Andoni Iraola just saw strong audition from exciting talent who could save Liverpool millions
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Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola will have been impressed by several of his players against Sunderland, but one young talent underlined why he should be a genuine option this seasonLiverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)Andoni Iraola said before the game that his Liverpool stars would make mistakes as they got used to the demands he was placing on them and re-adjusted to playing at full match speed.But in the case of a good few players on the pitch during a 4-2 win over Sunderland in Nashville, some were seemingly much more in tune with what he wants than others.Kieran Morrison, who scored the first goal of the Iraola era, was very impressive. He took his goal well and carried on where he left off last season: scoring, creating, and generally being influential.Dominik Szoboszlai netted a stunning strike when he came on in the second half, and he looks to have the perfect legs and energy for what Iraola wants.Curtis Jones got to try a new, deeper role, and Federico Chiesa and Lewis Koumas, who both got on the scoresheet, will be pleased with what they were able to bring to the table as well.At the back, young center-back duo Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe were almost spotless, showing that they are too good to stick around at the U21 level next term, with a loan move for more senior experience a must.Trey Nyoni during a Liverpool training session.(Image: Nick Taylor/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)One man, though, who was overlooked by some last season in part thanks to the prodigious talent that is Rio Ngumoha, offered an instant reminder of exactly what he can do.Of all the young players or those on the fringes who stood out here, Trey Nyoni was the one who looked the most likely to have a realistic chance of properly breaking into Iraola's plans in the near future.Morrison will have plenty of competition for places in attack, while Ndiaye and Ndukwe are still too raw to come in regularly; they need some more senior exposure.In the case of Nyoni, though, he is more than ready for an increase in minutes.
Like Ngumoha, he got a small taste of that in the second half of last season under Arne Slot, and now should be the time for him to press on.Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kitsThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreFrom $100LFC.comSee the dealLiverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world.One of Nyoni's first contributions in this game was to produce a 15-yard backpass when he was under pressure.
Never flapping when he is pressed, the 19-year-old coolly ensured that he maintained possession when he was closed down.Whenever he had the ball at his feet, he glided along the turf before silkily finding a pass.Ryan Gravenberch, a player you could argue he stylistically resembles, will be back in training with Liverpool tomorrow. Assuming no one leaves, the teenager is ready to take the next step, and his first performance in pre-season was a classy reminder.