Pre‑season fixtures often spark lively debate among fans, pundits and club insiders alike. Some argue that these matches are merely warm‑up exercises, a chance to test new signings and tactics without the pressure of points at stake. Others contend that early‑season form can foreshadow the challenges a team will face once the league campaign begins. At Anfield, the excitement that typically surrounds the arrival of a new campaign has been abruptly muted after a pair of disappointing performances that have left both supporters and the coaching staff uneasy.
The significance of pre‑season results is notoriously difficult to quantify. History offers plenty of examples where a team’s friendly outcomes bore little relation to their eventual success. Take Arsenal’s 2022 summer, when they suffered a surprising defeat to Tottenham in Hong Kong under Thomas Frank and then slipped at home to Villarreal in a later friendly. Within a year, Arsenal’s manager was dismissed, yet the club went on to clinch the Premier League title and reached the Champions League final, only falling short in a penalty shoot‑out.
Such cases suggest that a single poor result in a non‑competitive setting should not be over‑interpreted. Nevertheless, Liverpool’s recent two‑goal losses to Leeds United and Monaco have raised eyebrows, especially given the broader context of the club’s preparation under new manager Arne Slot, formerly known as Andoni Iraola at Bournemouth. While the defeats themselves may not dictate the season’s outcome, they have highlighted a pressing issue that the coaching staff can no longer ignore: player fitness and the ability to sustain high‑intensity pressing for extended periods.
Fitness has always been a hallmark of Liverpool’s identity, particularly under Jurgen Klopp, whose teams were famed for relentless pressing and rapid transitions. In Slot’s first season at Bournemouth, his side logged more sprints than any other Premier League team, a testament to the physical demands of his system. Liverpool, however, recorded the third‑fewest pressures and the second‑fewest high‑presses in the opposition’s half last campaign, indicating a possible decline in the collective work‑rate. After the Monaco friendly, Slot candidly admitted that his players might only be capable of executing his high‑pressing game plan 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 admission underscores a dual problem: limited match minutes for many first‑team members and a lack of depth that hampers rotation.
When comparing Liverpool’s approach to that of their rivals, a stark contrast emerges. Manchester City, Arsenal and Aston Villa—all of whom are also slated for Champions League football—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. Even Newcastle United, Liverpool’s opening Premier League opponent, gave six players more than 67 minutes against Valencia, despite an early injury to Jacob Murphy.
The fitness gap has tangible implications for squad depth. In a recent friendly, Chelsea’s bench supplied Nicolas Jackson, Georginio Wijnaldum and Esteve Cuadra, who collectively helped secure a 3‑0 victory over AC Milan. Liverpool, however, 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 Athletic—for the majority of the second half against Monaco. This scenario highlights the scarcity of experienced backup options, particularly in central defence.
Beyond the back‑line, Liverpool’s bench options are limited. Victor Muñoz and Milos Kerkez, likely to start against Newcastle, have together made only eight Premier League starts last season, five of which came from 17‑year‑old Rio Ngumoha.
Slot has been vocal about the need for additional reinforcements since his appointment, but the transfer market has yet to deliver the depth he requires. The recent departure of Michael Edwards and ongoing speculation surrounding Richard Hughes only compound the uncertainty.
The arrival of Ronald Araújo provides a modest boost, yet Liverpool still possess only two senior centre‑backs fit for regular action. Conor Bradley remains months away from returning to full fitness, according to Slot, while Kostas Tsimikas and Milos Kerkez are currently available. The club’s defensive options remain precarious, especially given the string of injuries that have plagued the back‑line, including setbacks to Jeremy Jaeckel, Giovanni Lo Celso and now Joe Gomez.
In midfield and attack, the situation is equally concerning. While Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak have shown promise in pre‑season, the squad still lacks a proven, world‑class striker to complement Mohamed Salah.
Cody Gakpo is reportedly attracting interest from Tottenham, and Curtis Jones missed the Monaco defeat entirely, with Inter Milan still rumored to be pursuing the England midfielder. After spending over £400 million on transfers last summer—an astronomical figure even before accounting for outgoing fees—Liverpool would reasonably expect a more robust roster across all positions.
The pre‑season, therefore, serves a crucial diagnostic purpose. It has exposed gaps in the squad, particularly on the flanks and in the central midfield area, and has underscored the urgency of addressing them before the transfer window closes.
With only three weeks remaining, the club must act decisively to secure the depth required to compete on multiple fronts. While few anticipate a repeat of Slot’s debut season at Bournemouth or expect Liverpool to lift the Premier League trophy by the end of next May, the extent of the club’s progress will hinge on how effectively the remaining transfer business is conducted and how quickly the players adapt to the physical demands of Slot’s philosophy. If the coaching staff can improve fitness levels, integrate new signings seamlessly, and restore the high‑pressing intensity that defines Liverpool’s brand of football, the early pre‑season setbacks may become a footnote rather than a foreboding omen for the campaign ahead.