Arne Slot’s Pre-season Decisions Before Transfer Deadline Could Offer Insight into the Ideal Liverpool XI for New Season
Liverpool’s pre-season tour in the United States has concluded, and attention is now shifting towards the Premier League. The Reds embarked on this tour at the end of last month, playing three friendly matches across the Atlantic.
On Saturday night, Liverpool secured a 3-0 victory over Manchester United in their final friendly of the tour. This win came after previous successes against Arsenal and Real Betis, allowing Liverpool to complete their US tour with an undefeated record.
During the tour, Arne Slot began to introduce his strategic approach to the Liverpool team, which he took over from Jurgen Klopp. The new head coach made significant changes to his lineup throughout the friendlies, revealing some emerging patterns in his tactical preferences.
Slot has had to manage without several key players for most of the pre-season. Recently, Ibrahima Konate and Ryan Gravenberch rejoined the team and started in the match against United, while Alexis Mac Allister had a few days of training with the squad.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk, Luis Diaz, and Darwin Nunez all resumed training on Merseyside on Sunday. However, they were not included in the squad that traveled to the US. Alisson Becker has yet to return from his summer holiday, having been granted an extended break by the club.
Meanwhile, the rest of Liverpool’s squad has been working with Slot and the new coaching staff over the past few weeks. The three fixtures against Real Betis, Arsenal, and Manchester United have provided indications of which players might be crucial to Slot’s strategy as the Dutch manager assesses which positions need reinforcement in the transfer market.
Mohamed Salah, Harvey Elliott, Fabio Carvalho, Jarell Quansah, and Kostas Tsimikas logged the most minutes for Liverpool, totaling 199 across the three friendlies. Conor Bradley, Caoimhin Kelleher, and Sepp van den Berg followed closely with around 180 minutes each.
Dominik Szoboszlai accumulated 134 minutes in the first two friendlies before being rested for the match against United. Wataru Endo played a total of 115 minutes, appearing for no more than one half in each game during the tour.
Other squad members, including Tyler Morton, Stefan Bajcetic, Ben Doak, Nat Phillips, Luca Stephenson, and Kaide Gordon, had brief appearances throughout the friendlies.
Curtis Jones played just 89 minutes in total, as the club took precautions regarding his fitness following an injury scare against Real Betis.
Slot will get a comprehensive view of his squad once all Liverpool players return for pre-season training. The team still has friendly matches against Sevilla and Las Palmas next Sunday to prepare for the Premier League season.
The selections for these matches could provide further insight into which players will be key to Slot’s plans moving forward.
In other Liverpool news, Arne Slot’s Unexpected Decision Against Man United Indicates “Unbelievable” Liverpool Player is Set for a Major Role
