Pre‑season fixtures often spark debate among supporters and pundits alike. Some argue that these games are merely warm‑ups, while others see them as a crucial barometer for the upcoming campaign. For fans who have been cooped up over the summer, the anticipation of seeing new signings take the field and feeling the early momentum of a team gearing up for a new season is palpable.
Yet at Anfield, that excitement has been abruptly dampened by a series of disappointing performances both on the pitch and behind the scenes. There is no hard‑and‑fast rule that links pre‑season results directly to league outcomes. Consider the case of Arsenal last summer: they suffered a loss to Thomas Frank’s Tottenham side in a Hong Kong showcase and then fell at home to Villarreal in their penultimate friendly.
Within nine months, however, Frank was dismissed, Arsenal went on to claim the Premier League title, and they were only a penalty shoot‑out away from lifting the Champions League. By that logic, Liverpool’s consecutive two‑goal defeats to Leeds United and Monaco could be dismissed as inconsequential.
Nonetheless, there are encouraging signs for new manager Andoni Iraola. Young talents such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak—both of whom endured challenging first seasons on Merseyside—have begun to flourish in the friendly arena, each finding the net against Monaco on Sunday. These individual flashes of quality suggest that the squad possesses the technical ability to compete at a high level. The broader picture, however, is less reassuring.
With less than two weeks remaining before Liverpool’s season opener against Newcastle on August 23, Iraola has already taken to the public platform to flag concerns that go beyond simple results. The most pressing issue highlighted by the recent collapses is fitness. Last season, Bournemouth under Iraola logged more sprints than any other Premier League side, reflecting the high‑pressing, physically demanding style he favours.
Liverpool, by contrast, registered the third‑fewest pressures and the second‑fewest opposition‑half high presses across the league. While Jurgen Klopp’s era accustomed the club to an intense pressing game, the transition to Iraola’s philosophy demands both mental and physical adaptation, and the clock is ticking.
After the Monaco friendly, Iraola admitted that his players might only be capable of sustaining his tactical approach for roughly thirty minutes at a time. "We played well in the first half, especially the first 30 minutes, but right now probably we don't have much more in terms of the level required to play like this," he told the club’s media channels.
This candid assessment underscores a deeper problem: limited game time for the squad. Rival clubs have begun to prioritise continuity over rotation in their preparatory matches.
Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa—all Champions League qualifiers—each kept at least five outfield starters on the pitch for 75 minutes or more in their recent friendlies. Liverpool, by contrast, managed only three players for a full hour. Newcastle, Liverpool’s opening opponent, fielded six players for at least 67 minutes against Valencia, even after Jacob Murphy was forced off early due to injury. This comparative lack of minutes raises questions about whether Liverpool’s first‑team regulars will be ready to hit the ground running at St James’ Park.
The starting XI that produced a 2‑0 lead against Monaco displayed glimpses of Iraola’s intended brand of football, but those moments were fleeting. Depth is another critical factor.
While Chelsea could summon Nicolas Jackson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Estevão on the bench to secure a 3‑0 victory over AC Milan, Liverpool were left with a centre‑back pairing of Wataru Endo and Luke Chambers—both of whom spent the previous season on loan at Charlton—during the second half of the Monaco match. Beyond the backline, the eight players who entered for Liverpool after halftime collectively logged just eight Premier League starts last season, five of which belonged to 17‑year‑old Rio Ngumoha. Such inexperience could prove costly when the season intensifies.
Iraola is well aware of the squad’s thinness. Within weeks of taking charge, he publicly urged the club hierarchy to act in the transfer market, arguing that additional reinforcements were essential.
The departure of Michael Edwards and ongoing speculation surrounding Richard Hughes have not helped, and while the surprise signing of Ronald Araujo adds some quality, Liverpool still possess only two fully fit senior centre‑backs. Conor Bradley is expected to be "months" away from returning, leaving Kostas Tsimikas and Milos Kerkez as the only reliable options on the flanks.
The midfield and attacking departments also face challenges. Replacing Mohamed Salah remains a priority, and while Cody Gakpo has attracted interest from Tottenham, Curtis Jones missed Sunday’s defeat entirely and is still being courted by Inter Milan. Despite spending well over £400 million on transfers last summer—a figure that remains massive even after accounting for player sales—Liverpool still appear short‑handed in several key areas.
Some of these shortages are not the result of poor planning but rather a string of untimely injuries. Centre‑back problems have been exacerbated by setbacks to Jeremy Jacquet, Giovanni Leoni and now Joe Gomez, leaving the defensive line vulnerable. Moreover, with only Alexis Mac Allister returning from World Cup duty, pre‑season has effectively exposed the gaps in Iraola’s squad, especially across the wide‑forward positions and central midfield.
Time is rapidly running out to plug those holes before the transfer window shuts. Few fans expect Liverpool to replicate the meteoric rise of Slot’s debut season or to lift the Premier League trophy by next May. Yet the distance between the current state and those lofty ambitions will largely depend on the club’s activity in the remaining three weeks of the transfer window. If the Reds can secure the necessary reinforcements, improve fitness levels, and give their players sufficient minutes to adapt to the high‑pressing system, they may still carve out a competitive season.
If not, the early setbacks could foreshadow a campaign fraught with inconsistency and a struggle to keep pace with rivals who have already built superior match cohesion and stamina during their summer preparations.