Pre‑season fixtures often spark heated debate among fans and pundits alike. Some argue that they are merely warm‑up games, while others believe they provide a crucial glimpse of a team’s shape, fitness and tactical direction ahead of the competitive calendar. For supporters who have endured a long summer without football, the anticipation of seeing new signings in action and feeling the early momentum of a campaign is especially intense. Yet at Anfield, the usual buzz surrounding the pre‑season has been abruptly muted, both on the training ground and in the match results.
There is no scientific formula that translates pre‑season outcomes into league success. Consider Arsenal’s experience last summer: they suffered a defeat to Thomas Frank’s Tottenham in a friendly in Hong Kong and then lost at home to Villarreal in their penultimate warm‑up match. Despite those setbacks, within nine months Arsenal’s manager was dismissed, the club clinched the Premier League title, and they reached the Champions League final, falling only in a penalty shoot‑out.
By that logic, Liverpool’s recent two‑goal collapses against Leeds United and Monaco could be dismissed as harmless hiccups. 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 shown promise, each getting on the scoresheet in the Monaco game.
Their progress suggests that the squad possesses the technical quality required for Iraola’s vision. The bigger story, however, lies in the growing concerns that the coach has already raised publicly, with less than two weeks remaining before Liverpool’s league opener against Newcastle on August 23. Those concerns centre on one of the most pressing issues for the Reds: overall fitness and the ability to sustain high‑intensity pressing. During Jurgen Klopp’s tenure, Liverpool became synonymous with relentless pressing, often ranking among the highest in the league for sprints and high‑press actions.
By contrast, last season Liverpool recorded the third‑fewest pressures and the second‑fewest opposition‑half high presses of any Premier League side. While the club remains accustomed to a high‑pressing ethos, the transition to Iraola’s system—a style that also demands rigorous physical output—has yet to be fully internalised, both mentally and physically, especially with the season looming. After the Monaco fixture, Iraola admitted that his players might only be capable of executing his pressing scheme for roughly half an hour at a stretch.
"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 many first‑team members during the pre‑season. Other top clubs have used their friendlies to build cohesion, keeping key starters on the pitch for extended periods.
Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa—all of whom will also be competing in the Champions League—each fielded five or more outfield players for at least 75 minutes in their recent warm‑up matches. Liverpool, by contrast, managed to keep only three players on the field for a full hour.
Even Newcastle, Liverpool’s opening opponent, gave six players at least 67 minutes against Valencia, despite an early injury to Jacob Murphy. The implication is clear: Liverpool’s squad depth and conditioning lag behind their rivals.
While the starting XI that faced Monaco demonstrated flashes of the dynamic, high‑press football Iraola aspires to, the lack of sustained minutes raises doubts about whether the team can maintain that intensity for 90 minutes in a competitive match. Depth becomes even more critical when considering the defensive options available. Chelsea, for example, could rotate in Nicolas Jackson, Georginio Rutter and Esteve Cuenca to secure a 3‑0 victory over AC Milan.
Liverpool, however, relied on a centre‑back pairing of Wataru Endo and Luke Chambers—both of whom spent the previous season on loan at Charlton—for much of the second half against Monaco. Apart from Victor Munoz and Milos Kerkez, who are likely to start against Newcastle, the eight players who entered the second half of the Monaco game together have accumulated just eight Premier League starts between them last season, five of which belong to 17‑year‑old Rio Ngumoha. Iraola is fully aware of the thinness of his roster. Within weeks of his appointment he warned the club that further reinforcements were essential, yet the transfer market has not delivered the expected boost.
The departure of Michael Edwards in July and ongoing speculation surrounding Richard Hughes’ future add to the uncertainty. Although the unexpected signing of Ronald Araújo provides a boost, Liverpool still possess only two senior, fully fit centre‑backs.
Conor Bradley is projected to be "months" away from returning to full fitness, while Kostas Tsimikas and Milos Kerkez remain the only other reliable options at full‑back. Beyond defence, the attacking department also faces challenges. Replacing Mohamed Salah’s goal‑scoring output will require more than the addition of Victor Munoz; there is speculation that Tottenham is eyeing Cody Gakpo, and Curtis Jones missed Sunday’s defeat entirely as Inter Milan continue to pursue the English midfielder.
After splurging over £400 million in the summer—an astronomical sum even before accounting for outgoing transfers—Liverpool would reasonably expect to have a more robust squad across all positions. Some of the defensive frailties are not solely the result of poor planning but stem from an unfortunate run of injuries to players such as Jeremy Jecent, Giovanni Lo Celso and now Joe Gomez. Nevertheless, with only Alexis Mac Allister returning from the World Cup, the pre‑season has exposed clear gaps, especially in wide‑forward roles and midfield depth. The clock is ticking for Iraola to address these deficiencies before the transfer window shuts.
Few analysts anticipate a repeat of Slot’s debut season or a Premier League title for Liverpool by the end of next May. However, the distance between the club’s current state and those lofty goals will largely depend on the activity in the final three weeks of the transfer window. Strengthening the squad, improving fitness levels, and ensuring that the high‑pressing philosophy can be sustained for a full ninety minutes will be essential if Liverpool hopes to compete on multiple fronts this season.