Leeds United’s pre-season tour of Australia presented plenty of positives for Whites boss Jesse Marsch. His new arrivals have all bedded in to the squad, and his system, well - especially the trio that played under him previously - and patterns are starting to emerge that prove his philosophy is being implemented effectively.
Granted, the sharpness to perfect that final touch in a high-speed attack was missing, but the abundance of third-man runs and punchy, line-breaking passes was evidence that the players are becoming accustomed to the American’s style. Similarly, the coordination of Marsch’s aggressive pressing is improving and the presence of Tyler Adams and Brenden Aaronson has sped up that process.
But there was one glaring problem defensively for Leeds throughout all three of their games, as their high-line was constantly exposed by long balls in behind and pacey runs. Over-committing in attack was the reason for Jean Phillipe Mateta’s equaliser for Crystal Palace, and a high-line against Aston Villa saw Ollie Watkins bear down on goal from 40-yards with not a Leeds player in sight.
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The relentless press from Leeds’ front-line forces the entire team to push up the pitch - failure to do so would leave huge spaces in between the lines - but a lack of pace in the back four and failure to press effectively in moments has left the Whites vulnerable to long balls in behind.
For this to happen in pre-season is a good thing as it allows Marsch and his coaching staff to identify the problem and work on it. And they need look no further than Liverpool for the solution.
Jurgen Klopp’s side were lamented last season at times for their so-called risky high-line, but the truth is that the Reds coach has drilled the offside trap into his defence so well that it is second nature and almost unplayable. Last season, opposition forwards were caught offside 144 times against Liverpool - 50 more times than second-placed Manchester City.
They were obviously helped by having a level of centre-back in Virgil van Dijk and Joel Matip that Leeds do not have, but the principles remain the same. Liverpool’s back four held a high-line as the rest of the team chased, and when they saw an opposition player shaping to send a pass long, they stepped up as a unit to force the attacking runner offside.
This is understandably a high-risk tactic, but one that van Dijk and company mastered. By shaping their body so that they can turn and chase runners in case of a perfectly-timed run, they can alleviate the risk slightly - and with VAR at hand to rule out any goals from offside runs, they had an insurance plan.
Additionally, by having a goalkeeper in Allison who is arguably the best one-vs-one stopper and sweeper-keeper in the world, they had yet more insurance on the rare occasion it didn’t go to plan.
Another reason Klopp’s side deploy their high-line and offside trap so effectively is the energy from those in front. Liverpool’s midfield and front three close down the man in possession with such precision, blocking any passing lanes into a deep-lying midfielder or wide man, thus forcing a vulnerable full-back into the ball into the channels.
If one of them switches off or loses his bearings, a good ball-playing defender can bypass into midfield or into the strikers feet, allowing the opposition to play through. This element could be a problem still for Marsch and Leeds who - if pre-season is a fair reflection of progress - still have some way to go.
Problems of an uncoordinated high-line can be alleviated by pace at the back, which makes any signing of a left-back this summer crucial. Junior Firpo lacked the recovery pace to operate as a covering full-back, but by having someone with the pace to chase back Leeds can insure against the inevitable mistakes that will come with bedding in a new tactic.
Marsch has just two weeks until his side kick off their 2022/2023 Premier League campaign against Wolves, by which time the high-line will not be perfect. But if he wants to work on alleviating the one major issue that came from pre-season then it is Liverpool that he can learn from.
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