Liverpool’s preparation for the upcoming Premier League season began in earnest today as the club took on Sunderland in their first pre-season match. If you’re feeling a bit of whiplash given that we’re merely one week removed from the World Cup, then you’re not alone; I’d forgotten that we had a match coming up, myself.

Like any pre-season match, the result is probably secondary – though, happy days, the Reds won – taking a backseat to observations on the state of the club. More importantly, given the changeover from Arne Slot to Andoni Iraola, this is the first real look at how we can expect the team to play this season.

On that front, while it’s early days and the squads were incredibly mixed given many of Liverpool’s first teamers are still on holiday after participating in the World Cup, there’s a lot to be happy about. There’s also the opportunity to see who might join the likes of Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni in terms of making the jump from the academy to the first team.

On that front, we’ve got some take aways from the match.

The Kids Are Alright

This probably tracks for the entire team but it’s worth noting that there were plenty of performances from the Young Reds to laud on this day. In particular, Kieran Morrison was rather bright coming off of the right-hand side. And while there is something owed to the fact that there were a high number of other academy players in the team, it must be said that he looked more than capable on the ball. Other young players that acquitted themselves on the day were Trey Nyoni and James McConnell. Probably cheating because both players have more or less graduated to the first team, but they looked great. Lastly, Josh Abe looked really good. I know Koumas got a goal but the young winger showed pace, inventiveness, and strength on the ball. I know folks watching the academy rated him but I hadn’t had a chance to watch his matches. What I saw today has me excited to see more.

The equalizer came from a moment of pure brilliance as Szobo rocketed a ball on the half volley (after controlling it with his chest). Honestly, that goal was worth the price of admission itself. Given that it came after what looked like a scoring opportunity that had been frittered away made it feel that much sweeter.

Liverpool’s Playing Style Looks Cogent

What I mean by that is that while it wasn’t all pretty (more on that in a moment), it eventually was clear how Liverpool planned to pull the Sunderland defense apart and find space. Which, when you consider that slow rotation of the ball last year, feels like a breath of fresh air. I can’t tell you how often I would watch us hold the ball at about the 30 yard line and look more or less confused as to how the patterns would create space. Not saying this was a dominant performance by any means, but it’s nice to feel like the instruction and execution seem to match.

Playing Out of the Back Was a Rollercoaster

Perhaps the only real negative mark I can give is that Sunderland’s press seemed to get the backline into trouble a few times. Mostly taking place in the first half, so potentially something Iraola noticed, it was a bit nervy for me as an observer. That being said, it feels important to note that the play itself didn’t quite feel panicked, which means the team on the pitch felt like it had an understanding of what they were seeing and trying to solve the problem in real time. But the result was a bit sketchy in terms of decision making. It’ll certainly be something that the club will want to sort before the new season.

All told, it’s great to have club football to talk about. Lots of positives, generally, but still a lot of uncertainty given the number of folks still not involved due to extended holidays. It’ll be interesting to see how Iraola looks to fold in the likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexis Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, and new signing, Victor Munoz. It’ll also be interesting to see if Nyoni – who I am absolutely enjoying as a 6 for the team – can finally challenge for more minutes this season.

Bring on the new year!

Dominik Szoboszlai Can Really Hit It