If there's one thing more foolish than reading too much into friendlies, it's reading too much into behind-closed-doors friendlies with half of the first-team squad still missing. There has inevitably been focus on the first game of the Arne Slot era, but the remainder of the pre-season schedule is likely to be more informative.
Liverpool began life under Slot with a 1-0 defeat to Preston North End. There were some senior players in action, including Mohamed Salah , Harvey Elliott and Dominik Szoboszlai , but nobody lasted more than 45 minutes.
In the end, it was Robbie Brady who stole the show. Surprisingly still only 32, he was a Premier League regular with Hull around a decade ago, playing alongside Andy Robertson — and he beat Vitezslav Jaros with an inspired effort, lobbing him from distance.
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Robertson was among those to play no part, despite being back in training following his group-stage exit from Euro 2024 . He seems likely to feature in the next Liverpool friendly, but there will be a longer wait for a host of others who have had international commitments.
A number of Liverpool players reached international finals this summer. Many will feel that Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez should have been used more for England, but they will get a full break despite their bit-part roles, meaning they will miss the tour of the US.
Over at the Copa America, Luis Diaz and Alexis Mac Allister faced off in the final, with Darwin Nunez also progressing to the latter stages. It's awkward for Slot, who is attempting to impress his new ideas on the squad while missing a number of key performers.
Those issues will undoubtedly carry over to America, where the Reds will arrive shortly. But in front of crowds and with the available players having had a little more time to absorb Slot's ideas, these fixtures can be observed with a bit more of an analytical eye.
First up will be the match with Real Betis. It takes place on July 27 at the Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, kicking off at 19:30 local time (00:30 UK time).
Liverpool will also face Manchester United and Arsenal while out in the US. It then returns to England, where Slot will play his first match at Anfield against Sevilla on August 11. The Premier League season kicks off just under a week later against Ipswich Town.
Liverpool.com says: Each passing fixture gains slightly more significance, as Liverpool supporters look for hints about Slot's style and how the players are adjusting to it. But even if the Reds got battered in every friendly, there would be no real cause for alarm.
How often have we developed false hope from pre-season, or ended up needlessly worried? I still remember thinking Iago Aspas was going to give Luis Suarez and Daniel Sturridge a run for their money!
Still, it's the most exciting pre-season for a while, given that it's under a new manager. And we'll certainly be tuning into the US friendlies with interest, starting with the Real Betis clash.
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