3 things we spotted from Inside Liverpool training ahead of the trip to Bournemouth
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The games don't stop, do they?Liverpool are back in action this weekend, with a trip down to the south coast to face AFC Bournemouth.The Cherries just had their first bite of European football as they beat Real Sociedad 2-1 last night in Spain.Andoni Iraola's former employers are sitting in 15th, but have long been a thorn in many a Liverpool side.Let's take a dive into what we noticed from training ahead of this weekend's match-up.3 - Isak is full of confidence againAlexander Isak's first season with the Reds didn't exactly go according to plan. Arriving at a whirlwind time for the club, for a large fee, with virtually no pre-season was a recipe for disaster.Throw in a broken leg and it's no wonder the Swede took his time to get up and running for the Reds.But after a summer filled with a World Cup and a full pre-season under a new manager, Liverpool's number 9 looks to be back.His double against Ipswich was a sign that he was returning to levels we saw at Newcastle.And his cameo against Spurs, as well as his performance in training also show he's almost back to his best.His close control and dribbling sent Endo the wrong way, then his shot sent the goalkeeper and the cameraperson the wrong way too.The Reds need to find the Swede more during matches to really allow him to show what he's capable of.
A return to winning the ball back early, high up the pitch and creating opportunities from that is what Iraola demands from his players.This is what excites the fans, gets a stadium bouncing, and also is how a lot of top players want to be playing football.Passive football, like we saw at times last season, kills the mood within a stadium and amongst the players. Gone are those days (hopefully).1 - Barcola's finishingBradley Barcola arrived at Liverpool with a lot of excitement.
Against Atletico Madrid the number 29 had a few chances that he really should have scored.It's early days in his Liverpool career so he will most certainly improve in that regard, and his finishes in training demonstrated that.There appeared to be more confidence in the way Barcola approached goalscoring opportunities. He was going around the keeper and varying up his finishes.The future is bright for the young French forward, who will need a bit of time to get used to his new club and new surroundings.