If ever there was a vital pre-season for Liverpool, it’s this one.
Having just fallen short of breaking their Premier League hoodoo last term, failure to take the next step in the upcoming campaign could be disastrous – in the eyes of the fans, at least.
Manchester United’s successful title defence in 2008-09 saw them equal their north west rivals’ record tally of 18 English championships. That alone is unbearable to most Kopites; as is the possibility of the Red Devils reaching 19 first.
Thus, a productive summer is essential for Rafa Benitez and his troops. They kicked off their pre-season play in Switzerland during the week with a 0-0 draw against St. Gallen, and they will be hoping to improve in their upcoming fixtures.
Rapid Vienna (A), Sunday 19 July, 18:15
Liverpool skip over to Austria to face Rapid Vienna. As one of the country’s powerhouse clubs, they should provide a significantly sterner test than their previous second division opponents.
Thailand (A), Wednesday 22 July, 14:00
The now-customary jaunt to South-East Asia begins with an exhibition match against the Thai national team. Ranked 117th in the world, the Elephants are coached by former foe Peter Reid, the ex-Everton and England defender.
Singapore (A), Sunday 26 July, 12:00
Then they go down to one of the smallest independent states in world, to take on a team that boasts more expats than natives. Expect plenty of the youngsters and reserves to get a run-out in this game.
Espanyol (A), Sunday 2 August, 20:00
Back to Europe, to take on the ‘other’ Catalan club. Having narrowly escaped relegation from the Primera Division last season, Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be hoping to lay the foundations for a vast improvement on their efforts in 2008-09.
FC Lyn (A), Wednesday 5 August, 18:00
Norway has become a regular stop on the Reds’ recent pre-season adventures. Last year, they took on Valerenga; this year, they will face their Oslo rivals. They are in the midst of the Tippeligaen season, and thus should provide decent competition.
Atletico Madrid (H), Saturday 8 August, 15:00
Fernando Torres’ old club will travel to Anfield for the Merseysiders’ final hit-out of the summer. Both sides have high hopes for the upcoming campaign and will want to take some good form into the season proper.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Glen Johnson remains Liverpool’s only big-money purchase so far this summer and the England right-back’s performances over the next few weeks will attract plenty of attention. Benitez has already made it clear that he wants the former Chelsea and Portsmouth star to sharpen up defensively.
Still, most gazes will be drawn inevitably towards Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. The midfielders have been heavily linked with an Anfield exit, the former touted for Real Madrid and the latter for Barcelona. Alonso’s future is looking particularly murky and, as one of the Reds’ standout performers last season, he would be a hard man to replace. How prominently will he feature in pre-season, if at all?
As far as youngsters go, Dani Pacheco and Krizstian Nemeth are the ones to look out for – both extremely gifted forwards who have what it takes to crack the first team in the not-too-distant future. Scouse midfielder Jay Spearing is another to keep an eye on.
Having just fallen short of breaking their Premier League hoodoo last term, failure to take the next step in the upcoming campaign could be disastrous – in the eyes of the fans, at least.
Manchester United’s successful title defence in 2008-09 saw them equal their north west rivals’ record tally of 18 English championships. That alone is unbearable to most Kopites; as is the possibility of the Red Devils reaching 19 first.
Thus, a productive summer is essential for Rafa Benitez and his troops. They kicked off their pre-season play in Switzerland during the week with a 0-0 draw against St. Gallen, and they will be hoping to improve in their upcoming fixtures.
Rapid Vienna (A), Sunday 19 July, 18:15
Liverpool skip over to Austria to face Rapid Vienna. As one of the country’s powerhouse clubs, they should provide a significantly sterner test than their previous second division opponents.
Thailand (A), Wednesday 22 July, 14:00
The now-customary jaunt to South-East Asia begins with an exhibition match against the Thai national team. Ranked 117th in the world, the Elephants are coached by former foe Peter Reid, the ex-Everton and England defender.
Singapore (A), Sunday 26 July, 12:00
Then they go down to one of the smallest independent states in world, to take on a team that boasts more expats than natives. Expect plenty of the youngsters and reserves to get a run-out in this game.
Espanyol (A), Sunday 2 August, 20:00
Back to Europe, to take on the ‘other’ Catalan club. Having narrowly escaped relegation from the Primera Division last season, Mauricio Pochettino’s men will be hoping to lay the foundations for a vast improvement on their efforts in 2008-09.
FC Lyn (A), Wednesday 5 August, 18:00
Norway has become a regular stop on the Reds’ recent pre-season adventures. Last year, they took on Valerenga; this year, they will face their Oslo rivals. They are in the midst of the Tippeligaen season, and thus should provide decent competition.
Atletico Madrid (H), Saturday 8 August, 15:00
Fernando Torres’ old club will travel to Anfield for the Merseysiders’ final hit-out of the summer. Both sides have high hopes for the upcoming campaign and will want to take some good form into the season proper.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Glen Johnson remains Liverpool’s only big-money purchase so far this summer and the England right-back’s performances over the next few weeks will attract plenty of attention. Benitez has already made it clear that he wants the former Chelsea and Portsmouth star to sharpen up defensively.
Still, most gazes will be drawn inevitably towards Xabi Alonso and Javier Mascherano. The midfielders have been heavily linked with an Anfield exit, the former touted for Real Madrid and the latter for Barcelona. Alonso’s future is looking particularly murky and, as one of the Reds’ standout performers last season, he would be a hard man to replace. How prominently will he feature in pre-season, if at all?
As far as youngsters go, Dani Pacheco and Krizstian Nemeth are the ones to look out for – both extremely gifted forwards who have what it takes to crack the first team in the not-too-distant future. Scouse midfielder Jay Spearing is another to keep an eye on.
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