Liverpool's front trident was world-famous.
The "Egyptian Messi," Salah, could often put on a show of dribbling past multiple players in a match, and Mané had the same ability.
But not every match could be so comfortable for them.
The whole world knew that Liverpool's front line was not to be trifled with, and Wolves, of course, would not be indifferent.
Today, their tactical deployment was very targeted.
With Salah and Mané being marked, the only way to open up the game was through other avenues.
But the Liverpool fans looked at their own midfield and saw a real lack of attacking talent.
It wasn't that they didn't have it; it was that they were all injured.
After looking around, they finally discovered that it seemed they could only rely on their "Crown Prince," Alexander-Arnold.
"No one has the ability to progress the ball. For a midfield, this is fatal."
In the Chinese broadcast room, Zhan Jun frowned.
He was nationally recognized as a Liverpool fan.
He watched as Liverpool firmly controlled possession, but up until the 30th minute, they had not launched any effective attacks.
"Henderson with a short pass to Wijnaldum in the center."
"He receives the ball and turns, wanting to drive forward, but the Wolves players are on him tightly!"
"A physical challenge!"
"Wijnaldum is knocked away, almost losing the ball."
"A back pass to Henderson, it's short! The ball has been intercepted by the Wolves midfielder!"
Liverpool's offense was, as the commentator said, intermittent and not fluid.
This is modern football, where the midfield is a battleground.
The real-time possession stats on the screen showed that Liverpool had the ball for 68% of the time, a commanding lead.
But in terms of shots, Liverpool had only taken two in 30 minutes.
One from Salah, one from Mané, and both were off target.
"In today's football, the midfield position is too important. It's the hub between the attack and the defense."
Seeing that Firmino couldn't get the ball, the attack was naturally unable to get going.
If the midfield can't progress the ball, the super trident that is the best in Europe can't get any ammunition, and goals are naturally a distant prospect.
Time ticked by, minute by minute.
Finally, the first half ended, and Liverpool still couldn't equalize.
"Honestly, I'm going crazy thinking about Gerrard right now!"
"Don't mention that name to me! It just makes me miss our captain even more!"
"Salah, Mané, and Firmino aren't getting any support. Our two wingers have to dribble and break through on their own, but they face at least three defenders every time."
"..."
The Liverpool fans were very dissatisfied with the players' performance.
In the locker room, the players were also a bit dejected.
Breaking down a parked bus has always been a monumental challenge.
The best way is through set pieces.
But right now, they couldn't even advance the ball into Wolves' half within 30 meters of the goal.
In the first half, they had only gotten one corner kick opportunity, when Mané broke through on the wing and Bennett hastily kicked the ball out of bounds.
Klopp was thinking of a countermeasure.
He thought of playing high balls, letting Mané and Salah force their way through.
Although this tactic was simple, it was better than not getting the ball at all.
However, this was clearly not the best method. He still hoped that someone could steadily progress the ball, draw in defenders, and then distribute to the wings, creating opportunities for Salah and Mané, and finally, radiate the threat from the wings to Firmino in the center.
This way, Liverpool's entire front trident would come alive.
His gaze swept around and finally landed on Tendou.
If only this kid could perform in the Premier League as well as he did in Blue Lock, it would be perfect.
"Give him a try, gaffer."
Krawietz saw his thoughts and began to whisper in his ear.
"He's only 17."
"We did the same thing back when we were at Dortmund."
Krawietz reminded Klopp that after coming to this club, he was becoming less and less like himself.
Hearing this, Klopp's eyes widened.
He had indeed been under a lot of pressure recently. When he had no money, he complained that the club didn't give him enough support and that he couldn't display his talent.
Now that he had money, he was becoming hesitant and afraid to use players.
"Let's give it another try. After 10 minutes..."
Klopp decided to try the current plan first.
He didn't want to put so much pressure on Tendou. At least, they should equalize the score first, right?
...
The 15-minute halftime break was over.
They returned for the second half.
The fans noticed that Liverpool had started to rely on individual ability.
Henderson and his teammates pressed the opponent into a corner, squeezed his space, and successfully won the ball.
Then he gave the ball to Arnold. The Liverpool Crown Prince took a few steps and then launched a long pass to find Salah on the right.
The constant reference point of Liverpool's attacking system did not disappoint.
After receiving the ball, he used his speed and footwork to beat two players on the wing and finally got off a shot.
But the ball was saved by the Wolves goalkeeper.
The Liverpool fans in the stands began to applaud. This was definitely Liverpool's best attempt of the match.
They still believed in Klopp's ability to make adjustments.
5 minutes later, Liverpool used the same trick again, this time giving the ball to Mané on the left.
Mané also put on a show of beating two players, broke into the Wolves' penalty area, and then passed the ball horizontally. Firmino followed up with a shot, but it was blocked by a defender's foot.
These two attempts gave the Liverpool fans hope.
If this continued, it seemed that a Liverpool goal was only a matter of time.
But after another 5 minutes, and then another 5, Liverpool still had all the possession but couldn't score.
Wolves were not fools. After knowing how you were going to play, of course, they wouldn't just stand by and watch.
The opportunities for Mané, Salah, and Firmino became fewer and fewer.
Time was also ticking away.
Finally, after the 67th minute, Klopp chose not to wait any longer and waved to the bench.
"TJ, come over here!"
Tendou, who had already warmed up in advance, immediately ran over.
"Do you know what we need right now?"
"A goal."
"..." Klopp thought he would say an organizer, but Tendou skipped the process entirely. A smile couldn't help but appear on his worried face. He said, "Correct. But every time we solve a problem, we need to go through multiple calculations. Solving the problem is our ultimate goal, but this process needs someone to complete it."
"I don't care what method you use. Get on there, and get the ball comfortably to the feet of Mané, Salah, and Firmino. Let them score the goal."
"I prefer to kick the ball into the goal myself."
"Then go kick the ball in," Klopp said with a laugh, patting him hard on the shoulder.
This was an opportunity, but at the same time, it was a crisis.
If he did well, everyone at Liverpool would quickly accept him. If he did poorly, both he and Tendou would be in trouble.
The fans would only mock them for spending 8 million to buy a male model.
...
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