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Right then, had this match buzzing in my head for days. Liverpool versus City, big one, yeah? But the real chatter was all about where Haaland and Salah would end up on that pitch. Thought I’d try my hand at figuring that puzzle out myself.
Started Simple, Watching Like Usual
First thing I did was plop down with my tablet. Pulled up highlights from each team’s last three games. Figured I’d just watch them play naturally, see where those two usually popped up.
For Haaland:
- City playing Brighton? Boom, he’s glued between their centre-backs half the time.
- But then against Leipzig? Suddenly he’s drifting wide right, out of nowhere.
- Gaps left behind when he does that. City’s midfielders scrambling to fill it sometimes.
Salah wasn’t any clearer:
- Against Forest? Classic Salah, hugging that right touchline, cutting inside.
- Next game, against LASK? Spent ages lurking more centrally, almost like a second striker.
- Saw Trent Alexander-Arnold flying into the spaces Salah left wide. Weird.
Felt a bit lost already. Thought it would be obvious!
Digging Deeper Got Messy
Okay, needed more. Grabbed my laptop, fired up some stupidly detailed stats websites. My eyes started glazing over with all the numbers, mate.
Tried looking at “Average Positions”. Big mistake.
- Haaland’s average spot looked central. But what’s the average? His heatmaps were splattered all over the front line.
- Salah? His average position showed him wide right. Yet those heatmaps burned a hole in the left half-space near the box half the time!
- Felt like looking at nonsense pictures. Made my head hurt.
Thought Pep and Klopp might give clues. Rewound their post-match pressers from recent games. Load of manager-speak. Pep waffling about “moments” and “spaces”. Klopp going on about “intensity” and “commitment”. Told me exactly nothing about where they’d stick their star forwards come Sunday.
Remembering Pep and Klopp Love a Curveball
Slumped back in my chair. Took a swig of tea. Then it hit me. Remembered last season. Pep stuck Haaland out on the bloody wing once against a parked bus. Totally strange. And Klopp? There was that mad Chelsea game where Salah started central, with Elliot wide! What was that about?
Realised it wasn’t about where they “usually” play. It’s where Pep and Klopp need them to play this time. That’s the trick. Against Liverpool, with their high line, maybe Pep tells Haaland to hang off Van Dijk’s shoulder? Against City’s wobbly left-back situation, maybe Klopp tells Salah to ragdoll Ake?
My Moment of “Ah, Forget It”
Started scribbling a prediction on paper. “Haaland central, Salah right.” Looked at it. Ripped it straight up. Pointless.
Went out to the garden. Mrs asks, “You figure it out?” Laughed. “Nah. They could be playing anywhere Sunday! Haaland might end up in goal for all I know. And Salah? Probably swapping shirts with the ref at half-time!” She just nodded. Exactly.
Truth is, we’ll only know when they walk out. My whole deep dive? Good fun, wasted time. Those genius managers will decide on the day. We’re all just guessing. All that digging did my head in for nothing. Best bit was getting to watch some cracking goals again. Everything else? Utter bollocks.