Gary Neville Podcast: Liverpool executed tactics brilliantly in City romp
Sunday 22 November 2015 20:16, UK
Gary Neville says "fantastic" Liverpool executed Jurgen Klopp's tactics brilliantly in their 4-1 victory at Manchester City on Saturday.
Sky Sports football expert Neville believes Klopp countered Manuel Pellegrini's attacking line-up and then watched his players take their chances when the opportunities arose.
"They were fantastic," he said on The Gary Neville Podcast.
"Even before they scored, we noticed the belief and their intent to pass the ball really quickly and brightly. City couldn't cope - they looked really sluggish in the first half.
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"People talk about the frantic press of Klopp's teams and the pressing from the front. It wasn't necessarily all about that against City - it was all about dropping off and then springing into counter-attacks.
"The transition was devastating from Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp.
"They knew that City would spread their full-backs wide and their wingers would go wide too, meaning the two centre-backs and central midfielders could get isolated.
"The game plan was executed brilliantly. Klopp will be delighted as he'd have worked on it all week and his team have gone and done it for him."
Liverpool have now scored as many goals in their last two away Premier League games (seven) as they managed in their 11 before that.
Neville had special praise for Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, who both played a huge part in the first three Liverpool goals.
"Liverpool were so good," he said.
"When teams give you chances, there's still a lot to do. Obviously, the [Eliaquim] Mangala own goal was a bit of good fortune but the Firmino pass for Coutinho's goal was sensational. Then the little favour returned on the one where Coutinho reversed it back to him. It's not easy to do that.
"It's hard to play that pass when your eyes open up and the goal is there.
"How many times do we see players shoot in that position and we say, 'Why didn't he pass there?'
"Liverpool, it seemed, played the right pass so many times in the final third. Firmino could have had three or four goals."
