Liverpool Faces Setbacks in Team Transformation During Pre-season Match
When Anfield last hosted Liverpool, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson bade farewell, while their teammates commenced a final lap of honour. Meanwhile, Arne Slot remained seated in the dugout. This marked the last sighting of him in Liverpool. Eleven weeks later, his successor Andoni Iraola took a visible role on the edge of the technical area, offering constant encouragement to his players as they began a new chapter. The match commenced with echoes of the past, as a 3-2 defeat to Monaco saw a lead squandered at Anfield, showcasing familiar issues akin to Slot’s tenure, even though the stakes were lower.
Iraola may wish for a different outcome when the competitive season begins. Liverpool’s performance highlighted a need for recruitment, particularly for Ronald Araujo, as their recruitment remains incomplete. Although they have a left-back replacement in Kostas Tsimikas‘ return to Anfield, Salah’s former position remains vacant. Lewis Koumas stepped in for the legendary winger, but is likely to head for another loan spell instead of securing a permanent position in the squad.
Andoni Iraola still has work to do in the transfer market, as was evident in his Anfield bow against Monaco (PA)
Iraola’s arrival illustrated the difficulties Liverpool has faced since signing Victor Munoz in June. The team has yet to fulfill its primary goal of acquiring more talent. One ambitious target, Yan Diomande, slipped away, while another, Bradley Barcola, remains unattainable due to a gap in valuation between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool has shown willingness to invest in the past, but their current budget is limited. Expectations for improved performances this season arose from ambitions surrounding two key signings valued at £100 million each.
Alexander Isak, who had a quiet debut season at Anfield, did manage to score during a friendly, receiving an assist from Ryan Gravenberch. He and teammate Florian Wirtz both found the net against Monaco, something they managed only once under Slot. If Wirtz had alternated between positions in previous matches, Iraola has now deployed him as a central attacking midfielder.
Alexander Isak (right) and Florian Wirtz were both on target against Monaco (Reuters)
Distinct changes were evident under Iraola, marking a shift from the passive play that frustrated supporters. The full-backs ventured forward more frequently, which seemed to suit players like Jeremie Frimpong, although Milos Kerkez did not start this match. This tactic will increase the team’s need for resilient center-backs capable of one-on-one defending.
As Liverpool transitioned from a position of advantage to defeat, it underscored the urgent need to strengthen their defensive lineup. Araujo is currently undergoing a medical following his unexpected loan from Barcelona. Youngsters Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, valued at nearly £100 million combined, have yet to appear during the pre-season, and Joe Gomez is currently already injured.
In his return from injury, Virgil van Dijk, too, faced challenges in his first match since the World Cup, conceding a penalty after tripping Aleksandr Golovin, who scored the penalty himself. Wataru Endo, who played in defense during the second half, and Frimpong each carried some blame when Mika Biereth leveled the match.
Virgil van Dijk made his first appearance of pre-season but conceded a penalty (PA)
Endo participated following Liverpool’s successful tour of the United States. Player Ifeanyi Ndukwe shone in the initial half, but faces a loan due to work permit issues. Liverpool’s emerging talents, including 18-year-olds Mor Talla Ndiaye and others, promise a bright future for the team, but concerns linger over immediate needs.
The acquisition of Araujo would address multiple concerns; at 27, he serves as a bridge between the experienced Van Dijk and the younger defenders like Leoni and Jacquet. Liverpool is navigating the future while looking to bridge gaps in their current setup.
Recent events reflect uncertainty in the squad, particularly with the status of Ibrahima Konate, whose financial demands posed challenges for the club, particularly as he may soon find himself working alongside younger talent.
Meanwhile, Harvey Elliott, who seemed destined to leave after a frustrating loan at Aston Villa, received a warm welcome upon his return. However, his role remains uncertain, as he was the third option for the position at No 10, which was first filled by Wirtz and then Dominik Szoboszlai, who started in the midfield.
Harvey Elliott got the loudest cheer of the afternoon off the bench (Reuters)
Despite making 11 substitutions during the match, Iraola’s strategic changes offered insights into his coaching philosophy as he utilized Rio Ngumoha on the right as the match concluded. The 18-year-old may find opportunities to fill Salah’s role in future games.
