Liverpool fans could see the basis of Andoni Iraola’s next great Reds team against Leeds
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Some supporters choose not to tune in for their club’s pre-season friendlies, with many not seeing the value in playing ‘meaningless’ matches.If any Liverpool fan decides to miss Sunday night’s clash against Leeds United, though, they may miss the birth of the next great Reds team.Clearly, Andoni Iraola does not have all of his players yet to choose from, and there is going to be some compromise in the XI. Pick Liverpool’s new front three with Bradley Barcola in it 👇 Who joins the Frenchman in Andoni Iraola's best attack?
Photo Credit: Getty Images/Sarah Stier/FIFA Iraola has four players to work with as a base at LiverpoolThere are plenty of question marks over who will be in Liverpool’s best XI under Iraola, not least who will play on the wings and at centre-back.These worries can lead to a feeling that the Liverpool squad is nowhere near complete, and is completely lacking in quality from top to bottom.This is just not true, though, and fans could see it against Leeds, where Iraola has suggested that the returning Gravenberch, Wirtz and Isak are candidates to start.Szoboszlai is already well under way in pre-season, and the Hungarian is likely to play most of the match in Chicago.READ MORE: Liverpool’s pre-season predicted XI vs Leeds as Andoni Iraola takes a look at exciting duoPitting those four together is the basis for a very, very good Liverpool team. 9 followed Wirtz’s pass to score against Tottenham, breaking his leg in the process.Liverpool will be desperate for the £241m duo to click, and with a fresh slate and a new manager this pre-season, Soldier Field is the place for that to begin.Isak and Wirtz were bought to replace Mohamed Salah in terms of goals and assists collectively, and with Szoboszlai and Gravenberch behind them, they can form the spearhead to propel Iraola towards glory.Liverpool are missing three key signingsDespite the strong front end, Liverpool’s potentially great team does begin to unravel when you look further down the pitch.Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker are still world-class players, and nobody needs to worry about them, while there is potential for Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni to also progress into an elite category.
Left-back will be a concern for some, but Milos Kerkez should kick on this season when reunited with Iraola, and he could still become one of the world’s best in his position.There is no such ray of hope at right-back, where Conor Bradley’s injuries and Jeremie Frimpong’s unsuitability make Liverpool look especially weak. The Frenchman will solve one of the problem positions, and will make the Szoboszlai, Gravenberch, Wirtz, Isak front four into a brilliant front five, but Liverpool still need a right winger.Rio Ngumoha is not there yet, and it is hard to see Victor Munoz or Federico Chiesa nailing it down in 2026/27 either.If Barcola comes in, this becomes less of a worry, and something Liverpool can push down the road until next summer.