After finishing their preseason tour of the United States, Liverpool and their new manager Arne Slot boast a perfect victory record.
All three of their games, including their 3-0 victory over Manchester United on Saturday night, were broadcast live by BBC Sport.
Here are six talking topics from the Reds’ recent tour to Columbia, South Carolina, and Pittsburgh and Philadelphia in Pennsylvania.
Slot is still a mystery at this point.
Although there was plenty of winning football during Liverpool’s preseason tour of the US, there wasn’t much opportunity to learn more about Slot off the pitch.
Jurgen Klopp will be replaced by the Dutchman following eight and a half illustrious years under the German coach.
This was not actually the case here, but some clubs do use international tours to help introduce new coaches to the media.
Slot came out as affable but reserved; instead of doing interviews, he chose to watch a Phillies baseball game, and he only attended one pre-game news conference while in the United States.
Speaking with numerous players surrounding him on this trip, however, they seem to be relishing the challenge of picking up a new style of play, and three straight victories offer hope that they may contend for titles this season once more.
A dominant 3-0 victory over Manchester United completed a preseason that had included victories of 1-0 over Real Betis and 2-1 over Arsenal.
According to CEO Billy Hogan’s disclosure in a BBC Sport interview, Klopp’s predecessor, Slot, arranged the entire tour with the goal of reducing flying miles, guaranteeing top-notch training facilities, and avoiding scorching summer temperatures in the United States if possible.
It was a “very positive” tour, according to Slot, with more of an emphasis on winning than on promoting or selling his new team.
How will Bradley and Alexander-Arnold be used by Slot?
What does this mean for Trent Alexander-Arnold has been a question since Conor Bradley’s mid-season debut last season.
Right-back from Northern Ireland Alexander-Arnold, who occasionally played midfield for England at Euro 2024, enjoyed a post-tournament rest after Bradley, 21, performed exceptionally well in the preseason.
Bradley, who started all three friendlies, was given the opportunity to overlap and play as a classic full-back.
When Alexander-Arnold, 25, returns, will he remain Slot’s first option for that job, or will he be employed in a more advanced capacity?
The requirement to extend Alexander-Arnold’s contract, which runs out in the summer of 2020, adds to the complexity of the matter given his connections to Real Madrid.
Not yet any summer signings.
Without acquiring a player, Liverpool, who will compete in the Champions League next season, added four sporting directors in addition to a new manager.
Hogan told BBC Sport that they now had the opportunity to “reboot and reset” as a result of Klopp’s leaving.
Michael Edwards, who departed the team in 2022, has returned to Fenway Sports Group (FSG) in an upgraded supervisory role, reporting to Julian Ward.
Richard Hughes, the sporting director, and Pedro Marques, the technical director, have also joined Liverpool’s completely redesigned recruitment process.
Though many people inside and without the club think these players are outstanding additions, some fans are dissatisfied with the paucity of transfer action this summer.
Rumour has it that the team is taking care not to upset Klopp’s well-balanced group, and that only a select few players in world football possess the calibre of play required to make the squad better.
Liverpool did lose out on the highly regarded 18-year-old centre-back Leny Yoro, as Manchester United was able to provide a quicker route to their first team. They may still be forced to enter the market if stars Wataru Endo and Luis Diaz depart.
Will Slot’s “elegant” style go well with the team?
In response to a question from BBC Sport on Slot’s response to Klopp’s heavy metal football, midfielder Harvey Elliott described it as a “elegant” style that is characteristically Dutch.
Elliott, Curtis Jones, and Jarell Quansah are a few players who benefit from the possession-heavy strategy that involves more positional switching and shorter passes.
They will start from the rear and run the danger of making blunders, but the expectation is that a methodical, patient build-up strategy will pay off in the end.
They will press, but they won’t be as aggressive as they were against Arsenal, who they virtually sat in to stop the pressure. Might this strategy result in reduced weariness and injuries as the season comes to a close?
It would be intriguing to observe if some players struggle or if Liverpool manages to adjust to such a big adjustment in their previously distinctive and entertaining approach.
During the US trip, Liverpool veteran John Barnes stated: “In many ways, it is more about the players adjusting to the manager.”
The players will likely face more challenges than at other teams under other managers because Jurgen spent eight or nine years here and had a significant role in forging the football team’s identity.
“But the players are up for it and they seem to like it.”
Which young star are rising to the top?
A dearth of acquisitions is a huge plus for Liverpool’s developing academy system.
Slot was cautious when speaking, but he looked especially impressed with 17-year-old midfielder Trey Nyoni, who performed well in his preseason games and saw a lot of playing time.
The tour also featured appearances by Ben Doak, Luca Stephensen, Amara Nallo, Tyler Morton, Lewis Koumas, James McConnell, Harvey Blair, and Owen Beck.
Vitezslav Jaros, a 23-year-old Czech custodian, showed well against Manchester United and may be a further choice.
Although they could yet be sold, players like Fabio Carvalho and Sepp van den Berg performed admirably in important preseason roles.
Will the absence of Copa and Euros matter?
Unsurprisingly, a rejuvenated Mohamed Salah is prepared to maintain his prominent role, even in the face of interest from Saudi Arabian clubs to sign him.
However, Slot has acknowledged that he is a little concerned about not having the entire team available while on tour, as a few of his seasoned core members have been granted more time off following hectic summers.
Though they haven’t yet met the management, Darwin Nunez, Alexis Mac Allister, Diaz, Alisson Becker, Joe Gomez, Alexander-Arnold, Cody Gakpo, and Virgil van Dijk are all crucial to any success.
Nunez might possibly be punished for getting into a fight with Colombian supporters following Uruguay’s Copa America defeat.
In the interim, Diaz’s future remains uncertain, and Van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold’s contract problems will need to be handled.
