Five important takesaway from Liverpool Singapore preseason training tour
Liverpool’s time in Singapore has come to an end, but they still have a lot to learn from their international preseason training this summer.
After defeating Championship team Leicester 4-0, the Reds ended their trip to the Far East with a 4-3 loss to Bayern Munich.
Even though the outcome may not have been ideal, Jurgen Klopp and his team will have been more focused because the preseason never represents the final product.
Instead, it’s a time for experimentation and fine-tuning in many areas; it might not be until now, as Liverpool fly to Merseyside, that things become more organized.
Prior to playing Darmstadt in their final friendly on Monday, when the Premier League debuts on August 13, Klopp’s team will head back to the AXA Training Center on Friday.
Following are five lessons Liverpool’s tour of Singapore can teach us.
Salah is the only attacking starter who is a lock.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 in SINGAPORE: Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during a preseason friendly game between FC Bayern Munich FC and Liverpool FC at the Singapore National Stadium. (Image courtesy of Propaganda/David Rawcliffe).
The five senior forwards at Klopp’s disposal have all received equal time on the field, as has been the case with the rest of his squad.
Although there were few obvious clues regarding his forward line during the final friendly in Singapore, it provided more insight into his intentions for the trip to Chelsea on August 13.
The fact that Cody Gakpo spent an hour on the field before switching to midfield at halftime, leaving only Mohamed Salah to play longer than 45 minutes suggests that he is unsurprisingly the starter.
Beyond the Egyptian, there are no guarantees as to which of Gakpo, Darwin Nunez, Diogo Jota, and Luis Diaz will start at Stamford Bridge.
The manager has two elite, distinctly different options both up front and on the left, so it is by no means a problem as all four of those players have been on fire in preseason.
Doak appears to be prepared.
SINGAPORE – Wednesday, August 2, 2023: Liverpool’s Ben Doak at the Singapore National Stadium during a preseason friendly game between FC Bayern Munich FC and Liverpool FC. Bayern triumphed 4-3. (Image courtesy of David Rawcliffe/Propaganda).
The preseason has thus far shown Ben Doak to be a genuine option for Liverpool going into the new season, even though he may not be a contender to start at this point.
His performances in Singapore against Bayern and Leicester only served to emphasize this, as the young Scot did not cower in the face of strong competition.
For Doak, there is obviously much room for improvement, particularly in his final ball, as demonstrated by a crossed that was drilled into Nunez excessively during the loss to Bayern.
SINGAPORE – Wednesday, August 2, 2023: Liverpool’s Ben Doak at the Singapore National Stadium during a preseason friendly game between FC Bayern Munich FC and Liverpool FC.
Having a 4-3 victory, Bayern.
(Image courtesy of Propaganda/David Rawcliffe).
Although he might be more effective coming off the bench, his tenacity, pace, and skill on the right flank could make him a useful Salah substitute in some contests.
Bobby Clark and Jarell Quansah are two more young people who might have impressed in the Far East and gained more recognition than Doak.
Szoboszlai may take longer to settle than Mac Allister.
On Sunday, July 30, 2023, in Singapore, Liverpool’s Alexis Mac Allister played against Leicester City FC in a preseason friendly game at the Singapore National Stadium.
(Image courtesy of Propaganda/David Rawcliffe).
Although it would be incorrect to make judgments about either of Liverpool’s new additions at this point, it appears more likely that Alexis Mac Allister will become established right away.
Naturally, a lot will depend on how he handles getting hit in the knee by Bayern, but experts think it was only a minor problem.
The 4-0 thrashing of Leicester was the best example of the Argentine’s ability to link midfield and attack, demonstrating why he will be an important player in this new system.
In a preseason friendly game between Liverpool FC and Leicester City FC at the Singapore National Stadium on Sunday, July 30, 2023, manager Jürgen Klopp substitutes Liverpool’s Dominik Szoboszlai.
(Image courtesy of David Rawcliffe/Propaganda).
Dominik Szoboszlai, on the other hand, has displayed flashes of the talent that persuaded Klopp and his staff that he was worth a £60 million investment, but his role in the side is still less clear.
Both players are essential to Liverpool’s growth in the upcoming months, but perhaps the No. ten early on.
We rank Jones as No. Six for now.
Wednesday, August 2, 2023 in SINGAPORE: Liverpool’s Curtis Jones during a preseason friendly game between FC Bayern Munich FC and Liverpool FC at the Singapore National Stadium. Bayern scored a 4-3 victory. (Propaganda image by David Rawcliffe).
Before leaving for Singapore, it was anticipated that Liverpool would complete a deal to sign Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia, but they have since returned without making any headway.
The club appears to have dallied in negotiations regarding the Belgian teen, as a second offer was only made on Tuesday and was swiftly turned down.
While they contemplate continuing their pursuit of Lavia and developing a fresh interest in Fluminense’s Andre, an internal solution has been discovered in the No. 6 role.
Due to the absence of Fabinho and Jordan Henderson, as well as the injuries to Tyler Morton, Stefan Bajcetic, and Thiago, Curtis Jones will start against both Leicester and Bayern.
Even if a replacement is found before the match against Chelsea, the 22-year-old has the maturity and appreciation of space to step in for the time being, even if he may not be a long-term solution.
Concerns with the defense are nothing new.
Before a preseason friendly game between FC Bayern Munich FC and Liverpool FC at the Singapore National Stadium on Wednesday, August 2, 2023, Jürgen Klopp, manager of Liverpool, is seen in SINGAPORE. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda).
The defensive personnel at Liverpool hasn’t changed at all so far this summer, and it appears that the same issues are still present.
Fabinho’s move to Al Ittihad has left an even bigger void in terms of protecting the defense, despite Jones’ on-ball efforts, which have been good.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Ibrahima Konate, Virgil van Dijk, and Andy Robertson continue to be Klopp’s first-choice back line because no new center-back signing has been made.
However, Robertson must play as a center back, and Konate must fill the space left by Alexander-Arnold when the ball is in his hands, forcing Robertson to play in midfield.
The importance of Konate was made clear against Bayern as Robertson struggled to transition between his roles on the other flank and Joel Matip was unable to play with the necessary physicality or speed as the right center-back.
There needs to be structural work done before Liverpool return to Merseyside after conceding 10 goals in four preseason games. There is only one more friendly to play.
