Liverpool have been brilliant in recent weeks, and there’s a reason they’re top of both the Premier League and the Champions League.
Indeed, Arne Slot has been nothing short of a genius since arriving at Anfield, and some of his tactical decisions have been heralded.
Slot has transformed Ryan Gravenberch as a player, while Ibrahima Konate is playing his best football under Slot.
The Dutchman recently made an interesting tactical change as Luis Diaz has shown a bit of versatility as he’s played as a central striker in recent weeks.
Speaking on the Official Liverpool Podcast, Phil Thompson has been discussing Diaz’s outings as a striker for Liverpool, and he’s hailed this tactical switch.
Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images
Phil Thompson praises Arne Slot for using Luis Diaz as a striker
Thompson spoke about the £49m man’s position change.
The pundit says that it’s a great bit of coaching to use Diaz as a striker, and that this new dynamic creates all sorts of problems for opposition defenders.
“These are producing at the moment, no matter what, the changes that he makes. Now we’ve seen, which is a great bit of coaching, we’ve seen Luis Diaz ending up at centre forward, which is a little bit of a change,” Thompson said.
You know, Darwin loves the balls over the top, through the middle, Luis can do that, but can also come off the front. It creates all sorts, and we’re giving opposition defenders all sorts of problems all the time, different problems.”
Luis Diaz tipped to start up front vs Fulham
Thompson has been very impressed by Diaz’s outings as a striker in recent weeks, and on the same podcast, he tipped the Colombian to start up front against Fulham.
“As we’ve seen, it’s always more difficult for Darwin when there’s nowhere to run in behind. Particularly, that was such packed defences today. Luis Diaz seems to have closer control in and around, say, sort of 5 or 10 yards outside the penalty box,” Thompson said.
“He looks better in possession. And I would think Fulham will be a difficult game. And I would think at this moment, my thoughts, it would be Luis Diaz down the centre on Saturday.”
The game against Fulham may be more suited to Diaz than Nunez it must be said.
Calvin Bassey and Issa Diop are likely to start in the heart of the Fulham defence, and they will be able to match Nunez stride for stride in terms of pace and strength.
However, these two defenders can be undone by a player who is nimble and tricky with the ball, and that’s exactly what Diaz is.
Diaz has played as a striker a handful of times in his career, and his record in that position is quite decent.
Luis Diaz’s record as a striker
Games 7
Goals 3
Assists 0
Three goals in seven appearances really isn’t a bad return, and who knows? If Diaz can continue to impress in that position, perhaps he can make that role his own.
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