So I’ve been reluctant to pay too much attention to pre-season friendlies this summer. I’m usually a big fan, but this time around, with a really light squad and several key players missing from Liverpool’s tour of the US, I’ve largely kept my powder dry.
Sunday’s contest against Como was the first to provide us with truly worthwhile clues of what lies ahead in my opinion. Andoni Iraola probably picked the same team that’ll face Newcastle United next week.
So what did we learn?
The Reds boss provided us with a few nuggets throughout the bout, with the first coming after about 60 seconds. Remember the whole +1 at the back concept under Arne Slot? Well, Liverpool showcased a different level of intent from the first whistle.
After less than two minutes, we saw Jérémy Jacquet follow his marker into the attacking half of the field, with Como attempting to build from the back. Expect to see more of that. Ronaldo Araújo did the same in the second half, as shown below.
Squeezing the pitch involves being bold. You need to take risks, with Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk both expected to govern open spaces while managing opponents without much support.
Sticking with the defensive end, we’ve got quite a narrative on our hands here. Every Liverpool supporter is conscious that Fabinho’s miserable soul was never adequately replaced on Merseyside. The spoiler.
Iraola has a gang of expressive midfielders at his disposal nowadays, with the man on the street convinced that Liverpool need some nastiness in the centre circle. A player who senses danger.
I’m not against that prospect, but it’s going to be emphasised a lot by what Iraola is asking Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai to do. Pressing as a midfield duo is inevitably going to leave gaps, especially in Fabinho-shaped spaces.
People automatically assume that whenever an opponent receives the ball between the lines, it’s because the holding midfielder is at fault. It can be nothing else. If we had a proper defensive midfielder, that wouldn’t happen. The classics.
Well, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai are being encouraged to hunt. They’re latching onto their opponents whenever Liverpool smell blood, which can unfortunately result in opponents popping up behind them.
It’s an issue that would remain even if peak Fabinho was on the pitch as far as I’m concerned. It’s a collective thing. A synergy thing. I’d expect coaching improvements under Iraola over time. But not immediately. In other words, the cries for a dog in midfield aren’t going away any time soon.
I think Fabinho would look like a problem in Iraola’s current midfield after a few weeks in the job. It’s worth noting that he was slow at his very best, and he played as part of a three, not a two. The Brazilian was expected to cover small spaces.
Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, by contrast, are managing bigger spaces and learning new methods. It’s a good thing they’re both athletic and quick. But I’m inclined to think many of the holes we’ve witnessed so far will shrink as Iraola continues his work behind the scenes.
Plenty of the discourse surrounding Liverpool in the first half of the campaign is going to revolve around the individual desire for a fresh-faced Fabinho versus whether it’s more of a collective issue. Brace yourselves for it.
On the attacking side, the camera froze after about eight minutes of action against Como, with Liverpool adopting a pretty interesting shape. A sign of things to come, I’d argue.
I mean, let me be clear, it’s nothing crazy. Iraola hasn’t exactly reinvented the wheel here. But you can see a few important details to write down ahead of the upcoming campaign.
First, you’ve got a staggered midfield pair. In simple terms, yes they’re a duo, but one is constantly higher than the other. Think of it as a ladder. A deepest, a middle guy and a Florian Wirtz further up.
Also, while Gravenberch operated as the deepest player at the start of the match, he moved into the middle guy role once Trey Nyoni entered the fray towards the end of the clash. Iraola perhaps views the latter as a deep-lying conductor of sorts. His tempo setter.
Pay attention to Cody Gakpo, too. Rather than hugging the touchline like Rio Ngumoha on the opposite side, he occupied more of a 50/50 spot between the wing and the centre. Very Marcus Tavernier.
Slot wanted two wide wingers to dominate one-on-one duels, whereas Iraola seems to favour one wide player and one slightly more inverted player depending on the position of the ball, although we’ll see how things shift once Bradley Barcola (hopefully) arrives.
Gakpo played well. Removing those one-on-one duels from his to-do list should benefit him if he does indeed remain at Anfield beyond the closure of the transfer window.
We’re learning new things every week, but the real stuff starts now. How will Liverpool attack without everyone drifting ahead of the ball, and how will the Reds stay bulletproof with that midfield two combined with that full-back pairing?
Big questions among many for Iraola to answer. Your season preview arrives on Friday. It’s almost showtime.
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