Allardyce makes controversial claim about Liverpool tactics

Will Ford

Former Everton boss Sam Allardyce claims that nobody will admit that Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool play long-ball football.

Allardyce himself would often come under fire for his direct style of football in his time in management, but the ex-England boss insists that the Reds are similar in their desire to get the ball from back-to-front quickly.

And although Allardyce believes people are unwilling to comment on it, he suggests more should be made of Klopp’s long-ball football.

FEATURE: Liverpool a long-ball team? More wilful ignorance, Big Sam…

“Liverpool play long ball very well indeed from right to left, and very quickly,” Allardyce said. “But nobody will say Liverpool play long ball.

“You wouldn’t hear Martin Tyler saying it because it would be frowned upon.

“You’ve got to be careful about saying they play long ball. But that’s the way it is. They play long ball exceptionally well and better than anybody else. And that’s why they do it.”

What you’ve done there, Sam, is confuse a ‘long ball’ with a ‘long raking pass to transition from defence to attack’. Easily done.