Liverpool have less than two weeks to start the 2020/21 Premier League season, with a number of priorities until then.
The Reds’ defense of their league name is final, with newly promoted Leeds heading to Anfield on September 12.
Despite an ongoing foreign break, Jurgen Klopp’s appearance will be on the court for the friendly in preparation, with Blackpool as his parties to the conflict on Saturday.
The next few weeks and a part will be busy for the coach, with questions on and off the field.
Here are five priorities that Liverpool wants to follow for the rest of the pre-season.
Two key players absent from the preseason are Jordan Henderson and Joel Matip.
While Trent Alexander-Arnold, back in shape, is on duty in England, the duo will be there to paint over their respective recoveries.
Henderson has a huge figure at the club and the midfielder has lacked intensity and leadership since limping brighton in July.
Leeds’ game would possibly come too soon for him, in terms of fitness, but only locating the now mythical captain would be a seasoning for everyone.
Matip, for his part, is a key player in the squad, with Liverpool now Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez in terms of established and compatibility central defenders.
Cameroonian’s constant injury is a cause for concern, but it is imperative that you be aware of the news before the new campaign.
Gomez’s functionality has been asymmetrical since the restart after blocking and it takes a compatibility with Matip to put pressure on his young teammate.
While ligue 1 opposition heads to Anfield on September 5, Henderson and Matip can take a well-deserved action against Blackpool.
It is attractive to see Klopp move to a 4-2-3-1 formation at the time he part of Community Shield’s defeat to Arsenal last weekend.
Liverpool’s manager was a staunch supporter of the formula during his time at Borussia Dortmund, and has also used it sporadically during his reign at Anfield.
If Klopp considers a more permanent use of 4-2-3-1 in the future, next week will be in the educational field.
Of course, the German will have to suffer the absence of first-team players due to his obligations to the outside world, but he will still have a core of key men to paint with.
Takumi Minamino and Naby Keita have exciting roles to play in this system, while Roberto Firmino also has the ability to thrive in a deeper position, allowing Mohamed Salah to lead the line.
Klopp will possibly stick to his control 4-3-3 once the Leeds game arrives, but it’s encouraging to see the boss with new settings.
The summer removal window may be open until 5 October, but Liverpool may want to combine tactics with others before the start of the season.
This will not only allow Klopp to get the numbers in Anfield, but can also generate the budget needed to bring in the most sensitive quality replacements.
Marko Grujic and Harry Wilson are two players who justify the most value tags, and without a long obvious career at Anfield for either, promoting them is a priority.
Loris Karius is expected to overcome needs, while Xherdan Shaqiri and Divock Origi are confident they will stand still.
Rhian Brewster’s long career will also have to be made a decision: Does Klopp accept him as true with him as a reliable player for the team, or does he deserve to lend it for some other year?
It’s a crisis if the exit business ends in the next week and a half, but it would be better.
Dejan Lovren’s exit at Zenit St Petersburg left Liverpool with only 3 high-level centre-backs, which is ideal.
It is unclear whether the Reds will look for a fourth option or if Fabinho is noticed as the type to replace.
Such is Klopp’s confidence in young players, who might think he already has the ability to fill the void if Liverpool suffer a crisis of back injury.
Billy Koumetio, 17, received positive reviews from his colleagues, who were “delighted” with his talent in the preseason, while Dutch couple Ki-Jana Hoever and Sepp van den Berg are also in the mix.
However, the former has made it clear that he considers the right-back to be his preferred position, and the second has still convinced since his arrival at PEC Zwolle last summer.
Koumetio is arguably the favorite to take fourth place, but it is risky, given his inexperience.
Either way, the riddle wants to be solved, especially with Matip suffering injuries and Gomez also without layoffs.
When did Salah, Firmino and Sadio Mane all stand out together in the same match?It’s been a long time.
Saturday’s defeat in Community Shield to Arsenal, the most recent example of the trio’s useless functionality as a unit, with the Gunners’ defense rarely affected in a poor first half.
While Liverpool’s majestic front 3 remains invaluable in itself, there has been a concern about the lack of team spirit between them for some time, dating back to before the blockade.
A total of 57 goals in 2019/20 would possibly still be an admirable return, but compare that to 91 and 68 in 2017/18 and 2018/19 respectively, and this suggests they have not been as devastating.
Mane is comfortably the top critic: he trained Liverpool through so many games last season, but Salah and Firmino were too random through their highest standards.
The hope is that a drop in the intensity of the herbs will be the main reason, but it is that they click once the crusade is launched.
All three will remain in Melwood’s foreign break, allowing them to hone their skills before Leeds arrives to hide in Anfield.