Liverpool’s 2-1 victory over Brisbane Roar made it two from two for pre-season so far.
Brendan Rodgers picked a strong team, and despite conceding first, we came back strongly to dominate the game and secure victory.
Adam Lallana scored our first with a peach, before James Milner nutmegged a defender and scooped over a wrong-footed keeper.
The match was far more competitive and valuable to our preparations than the 4-0 win over Thai All-Stars, and here’s our subsequent analysis.
Joe Gomez shouldn’t be loaned out
What an absolute steal this teenage starlet looks at £3.5m from Charlton (via BBC Sport). Gomez only recently turned 18, but has probably been our best defender during our first two games of pre-season. The Englishman is totally defensively composed, which was all the more impressive considering he was playing in an unnatural left-back role. Many expected Gomez to be loaned straight back to the Championship, but at this rate, he looks a worthy member of the first-team squad – above the likes of Tiago Ilori who hasn’t travelled, and probably Andre Wisdom too. Alberto Moreno should be genuinely worried about his starting spot.
Rodgers needs to find a way to fit Lallana in his starting XI
Most Liverpool fans drafting their prospective XIs for next season have included Coutinho and Roberto Firmino in attacking midfield, but haven’t included Adam Lallana – a man that cost £25m last summer. He failed to justify his price-tag in 2014/15, but he didn’t get a pre-season, and injuries undoubtedly curtailed his progress. During his two cameo appearances of pre-season though, Lallana has scored two lovely goals, and has been our most impressive performer so far. Deployed on the left, Lallana’s been able to cut inside and shoot, create chances for team-mates and link up with James Milner especially, well. If he carries on producing the goods, Rodgers will struggle to leave him out – and will have to decide how and where to start the England international.
Liverpool are stylistically preparing for Christian Benteke’s arrival
One of our biggest problems last year was an inability to get players into the box. Even our strikers failed to at times, but versus Brisbane, we packed it every time we had possession in wide areas. The likes of Clyne, Milner and Henderson were happy to put crosses into the area – which is symbolic of the imminent £32.5m transfer of Christian Benteke (via BBC Sport). Everyone knows the Belgian thrives off the aerial deliveries we very rarely used last season, so it’s good to see that we’re preparing to play to the strengths of a player set to become our second most expensive ever. It’ll be interesting to see how this affects Coutinho and Roberto Firmino, two attacking midfielders who prepare to feed attackers with through-balls.
The goalkeepers are not getting a pre-season!
In two matches, despite the fact we conceded a sloppy goal today, Simon Mignolet and Adam Bogdan have been completely untested. It’s a surprise they haven’t dozed off, so little have they had to do. It seems that a goalkeeper’s pre-season preparations are done entirely on the training field when tours such as these are organised. Let’s hope Mignolet is totally ready come the Stoke fixture on opening day.
There really is no need to directly replace Raheem Sterling when Jordon Ibe is fit and raring to go
Ibe only played half an hour in Brisbane, but the opposition defence simply couldn’t handle his direct running, power and pace. He’s almost as good on the ball as the departed Raheem Sterling already, but he’s more ferocious, and physically more impressive. His development will speed up by the fact we don’t have Sterling blocking his path to the first-team, and actually – a multimillion winger arrival would only block Ibe’s progression. The 19-year-old could have scored a blinder today, but was kept out excellently by the opposition stopper when he attempted to blast into the top corner from wide. Ibe is one of the most exciting talented to come out of our academy in many seasons, and we need to nurture him appropriately. Sterling leaving is a benefit to him, and eventually, hopefully us, too.
