Tottenham vs Liverpool : Klopp will hope his intensity and dynamism has already rubbed off on his players
Tottenham v Liverpool
Saturday 12:45
Live on BT Sport 1
Match Odds: Tottenham 2.50, Liverpool 3.10, The Draw 3.60.
Jurgen Klopp's appointment as Liverpool manager makes this one of the most exciting fixtures of the Premier League season so far - after impressing in his press conferences, it's now time for Klopp to let his coaching do the talking.
Klopp's has had only a week with his new charges, many of whom were away on an international break anyway, but the German will hope his intensity and dynamism has already rubbed off on his players.
Liverpool's precise playing style under Klopp remains to be seen. His Borussia Dortmund side played a high-energy brand of football, usually in a 4-2-3-1 system, although the much-discussed pressing element generally came a little later his in his reign. More than anything, his best Dortmund sides excelled at transitions, constructing lightning-quick counter-attacks. That might be the best approach here, against a well-drilled Tottenham side who will exploit any gaps in midfield intelligently.
Klopp has various injury problems to contend with, however. The news that both Danny Ings and Joe Gomez will miss the entire season with cruciate ligament injuries was a devastating double blow, and with Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson already out, it means Klopp doesn't have a great number of options here. Dejan Lovren and Coutinho are both rated as doubtful, although the latter is likely to start.
4-2-3-1 seems the most likely system for Klopp to deploy here, and realistically he doesn't have too many selection decisions to make. Alberto Moreno will start at left-back in Gomez's absence - although he probably would have anyway, as Klopp likes attacking full-backs - while Lovren's fitness struggles means Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho look set to play as the centre-back pairing.
The major dilemma is in midfield. James Milner was promised a central role under Brendan Rodgers, but will Klopp continue to use him there? He could move to the right flank, with Lucas Leiva and Emre Can in the centre.
That said, Lucas isn't a typical Klopp player, and over time it wouldn't be a surprise to see two of Milner, Can and the injured Jordan Henderson in the engine room. It's a question of whether Klopp wants to start as he intends to continue, or whether using Lucas as a safety-first option makes sense here.
Coutinho will presumably start as the number 10 behind Daniel Sturridge, while Adam Lallana will hope to be deployed on one flank. If Miler does start in the centre, this could mean a start on the wing for Jordon Ibe, the type of energetic wide man Klopp likes.
Tottenham, who are unbeaten since the opening day defeat to Manchester United, also have selection problems - particularly in the centre of midfield. Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb are both out injured, while Eric Dier's suspension for collecting five bookings causes further problems.
This means Dele Alli will probably start alongside Mousa Dembele, which is a combination that offers lots of guile in possession, but probably not the defensive discipline required against Coutinho. Mauricio Pochettino will be worried about the Brazilian finding space and knocking balls to Sturridge to run onto behind Spurs' high defensive line.
Danny Rose will hope to start ahead of Ben Davies, while further forward Son Heung-Min's injury means Nacer Chadli and Erik Lamela seem likely to start on the flanks, with Christian Eriksen in the number 10 role behind Harry Kane, who hasn't been scoring much this season but has nevertheless contributed in terms of build-up play.
Chadli getting himself into goalscoring positions from wide could be one of Spurs' main approaches in the final third.
Ultimately, though, it's difficult to predict the course of this game because of the question marks surrounding Klopp's tactics - but that's exactly what makes this so exciting.
Saturday 12:45
Live on BT Sport 1
Match Odds: Tottenham 2.50, Liverpool 3.10, The Draw 3.60.
Jurgen Klopp's appointment as Liverpool manager makes this one of the most exciting fixtures of the Premier League season so far - after impressing in his press conferences, it's now time for Klopp to let his coaching do the talking.
Klopp's has had only a week with his new charges, many of whom were away on an international break anyway, but the German will hope his intensity and dynamism has already rubbed off on his players.
Liverpool's precise playing style under Klopp remains to be seen. His Borussia Dortmund side played a high-energy brand of football, usually in a 4-2-3-1 system, although the much-discussed pressing element generally came a little later his in his reign. More than anything, his best Dortmund sides excelled at transitions, constructing lightning-quick counter-attacks. That might be the best approach here, against a well-drilled Tottenham side who will exploit any gaps in midfield intelligently.
Klopp has various injury problems to contend with, however. The news that both Danny Ings and Joe Gomez will miss the entire season with cruciate ligament injuries was a devastating double blow, and with Christian Benteke, Roberto Firmino and Jordan Henderson already out, it means Klopp doesn't have a great number of options here. Dejan Lovren and Coutinho are both rated as doubtful, although the latter is likely to start.
4-2-3-1 seems the most likely system for Klopp to deploy here, and realistically he doesn't have too many selection decisions to make. Alberto Moreno will start at left-back in Gomez's absence - although he probably would have anyway, as Klopp likes attacking full-backs - while Lovren's fitness struggles means Martin Skrtel and Mamadou Sakho look set to play as the centre-back pairing.
The major dilemma is in midfield. James Milner was promised a central role under Brendan Rodgers, but will Klopp continue to use him there? He could move to the right flank, with Lucas Leiva and Emre Can in the centre.
That said, Lucas isn't a typical Klopp player, and over time it wouldn't be a surprise to see two of Milner, Can and the injured Jordan Henderson in the engine room. It's a question of whether Klopp wants to start as he intends to continue, or whether using Lucas as a safety-first option makes sense here.
Coutinho will presumably start as the number 10 behind Daniel Sturridge, while Adam Lallana will hope to be deployed on one flank. If Miler does start in the centre, this could mean a start on the wing for Jordon Ibe, the type of energetic wide man Klopp likes.
Tottenham, who are unbeaten since the opening day defeat to Manchester United, also have selection problems - particularly in the centre of midfield. Ryan Mason and Nabil Bentaleb are both out injured, while Eric Dier's suspension for collecting five bookings causes further problems.
This means Dele Alli will probably start alongside Mousa Dembele, which is a combination that offers lots of guile in possession, but probably not the defensive discipline required against Coutinho. Mauricio Pochettino will be worried about the Brazilian finding space and knocking balls to Sturridge to run onto behind Spurs' high defensive line.
Danny Rose will hope to start ahead of Ben Davies, while further forward Son Heung-Min's injury means Nacer Chadli and Erik Lamela seem likely to start on the flanks, with Christian Eriksen in the number 10 role behind Harry Kane, who hasn't been scoring much this season but has nevertheless contributed in terms of build-up play.
Chadli getting himself into goalscoring positions from wide could be one of Spurs' main approaches in the final third.
Ultimately, though, it's difficult to predict the course of this game because of the question marks surrounding Klopp's tactics - but that's exactly what makes this so exciting.
