It’s just a thought, and it probably won’t happen. But when you see Mohammed Salah and Sadio Mane blistering down the pitch on the counter like they did in Liverpool’s 4-1 win away to West Ham, you can’t help but wonder about it. What if — only in certain games, only at certain times — Jurgen Klopp ditched the high press and sat deep, getting his midfielders to add density (and cover) to his defensive set-up and looking instead for Philippe Coutinho to cue up the counter?
It’s not progressive, it’s not Klopp-ian and it’s academic: he won;t do it, perhaps rightly staying true to his philosophy. But as a Plan B in the right situations, it could be absolutely devastating.
Click here to read more of Marcotti’s thoughts on what occurred in European football over the previous week.