Our first pre-season game takes place in eight days’ time. We’re facing a Thai All Stars XI, before playing Brisbane Roar, Adelaide United, a Malaysia XI and HJK.
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Brendan Rodgers is likely to deploy a number of players throughout the fixtures – both youngsters and genuine first-teamers – but some have more to prove than others.
Below, we’ve listed five who need to take the opportunity pre-season will grant them.
Lazar Markovic
There wouldn’t be nearly as much pressure on the young Serbian winger had he not cost £20m. But he did – and for that kind of money – fans need to see results, or at least an indication of the talent we invested in. We simply didn’t see enough of it last season, but Markovic will have had time to settle in now, and providing we don’t loan him out, the easy pre-season fixtures should present him with a chance to showcase his ability. He’s got it in bundles, but he needs to be deployed in a natural attacking midfield role, and not at wing-back. We’d love to see Markovic running at defenders, but putting his head up and trying to deliver a telling pass rather than heading blindly into alleys.
Danny Ings
The England Under-21 forward has returned from his holidays early to be fully involved with Liverpool’s pre-season, and we commend him for it. With Daniel Sturridge crocked, Fabio Borini and Rickie Lambert available (via Express) and doubts surrounding Mario Balotelli who fell out of favour with Rodgers last term, Ings is arguably pre-season’s first choice forward. This might change if a new striker is signed and if Roberto Firmino is deployed as a striker when he’s back from his break, but early on, a few goals for Ings would put himself in serious contention for a starting spot on the first day of the season versus Stoke.
Andre Wisdom
Glen Johnson has left the club on a free transfer and there’s intense rumours that Javier Manquillo will have his two year loan spell cut short by Brendan Rodgers (via The Guardian). With Jon Flanagan injured and unavailable, Wisdom has a strong chance of cementing himself as the primary backup right-back to summer signing Nathaniel Clyne. Wisdom spent last season on loan at West Brom, but he fell out of favour with Tony Pulis, and became something of the forgotten man. Now due to our right-back situation, and the fact he’s comfortable at centre-back too – Wisdom can earn himself an important role on our bench at the start of the Premier League season if he shines on tour.
Tiago Ilori
Arguably the player who most needs to shine. Ilori cost Liverpool £7m two summers ago, but despite arriving with a glowing reputation and as a regular for Portugal Under-21s, Rodgers hasn’t given him a single minute of first-team football yet, loaning him out twice. Ilori was excellent for Portugal U-21s at this summer’s European Championship though, and having overcome his injury problems, we’ll surely get a chance to see him in red before the season starts. If he really impresses, Martin Skrtel, Mamadou Sakho and Dejan Lovren will be looking over their shoulders.
Divock Origi
It’s easy to forget with the number of new arrivals at Anfield this summer that the prodigal Belgian will also finally move from France. We signed him for £10m last summer (via BBC Sport), and despite starting his loan spell with French club Lille promisingly, he dwindled – and actually was booed by their supporters at times during the campaign. This led many Liverpool fans who were previously excited about his arrival to go a little cold, but Origi’s talent is unquestionable. He’ll get chances this pre-season, and it’ll be mighty interesting to see whether Rodgers deploys him on the left of a front three or as an out and out central striker.
