Liverpool started the 2024/25 season with a solid outing and a clean sheet, picking up points on the road with a 2-0 victory at newly promoted Ipswich to give Arne Slot the perfect start.
Ipswich Town 0-2 Liverpool
Premier League (1), Portman Road
August 17, 2024
Goals: Jota 60′, Salah 65′
1. Ryan Gravenberch does well as the No.6
There were realistically only a couple of decisions for Arne Slot to make for his first competitive line-up, with the defensive midfielder being one of them. Fellow Dutchman Ryan Gravenberch got the nod for it, following a pre-season run out there.
Whether it’s actually down to Gravenberch’s traits and talents, or the fact it facilitates others to be in their better positions, is perhaps yet to be determined.
“Gravenberch starts in the six because he has the attributes to play there, he will develop into a six. Him playing today will help [Alexis] Macca play more forward,” the new boss said before kick-off.
Was it a success? Hard to say definitively either way, given the varying states of fitness players appeared in, but a description of hit and miss wouldn’t be unexpected anyway. Some was good, some was, shall we say, worthy of a nod of appreciation at the intent.
An Ipswich counter just ten minutes in saw the Dutch midfielder sprinting back to take up place alongside the outnumbered defence; a faded, lofted pass from deep 15 minutes in almost set Salah away through the middle. He was quick to go for loose balls, whether he won them or not, and made himself available to take the ball off defenders.
He actually got more effective as the game opened up too, with energy in the tank perhaps, as others tired – he surged on more than once to open the game and find decent through balls.
Not everything was perfect, accurate or indeed what you want from your No6 – but Slot and supporters must know and expect that’ll be the case. It’s at least a positive start and maybe that kind of trust and opportunity is just what Gravenberch needs.
2. Arne Slot presents a new character on the touchline
We’re used to seeing plenty of energy, lots of gesticulations, some disbelieving smiles and almost non-stop dialogue with the fourth official in the dugout from the Liverpool head coach over the past few years.
But Slot is clearly a different character, a different style of manager and this first game showed as much.
He was mostly on his feet, for sure, but it was calm, considered, asking the odd player across for a word and a pointer, but not really directing play or getting involved in too much – save for when one seemingly harsh tackle from Massimo Luongo went unpunished.
That moment and his fury angled at the fourth official certainly showed he’s there to defend his team in his own way when called for, but for the most part it was a studious and watchful first time on the touchline in the Premier League.
Tactically it was what we’d expect after preseason and it’s early days for it all to gel.
3. Several players lacking rhythm
More often than not over the last few years Liverpool have played six or seven – sometimes more – friendlies in the build-up to new seasons. Often the early ones are full of kids and backups, but even so the senior names get a bit more game time than has been the case this summer.
Just one appearance in preseason for some of the internationals who had a busy summer wasn’t much of a rhythm setter and that perhaps showed.
Alexis Mac Allister certainly wasn’t in his stride in any great measure, with Andy Robertson – a summer tournament and then an injury – also looking way off the pace at times.
As a group they of course haven’t had much of a chance to play in the new way with the new patters of play and expectations, so some rust and the odd moment lacking cohesion was to be expected in a way, even if it’s the same group, which would aid familiarity overall.
The opening games we already know are key to get points on the board, but we’ll also need to see that squad used well too.
4. Mo Salah has a battle on for usual top-scorer award
We don’t want to jump head-first into opening day hot takes, but there has been plenty of suggestion that with a more focal-point, higher starting position No9, it might be that Liverpool’s striker is their chief goal threat.
While that might sound obvious to fans of other teams, that’s a new event for Liverpool, given Mohamed Salah has been easily the best chance-taker for the past few years.
No doubt Mo will plunder plenty himself once more – an opportunistic finish got him up and running here already – but Jota looks very well-suited to this role, had three chances himself and took one. Add in the fact he’s not yet fully up to speed and that last term he had a brilliant hot streak which showed he’s an all-round predator now and we could easily have a two-horse race at a minimum.
Darwin, Diaz, Gakpo? Fancy joining in?
5. Dominik Szoboszlai is much more ten than a No.8
The midfield variations is one of the parts of the team most interesting to watch develop this season under Slot, particularly as it’s one of the few weaker areas of the side from the past year or three.
More than individuals, that’s regarding shape on and off the ball – so Dominik Szoboszlai taking up the clearly altered “third” midfield role has been a real plus point on the evidence so far.
He was very definitely a No.10, often alongside or beyond the striker in open play and looking to pick the ball up between the lines, on the turn, to quickly link moves in the final third.
That’s a big contrast to where we saw two No8s alongside each other previously and both looking to attack from behind play, often stopping at or before the penalty box.
This looks like suiting the No8 far more and we’ve also seen evidence that Harvey Elliott will enjoy it, too. Lots more to come, no doubt, from a new attacking element of the team.
