Ever the professional, it seems Rafael Benitez’s only concession to the notion of a pre-season friendly match is to prowl the technical area resplendent in a pair of jeans.
There is little chance of the Liverpool manager taking a similarly casual attitude to his team’s preparations for the coming campaign.
But while the latest stage of that warm-up programme saw the Anfield outfit further stretch their muscles with a testing workout against Wisla Krakow on Saturday, it has been impossible for Benitez to gauge any accurate assessment of the state of his squad.
Already without the Euro 2008-winning Spanish contingent of Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and Pepe Reina, Benitez has missed Steven Gerrard for the last two friendlies with the skipper having flown home before the weekend 1-1 draw nursing a groin problem.
Those five will again be absent tomorrow for the clash with Hertha Berlin in Germany, Liverpool’s final fixture before they head back to Melwood for a further period of intensive training.
Pre-season is often notoriously deceiving, but particularly so this season with so many of his expected first-team regulars as yet unavailable.
“We’ve had a lot of players away and it has made a difference,” admits Benitez. “Hopefully we will have everybody available soon and with the big names back we can do better.”
There was once a time when the pre-season process of shaking the ring-rust from the players, building fitness, bedding in summer signings and experimenting with tactics was a mystical matter to all but the most loyal, hardy supporters.
Not any more.
Nowadays, almost every friendly is built up to be an ‘event’, when in reality they are very rarely anything of the sort.
Saturday’s game was a painful example of why pre-season encounters and live television coverage should not be mixed.
As a spectacle, it was woeful. Indeed, the most memorable moment was when a photographer, desperate for some entertainment, proceeded to knock over half of the advertising boards behind one goal.
With Fribourg’s intimate Stade-St Leonard slowly cooking under the heat of the Swiss summer sun, the game at times was reduced to walking pace, the raft of absentees making the evening close to a glorified training session for Liverpool.
Having undertaken intensive training sessions the previous day and on the morning of the game, it was hardly surprising Liverpool tired noticeably quicker than their opponents with no player lasting the full 90 minutes.
Polish champions Wisla, preparing for a Champions League qualifier next week, were noticeably the sharper and offered a far greater challenge than either Tranmere or FC Lucerne.
Philipp Degen, so unconvincing on debut last Wednesday, also missed out with a minor groin problem, and it is a touch alarming that youngster Stephen Darby seemed far more effective in a defensive role than his Swiss colleague.
Benitez’s other new full-back, Andrea Dossena, was given clearance to make his first appearance on the left side of defence.
And, as with Degen, the early signs weren’t particularly encouraging.
The Italian was caught out of position on a number of occasions and Wisla’s 12th-minute goal came down the Liverpool left, Marek Ziencuk cutting the ball back to Tomas Jirsak to sweep a first-time finish past Diego Cavalieri.
Both Dossena and Degen can hardly be expected to slot in straight away, but both will surely now be aware of the expectations and demands of Benitez and supporters. Must do better.
Liverpool had already forged ahead in the sixth minute when Ukrainian international striker and pre-season specialist Andriy Voronin netted his second goal in as many games.
A flowing move involving the again impressive Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel ended with Yossi Benayoun threading a brilliant ball into the path of Voronin who, having seen his initial effort saved by Wisla goalkeeper Mariusz Pawelek, made no mistake in dispatching the rebound.
Voronin later spurned a good chance to regain the lead when a mistake by Marcin Baszczynski put the Ukrainian in the clear, but his shot was too close to Pawelek.
Benayoun had an effort cleared off the line by Arkadiusz Glowacki after the interval but the Israeli was an often infuriating figure, continually coughing up possession to the Poles.
He wasn’t alone, though, as Liverpool made life particularly difficult for themselves during the first half by struggling to hold on to the ball.
Wisla should have taken advantage of some sloppy defending, with Benitez’s side showing few signs of having yet addressed last season’s inability to consistently handle set-pieces.
After one such malaise, Liverpool had to rely on a harsh flag from the referee’s assistant to prevent them falling behind before a Marek Ziencuk free-kick evaded a clutch of defenders and struck the outside of Cavalieri’s right-hand post.
Sebastian Leto again fleetingly caught the eye with some fancy footwork only to be let down by a poor choice of final pass, while fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano announced his return to the first-team squad with a couple of crunching tackles. The midfielder clearly does not do ‘friendly’.
Voronin, Benayoun and late substitute Jermaine Pennant have all been linked with moves away from Anfield so far during this transfer window, serving to only further underline that this Liverpool team is virtually unrecognisable to the one that will step out for the first leg of the Champions League qualifier next month.
And until the cavalry arrives, Benitez is unlikely to contemplate a wardrobe change just yet.
