There are ample groups who, for the following season, are in search of managers. Liverpool, Barcelona, and Bayern Munich are the highest three in search of a change, as their managers are scheduled to depart on the finish of the present season. So, there may be plenty of hypothesis on who might take cost of those golf equipment. One man who has been linked with two of those golf equipment is Roberto de Zerbi. We’ve already lined how he’ll slot in as Bayern Munich supervisor. Nonetheless, de Zerbi’s type is definitely extra near that of Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool.
The German has had a profitable tenure at Anfield profitable eight trophies which embody a Premier League and a Champions League. Nonetheless, along with his tenure coming to an finish, Liverpool have made fast strikes, appointing Richard Hughes as sporting director and Mark Burchill as chief scout.
Liverpool have a easy goal: make the surroundings as useful as doable for the incoming supervisor. And that is the place Roberto de Zerbi looks like an awesome appointment although, for now, the membership’s essential goal stays Bayer Leverkusen’s Xabi Alonso.
So, how will Roberto de Zerbi slot in as Liverpool’s supervisor?
Roberto de Zerbi Brighton stats
One simple option to discover how Roberto de Zerbi is nice for Liverpool is to analyse his Brighton crew. The crew overview chart from knowledge analytics website xValue exhibits us some clear similarities between the 2 groups. As an illustration, each groups have outperformed the league common on objectives conceded, possession, Area Tilt, pictures, and objectives.
Earlier than we transfer ahead, we should set up that there’s a gulf in school between the 2 sides. The explanation for that is protecting this in thoughts will assist us additional to know what superb job de Zerbi has dons on the Amex.
Anybody who has watched even an iota of soccer that Liverpool play underneath Jurgen Klopp is aware of the essential philosophy of excessive urgent and dominating areas. So, what are the metrics that measure excessive urgent. There are 4 primary metrics and we’ll analyse them one after the other for each Brighton and Liverpool.
The primary metric is undoubtedly the Gegenpressing Depth Share (GPI). Liverpool are high on the metric however de Zerbi’s facet Are additionally the fourth-best within the metric This exhibits that even Brighton play in a method that tries to permit their opponents as little time on the ball as doable.
Now, we go to the second metric in Area Tilt, a metric that measures how a lot possession an opponent has within the opposition’s half. This metric is an extension that proves {that a} crew is taking part in such a high-pressing type that they don’t permit their rivals to have the ball even of their half. And each Liverpool and Brighton are among the many high 5 on this metric.
The third metric is the Passes Allowed per Defensive Motion (PPDA). So, what does the PPDA entail? It truly measures what number of passes an opposition is allowed on the ball when they’re performing a defensive motion. For the reason that stress on a participant is least when they’re taking part in passes or sideways, a decrease PPDA quantity signifies that their opposition have been taking part in a excessive press so intense that even initiating defensive actions was very troublesome. Brighton rank because the fifth-best crew on the metric, whereas the Reds are the highest crew on this regard.
Nonetheless, there may be one metric the place Brighton haven’t been at their finest, and it’s the Buildup Disruption Share(BDP), which measures how usually a crew disrupts the opposition’s buildup both by means of a sort out or profitable the ball.
Then, there are different metrics to search for. Brighton had 171 pictures on track, solely 28 lower than Liverpool. Their shot accuracy is 40 per cent, the very best within the league. They’re additionally simply behind the Reds in having touches within the opposition’s field. And the Seagulls have outperformed their far more stronger rivals on the whole variety of passes, the accuracy of these passes, and having the possession of the ball.
So, briefly, de Zerbi has managed to make his crew as an identical as doable to Klopp’s crew with the assets that he has at his disposal.
Roberto de Zerbi Brighton techniques
Roberto De Zerbi is a person obsessive about having possession of the ball. Nonetheless, he has managed to create a wedding between the Gegenpressing and the Spanish Tiki Taka system. Which means that de Zerbi’s essential focus is to maintain the ball and provoke the excessive press as quickly as they lose it. Nonetheless, there’s a methodology to the insanity.
As a lot as he could also be a supporter of the excessive press and possession based mostly soccer, de Zerbi ensures that this doesn’t happen at a lack of the crew’s form. Every participant on the crew is tasked with a particular function and is aware of the place he ought to place himself in keeping with any given state of affairs.
Brighton have had greater than 50 per cent of possession among the many high 5 groups. This included video games towards Aston Villa, Chelsea, and Manchester United. This sort of system calls for one particular factor: press-resistant gamers in the course of the park. Billy Gilmour and Pascal Gross completely match the invoice.
Gross has ten assists, essentially the most within the league, and has created the second-most probabilities within the league after Bruno Fernandes. Gilmour has been an in a position accomplice to the German.
Gross, alongside along with his centre-backs Lewis Dunk and Jan Paul van Hecke, is among the many high 5 passengers within the league. It’s as a result of Brighton follows the identical sample as the Reds, beginning the play from the again to lure the opposition and disrupt their form. This opens up areas between the traces, which is the place Brighton attackers shine essentially the most. The most important downside this season has been the disappointing efficiency of the strikers Joao Pedro and Evan Ferguson. In truth, no participant has managed to hit double figures as a striker, which exhibits how lacklustre the attacker has been.
Regardless of that, Brighton haven’t deserted their excessive urgent type which exhibits de Zerbi’s confidence in his strategies one thing eerily much like Klopp.
Roberto de Zerbi at Liverpool
Now the query stays how de Zerbi will slot in at Liverpool. Until now, we’ve got confirmed by stats in addition to techniques that the Italian may be the closest factor to Jurgen Klopp. Nonetheless, de Zerbi additionally has different methods up his sleeve. Klopp was not solely identified for his sensible tactical imaginative and prescient but additionally for his unimaginable man administration.
The rise of a number of children on the membership this season is an ideal instance of how good the German has been in getting the very best out of the younger expertise at his disposal. That is what de Zerbi has achieved integrating gamers like Gilmour, Ferguson, Simon Adingra, and Tariq Lamptey which aligns with the Liverpool imaginative and prescient.
When quizzed on whether or not he would keep at Brighton, de Zerbis stated, “No, no. My focus is on Brighton this season, the following season. However the subsequent season, earlier than to start out the season, I want to converse and I want to take heed to the plan of the crew. It’s a severe factor.”
That is maybe a sign that he could possibly be the primary man at Anfield come subsequent season.
