Pre‑season fixtures often spark debate about their true significance, and opinions differ wildly depending on who you ask. Supporters, eager to move beyond a summer filled with alternative pastimes, are keen to witness new signings in action and to feel the early signs of momentum building toward the upcoming campaign. Yet at Anfield, that usual buzz has been abruptly interrupted, both on the pitch and behind the scenes. There is no scientific equation that can translate pre‑season results into league success.
Consider last summer when Arsenal suffered a defeat to Thomas Frank's Tottenham in Hong Kong and then dropped points at home to Villarreal in a friendly. Within nine months, Frank was dismissed, while Arsenal went on to clinch the Premier League title and reached a penalty shoot‑out in the Champions League final.
By that logic, Liverpool’s recent two‑goal collapses against Leeds United and Monaco could be dismissed as mere blips. Nevertheless, 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 thrived in the warm‑up games, each finding the net against Monaco on Sunday.
These positives, however, sit alongside a growing sense of unease that has already prompted Iraola to voice concerns publicly, with less than two weeks remaining before Liverpool’s season opener against Newcastle on Sky Sports, August 23. One of the most glaring issues highlighted by the recent defeats is fitness. Iraola’s Bournemouth side last season logged more sprints than any other Premier League team, and his philosophy relies heavily on a high‑pressing, physically demanding style. Liverpool, by contrast, executed the third‑fewest pressures and the second‑fewest opposition‑half high presses in the league last term.
While the club has long been accustomed to pressing under Jürgen Klopp and still retains many of his former players, the transition to Slot’s successor demands a substantial mental and physical adjustment, especially with the league kickoff looming. After the Monaco match, Iraola admitted that his players might only be capable of sustaining his tactics for about 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 official channels. This candid assessment also underscores the limited game time his squad has enjoyed.
Rival clubs have begun to prioritise cohesion over rotation; Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa—all Champions League qualifiers—each kept five or more outfield starters on the field for at least 75 minutes in their recent friendlies. Liverpool managed only three players to reach the hour mark.
Even Newcastle, Liverpool’s first opponent, gave six players at least 67 minutes against Valencia, despite an early injury to Jacob Murphy. By contrast, Liverpool’s line‑up against Monaco featured a core group that could conceivably start the season opener, and it was those very starters who raced to a 2‑0 lead and displayed flashes of the system Iraola hopes to embed. The fitness gap forces the importance of squad depth into sharper focus, and here the manager faces a cascade of challenges.
Chelsea, for example, could rely on the bench—Nicolas Jackson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Estêvão—to secure a 3‑0 win over AC Milan, while Liverpool were forced to rely on a centre‑back pairing of Wataru Endo and Luke Chambers—both of whom spent the previous season on loan at Charlton—for most of the second half against Monaco. Beyond the back line, Liverpool’s bench is thin.
Victor Muñoz and Milos Kerkez, likely starters against Newcastle, have collectively made only eight Premier League starts last season, five of which came from 17‑year‑old Rio Ngumoha. Iraola is well aware of the squad’s limitations; within weeks of taking charge he warned the board that further reinforcements were essential, yet the transfer market has yet to deliver the desired catalyst. The recent departure of Michael Edwards and ongoing speculation surrounding Richard Hughes add further uncertainty. While the surprise signing of Ronald Araújo provides some relief, Liverpool still possess only two fit senior centre‑backs.
Conor Bradley is expected to be "months" away from returning, according to Iraola, leaving the club to rely on the fitness of Kostas Tsimikas and Milos Kerkez. Looking ahead, Liverpool will also need a viable replacement for Mohamed Salah. Cody Gakpo has attracted interest from Tottenham, and Curtis Jones missed Sunday’s defeat entirely as Inter Milan continue to pursue the England midfielder.
After splashing more than £400 million on transfers last summer—an astronomical figure even before accounting for outgoings—the expectation is that Liverpool should not be left shorthanded in multiple positions. Some of the defensive frailties are not entirely self‑inflicted; a string of injuries to Jeremy Jaquez, Giovanni Leoni and now Joe Gomez has depleted the centre‑back options more than any planning shortfall. Nonetheless, with only Alexis Mac Allister returning from World Cup duty, the pre‑season has served as a stark diagnostic tool for Iraola, exposing holes especially in the wide‑forward and midfield areas. Time is running out to plug those gaps before the transfer window shuts.
Few anticipate that Slot’s debut season will be replicated or that Liverpool will be in contention for the Premier League trophy by the end of next May. Yet the distance between the current situation and any realistic ambition will largely hinge on the player movements in the remaining three weeks of the transfer window. Whether Iraola can successfully instil his high‑pressing philosophy and bridge the fitness deficit will determine how competitive Liverpool can be once the season truly begins.