Slot gets off to a winning start with Klopp’s stars, but midfield remains a concern for Liverpool

Ipswich, England — Ipswich Town Fans have waited 22 years for a day like this at Portman Road, but when they returned they were given a harsh reminder of the challenge ahead. Premier League As is Arne Slot’s liverpool won 2-0 In the first match of the post-Jurgen Klopp era.

For 60 minutes Ipswich battled hard with Liverpool, contesting every possession of the ball and creating two great chances – all with a starting XI that included seven players who had played for them when they were promoted from League 1, the third tier of English football, a year earlier.

Liverpool then increased the pace and moved the ball forward quickly, and played at a pace that Ipswich could not handle. Diogo JotaThe goal broke the deadlock, Mohamed Salah Five minutes later the game was over. It was a one-two combination that broke the Ipswich bubble, the familiar Liverpool we have seen for many seasons.

Liverpool’s only recruitment of the summer has been in the dugout, following the departure of Slot Feyenoord to replace Klopp after his nine-year tenure ends. It was the first time to see what Slott’s Liverpool would look like, but despite a lot of goodwill about their new head coach, there were whispers of concern among fans visiting East Anglia about his recruitment, or lack thereof, in the off-season. This has left them the only team in Europe’s top five leagues yet to sign a player. So really this was Klopp’s team, with only slight changes here and there since Slott took charge: more evolution than revolution.

At first Liverpool looked a little confused, perhaps caught between two philosophies. Passes were ineffective, attacks were coming down the flanks (bypassing the midfield) and players defending corners were looking desperately towards the bench for guidance. They failed to muster a single shot on target in the first half, their only attempt coming past the goalkeeper. Trent Alexander-Arnold – who was moving between right-back and defensive midfield while keeping possession of the ball – when he scored on the stroke of half-time.

Instead, Ipswich managed just two shots on target in the half and looked more dangerous on the counter-attack. But a couple of misplaced passes or a few moments of possession of the ball could have put them in trouble. Alison More.

But then Slott changed things. His key word of pre-season having been around patience, Slott wanted this team to be less fiery and more composed in their play, favouring possession and pressing to deliver the goods. Liverpool played with more intensity and found a higher tempo: suddenly Ipswich lost their rhythm, their scramble attempts weren’t enough, and Liverpool could tear them apart.

Liverpool began to have chances after finding space behind Ipswich’s full-backs. Liverpool exploited this area as Alexander-Arnold’s through ball created the gap between otherwise excellent players. Leif Davis And Jacob GreavesAnd Salah passed the ball to Diogo Jota and shot the ball into the goal. Salah’s goal was again due to a one-two Dominic Szoboszlai. Work done.

This was always going to be a test of how Liverpool shaped up in the post-Klopp era, and against the backdrop of their quiet summer. Slott has spoken about the strength of the squad he inherited, and suggested it would take five to eight games for the group to find their natural rhythm. But it also came just days after they lost their first-choice midfield target.

Slot thought he had been persuaded Royal Society‘S Martin Zubimendi After swapping San Sebastian for Merseyside, he changed his mind and decided to stay at his boyhood club. This left Liverpool in a quandary and a void at No.6 in the new coach’s system. Ryan Gravenberch He was assigned this role in the first half, and Ipswich were comfortable enough to go man-to-man in that area, leaving options on the counter. The midfield became more influential once Liverpool stepped up the pace, but you can see why the Reds have prioritised a player in that deep midfield role. It is essential to the way Slot wants his team to play and his transition ability. You wonder if they might accelerate their search for alternative options in the next fortnight, even if they are hesitant to shop for it. They still need that specialist Rodri-Like a conductor.

These early matches of the new season sometimes do not follow any rhythm or logic. It was always going to be a test for Liverpool on a field full of post-promotion enthusiasm and excitement, but there were moments when it boiled over three hours before kick-off.

“Oh my god, we’ve got to the point where we get half-off scarves,” shouted one fan as he left the train station, a response greeted by peals of laughter nearby. Discussion on the train in Ipswich turned to whether it was worth spending £10 on their captain Sam Walrusi Now that they’re in a league with VAR, they got knocked out (they didn’t), how realistic would it be for them to finish 17th in the top flight and secure survival (the realistic behind this one) and will Ed Sheeran be at the match (it was,

The last time they were in the Premier League (then called the Premiership), they looked like they would come straight back after being relegated (due to a 5-0 defeat to Liverpool) at the end of the 2001-02 season. Instead, it took two decades before successive promotions under brilliant manager Kieran McKenna put them back in the big time.

But as McKenna said in his programme notes, at this time two years ago they won a midweek match at Burton Albion in League One. “The scale of the task and the challenges we face this season is beyond anything we have seen before,” he said.

Unlike Liverpool, Ipswich have been proactive in the off-season. England Midfielder Kalvin Phillips their latest signing on loan, while Omari Hutchinson — on loan from Chelsea He was one of seven players signed on permanent deals this summer for a collective spend of around £70m last season – but their fans, players and management are realistic: it will be a great journey, but also a tough one. However, they showed enough here that they are going to struggle throughout the season, continuing to play the McKenna-ball of pressing and attacking with fluidity and freedom.

“We know this group is a long way off, but we hope it will accelerate our development in this league,” McKenna said after the match. “We know there is a possibility on the other side that we don’t get any points in our first two games (with Manchester City next Saturday), but we still have it Fulham And Brighton & Hove AlbionThat’s why every game is difficult.

“Our two teams were the most impressive in the beginning and after that, it’s our journey and how we can improve. We won’t spend much time talking about the league table, positions or points; it’s about total commitment to each game.”

The memories of his time away will be linked with the experience of watching his “Tractor Boys” return to the top flight, but Liverpool’s one-two punch in the space of five minutes was a stark reminder of what’s in store for him this season.

For Slott the job was done and was the first successful move in his tenure at Liverpool.