When Anfield had last hosted Liverpool, as Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson bade farewell and their teammates embarked on their final lap of honour, Arne Slot had remained sat in the dugout. It proved the last sighting of him in Liverpool. Some 11 weeks later, Slot’s successor was a visible presence on the edge of the technical area, Andoni Iraola‘s constant clapping encouraging his players at the start of a new era. It began with echoes of the old: a 3-2 defeat to Monaco, with a lead lost at Anfield, and with a goal conceded to a set-piece, had some similarities with Slot’s unravelling, even if the stakes were lower.
Iraola may hope the parallels with last season end when the competitive football starts. As it was, Liverpool outlined why they require Ronald Araujo and how their recruitment is unfinished. They have a left-back – Robertson’s replacement is his former deputy, a returning Kostas Tsimikas making his Anfield comeback – but Salah’s old spot remains unfilled. Lewis Koumas was a locum in the place of a legend on the right flank; the Welsh winger may be destined for a fourth straight loan spell rather than a run in the team.
Andoni Iraola still has work to do in the transfer market, as was evident in his Anfield bow against Monaco (PA)
His presence was an illustration that Liverpool’s business stalled after the June signing of Victor Munoz. They are yet to achieve their main objective. One ambitious target, Yan Diomande, has already eluded them. Another is out of reach as long as there is a significant difference between Liverpool’s valuation of Bradley Barcola and Paris Saint-Germain’s. There is no point in putting in a bid now when the European champions want well over £100m.
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Liverpool have shown a willingness to pay such sums in the past; but their budget is limited now. Their two £100m men from 2025 struck in a way that at least offered optimism they will deliver more this season than last.
Alexander Isak only found the net twice at Anfield in his debut campaign for Liverpool; a friendly goal will not count towards his official tally but was guided in after a pass from Ryan Gravenberch. Isak and Florian Wirtz struck in the same game, which they only did once for Slot. The German got a poacher’s goal, bundling the ball over the line after Cody Gakpo’s header was blocked. If Wirtz alternated between central and wide roles under Slot, Iraola has installed him as his No 10.
Alexander Isak (right) and Florian Wirtz were both on target against Monaco (Reuters)
There seems a clarity to that and a more vertical brand of football after the passiveness of Slotball irritated Anfield. Distinct differences were apparent in Iraola’s home bow. It was notable that the full-backs were often far more advanced than Gravenberch. That may suit Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez, though the latter did not start against Monaco, more than Slot’s style of football did. Yet it also gives a need for centre-backs who can defend one on one.
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And, as Liverpool turned victory into defeat, they underlined why the middle of the defence has been the other focus of their recruitment drive, and why additions are necessary. Araujo is undergoing a medical before he completes his surprise loan from Barcelona. Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, the youngsters who arrived for a combined fee of almost £100m, are yet to play in pre-season; Joe Gomez is already injured.
Virgil van Dijk, in his first appearance since the World Cup, could be forgiven for rustiness when he tripped Aleksandr Golovin to concede a penalty the Russian converted himself. Wataru Endo, who spent the second half at centre-back, and Frimpong were both partly culpable when Mika Biereth levelled the scores.
Virgil van Dijk made his first appearance of pre-season but conceded a penalty (PA)
Endo had come on for the great success of Liverpool’s tour of the United States. The giant Ifeanyi Ndukwe excelled again in the first half. The problem is that he is ineligible for competitive games, lacking a work permit, perhaps meaning a loan abroad beckons. In the Austrian and the Senegalese Mor Talla Ndiaye, Liverpool have two precocious 18-year-olds. Their defensive future can look secure. The concerns are about the present.
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Araujo will tick some boxes; at 27, he is roughly half way between Van Dijk and the duo of the 19-year-old Leoni and Jacquet, 21, in age and, unlike Gomez, is fit now. Liverpool need a bridge to the next generation. They hoped it would be Ibrahima Konate, but he wanted a financial package that could have felt a problem if, in a couple of years, he found himself understudying Leoni and Jacquet; or, indeed, Ndukwe.
Konate left without a proper goodbye. Harvey Elliott, who could have been gone for good, returned from his unproductive loan at Aston Villa to the loudest cheer of the afternoon. It may not herald a second coming at Anfield, however: he was the third man used at No 10, after Wirtz and then Dominik Szoboszlai, who had begun in midfield.
Harvey Elliott got the loudest cheer of the afternoon off the bench (Reuters)
Even as he made 11 substitutions, there were other glimpses into Iraola’s thinking. Rio Ngumoha ended the game on the right flank. He may have to step into Salah’s shoes in more meaningful matches.
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