There is little chance of the Liverpool manager taking a similarly casual attitude to his team’s preparations for the coming campaign.
But while the latest stage of that warm-up programme saw the Anfield outfit further stretch their muscles with a testing workout against Wisla Krakow on Saturday, it has been impossible for Benitez to gauge any accurate assessment of the state of his squad.
Already without the Euro 2008-winning Spanish contingent of Fernando Torres, Xabi Alonso, Alvaro Arbeloa and Pepe Reina, Benitez has missed Steven Gerrard for the last two friendlies with the skipper having flown home before the weekend 1-1 draw nursing a groin problem.
Those five will again be absent tomorrow for the clash with Hertha Berlin in Germany, Liverpool’s final fixture before they head back to Melwood for a further period of intensive training.
Pre-season is often notoriously deceiving, but particularly so this season with so many of his expected first-team regulars as yet unavailable.
“We’ve had a lot of players away and it has made a difference,” admits Benitez. “Hopefully we will have everybody available soon and with the big names back we can do better.”
There was once a time when the pre-season process of shaking the ring-rust from the players, building fitness, bedding in summer signings and experimenting with tactics was a mystical matter to all but the most loyal, hardy supporters.
Not any more.
Nowadays, almost every friendly is built up to be an ‘event’, when in reality they are very rarely anything of the sort.
Saturday’s game was a painful example of why pre-season encounters and live television coverage should not be mixed.
As a spectacle, it was woeful. Indeed, the most memorable moment was when a photographer, desperate for some entertainment, proceeded to knock over half of the advertising boards behind one goal.
With Fribourg’s intimate Stade-St Leonard slowly cooking under the heat of the Swiss summer sun, the game at times was reduced to walking pace, the raft of absentees making the evening close to a glorified training session for Liverpool.
Having undertaken intensive training sessions the previous day and on the morning of the game, it was hardly surprising Liverpool tired noticeably quicker than their opponents with no player lasting the full 90 minutes.
Polish champions Wisla, preparing for a Champions League qualifier next week, were noticeably the sharper and offered a far greater challenge than either Tranmere or FC Lucerne.
Philipp Degen, so unconvincing on debut last Wednesday, also missed out with a minor groin problem, and it is a touch alarming that youngster Stephen Darby seemed far more effective in a defensive role than his Swiss colleague.
Benitez’s other new full-back, Andrea Dossena, was given clearance to make his first appearance on the left side of defence.
And, as with Degen, the early signs weren’t particularly encouraging.
The Italian was caught out of position on a number of occasions and Wisla’s 12th-minute goal came down the Liverpool left, Marek Ziencuk cutting the ball back to Tomas Jirsak to sweep a first-time finish past Diego Cavalieri.
Both Dossena and Degen can hardly be expected to slot in straight away, but both will surely now be aware of the expectations and demands of Benitez and supporters. Must do better.
Liverpool had already forged ahead in the sixth minute when Ukrainian international striker and pre-season specialist Andriy Voronin netted his second goal in as many games.
A flowing move involving the again impressive Lucas Leiva and Ryan Babel ended with Yossi Benayoun threading a brilliant ball into the path of Voronin who, having seen his initial effort saved by Wisla goalkeeper Mariusz Pawelek, made no mistake in dispatching the rebound.
Voronin later spurned a good chance to regain the lead when a mistake by Marcin Baszczynski put the Ukrainian in the clear, but his shot was too close to Pawelek.
Benayoun had an effort cleared off the line by Arkadiusz Glowacki after the interval but the Israeli was an often infuriating figure, continually coughing up possession to the Poles.
He wasn’t alone, though, as Liverpool made life particularly difficult for themselves during the first half by struggling to hold on to the ball.
Wisla should have taken advantage of some sloppy defending, with Benitez’s side showing few signs of having yet addressed last season’s inability to consistently handle set-pieces.
After one such malaise, Liverpool had to rely on a harsh flag from the referee’s assistant to prevent them falling behind before a Marek Ziencuk free-kick evaded a clutch of defenders and struck the outside of Cavalieri’s right-hand post.
Sebastian Leto again fleetingly caught the eye with some fancy footwork only to be let down by a poor choice of final pass, while fellow Argentine Javier Mascherano announced his return to the first-team squad with a couple of crunching tackles. The midfielder clearly does not do ‘friendly’.
Voronin, Benayoun and late substitute Jermaine Pennant have all been linked with moves away from Anfield so far during this transfer window, serving to only further underline that this Liverpool team is virtually unrecognisable to the one that will step out for the first leg of the Champions League qualifier next month.
And until the cavalry arrives, Benitez is unlikely to contemplate a wardrobe change just yet.
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