By Why I Dug Into Spurs’ Liverpool Setup
Alright, so this Tottenham vs Liverpool clash been chewing at me for days, yeah? Saw us get absolutely done last season playing that high line against Salah. Decided, screw it, gotta try cooking up something different myself on Football Manager. See if I can make it stick without conceding like five every time. Proper mission for the weekend.
How I Started Messing Around
First thing I did was boot up the laptop, grabbed a cuppa, fired up Football Manager. Told the wife not to bother me – serious tactical work incoming. Started with Spurs’ default 4-2-3-1 setup, the one Ange loves. Threw Sonny up top, Madders in behind, the usual suspects. Simmed the first half against Liverpool… and mate, it was brutal. That high defensive line got shredded like cheap paper. Salah and Diaz just ran straight through, keeper had no chance. Conceded three before halftime. My tea went cold staring at that mess.
Thought maybe the problem was the wingers tracking back. Switched Son to left wing, pushed Kulusevski up right. Dropped the fullbacks deeper, told ‘em “Stay Back” like it was life or death. Hit play again. Second half started okay, then Van Dijk pinged one long to Núñez – bang. Goal. Then Trent cut inside and curled one top bins. Felt like punching the screen. Zero progress.
The Big Switches That Almost Worked
Right. Time for drastic stuff. Ditched the fancy formation, gone full pragmatist. Slotted in an extra centre-back – went 3-5-2. Romero, Van de Ven, Dragusin. Big, ugly, solid. Wingbacks set to defend first. Midfield three: Bissouma sitting deep, Sarr and Maddison trying to link stuff. Front two: Son and Richarlison pressing like madmen.
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First 20 mins actually looked decent:
- Wingbacks stayed put, kept Salah quiet
- Centre-backs dealt with long balls way better
- Richarlison even nicked a goal from a set piece
Got cocky. Started thinking “I’m a tactical genius, lads.” Classic mistake. Minute 65, Liverpool bring on Gravenberch and Elliott. Fresh legs against my tired back five. Suddenly gaps opened everywhere. Macca threads a ball through, Diaz finishes. 1-1. Then Robertson overlaps, whips it in, Gakpo heads home. Gutted. Last kick of the game, Alisson boots one long, Van de Ven slips, Núñez makes it three. Pain. Absolute pain.
What Actually Clicked (Sort Of)
Tried one last thing before smashing the laptop: told the midfield to mark specific zones, not players. Focused on clogging that middle lane where Mac Allister kept finding space. Dropped the defensive line a notch deeper – not parking the bus, just sensible. Left Sonny up front to chase every lost cause. Simmed again.
It stayed 0-0 for 89 minutes. Tense. Sweaty palms tense. Both teams knackered. Minute 90+2, Liverpool corner cleared… Maddison picks it up, hoofs it long towards Son. Somehow he beats Van Dijk for pace, slots it past Alisson. Won 1-0. Scenes. Absolute scenes in my living room. Cat looked terrified.
What I Learned (The Hard Way)
So yeah, takeaways? Against Liverpool’s speed demons:
- High line needs perfect timing – one wrong step, you’re buried
- Midfield marking is boring but vital – let ‘em drift, you’re screwed
- Drop the line 10 yards – ain’t cowardly, just smart
- Leave one speedy striker up – Son can save you even when tactics fail
Took me nearly eight virtual hours of conceding crap goals. Feels like a proper grind. But seeing Sonny sprint clear at the death? Worth every second of rage quitting. Ange better be taking notes.