FootyChatter.com

Judge by the three-minute You Tube highlights alone and you’d be hard-pressed to find much different about Liverpool in Arne Slot’s first match at Anfield, the 2-0 victory over Brentford on Sunday. After all, if you wanted two goals that summarised Liverpool’s style under his predecessor, Jurgen Klopp, you’d choose those two goals — a breakaway with all three forwards combining on the run and later a smooth finish from Mohamed Salah after a high press. Advertisement Watch the full 90 minutes, though, and there were obvious differences. Liverpool’s build-up play is more deliberately laboured, attempting to suck the opposition in before bypassing them. In fact, Liverpool twice came close to scoring perfect goals for that style of football: when Diogo Jota nearly turned home Trent Alexander-Arnold’s volleyed cross; and when Salah was denied by a last-ditch challenge after a couple of give-and-goes. The chances both came after Liverpool had patiently built up play, then suddenly transformed the move into something more direct. But, of course, those moves won’t always be accelerated. At times the passing patterns lacked purpose. At times, players held their positions when previously they might have bombed forward. Liverpool’s pass completion rate was the highest on record according to Opta, whose numbers go back two decades. This was control beyond what Klopp wanted, but also beyond what, say, Brendan Rodgers wanted — and he was a manager who arrived at Liverpool promising death by passing. Perhaps the most interesting thing, though, was the atmosphere. For those of us watching on television, this seemed noticeably muted by Anfield standards. Watching at home isn’t always the best barometer, of course, but it was mentioned twice by Sky Sports co-commentator Jamie Carragher, towards the end of the match and in the post-match coverage. Considering only one man — winger Ian Callaghan of the 1960s and 1970s — has ever played more games at Anfield, he can be considered a reliable judge. There are some mitigating circumstances. The first home game of the season always feels a sleepier atmosphere than usual, in warm weather and with some regulars away on holiday. A home match against Brentford is one of the less enthralling fixtures of the campaign. But even so, this said something about the nature of English football crowds. More so than in other nations, noise levels in English football stadiums rely on action, which isn’t always provided by controlled possession football. Advertisement You can travel elsewhere in Europe — Germany, for example — and the culture is about creating a constant wall of noise. Klopp’s former side Dortmund have probably become the best example. In countries with more of an ‘ultras’ culture, there is relentless chanting, often conducted more literally than in England. That overrides the crowd reaction to many on-pitch incidents — there are fewer audible moans when a foul is committed, fewer jeers when there’s an opposition shot way off target, and sometimes less of a silence when a goal is conceded. There is, of course, regular chanting from English crowds, but the noise is a little more ‘interactive’. While a ‘German-style’ atmosphere is more sonically impressive, the ‘English-style’ atmosphere, in isolation, would give you more clues about the circumstances of the game. Various managers have commented on this in passing. Rinus Michels, the architect of total football, is gently scathing about English football in his book, Teambuilding. Michels is complimentary about the focus on pressing in the English game, saying, “The total pressure style of football, especially well developed in England”, before suggesting the country is associated with “limited build-up strategies and therefore average positional play”. Michels also writes that the counterpart of possession football “is the refined kick-and-rush football, as seen mostly in the UK and Norway. However, top teams from these countries are putting more elements of circulation football in their game. As coaches, though, we cannot forget that the spectators in England enjoy watching these kick-and-run games. There is always something happening around the penalty box”. Granted, it’s unfair to term Klopp’s Liverpool as ‘kick and run’, but at times last season, the matches were approaching that. And it’s notable that Michels directly mentions the spectators and the sense that more frantic football creates end-to-end matches and that gets the crowd involved. Advertisement Jose Mourinho, too, referenced something similar. “How many countries can you think of where a corner kick is treated with the same applause as a goal? ” Mourinho asked Gianluca Vialli in his book, The Italian Job. “One. It only happens in England. And what is the best way to get a corner? Just kicking the ball into the box and pressing the second ball! ” But it’s probably also true that English fans react more strongly to every incident. Rather than solely having a strong fetish for corner kicks — although that may also be partly true — it’s also because English fans are more ‘reactive’. Vialli, himself a former Chelsea manager, later summarises, “In speaking to my foreign colleagues, I have realised how much English football changes you (as a manager) and how much of that is down to the supporters. ” This phenomenon carries over to other sports. The sound effects from a game of Test cricket in England correlate precisely with what is happening on the field, whereas a game from India is often a more constant background of noise. Once you’re accustomed to these differences, it is impossible to accept the artificial crowd noise, a feature of behind-closed-doors sport in the Covid era, as an adequate replacement. Most English football supporters agree that top-level atmospheres aren’t what they used to be, which owes to both an element of nostalgia and also the reality; increased ticket prices, the higher average age of supporters and a larger percentage of tourists are all frequently blamed. The actual style of football is probably an underrated factor. Pep Guardiola has semi-regularly complained about the lack of noise at Manchester City’s home games, but while most City supporters admire the style of play, the side’s constant control and the relatively few ‘flashpoints’ that originate from such consistent patient passing means they sometimes lack a moment to latch onto and get into the game. English crowds often get going because of a big tackle, or a hurried piece of closing down. You don’t get that if your defenders string together 30 passes in a row. And it doesn’t always need to be a literal on-pitch moment. In 2021, when Arsenal quietened the Anfield crowd with a controlled opening to a league game, the turning point came at 0-0 when Mikel Arteta got involved in a touchline row with Klopp. That ignited the crowd, the atmosphere turned, and so did the game. A more fearsome, frenetic match suited Liverpool, who ran out 4-0 winners. Anfield features in this type of debate so frequently because it remains famous for its atmosphere, particularly on big European nights. Liverpool, more so than any other major English club, are driven by emotion and therefore, at times, thrive on a lack of logic. Advertisement Even managers like Gerard Houllier and Rafael Benitez, who have demanded a controlled, cautious style of football, have enjoyed their greatest moments when performances have been less about planning and more about passion. Houllier’s high points were an unlikely FA Cup final comeback against Arsenal in 2001 and a chaotic 5-4 UEFA Cup final win over Alaves shortly afterwards; Benitez’s were trophies won on penalties after 3-3 draws with AC Milan and West Ham. But this isn’t really about Liverpool, or Liverpool fans, or the new Liverpool manager. It’s equally about how, in an era where the majority of Premier League players, managers and owners are all foreign, at least part of English football identity comes from the crowd. Even Johan Cruyff, the most stubborn Dutch football ideologist, used to talk about how much he admired English crowds, how much managers had to adapt to the countries they were working in, and “how important it is for the people to be able to identify with football, of it to be something that suits them emotionally”. Liverpool supporters will naturally adapt to Slot’s ways, but the reverse might happen more than Slot expects, too. GO DEEPER Relatively few new players started on the Premier League's opening weekend - but why? (Top photo: Fans at Anfield in summer; by Peter Powell/AFP via Getty Images) Get all-access to exclusive stories. Subscribe to The Athletic for in-depth coverage of your favorite players, teams, leagues and clubs. Try a week on us. Michael Cox concentrates on tactical analysis. He is the author of two books - The Mixer, about the tactical evolution of the Premier League, and Zonal Marking, about footballing philosophies across Europe. Follow Michael on Twitter @Zonal_Marking