Liverpool's new head coach Andoni Iraola put his squad through gruelling double training sessions at the Endeavor Health Performance Center outside Chicago during a pre-season tour of the United States, with 19-year-old winger Kieran Morrison saying his "legs are finished by 9pm most nights" after the intense sessions.
Dominik Szoboszlai, last season's best player, said: "The intensity we need, it's here now. What we have been missing, it's back from the coach's side, from the players' side as well." Left back Milos Kerkez added: "It's the intensity, he (Iraola) is not scared to play one-on-one all over the pitch, to press high and to be on the front foot always."
Life off the pitch in Chicago
Between sessions, players relaxed with games of Uno and cup stacking competitions, with Szoboszlai taking over Mohamed Salah's old role as the squad's games champion. Singer Jon Bon Jovi stayed at the same New York hotel as the squad, and musicians Olivia Dean and Charli XCX were in Chicago for the Lollapalooza festival. Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger posed for pictures with staff, and some players visited the training base of the 1990s Chicago Bulls, posing for selfies with a Michael Jordan statue. Former Bayern Munich and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski also visited the squad at the Chicago Fire training base, which Liverpool used throughout the tour, flying out only for matches in Nashville and New York.
Salah's exit leaves leadership gap
Salah left Liverpool this summer after nine years, 257 goals and seven major trophies, a gap widened on tour by the absence of captain Virgil van Dijk and goalkeeper Alisson following their World Cup involvement. Van Dijk, who played more minutes than any other Liverpool player last season, was given an extended break and trained back at the club's Liverpool base instead of travelling to the United States. His contract, worth £350,000 a week, expires next summer.
Nyoni and Ngumoha push for Newcastle start
With senior players missing, teenage midfielder Trey Nyoni has emerged as one of the standout performers of the tour, and there is growing momentum for the 19-year-old, who joined from Leicester City's academy, to start the Premier League opener away at Newcastle United on August 23. "Even when he has one opponent quite close, he asks for that ball and he's confident, he doesn't rush," Iraola said in New York. "For me, that is very valuable."
Winger Rio Ngumoha, who scored his first senior goal to snatch a 3-2 win at St James' Park last season, also looks set to start there again. Iraola has been working to make his wingers comfortable on both flanks, since his current options are naturally left-sided, a problem that would deepen if Liverpool land top target Bradley Barcola.
Defensive injuries mount
Liverpool's biggest headache lies in defence. Centre back Joe Gomez limped off just eight minutes into the tour opener, a win over Sunderland in Nashville, and has not played since. January signing Jeremy Jacquet, a £55million defender bought from Rennes, is still working back from a shoulder injury and has not featured all pre-season. Right back is also short of options because of Conor Bradley's long-term injury, and Jeremie Frimpong had to be substituted in the final friendly, though that is not thought to be serious.
Austrian teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe, 18, has impressed since arriving from Austria Vienna but cannot play competitive matches until he secures a work permit. Versatile defender Luke Chambers, 22, who spent last season on loan at Charlton Athletic, scored the opening goal in a 4-2 defeat by Leeds United in the final tour match. His former Kilmarnock manager, Derek McInnes, now in charge of Rangers, told Daily Mail Sport: "What a diamond of a boy he is, Liverpool are lucky to have him."
Elphick and Cooper settle in as assistants
Iraola's coaching staff, including former Brighton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth defender Tommy Elphick and fellow assistant Shaun Cooper, have helped him settle in. Elphick, who turned down offers to become a Championship manager this summer to stay with Iraola, has even worn a training bib to make up numbers amid the centre back shortage. New fitness coach Pablo de la Torre has also been working with players wearing Whoop armbands that track physical data, part of an effort to avoid the injury problems that hit the club last season.
A different approach to Slot
Iraola replaced Arne Slot, whose sacking surprised many at the club, including Van Dijk, who learned of it only when landing in Amsterdam for World Cup duty, and Kerkez, who was woken from a holiday nap by his brother. Iraola holds fewer video meetings than Slot and favours physical work on the training pitch, and unlike his predecessor he does not hold matchday debriefs, instead speaking to his squad the following morning.
Szoboszlai and Jones clash over armband
The tour was not without friction. Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones argued after Szoboszlai handed the captain's armband to Kostas Tsimikas following a 1-0 win over Wrexham at Yankee Stadium. The pair, along with Tsimikas, were seen smiling together the next time cameras caught them, and the disagreement is understood to have been resolved. Jones remains a target for Inter Milan, who would be able to sign him for £35million.
Signings still needed
Iraola is waiting on further recruitment before the season starts, with movement in Liverpool's pursuit of Barcola expected within the next week. New £34.5million signing Victor Munoz, a left-sided winger who won the World Cup with Spain, begins pre-season training this week, while Cody Gakpo has been given time off after his partner lost a child during pregnancy in June. Tottenham Hotspur want to sign Gakpo, but Liverpool do not want to sell. Iraola believes Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak, signed for a combined £241million last summer, will be "massive" for the club this season after difficult debut campaigns.
Uncertainty in the boardroom
Off the pitch, Fenway Sports Group chief executive Michael Edwards is leaving his role, and sporting director Richard Hughes, who brought Iraola to both Bournemouth and Liverpool, is expected to join Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Mike Gordon, a former ally of Jurgen Klopp, was seen in Chicago and has returned to running FSG as president. The group is exploring the sale of a 30 per cent stake in the club for £1.35billion to a consortium led by Amit Bhatia, who is trying to bring in Amazon founder Jeff Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin. The move has fuelled speculation among fans that owner John W Henry, 76, and his fellow custodians may be nearing the end of their time in charge.
Liverpool travel to Newcastle for their Premier League opener on August 23, three weeks after the tour concluded.
