Teething Problems

Sometimes maybe good, sometimes maybe sheet.

How important is the Community Shield? The answer is not at all. Let’s not forget how funny Mikel Arteta looked when he defended his managerial record by citing his two Shield victories just last year.

They just don’t count. Sorry. But performances do. And with the new Premier League season now within touching distance, Liverpool still have a few things to work on ahead of their tricky opener against Bournemouth.

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We’re still very much getting to know the new Liverpool. That’s an important point to make, don’t get carried away with transfer season. Arne Slot started four new players at Wembley. That’s quite a shift compared to previous years. An entirely fresh full-back duo, and two expensive forwards in Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike.

Throughout Sunday’s bout against Crystal Palace, we saw evidence of exactly that. On the defensive end, not quite there yet. Players learning new duties. But going forward, lots of quality, fluidity and threat.

Let’s start with the positives. In case there was any doubt, Wirtz is going to be absolutely fine in England. The man on the street has concerns over his pace and power. Ignore him. We’ve got a star on our hands.

Wirtz is going to be a different sort of number ten to Dominik Szoboszlai, who painted himself as more of an undercover number eight in the role last term. The German is a swimmer. Far more inclined to roam in his attempts to aid Liverpool’s attacking play.

If the Reds have possession on the left, Wirtz will be there. And when the ball is on the right, he’ll be there, too. It’s his job to connect and probe, offering an element of glue in the final third. Oh, and he’ll drop deeper, too. A real explorer.

With Ekitike also added to the mix — who skews towards the left of the field — alongside Milos Kerkez, Liverpool have somewhat addressed the unbalanced attack that still managed to deliver the Premier League last season.

Everything previously went through Mohamed Salah — who barely touched the ball in the first half against Palace — but it seems Slot’s men can pose a threat on the opposite side now, scoring twice without their talisman. Wirtz will offer help to whoever needs it. Der Raumdeuter.

Liverpool’s ability in tight spaces looks excellent, too. Going from Darwin Núñez and Szoboszlai to Ekitike and Wirtz will make that happen. There’s more scope to play cute passes in and around the penalty box, because the players involved have a nicer feel for the ball.

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On the negative side, it felt very AC Milan again. I wrote about our issues in that friendly here. Not enough serenity in possession, and two new signings who could get caught ahead of the ball if you’re not careful in Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong.

The deep-lying version of Szoboszlai is another factor to consider here. This guy is used to playing close to goal. He’s got a degree of expression attached to his game. And we know he can overthink things.

But when he’s occupying Alexis Mac Allister’s spot, he can’t afford to take too many chances on the ball. You’ll find an example below. A silly and unnecessary pass that resulted in a dangerous turnover, because the team wasn’t ready for it.

Remember what Slot said upon his appointment? “Sometimes the boys take too much risk with a difficult ball that could only lead five metres up the pitch. They over risk simple passes,” he told TNT Sports in 2024.

Szoboszlai showed that against Palace, with his decision from the above clip perhaps stemming from his old role. An element of adjustment probably awaits for him considering he’s no longer in a position to take such risks, with Wirtz now stepping up as that guy.

Kerkez kinda got targeted by the Eagles, although it’s worth noting that Daniel Muñoz is always an outlet for them on the the right, compared to the more defensive Tyrick Mitchell on the left.

Cody Gakpo filled in as a makeshift wing-back during the contest, with Kerkez moving inside as Slot attempted to negate Oliver Glasner’s system by installing his own situational back-five defence.

Gakpo had to follow the threat of Muñoz, whereas on the opposite side, Slot allowed Mitchell to advance without concern. Salah remained high, and Frimpong was tasked with managing the Eagles wing-back on his own.

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Overall, we’ve seen pros and cons. The attack has looked great in pre-season and considering a goal is generally worth a point in the Premier League, that obviously bodes well. Wirtz, top. Ekitike looks readier than I expected.

But there’s definitely a depth issue in there at the moment. Liverpool are kinda sacrificing quantity for quality this summer. That’s fine, but Slot’s outfit might look pretty ugly in the final half an hour of matches until Alexander Isak — or somebody else — joins the party.

The Reds are conceding too many goals, too, and need to restore their understanding of when to speed things up versus when to slow the game down, with Kerkez and Frimpong impacting the dynamic given how often they tend to get forward.

Depth, and what happens when Liverpool lose the ball are my two biggest concerns going into Bournemouth. But I’ll save those details for my annual season preview. Check your inbox on Friday.