The tactics of Roy Hodgson In Liverpool, we must beware of suffering the fate of Man City

This weekend, Liverpool will face a tough test: the Crystal Palace – and former manager Roy Hodgson.

Earlier in the season, the Reds had defeated the Eagles with a 2-0 win at Selhurst Park, but Palace now represents a slightly different threat considering that they have recently defeated Man City at Etihad .

Last season's champions approached the December showdown with England's only top-six home record. The surprise defeat provoked a shock wave throughout the Premier League. for the title.

So how can Jurgen Klopp ensure that he does not suffer the same fate as Pep Guardiola, victim of Hodgson and Palace?

Let's look at the tactical aspects to determine it.

Defensive plan of the palace

Palace used essentially the traditional counter-attack approach that so many attempts, but often failed.

Teams that fail when trying to set up a contreteur style usually do so because of their lack of defensive stability, combined with their lack of qualified personnel to get started quickly.

However, Palace has both of these aspects, making it one of the most dangerous players in the league.

Below is a graph of their defensive form at Etihad, while Hodgson has deployed a 4-5-1 formation. Note also that the defensive block of Palace is not too deep, which means that when Palace wins the ball, it is not necessary to run the full length of the field to score.

Crucially, the two midfielders of the palace on either side of Luka Milivojevic were instructed to cut the way for the wanderers of City gambling that day, Bernardo Silva and Ilkay Gundogan.

This is shown in the graph below, James McArthur and Max Meyer being the two players in question.

In doing so, Palace forced City to circumvent the terrain more often than not, which made it difficult for Guardiola's men to penetrate.

Palace attack plan

In Hodgson's 4-5-1, he called Wilfried Zaha, arguably his best player, as the only striker.

Jeffrey Schlupp and Andros Townsend, two fast moving strikers, will also work hard.

These three players were primarily responsible for the threat that the palace offered them. Their ability to cope with the isolation was vital given City's immediate urge to lose the ball.

For the first goal of Palace, five pbades were made during the preparation, including four by Townsend, Zaha or Schlupp, before being completed by the latter.

Guardiola was impressed and said after the match: "The first time they've gone half way, it was a goal – it's the second time." I want to give credit to Palace and I do not underestimate what they did, but that's football sometimes. "

Obviously, the palace benefited enormously from Townsend's incredible 40 meter shot, but the counterattack pattern was still there.

How can Klopp fight Hodgson?

It is reasonable to think that Hodgson will take a very similar approach against Liverpool at Anfield, given that Klopp's players are above City in the league and are equally feared.

That being the case, Klopp must make sure his team can break Hodgson's 4-5-1 while preventing counter-attacks from materializing.

Imposing control

To counter Palace's counter-attack threat, Liverpool must simply exert control. It's something that Liverpool has not been able to do in previous campaigns, but the development has been staggering this time around.

After the victory over Watford earlier in the season, Klopp hailed the maturity of the performance. "It was a real mature performance," he said. "I'm not sure we've had the ball in the past as much as we have here because they've been much more open than the games, we're controlling it today."

From the entertainment point of view, this game was largely flat due to Liverpool's safe possession of the ball, but it was necessary the same day to avoid Watford's main threat – the counter-attacks.

Klopp also referred to conceding counters after the League's victory over the Wolves. He explained that the reason is that risky pbades were made at the wrong times and in the wrong places, as shown in the graph below.

"Football is about creating decisive moments," Klopp told Molineux. This statement will have to be respected this weekend.

A patient and careful approach will be needed this weekend against Palace, so that every time the ball is lost, Liverpool has a solid cover around the situation.

Overall, despite Hodgson's calculated tactical plan against City, it is important to note that the Townsend forward for the season goal has changed the course of the match – and it is unlikely to happen again at Anfield .

In spite of this, Liverpool will have to make sure that the risks are not forced and are taken only in good times.

As a result, the entertainment value will likely decrease – but the number of points should increase.