Merseyside | Some concerns for new Liverpool boss after pre-season defeat
Reaction to Liverpool's pre season defeat over Leeds United
They were left with lessons to learn despite a bright start
Author | William G
On the flight home from Chicago, Andoni Iraola will have plenty to ponder after Liverpool's 4-2 defeat by Leeds brought their United States tour to a disappointing close.
Their first-half display was arguably the finest of Iraola's tenure so far, but the second could scarcely have been more contrasting as they shipped four unanswered goals in a damaging 25-minute spell.
Iraola made sweeping changes at the interval and throughout the second half, but that alone cannot explain the manner of Liverpool's collapse against Daniel Farke's side.
The lack of depth and physical presence within the squad was exposed
The ease with which Leeds found the net will concern the Liverpool head coach, even if the match ended with an inexperienced back four of Calvin Ramsay, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, Mor Talla Ndiaye and Kostas Tsimikas.
With Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz back in the side, Liverpool produced an encouraging first-half performance and it would be unfair to dwell solely on what followed. Even so, Iraola may ultimately benefit from seeing his side's shortcomings laid bare, particularly from set pieces, where familiar weaknesses resurfaced.
The intensity that Iraola demands was evident before the break but disappeared after half-time. Senior players including Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa also endured difficult afternoons and failed to provide the leadership the team required.
Comments
Post a Comment