Liverpool’s pre-season is well on its way as they prepare to bounce back from their miserable title defense 2021/22.
It has really been an uneven – sprinkled with half-time replacements and 30-minute mini-friendly matches – and the chaos continued on Thursday with a hammer-and-tongs 4-3 defeat against Bundesliga’s Hertha BSC.
But what did we learn from their recent outing? And is their season over before a competition ball has been kicked?
We’ve broken it down for everything you need to know.
After months of hard work together, back on the field together?
A fitting moment ❤️ pic.twitter.com/l6WleegrRQ
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 29 July 2021
Guess who just came back today? The wild-eyed boys who had been gone Have not changed, had a lot to say But man, I still think those cats are crazy
Oh yes, it’s been nine months or so since Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez were last on the field together. But here they arrived in the last 20 minutes, finally reunited and ready to take over.
… and then Stefan Jovetic made a complete mockery of the pair to score Hertha’s fourth goal.
Okay, maybe they’ll take some time to get started again. But it’s still very, very good to have them back.
? ️ “There are some good things to take – we are still building – but we need to be more consistent during the matches and more resilient as we get closer to the season”
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 29 July 2021
One thing we did not expect to see during the pre-season was that Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain was deployed as a central striker. But in the absence of any real alternative to Roberto Firmino, that’s the role he’s played most of the time.
Taurus replaced Takumi Minamino at half time and played mostly in the middle of the top three and popped up with a proper striker late when he hammered in a half volley.
Could this be something we see more of when the competition action starts?
Near ??? pic.twitter.com/BpHkUXjqaj
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 30 July 2021
We are all used to seeing Naby Keita show up during the pre-season and this year it has not been any different.
The diminutive Guinean was one of the best players in the park here, and his hand in Liverpool’s second goal – winning the ball back with a crunchy challenge before feeding Mohamed Salah – was straight out of the top box.
The move was completed by Takumi Minamino, another player who hopes to make his mark this season.
Harvey Elliott is full of confidence and enthusiasm wherever he is placed on the pitch by Jürgen Klopp this pre-season?
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 30 July 2021
Much has been made about where Harvey Elliott fits into Liverpool’s future, with agreement that the 18-year-old will eventually replace either Salah or Sadio Mane.
This may not be the future Klopp sees for the incredibly talented kid. Here he started him in midfield three with Keita and James Milner, and he gave as well as he got.
He may be a little on the small side to fit in there in the long run, but he has plenty of time to develop in front of him. If he is adapted to play in two positions, it bodes well for the role he can play during the coming season.
Tomorrow, red! ? pic.twitter.com/aGNThu61bE
– Liverpool FC (@LFC) 30 July 2021
Okay, last note. Please do not be afraid of the final result.
Friendly matches before the season are about getting minutes on the pitch and building training. Here, Klopp lined up six different midfielders and used a total of 23 players – despite the fact that a number of his key stars, such as Alisson, Thiago and Jordan Henderson, are still on holiday.
It will always lead to a messy, uneven performance, and while Klopp wants to win these games – of course he does – it does not matter which direction the result turns.
