Pre‑season fixtures often spark debate about their true significance, and opinions differ wildly depending on who you ask. For supporters who have endured a long summer of alternative pastimes, the excitement of seeing new signings take the field and feeling the early momentum of a campaign is a welcome antidote to the lull. Yet at Anfield, that usual buzz has been abruptly halted by a series of disappointing performances both on the pitch and behind the scenes.
There is no scientific formula that can translate friendly results into league success. Consider Arsenal’s 2023‑24 pre‑season: they suffered a loss to Thomas Frank’s Tottenham in Hong Kong and were beaten at home by Villarreal in their penultimate warm‑up match.
Despite those setbacks, within nine months Arsenal’s manager was sacked, the club went on to clinch the Premier League title, and they reached a penalty shoot‑out in the Champions League final. By that logic, Liverpool’s back‑to‑back two‑goal defeats to Leeds United and Monaco could be dismissed as harmless flukes. Nevertheless, there are encouraging signs for new boss Andoni Iraola.
Young talents such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak – both of whom endured challenging debut seasons on Merseyside – have begun to flourish, each finding the net against Monaco on Sunday. These individual sparks, however, sit against a broader narrative that is beginning to worry the coaching staff, especially as the season opener against Newcastle looms less than two weeks away and will be televised live on Sky Sports on 23 August. One of the most glaring issues highlighted by the recent collapses is fitness.
Iraola’s Bournemouth side last season recorded the highest number of sprints in the Premier League, and his tactical blueprint 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, suggesting a mismatch between the physical demands of Iraola’s system and the current conditioning of his squad.
While the club has a long history of pressing football under Jürgen Klopp and many of his former players remain at Anfield, the transition to Arne Slot’s successor is still in its infancy. The mental adaptation is one hurdle; the physical one is even more pressing with the season only a fortnight away.
After the Monaco game, Iraola admitted that his players might only be capable of sustaining his intensity 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 official channels.
The fitness concerns are compounded by limited game time. Rival clubs have begun to prioritise continuity over rotation in their friendlies. 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 last weekend. Liverpool managed only three players to reach the hour‑mark.
Even Newcastle, Liverpool’s first‑league opponent, gave six players at least 67 minutes against Valencia, despite an early injury to Jacob Murphy. The core of Liverpool’s Sunday line‑up could realistically start the season at St James’ Park, and those very players were the ones who surged ahead 2‑0 against Monaco, offering glimpses of the brand of football Iraola hopes to instil. Yet, when it comes to depth, the Reds are lagging behind their rivals.
Chelsea, for example, rotated seamlessly, fielding Nicolas Jackson, Geovany Quenda and Estevão from the bench to secure a 3‑0 win over AC Milan. Liverpool, by contrast, relied on a centre‑back duo 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, the bench offers scant experience.
Victor Muñoz and Milos Kerkez – both likely starters against Newcastle – together accumulated only eight Premier League starts last season, five of which came from 17‑year‑old Rio Ngumoha. Iraola is well aware of the thinness of his squad.
Within weeks of taking charge, he publicly urged the board to invest in further reinforcements, yet the transfer market has not delivered the catalyst he envisioned. The recent departure of Michael Edwards and ongoing speculation surrounding Richard Hughes add to the uncertainty, but they cannot excuse a sluggish start if the team fails to hit the ground running.
The unexpected signing of Ronald Araujo is a positive development, yet Liverpool still possess only two fully fit senior centre‑backs. Conor Bradley remains months away from returning, according to Iraola, while at least Kostas Tsimikas and Milos Kerkez are currently healthy. Looking further ahead, Liverpool need more than Muñoz to replace Mohamed Salah, especially as Tottenham have shown interest in Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones missed Sunday’s defeat entirely while Inter Milan remain keen on signing the England midfielder. After splashing over £400 million last summer – a figure that remains staggering even after accounting for departures – it is reasonable to expect the club not to be short‑handed across multiple positions.
Some of the defensive woes are not self‑inflicted; a spate of injuries to Jeremy Jaquez, Giovanni Leoni and now Joe Gomez have left the back‑line exposed. With only Alexis Mac Allister returning from World Cup duty, the pre‑season has effectively exposed the gaps in Iraola’s roster, particularly on the flanks and in midfield. Time is rapidly running out to plug those holes before the transfer window shuts.
Few anticipate a repeat of Slot’s debut season or a Premier League trophy for Liverpool by the end of next May. The real question is how far off the Reds are from competing at the highest level and how successfully Iraola can embed his high‑pressing philosophy.
The answer will largely depend on the arrivals and departures that occur in the final three weeks of the transfer window, as the club scrambles to add the depth and stamina required for a grueling campaign.