4 Things We'll Learn from Liverpool's Pre-Season Tour of the US
Jurgen Klopp and his Liverpool squad have travelled to California ahead of their pre-season tour of the United States, as the Reds' preparations for the 2016/17 campaign continue in earnest—and their upcoming clashes will likely reveal a lot to supporters.
Liverpool will first take on Chelsea at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, marking their opening clash of the lucrative International Champions Cup, before moving on to Santa Clara and the Levi's Stadium to face off against AC Milan—in a rematch of 2014's fixture in North Carolina.
Klopp's side will also clash with Serie A outfit AS Roma, at Busch Stadium in St Louis, Missouri, in their final outing of the tour, with Luciano Spalletti's side providing a stern test of Liverpool's credentials.
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The German has the majority of his squad available at present, following the return of Daniel Sturridge, Nathaniel Clyne, Adam Lallana, James Milner, Jordan Henderson, Divock Origi and Simon Mignolet from holiday.
Christian Benteke has also linked up with the Reds, though question marks remain over his future, and summer signing Georginio Wijnaldum is poised to make his first appearances as a Liverpool player.
Speaking to reporters in May, Klopp stressed that "if we play our best in pre-season then I’ve done something completely wrong," but the development of his new-look side on the field will be of significant interest to Reds supporters—and here are four things we'll learn from Liverpool's pre-season tour of the U.S.
Who is Klopp's No. 1 Goalkeeper?
The signing of 23-year-old stopper Loris Karius from Mainz this summer served to signal a change in emphasis from Klopp when approaching his goalkeeping ranks.
Karius joined in a deal worth £4.7 million and took up the No. 1 shirt previously worn by Brad Jones, underlining his intention to operate as Klopp's first-choice goalkeeper—the German told LFCTV as much on his arrival, saying, "I want to be the No. 1 here at Liverpool."
But with Mignolet signing a new long-term contract with the club back in January, it remains unclear who will take up the regular starting role between the sticks throughout 2016/17.
Karius has already impressed this pre-season, keeping four consecutive clean sheets against Tranmere Rovers, Fleetwood Town, Wigan Athletic and Huddersfield Town, and though he made a worrying error at the DW Stadium, the Germany under-21 international has looked assured in his new surroundings.
Supporters have questioned the role of Mignolet as first-choice goalkeeper in recent seasons, and the move to sign Karius may satisfy their desires for a new No. 1.
Mignolet's return from holiday could see him deployed in Klopp's regular starting lineup, however, and Liverpool's tour of the U.S. will certainly indicate the 49-year-old's preference at the back.
Will Liverpool's Defence Hold Firm?
Karius' perfect start to pre-season has not purely been the young goalkeeper's doing, of course, with Klopp looking to mould a steadfast defensive line ahead of 2016/17.
The addition of former Schalke centre-back Joel Matip on a free transfer has provided Dejan Lovren with a strong partner at the heart of the defence, negotiating disappointing injuries to Mamadou Sakho and Joe Gomez.
Liverpool have also added 30-year-old defender Ragnar Klavan to their ranks, with the Estonian joining from Augsburg, as Klopp looks to make good on his April pledge to "start with the defence" as he builds his side for his first full campaign.
Coming up against tough opposition in Chelsea, Milan and Roma, however, Liverpool's strong defensive line will be given a more accurate test of their credentials when preparing for the Premier League.
Between them, the three sides scored 191 league goals in 2015/16, averaging 1.7 goals per game, and Roma in particular have a formidable array of goalscorers at their disposal—as their 16-0 friendly victory over AC Pinzolo this season proved, with Spalletti's side sharing the goals between 10 players:
- Edin Dzeko, four goals
- Mohamed Salah, two goals
- Federico Ricci, two goals
- Juan Iturbe, two goals
- Christian D'Urso, one goal
- Diego Perotti, one goal
- Vasilis Torosidis, one goal
- Gerson, one goal
- Ezequiel Ponce, one goal
- Lorenzo Di Livio, one goal
Klopp will be hoping for a more rigid defensive approach in 2016/17, having seen his side ship 50 league goals last term, and their U.S. tour will go a considerable length towards proving the efficiency of his back line.
Which Peripheral Figures Have a Future?
Klopp has taken a sizeable squad with him to the U.S., but as he revealed to reporters following the Reds' friendly win away to Tranmere, the German believes his side is "100 per cent" too big.
Liverpool have already seen Jordan Rossiter, Jerome Sinclair, Joao Carlos Teixeira, Kolo Toure, Jordon Ibe, Sergi Canos, Lawrence Vigouroux and Martin Skrtel leave the club this summer, with Brad Smith (per ESPN FC) and Joe Allen (per the Telegraph) poised to follow shortly.
But this summer's U.S. tour could decide the futures of a host of other peripheral figures, with a number in questionable positions at this stage of the summer.
According to Goal's Melissa Reddy, Liverpool are willing to part with 22-year-old winger Lazar Markovic, while she has also suggested Benteke, Mario Balotelli, Lucas Leiva, Andre Wisdom and Tiago Ilori could be among those to leave before the 2016/17 campaign.
For the likes of Wisdom and Markovic in particular, strong performances against Chelsea, Milan and Roma could secure their long-term futures under Klopp, while even talented youngsters Kevin Stewart and Sheyi Ojo could be fighting for a place in the German's squad for the season—rather than leaving on loan.
Klopp's lineups, substitutions and tactical tweaks throughout Liverpool's tour of the U.S. could indicate which players he still sees in his plans.
Which System Will Klopp Opt For?
For much of his first season with the Reds, Klopp utilised a 4-2-3-1 formation, with a fluid, four-man attacking line supported by a two-man midfield pivot—emulating a similar system from his time with Borussia Dortmund.
During pre-season so far, the same system has been seen at points, but Klopp has also regularly fielded a 4-3-3 formation, employing a more progressive three-man unit in midfield.
This has seen a defensive midfielder, namely Stewart, provide stability as two more advanced midfielders—two of Marko Grujic, Ovie Ejaria, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Pedro Chirivella and Cameron Brannagan—push ahead to drive at the opposition penalty area.
Ahead of Liverpool's trip to the U.S., This is Anfield's James Nalton proffered that this system favoured Klopp's current squad:
"This shape may have been influenced by first-team development coach Pepijn Lijnders, who manages the youth players’ transition from academy to first team, or it could simply be the best system to use for getting the players match fit.
Looking at the current squad, though, a midfield three suits many of the players on Liverpool’s books, whether this be a 4-3-3, or a 4-3-2-1.
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The signings of Wijnaldum and Sadio Mane, for example, would suit the 4-3-3, with the former operating in the middle of the park, and the latter taking up his natural wide role.
But it remains to be seen whether this is a long-term system or Klopp is merely waiting for his key players to return before he implements his regular 4-2-3-1—as the plethora of attacking midfielders and strikers at his disposal would be given more opportunity in a four-man forward line.
After a strong start to pre-season with victories in all four of their domestic friendlies, the real test now begins for Klopp's Liverpool, and in the heat of west-coast America against top-level opposition, they could reveal a lot more about the coming campaign.
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