Five things we learnt from Liverpool's pre-season tour

Liverpool successfully completed their pre-season with a win over Athletic Bilbao. The preparation for Jurgen Klopp's side came to an end after the Reds travelled to four countries and played eight matches in total.

The English side remained unbeaten over 90 minutes in all of the games and only lost the Audi Cup final against Atletico Madrid on penalties. There were several developments in pre-season as Klopp put the team through their paces for the start of the new season.

Let's take a look at five things we learnt from the Reds' pre-season campaign.

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#1 The kids are good enough

Ben Woodburn's stock continues to rise

The arrival of Klopp in October of 2016 signalled a massive chance for youngsters to not only get playing time but also improve under his tutelage. Ovie Ejaria, Ben Woodburn and Trent Alexander-Arnold have been around the first-team since last season. Meanwhile, Ryan Kent enjoyed a successful loan spell at Barnsley winning their Young Player of the Season award.

This pre-season marked a change, with the kids proving that they are indeed good enough to mix it with the experienced campaigners. Alexander-Arnold signed a new five-year contract this year and has grown by leaps and bounds. Nathaniel Clyne's injury meant Arnold got more playing time last time around and he is set to start the season at right-back.

Woodburn has been in the news for a while now. He played in central midfield as well as the left wing in pre-season, highlighting his versatility, and is set to become an important squad player this season. While Ejaria's future looks to be elsewhere given Liverpool's midfield options and rumoured transfer links, his present is with the Anfield outfit.

New signing Dominic Solanke had a terrific pre-season

Mohamed Salah definitely bolsters the wide department but Ryan Kent is an able deputy for both Salah and Sadio Mane. Another player who has been used in central midfield and either wing, Kent is two-footed as well. The pacy winger has been at the club since the age of seven and recently signed a new contract.

Finally, Liverpool signed another Chelsea reject in Dominic Solanke and the plans to use him for the U23s might be shelved for now. Strong in the air, intelligent with the ball and possessing a penchant for being in the right place at the right time, Solanke has moved ahead of Divock Origi in the pecking order this pre-season.

#2 The defence is still suspect

Virgil van Dijk is considered to be the solution to Liverpool's defensive woes

The arrival of Salah increased Liverpool's attacking threat which was evident during pre-season. However, the defence was a major letdown last season and continued in the same vein in pre-season as well.

Despite Klopp mentioning how the team were working on improving concentration and defending second balls better, errors still persist. A lot of these errors can easily be put down to the personnel.

Dejan Lovren still fails to exude confidence

The goalkeeping trio of Simon Mignolet, Loris Karis and Danny Ward gave a good account of themselves in pre-season. However, Dejan Lovren continues to be inconsistent and this affects his partners as well. Ragnar Klavan did enough to be considered a fourth-choice centre-back this season while young Joe Gomez will take some time to settle in following his injuries last season.

Thus, the defence is in dire need of a top first-team player and the Reds' pursuit of Southampton's Virgil van Dijk drags on. Alexander-Arnold is an able deputy for Clyne yet he needs to improve his defensive side. New left-back Andrew Robertson has pace and a good final ball like Alberto Moreno but is similarly suspect in defence.

Thus, Liverpool's defensive lapses persist and the need for new faces was highlighted during the past eight games.

#3 Comebacks

Alberto Moreno came back from the dead this pre-season

This pre-season was considered to be crucial for a number of players. While a few of them like Lazar Markovic and Mamadou Sakho are still looking to be sold, a few others have forced their way into Klopp's plans for the season.

The first among them is Alberto Moreno. The Spaniard barely played last season with his suspect defensive abilities leading to midfielder James Milner playing at left-back. Moreno's goal in the post-season friendly at Australia was considered his farewell one.

However, the Spaniard turned things around remarkably with his outstanding displays in pre-season, especially against Bayern Munich.

Daniel Sturridge had a near-perfect pre-season

Next is Daniel Sturridge who continues to struggle with injuries. The striker started his pre-season earlier than the rest and took part in most of it. Klopp himself remarked that this is the fittest Sturridge he has seen during his time. The renaissance continued for the Englishman from the end of last season and he scored a superb chip against Bayern.

Finally, Reds captain Jordan Henderson is another player who made a stellar comeback. Henderson's injury problems definitely affected the team's form last time around. If there were any doubts about his ability, though, the performances in pre-season quashed them in an emphatic manner.

Henderson's ability to play the holding role coupled with his Gerrard-esque passing range show how valuable he is to this team. Thus, the pre-season has seen all three players impress and they are set to play a part in the upcoming season.

#4 Competition for places

Mignolet responded well to competition

Competition worked wonders for Liverpool's goalkeeping department last season. Mignolet was demoted to second choice but came back strongly to reclaim the no.1 spot in the second-half of the season. Klopp has now also decided to keep newly-promoted Huddersfield's playoff hero Danny Ward for further competition.

While the centre-back department is slightly short in numbers, there is ample competition everywhere else. 18-year-old Alexander-Arnold is all set to compete with Clyne for the right-back spot. If Moreno stays, then there is good competition with new signing Robertson and James Milner for the left-back spot.

In central midfield, Henderson has Emre Can and even Georginio Wijnaldum, who played in that position in pre-season, for competition. The advanced midfield roles again have Can and Wijnaldum along with Adam Lallana, Philippe Coutinho, Marko Grujic and other youngsters.

Origi was one of the biggest casualties of the pre-season, with Solanke impressing

In attack, Sturridge, Origi, Solanke and Danny Ings are the striking options while wingers Mane and Salah can play up front as well. The addition of Woodburn and Kent to the mix ensures there is ample competition for places in the front three.

Klopp is still looking to add a centre-back and an attacking midfielder to the squad. If players can perform the way they have in pre-season, then Klopp will have a competitive squad in the next few months for sure.

#5 Klopp building a versatile team

Coutinho is slowly moving into a central midfield role to dictate play

The pre-season threw light on how Klopp's coaching is allowing the players to play in multiple positions. While last season saw a rewarding positional shift for Lallana and Henderson, there is visible flexibility in most of the squad this time around.

Philippe Coutinho is playing deeper and dictating play, with his assists to Salah a definite sign of how comfortable he is in the role. Ben Woodburn is following in Coutinho's footsteps and both playmakers can play on the wings as well as in midfield. The same was seen in the case of Ryan Kent who played in central midfield a few times.

Firmino can comfortably play across the front three

Solanke played behind the striker as well as on the wings, gelling well with Liverpool's fluid attack. Salah played on his preferred right-wing which meant Mane shifted to the left and the Senegalese did not put a foot wrong. Both Origi and Sturridge have a tendency to drift out wide despite starting in a central position. Liverpool's new no.9 Roberto Firmino can play anywhere in the front three and almost always plays in the false 9 role.

In midfield, Can and Wijnaldum can play in both the no.6 and no.8 roles while the targetted midfielders such as Naby Keita are versatile as well.

This pre-season showed glimpses of the famed "Total Football" tactic where every player can play in different positions.

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Thus, Liverpool's pre-season saw them progress as a team under Klopp but it also highlighted the deficiencies that need to be addressed.