The Andoni Iraola era got off to a flying start in Nashville with a 4-2 thumping of Sunderland – though the injury to defender Joe Gomez may leave the new Liverpool manager pondering at what cost this win came.
Goals from teenager Kieran Morrison, stand-in captain Dominik Szoboszlai, returning loanee Lewis Koumas and Federico Chiesa helped Iraola to a win and pleasing performance over their fellow Premier League opposition.
But the win was somewhat overshadowed by the first-half injury of Gomez and the fact fellow defender Jeremy Jacquet sat the match out due to a fitness concern of his own. It makes the need for a new defender starkly obvious.
Reds expert Lewis Steele was in the city of cowboy hats, hot chicken wings and honky-tonk bars and brings you his key Tennessee takeaways…
Defensive reinforcements are a necessity
It was the sight that no Reds fan, or the transfer committee, wanted to see.
Just seven minutes into the Iraola era, he had his first injury casualty to deal with. Welcome to Liverpool, some may joke, given the well-documented problems with fitness across the board for the team last season.
Joe Gomez went down off the ball, holding what appeared to be a muscular problem. He had a grimace on his face and a look of resignation. The defender missed the majority of 2024-25 and was in and out of fitness last term as his career continues to be plagued by such issues.
The severity of the blow is unclear at this stage and his exit from the pitch may have been merely precautionary – but that does not matter given central defence is a problem area that Iraola noted unprompted in his press conference in Chicago earlier this week.
Joe Gomez was forced off injured just nine minutes into Liverpool’s win over Sunderland
Jeremy Jacquet, the new boy signed from Rennes who is hoping to play a significant role this term, is not fit and sat out of this friendly. It is understood Liverpool are going carefully with the young Frenchman after he missed half of last season at Rennes, so want to ease him in slowly.
Jacquet’s last game was February 7 and, even if he was to be as good as everyone at the club hopes and expects him to be, he is still only 21 and needs to settle into the physical demands of English football.
Virgil van Dijk is not on this pre-season tour and has been given an extended break, given he played more minutes than any player in Europe last term. The Dutchman is now 35 and is heading into the final year of his contract.
The only other senior centre back is Giovanni Leoni, the teenage Italian who signed from Parma this time last year but only made one appearance in which he ruptured his anterior cruciate ligament and missed the remainder of the season. His recovery is going well but he is still out.
When he is back, his fitness will need to be managed carefully.
It is also worth recalling that Ibrahima Konate, who played 36 of 38 Premier League games last year, left for Real Madrid on a free transfer.
All of these ingredients add up to one conclusion: Liverpool simply must sign a new defender this summer. Failure to do so leaves them incredibly light in that area and it could cost them dearly.
Morrison takes his chance
Defence is not the only area of the pitch where Iraola’s men are light going into the new campaign, which means there will be chances for youngsters to step up.
It has been one of the key themes of pre-season given plenty of senior stars are absent from this trip, including Van Dijk, Alisson, Cody Gakpo, Alexis Mac Allister and new signing Victor Munoz, who won the World Cup with Spain. Which kids can step up?
Here in Nashville, it was Morrison who did just that. A goal in the first half was the highlight after Harvey Elliott – back after a forgettable year at Aston Villa – threaded a nice pass to Morrison, who cut in off the right flank and curled a shot into the bottom corner with his left foot.
Kieran Morrison scored Liverpool’s opener in a 4-2 win against Sunderland
The 19-year-old, who can play across the forward line, had several other moments of quality and could have notched an assist or two if luck was more on his side.
Northern Ireland are trying to tie down the Manchester-born teenager, who has one senior cap for the national team (he needs to play three times to ensure England cannot poach him at a later date) – and this performance showed why.
He joined Liverpool as an Under-14, having spent eight years at Manchester United as a kid. With several gaps in the forward line – not to mention a Mohamed Salah-sized hole on the right – could Morrison step up?
We won’t get carried away based on one pre-season outing but he was the man of the match here in Tennessee and Iraola must have been impressed. Manchester United’s loss, it would appear, is Liverpool’s gain.
Which other kids stood out?
While the lack of defensive depth is a glaring issue and a worry for many, two who might be rubbing their hands are teenage duo Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, who both played the majority of this match.
Ndiaye, 18, was signed from Senegalese side Amitie FC in January having caught the eye at the Under-17 World Cup. He is a physical unit, seems calm in possession and is left-footed, which always helps. He has made the first-team bench several times.
Next to him was Austrian youngster Ndukwe, also 18. Signed from Austria Wien in January, Ndukwe officially joined up with his new team this summer. The 6ft 6in defender is another identified by global talent-spotter Matt Newberry in an intriguing recruitment drive.
21-year-old James McConnell impressed in midfield for Liverpool
Both played well and may be needed this season.
Further up the field, James McConnell was impressive in midfield, Calum Scanlon caught the eye on the left flank with several energetic runs and Josh Abe, who only turned 16 earlier this month, had some nice touches.
Lewis Koumas took his goal with composure after a fine move starring also Dominik Szoboszlai, who was wearing the captain’s armband.
Chiesa shows Iraola what he can do
There are several notable shortcomings to Federico Chiesa’s game that have been well documented by fans. But one thing he has that could be desirable to Iraola is versatility.
He can play on the right wing, left or, as he did here, as a No 9. The Italian scored Liverpool’s third with a well-taken finish from a tight angle then he played a lovely round-the-corner ball in the lead-up to Koumas’s goal.
Chiesa has had a weird career at Liverpool. His first season was a write-off, pretty much, due to injury. The next campaign had some bright moments and big goals but, overall, he never earned the trust of Arne Slot.
Many expected he would leave this summer but is he worth keeping around due to his versatility? It is food for thought for Iraola.
