Liverpool Pre-Season Schedule 2015: Fixtures, Dates, Live Stream and TV Info
There’s nothing quite like a phalanx of new faces rolling into a club to get excitement levels rising ahead of a new campaign and Liverpool supporters will be desperate to get a first glimpse of their new acquisitions during the pre-season schedule.
After finishing last season with a 6-1 defeat at the hands of Stoke City, Reds boss Brendan Rodgers has conducted some clinical business in the transfer market already this summer, addressing several key weaknesses which hampered their pursuit of a top-four spot last season.
Given the seismic shift in personnel on the playing staff and coaching staff, these pre-season games will be vital for Liverpool as they look to get everything aligned ahead of a critical campaign.
Here’s a look at the schedule in full, where you can catch the action and some key factors to consider for the men from Merseyside when taking in these pre-season clashes.
| July 14 | TBC | True Thai Premier League All Stars | Rajamangala Stadium, Bangkok |
| July 17 | 1:45 p.m. | Brisbane Roar | Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane |
| July 20 | 10:30 a.m. | Adelaide United | Adelaide Oval, Adelaide |
| July 24 | 1:45 p.m. | Malaysia XI | Bukit Jalil National Stadium, Kuala Lumpur |
| August 1 | 5:30 p.m. | HJK Helsinki | Olympic Stadium, Helsinki |
All matches can be watched on LFC TV (UK) and streamed via the club's official website.
Pressure on Rodgers to Integrate Flurry of New Faces
It was clear that decisive action was needed by the Reds on the back of the horror show at the Britannia Stadium on the final day of the 2014-15 season.
Rodgers was under pressure but ultimately kept his job. Although going forward, his support staff—with Sean O’Driscoll and Pepijn Lijnders drafted in to replace the axed Colin Pascoe and Mike Marsh—and playing staff are going to be much changed, as the Reds look to start afresh in 2015-16.
Roberto Firmino is the signing which has most Liverpool supporters excited. Bleacher Report’s Graham Ruthven ran the rule over what he will add to the Reds’ cause:
Following the Brazilian to Anfield have been James Milner, Danny Ings, Nathaniel Clyne and Joe Gomez, giving the Reds' squad a much more balanced feel already.
Liverpool were crying out for added depth in all areas of the team last season and if they’re to mount a charge for the Champions League spot in 2015-16, all these players will have to play a part.
But there are some lingering concerns in the build-up to the season. Most notably, the Reds will have to do without Steven Gerrard after his departure and while he may have been a fading force on the field, his incomparable leadership qualities and emotional ties with the supporters will leave a major void.
In addition, as we can see here courtesy of Bleacher Report UK, there has been plenty of unrest surrounding the future of young star Raheem Sterling:
Whether or not the England international goes on the tour remains to be seen, but Rodgers will have bigger issues on his mind.
Having signed six new faces at the time of writing, lost an inspirational captain and revamped his coaching setup, it’s important this group gets well acquainted with each other ahead of the campaign.
Indeed, Liverpool legend John Aldridge admitted on his Kicca account that if the Reds don’t begin the season well, Rodgers could quickly be out of a job:
"Next season is going to be massive one for Brendan Rodgers at Liverpool. He needs to get off to a flier because, over the years, the Liverpool fans have become used to success at the club.
The team needs to get into winning form because by Christmas Liverpool have to be right up there at the top. If they are not in the top three or four by Christmas Brendan will find himself under a tremendous amount of pressure.
"
Ultimately, if things don’t go to plan in the early weeks of the season, the pressure will fall squarely on the shoulders of the manager.
The club’s owners have backed him with some big spending, reshaped the coaching structure around him and for the second time in as many summers, Rodgers has drafted in myriad players with excellent reputations.
The groundwork laid in these pre-season matches is going to be so important. Granted, they aren’t overly competitive affairs, but it’s a critical time to build relationships and forge partnerships ahead of the season to come.
If there are any hesitancies remaining by the time the season opener comes around, against Stoke at the Britannia as luck would have it, things could quickly turn sour for the Reds once again. But this Liverpool squad is undoubtedly capable of pushing for a spot in the top four this season.
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