Some coaches build teams, while others build armies. Jürgen belongs to the latter category. He commands his fortress like a general, and his Spartans are ready to follow him into battle and die for him if he so much as lifts a finger. You can be a genius, but you won’t achieve anything if you can’t build a family bond within the group. An exceptional master of mentality 🎥@FathalliMo

To finish, I want to return to some of the areas where Trey still has room to improve. He struggled at times when Spurs used pass-and-go combinations, while certain rotations also created moments of uncertainty that required him to adapt quickly and recognise his defensive responsibilities. These were by no means representative of his overall performance, but they do give us a useful indication of where Trey can continue to develop: reacting quicker, adapting faster to changing situations, and improving his understanding of when and how to pass on his marker as the opposition rotate

Nyoni also displayed several qualities associated with a “6” - the destroyer. He drifted into pockets, constantly scanning his surroundings and recognising the moments when he could step out aggressively to win the ball. At the same time, he maintained the defensive structure rather than abandoning his position unnecessarily. His concentration allowed him to anticipate the opposition’s intentions, identify what they were trying to create and disrupt the action before it could develop

Building on what I mentioned earlier, Trey’s work with Alexis, as well as with McConnell, was also important in anticipating potential central progressions from the opposition - and in those moments when a small gap appeared and needed to be quickly closed before it developed into something more dangerous. It was less about reacting to Spurs successfully playing through the middle and more about recognising the possibility early, covering the space and putting out those little fires before they could spread

Iraola uses the out-of-possession phase as a platform for his in-possession game - it may sound counterintuitive, but that connection is very much there. And this is where Trey brings his own qualities into the picture. Frimpong, whom I praised after the game, wins the position and the ball following a well-executed team pressing trap. He then feeds Nyoni, who immediately understands where he needs to be and how he needs to position himself. Thanks to his body coordination, Trey executes a sharp half-turn and, just as he did earlier, quickly releases the ball to a teammate. The sequence didn’t result in a goal, but the outcome was still highly encouraging. After all, the effectiveness of pressing and counter-pressing can ultimately be assessed through the xG generated from the resulting situations

From there, Trey adjusted his positioning to prevent those gaps in the shape from appearing again, and his coordination with Alexis became increasingly effective. Together, they pressed the opposing “6”, forcing Dubravka into longer passes. Trey would immediately adjust his body orientation and sprint back to support the defensive line, competing for the second ball and then feeding it into McConnell, who was responsible for its quick distribution. It was another clear example of Trey consistently correcting behaviour that had been disrupted earlier in the game. And that is particularly encouraging when you consider he’s only 19 years old

Let’s move on to how Trey contributed to the collective defensive objectives, where there were a few isolated moments of disruption. One example came when Trey doubled up on Alexis, reacting too quickly to the situation and leaving his own marker well behind him. That opened access into the central third for Spurs and allowed them to attack with a numerical advantage and real momentum. Add a late-arriving Rio from the right, and suddenly you have a genuinely dangerous situation developing. But…

Trey was also comfortable occupying wider areas of the block when the situation demanded it - or, more precisely, when he interpreted the context and recognised the need to adapt. Rather than rigidly holding his position, he chose solutions that helped compensate for temporary weaknesses in the team’s shape, showing a good understanding of the bigger defensive picture

His anticipation and positioning were particularly valuable during set-piece phases and restarts, such as throw-ins and corners - situations Liverpool have struggled to manage consistently in recent times. Nyoni’s ability to read the next action and position himself early allowed him to stay connected to the structure and react quickly when the ball or opposition movement changed. I’ve seen @LewisFN00 highlight this protection of the “14”, using the differences between the Fulham game and the Spurs game as an example - and rightly giving Trey credit for his execution in this regard

The cover layer was particularly important because Nyoni showed a good understanding of when to engage and when to hold his position. He would curve his runs into the challenge, shaping his body so that, once he won the ball, his body orientation allowed him to release it immediately to a teammate. That goes a long way towards explaining why Liverpool so often came out on top in those contested situations. Nyoni was willing to step into congested areas, win the loose ball and quickly move it on - turning defensive actions into immediate possession