutive through-ball opened them up, Jean-Philippe Mateta played onside by astatine slightest 1 and perchance some full-backs arsenic Virgil Van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté stepped up successful nan centre. Although Alisson made nan first save, Liverpool were still resetting arsenic nan shot was returned to nan middle, starring to Van Dijk’s clumsy lunge connected Mateta and nan punishment that brought nan first equaliser.

Van Dijk looked unsettled by what was happening instantly successful beforehand of him each afternoon, often stepping into nan abstraction Gravenberch mightiness usually person been expected to beryllium occupying, which successful move disrupted nan backmost four. That was what led to nan 2nd equaliser: Van Dijk being drawn forward, leaving nan spread into which Ismaïla Sarr burst to score. Clearly Gravenberch’s absence made a quality but cipher should deliberation that his return will instantly lick nan problems. The caller style intends a different approach, pinch Liverpool adopting an fierce man-to-man property that near abstraction down nan protect line. Sarr caused problems each game, many times dragging Milos Kerkez, nan 4th of nan caller signings successful nan starting lineup, infield, which meant Cody Gakpo had to do a batch of activity search Palace’s correct wing-back, Daniel Muñoz.

None of this is unsolvable, but it does mean that Liverpool whitethorn beryllium much defensively vulnerable, astatine slightest successful nan early portion of nan campaign, than they were successful winning nan convention past season. Ekitiké had an fantabulous game, his activity and his touch, his awareness, each excellent. Wirtz impressed arsenic good pinch his power and invention; nan penultimate walk he played successful nan buildup to nan first extremity demonstrating his capacity to spot opportunities others would not, crafting a work to Ekitiké that took 3 Palace players retired of nan game.

But for immoderate broadside making arsenic galore changes arsenic Liverpool person this summer, pinch 4 large caller signings and a 5th possibly to get successful Alexander Isak, location will beryllium a grade of uncertainty, a play of bedding in. The possibilities are breathtaking but, arsenic Slot reshapes nan squad to his ain specifications, immoderate teething troubles are only to beryllium expected.

On this day…

PSG came into being 55 years agone today. Photograph: Every Second Media/Alamy

Paris Saint-Germain are by immoderate separator nan youngest of Europe’s giants, having travel into being connected 11 August 1970, a time aft nan commencement of nan erstwhile Manchester United and Ireland midfielder Roy Keane. The French superior had nary awesome nine which, arsenic European title became established done nan 1960s, came to look progressively bizarre. So, successful 1969, nan French Football Federation, nan politician of Paris, nan editor of French sports newspaper l’Équipe and Guy Crescent, who ran nan Calberson motortruck institution and was prepared to supply financing, sewage together to determine nan champion measurement of mounting up a squad for Paris. A referendum confirmed nan strategy had overwhelming popularity, voting for nan sanction Paris FC, and, successful February 1970, a telethon attracted 10,000 group to motion up arsenic members, each paying 20 francs.

But Paris FC had nary stadium, players, coach aliases licence, truthful a merger was arranged pinch nan second-flight broadside Stade Saint-Germain, creating Paris Saint-Germain (Paris FC collapsed distant successful 1972 and, aft promotion this past May, will compete again successful nan French apical formation this season). After nan manner designer Daniel Hechter took complete successful 1973, redesigning nan kit and providing investment, nan nine gained promotion to nan top-flight, moving successful to nan Parc des Princes successful 1974 arsenic Paris FC were relegated.

• This is an extract from Soccer pinch Jonathan Wilson, a play look from nan Guardian US astatine nan crippled successful Europe and beyond. Subscribe for free here. Have a mobility for Jonathan? Email soccerwithjw@theguardian.com, and he’ll reply nan champion successful a early edition.