Liverpool Preseason Review

Photo
by John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Several players impressed during Liverpool’s shortened
preseason, including Takumi Minamino and Curtis Jones

Liverpool finished up their preseason preparations
yesterday with a somewhat impromptu friendly against Blackpool
while the entire starting defense was off on international duty. It
was a short preseason overall, with just three friendlies and the
Community Shield match before competitive play in the Premier
League resumes next weekend. While short in duration, we can still
take a look and see if there are any nuggets about the upcoming
season to be gleaned.

Who Impressed

Preseason is a wondrous time where fringe players and youth
players get the opportunity to catch the eye of the manager and the
fans alike. Of course, these players have everything to gain, while
the established players are more worried about match fitness for
the upcoming season. We really shouldn’t read too far into
preseason superstars (Andriy Voronin anyone?), but it can still
give us a glimpse of who may be in line for a bigger role this
season.

Takumi MinaminoThe Japanese forward was stellar
in all three preseason friendlies. After joining Liverpool this
past January from Red Bull Salzburg, it was expected it would take
him some time to get settled and comfortable with the elevated
level of competition and physicality in the Premier League.
Minamino showed glimpses at the end of last season of the flair,
technical prowess, and work rate that had fans so excited about
him. He kept the momentum going, and absolutely shown this
preseason. He scored a scrappy goal against Arsenal, and then followed up with a cool, collected
finish against Blackpool. Minamino was all over the field, tracking
back to recover balls, moving into pockets of space to receive a
ball, and spinning defenders with his tight turns before playing
gorgeous through balls to attackers running behind the defense. His
ability to work in tight spaces seems like a good weapon to unlock
packed-in defenses. He seems ready to be the first attacking option
off the bench at the expense of Divock Origi.

Naby KeitaLook, we all know what Naby Keita
offers on the field at this point. The biggest issue has been
keeping him on the field. He has finally completed a full
(abbreviated) preseason with the team, and seems ready to become a
regular starter in the next evolution of the Liverpool midfield.
Keita calmly controlled the game any time he was on the field,
gliding around to press, recover, and then distribute the ball. He
also showed some nice offensive output, scoring a stunning goal
against Stuttgart, and also hit the post a time or two.

Curtis JonesThe young Scouser just might be the
player I am the most excited about. The homegrown product was given
an opportunity to start in the first preseason game in a very
first-team lineup, and he didn’t just look like he belonged, he was
a stand out. Jones combines driving runs with tricky feet in tight
spaces to get the ball into good attacking spaces. His passing
range surprised me, he hit some beautiful crossfield diagonals.
Honestly, what impressed me the most was his work off the ball.
Several times he started plays from deep in his own half, and then
burst forward 60-70 yards to get into the opposition box. He also
has an edge around his game similar to Jordan Henderson. He is not
afraid to mix it up and stuck in on the defensive side. He is also
starting to grow into his frame, and has the size to survive in the
rugged Premier League. Jones seems ready to compete with the likes
of James Milner for minutes off the bench.

Harvey ElliottThe youngster just catches the
eye anytime he gets the ball at his feet. He has a great low center
of gravity that he couples with insane short area quickness to beat
players on the dribble. Auden mentioned he plays like a lefty
Eden Hazard

, and it definitely tracks. His vision belies his tender age,
seemingly hitting a pass without even looking, but it always drops
on a dime. The weight of his passes is are just delicious. His
biggest draw back to this point has been his end product. The
youngster finally got his first Liverpool goal against Blackpool.
Elliott also seems fully committed to the mental side of the game,
showing maturity on and off the field that is years ahead of his
age. He still seems a good year away from pushing to be a regular
on the bench, but if he continues to progress at such a quick rate,
he could be in contention for minutes sooner rather than later.
Thinking about a right side with Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis
Jones, and Harvey Elliott just sent a shiver of excitement down my
spine.

Billy KoumetioVery Large Bill. Bill the
Bookcase. Billiam. No matter what you call him, he is a large lad
for the tender age of 17. Koumetio came out of nowhere to impress
with his calm demeanor, ability to stroke the ball around with both
feet, and good athleticism for someone so tall. He is still quite
raw, and is a ways away from being in contention for the first
team. He still needs to work on reading the game ahead of him
defensively, and needs to be quicker with his decision making as we
saw yesterday. He is not ready to be the 4th center back on the
senior team, but could see some minutes in cup matches. Regardless,
he is one that Liverpool fans will keep an eye on for the
future.

Who Missed Out

Xherdan ShaqiriThe diminutive
Swiss attacker spent the majority of last season with a series of
mysterious injuries. While there was a lot of speculation heading
into the offseason that Shaqiri may be on the way out, he seemed
determined to stay and push himself into contention for more
minutes. Well, preseason matches started, and Shaqiri was out with
an injury again. It seems unlikely that he will be involved in
anything more than cup competitions again as a Liverpool player, if
at all.

Tactics

Again, preseason is a time to tweak and try new things. Outside
of his first year, Jurgen Klopp has been married to the 4-3-3,
though there have been plenty of wrinkles thrown in. This
preseason, we saw a decent smattering of a 4-2-3-1 and even some
time in a 4-2-2-2. The 4-2-3-1 seemed to make sense on paper,
especially with Trent Alexander-Arnold missing, but it never really
seemed to work out. It tended to be static and plodding, with the
middle of the field getting congested. The 4-2-2-2, on the other
hand, just seemed to WORK. It was fairly free form, with Naby Keita
and Curtis Jones making runs from deep. It also allowed Takumi
Minamino and Roberto Firmino to roam and combine. It also
created space for the fullbacks to get up the field, which is a
staple of the Liverpool attack. Of course, this formation showed up
in the second half of preseason games, but it does seem like a
potential option if Mohamed Salah and/or Sadio Mane are out.

Parting Questions

Who was your preseason stand out? Who were you most disappointed
by? Do you see Liverpool mixing it up tactically this upcoming
season?