Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool once proved why Andoni Iraola can completely ignore pre-season losses
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Liverpool supporters are growing quietly concerned about their new season preparations under Andoni Iraola after a second consecutive defeat on Sunday.The Reds looked to be in good shape having won their first two matches with Iraola in charge, but losses against Leeds and now Monaco at Anfield have changed the picture.Most worryingly, Liverpool have been two goals up in both games, before losing 4-2 and then 3-2. Nothing looks to have changed from last season 😒 Photo Credit: Getty Images/Liverpool FC However, they should remember that, in the bigger picture, pre-season means absolutely nothing.
If Liverpool supporters need proof of that, they should look back seven years to the summer of 2019, when Jurgen Klopp‘s recently crowned champions of Europe geared up for the new campaign in the worst possible way, before going on an historic run.Klopp’s Liverpool lost three friendlies in 2019Liverpool were very close to being the best team on the planet in the summer of 2019. Having collected a whopping 97 Premier League points, second only to Pep Guardiola’s ridiculous Manchester City team, they duly won the European Cup.From there they were expected to kick on again, but pre-season results, and a lack of summer signings, left supporters worried about the new campaign.READ MORE: What is already clear about Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak under Andoni Iraola at LiverpoolThings started well enough for the Reds, as they beat Tranmere Rovers 6-0 and then saw Bradford City off with a 3-1 victory.
The Reds did get back to winning ways with a 3-1 win over Lyon at Anfield just before the season kicked off, then played both the Community Shield, which they lost on penalties against City, and the Super Cup, which was won in a shootout against Chelsea. But the feeling heading into the season was one of slight confusion over which version of Liverpool would turn up.Liverpool won 26 of their first 27 matchesAny doubts that Liverpool would be able to find their level of the previous season quickly vanished, as the Reds made their pre-season results look like exactly what they are: meaningless.A 4-0 opening day win over Norwich City began a Premier League winning run in which Liverpool effectively secured the title.Photo by Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesThe Reds won their opening eight fixtures before drawing away against Manchester United in October.Remarkably, Liverpool then embarked on a sensational 18-game winning run, meaning Klopp’s side had won 26 of their opening 27 Premier League matches.Clearly, nobody is expecting to see similar from Iraola once the season begins, but it just goes to show that even the best teams lose – and sometimes lose heavily – during the summer friendlies.Instead of lingering on the final results, fans should look at what is working well, such as the promising link-up between Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.