Tactical Catastrophe: Rodgers reveals 6 reasons behind Villa changes; explains 'idea' behind Balotelli sub

In December, Brendan Rodgers pulled off a tactical masterstroke with his switch to a 343 formation (credit where credit's due), but his tactical limitations were cruelly exposed today against the the might of Aston Villa. Try as he might, Rodgers simply couldn't conceive of a tactical plan to triumph over a team currently languishing near the Premier League relegation zone, and after the game, he made an attempt to explain his constant changed throughout the game.

Liverpool started the game with Rodgers' preferred 343 formation, but during the match, he:

* Switched to a back-4 in the first half.
* Moved Coutinho - who scored a goals through the middle - out wide.
* Moved Gerrard into an ill-advised defensive-midfield role.
* Brought Balotelli on as a loan-forward in the second half.
* Moved Can into central midfield late in the second half.
* Reverted back to 343 in the latter stages of the game.

In his post-match press conference, Rodgers conceded that Villa 'were the better team', and offered two main reasons for his endless changes:

* Too 'passive' throughout the game, both in attack and defence.
* 'Movement and the sharpness' missing from the players.

Rodgers then outlined the 'idea for the changes':

* 'Spark some energy and some flow into the game'.
* To get a 'little bit more control of the game'
* To give 'more thrust and the energy to go forward'
* To get 'domination of the ball' and 'better possession'

Rodgers' changes abjectly failed to have any positive impact on the game, and it's fair to say that his tinkering probably cost Liverpool the game:

* Gerrard as a DM: Why? Rodgers has clearly learned nothing over the last year? Villa played at a high tempo, and Gerrard just didn't have the legs to keep up. This was obvious, though, so why make that particular change? It was a negligent, catastrophic decision, and it led to the Reds being overrun in midfield. Additionally, Gerrard's failure to win a header in the centre circle led to the Villa counter-attack that ended with the second goal.

* Balotelli is not a lone striker! This was categorically proven in the first half of the season, and the Italian himself has complained about playing there. If the idea was to give 'more thrust and energy' up-front, then why play Balotelli there, who provides little 'thrust' or 'energy'. Why not simply play Sterling through the middle, a tactic that has worked well on several occasions?

* Coutinho is most effective in a central role, yet soon after scoring a goal *from a central position*, Rodgers shifted him out wide, where's he less effective. It just beggars belief, and Coutinho was a peripheral figure for the rest of the game.

Rodgers derailed the first half of the season with his insistence on playing the likes of Gerrard, Coutinho, and Balotelli in the wrong positions, and when he finally stumbled onto the 343 (months after the issue was self-evident) it seemed as if he'd finally realised the error of his ways.

As today's game shows, though, that's clearly not the case. It was amateur hour at Wembley today, and Rodgers' inability effect a game against a relegation-threatened team is a giant red-flag.

Rodgers' intentions were honourable, and in the past, his in-game tactical changes have worked out well; ultimately, though, today represents tactical regression on a grand scale, and it may have sealed his fate at Anfield.

Author: Jaimie K