Liverpool’s first pre-season training session in Bangkok
Liverpool are due to get their pre-season programme underway against Manchester United in Bangkok on July 12 and players are being put through their paces in Thailand
Liverpool’s players have begun training in Thailand ahead of their pre-season exhibition match against Manchester United in Bangkok.
The Reds have been busy in the transfer market all summer, with a big-money deal to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica the highest-profile move. Uruguay international Nunez has been joined at Anfield by Fabio Carvalho and Calvin Ramsay as Jurgen Klopp’s side look to improve on last season’s second-place finish in the Premier League.
Liverpool’s friendly against United is the first of a number of opportunities fans will have to watch Klopp’s team prepare for the upcoming campaign. As the players get put through their paces, Keelaland has spotted a few things from the session in South-East Asia.
First glimpse of Darwin
Big things are expected of Darwin Nunez – and it’s not just because of the transfer fee. The 23-year-old impressed againstLiverpool in last season’s Champions League, so fans will hope he can turn that into an instant impact at his new club.
The new arrival could be seen listening attentively to instructions and completing drills as he prepares to feature against United. While he may need some time to get up to pace with his teammates and settle into Klopp’s system, supporters will expect to see some of his quality from the get-go.https://get-latest.convrse.media/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishmirror.ie%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fliverpool-training-preseason-klopp-salah-27445789&cre=top&cip=8&view=web
“The power and the mix-up with technique, the desire, smart moves, the problems he caused us. We fell all in love in these two games,” Klopp said upon welcoming the forward.
Carvalho settling in
While Nunez might be expected to replace the goals lost with Sadio Mane’s move to Bayern Munich, Fabio Carvalho will also give Klopp another option in attack. The youngster already has a Premier League goal to his name, having netted for Fulham when he was just 18, and has been settling in quickly.
Few will have expected the Portugal Under-21 international to be overawed by his new teammates. Even so, the sight of him chilling with Virgil van Dijk while sat in an ice bath might be interpreted as a sign he feels at home at this early stage of his Liverpool career.
Liverpool have already reaped the benefits of one former Cottagers youngster, with Harvey Elliott establishing himself in the first team. Now, it’s time for a second to take his chance.
Salah all smiles
While the loss of Mane to Bayern will have hurt, it would have been a great deal more painful for Liverpool if Salah had also ended his spell with the club. Instead, though, last season’s top scorer has agreed a new deal which will earn him more than £350,000 per week.
“My message [to the fans] is the players in the team want to give our best next season to try to win all the trophies,” he said upon agreeing the extension. “As usual, you stay behind us and give us a big push and I am sure we are going to win trophies again [together].”
Salah was all smiles in training as he prepares for another season as Liverpool’s talisman. There will be few more intent than him to win the league title next term after final-day disappointment in May.
Youngsters involved
Liverpool named a 37-man squad for their pre-season tour, meaning it won’t just be regular starters involved. Some of those who feature in Thailand and Singapore could yet leave, but plenty will be keen to show what they’ve got to offer.
Klopp has made good use of youth, especially in the cup competitions. And it’s often a precursor to league football, with Trent Alexander-Arnold and Curtis Jones among those to make the step up.
Those involved in the training session include academy talents James Norris and Leighton Clarkson. We could yet see them involved against United, or on one of the Reds’ later tour stops.
Firmino the entertainer
Roberto Firmino can no longer consider himself the automatic starter he once was at Liverpool. However, there are plenty of reasons for the club to keep him around.
The Brazilian is clearly a popular figure and his playful nature could be seen when he splashed teammate Luis Diaz as the players wound down at the end of the session. An ability to ensure recent signings like Diaz feel like part of the Liverpool family could be key in the coming weeks and months.
Firmino, who joined Liverpool in 2015, could end up playing his 350th game for the club this season. He can still offer plenty on the pitch, but Klopp will also know what he is capable of off it – especially with fellow senior figure Mane moving on.
