Liverpool enter final week of pre-season still searching for solutions after a nightmare summer

David Lynch30 July 2019

"It's always been clear Evian would be the most important week of pre-season,” Jurgen Klopp declared ahead of Liverpool beginning their stay in the French commune on Monday.

But even as a manager devoted to long-term thinking, the German could not have envisaged how recent events would serve to amplify the significance of this week’s training camp.

The Reds travel to the continent without a win in their last four friendly outings and desperately searching for solutions to the countless issues that have reared their head during that poor run of form.

And, while the mitigating circumstances underpinning those results are starting to dissipate, just six days remain for Liverpool to hit top gear in time for their first competitive fixture of the campaign.

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Klopp started the week by welcoming back Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Alisson Becker from extended breaks following international tournaments.

He was also boosted by the availability of fit-again midfield duo Xherdan Shaqiri and Naby Keita, whose respective calf and adductor injuries have finally eased sufficiently.

Unfortunately, that quintet cannot be afforded a gentle reintroduction to training with a Wembley date with Manchester City just around the corner.

Klopp still awaiting the return of some key players.
PA

Admittedly, should an undercooked Reds side suffer defeat at the hands of Pep Guardiola’s men, it is fair to say they wouldn’t carry the disappointment with them for too long.

Klopp may have been surprised to hear it at his press conference on Monday, but English football’s season curtain-raiser is considered little but a glorified friendly on these shores.

However, it is the fixtures beyond that clash in the capital that carry concern, particularly when the events of the previous campaign are considered.

After somehow failing to win the Premier League in losing just one of their 38 games last term, Liverpool know they cannot afford a slow start - or in fact a slow middle or end.

These days, any minor slump is guaranteed to quickly put you out of the title race, and that is not an option for a team looking to go one better this year.

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Klopp’s bid to avoid such a scenario hasn’t been helped by the fact that his opposite number Guardiola appears to have overseen a far smoother pre-season period at City.

The reigning Premier League champions have missed fewer of their main men as a result of this summer’s international football, and boast a squad depth so enviable that such concerns are practically rendered irrelevant anyway.

While Leroy Sane’s flirtation with Bayern Munich has added at least some uncertainty to their preparations, reports that Real Sociedad star Mikel Oyarzabal is being lined up as a potential replacement suggest it will be business as usual at the Etihad either way.

And with City having accrued 198 points over the course of the last two seasons, the threat of more of the same this time around should concern Liverpool.

Only by ensuring this week’s work lives up to Klopp’s billing will the Reds be able keep up with English football’s pacesetters for a second consecutive season.

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