3 days ago
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A telling smile flickered on the face of Virgil van Dijk when the first question was asked in the Wembley mix zone on Sunday. How ready is Liverpool for the new season?
The answer is complex and multi-layered. Based on the Community Shield - and the Reds’ other six preseason games - there is clearly an intensity to Liverpool’s offensive patterns and a fluidity to the new-look front line.
Against Crystal Palace, that was spearheaded by Florian Wirtz, who has already made an immediate impression on supporters. Hugo Ekitike also looked fresh and helped Liverpool’s rhythm by pulling into wide positions, while full-backs Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez provided penetrative runs from deep.
It was the more established players who underwhelmed. Dominik Szoboszlai's passing was a little off, Mohamed Salah wasn’t at the races, and Van Dijk was uncharacteristically sloppy.
In fact, the Liverpool skipper was emblematic of the chaotic defensive showing that underpinned the team’s display at Wembley. There was a lack of swagger and security from the reigning champions.
Supporters will understandably object to any criticism from one summer fixture, yet Arne Slot referenced again after the match how uncoordinated the back four looked, a topic he has repeatedly mentioned in preseason.
Despite spending nearly $400 million, or £300M this summer, Liverpool’s squad still has significant deficiencies, as highlighted by the inclusion of three academy graduates on the bench and Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott, who may yet leave in the market.
A center-back is desperately required to address the dearth of options at the heart of defense. Likewise, another attacker - possibly two - are needed.
Sunday’s defeat and the open, back-and-forth nature of the encounter also underlined the importance of a natural holding midfielder, something this squad lacks despite the impressive displays of Ryan Gravenberch, whose absence was felt against Palace. He has become imperative to this team’s balance, yet his penchant for driving forward in possession contrasts with the qualities needed for a midfielder sitter.
Wataru Endo fits that criteria, but Slot’s decision to leave him on the bench does beg the question of what role the Japan captain has to play going forward. In his place, the makeshift pairing of Curtis Jones and Szoboszlai couldn’t stymie the flow of Palace counterattacks during the game, and their desire, particularly of the latter, to surge forward on the ball didn’t offer enough protection for Liverpool’s back four.
Yet, in a summer of such high turnover and with more pressing areas to address, a midfield addition feels unlikely in the final three weeks of the window.
It would be harsh to say Liverpool has bitten off more than it can chew in the market; change felt necessary. But the dismantling of a settled title-winning squad does feel striking against Slot’s claims that the new-look team needs time to gel.
Ironically, it was the new signings who shone at Wembley on Sunday, even if Ekitike spurned two second-half chances to make it 3-1 and effectively kill the game off.
His conversion rate was seen as perhaps the biggest area of concern at Eintracht Frankfurt, and Slot will be desperate to improve on that record this season, especially after allowing an errant finisher to depart the club last week.
Another positive from Sunday was Alisson's excellent display, which included a great stop to deny Eberechi Eze in the second half. Meanwhile, Frimpong's displays on Monday and Sunday could make it difficult for Conor Bradley to regain his place when he regains fitness.
On the other flank, Kostas Tsimikas’ expected departure means Andy Robertson will likely remain at Liverpool this season and, for the first time since 2017, operate primarily as backup.
That said, there will be plenty more twists and turns to come before the window shuts on September 1. By then, we’ll have a clearer idea of just how ready Liverpool is to retain its Premier League crown.
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