Liverpool held a behind-closed-doors friendly with Championship outfit Blackburn Rovers earlier this week, with the Reds registering a resounding 6-0 win.
Takumi Minamino and Naby Keita were among the goal-scorers, and fans were excited by what they saw – a big positive, because it doesn’t seem like we’ll be making any signings this summer.
Blackburn manager Tony Mowbray has admitted it was amazing to watch how Liverpool were able to chew up and spit out his team.
Speaking to Rovers’ official website, the boss explained how Jurgen Klopp’s “pressing machine” blew them away. “An opportunity to play Liverpool is something that you can’t turn down, in my opinion,” he said.
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“The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane all played and it was a great experience for us. I think it highlighted to us where the very best are.
“We all saw that game and I have to be careful that I don’t judge my own players off the standard of that opposition, because they are a pressing machine.
“You can’t play your own game because Liverpool don’t let you have three passes. It’s amazing to watch the machine that they are.
“It was a competitive game of football and I spoke to Jurgen after the game who understands that it wasn’t just a friendly match.
“We’re both getting ready, we’re both intense and there certainly were benefits of playing the game for us.”
It’s interesting that Mowbray says he and Klopp agreed that it wasn’t just a friendly match, but it makes sense the two teams take it seriously with football’s resumption looming.
Liverpool’s first game back will be away at Everton on June 20 in the Merseyside Derby.
Should Manchester City lose their (re)opening fixture against Arsenal, which isn’t completely ridiculous to suggest, the Reds would be crowned Premier League Champions by beating the Blues the first week back.
Failing that, the Premier League website has us up against Crystal Palace after that – and picking up all six points from the first two fixtures would be enough.