Neil Atkinson’s post-match review for The Anfield Wrap after Liverpool 1 Real Betis 0 on the 2024-2025 pre-season tour of the USA…
PITTSBURGH gets the first showing of Arne Slot’s Liverpool and Pittsburgh revels in it.
We’ve had a fabulous three days here and adored the hospitality. It ends with a tailgate when the team drops and it was good to see Slot pick what he must have thought was his strongest possible side.
The teamsheet sets the pulse racing – let’s see what this is. Of course, it can’t quite live up to that. It is, after all, the second game of pre-season. But there was something to finally get our teeth into.
The shape is fascinating from Liverpool. If we had to put the numbers to it, I’d be tempted to settle on 4-2-4-0. The wide players were Mo Salah and Fabio Carvalho, situated a little asymmetrically with Carvalho dropping deep and then Dominik Szoboszlai and Harvey Elliott playing as ten-ish types, but both able to pull wide onto their stronger foot.
There was movement from that, of course – there should always be – but what there was relentlessly was a pair of midfielders stationed in front of the back four. Both full backs appeared to have scope to raid, which Conor Bradley was able to do more effectively but also, being fair, doing so in support of Mo Salah. When one full back goes the other seems to invert a little.
The shape changes a little after the raft of substitutions on 62 – Harvey Blair plays as a slightly more orthodox line leader. Still the wide players make the pitch very big indeed and still two sit in front of the back four.
The shape tempts Betis to creep up the pitch, creates room for over and underlapping, and puts real pressure on the ability to retain possession in the middle third. It elicits the first goal; an excellent one with every bit of execution fast and certain ending with an inch-perfect finish from Dominik Szoboszlai, who played well in the round.
Is this the overarching plan? The manager suggested it wouldn’t be, but there was still a lot to take. But it’s important to keep it in perspective of what he has available. Because we have been desperate to have something to read into, the temptation will be there to read too much. For now it is a first data point, no more, in specific circumstances. While it was obviously different, the differences weren’t deeply pronounced as Curtis Jones suggested, but there is a direction of travel.
Jones played well until he went off. Very sharp in possession and sat as deep if not deeper than Wataru Endo, but able to turn and receive the ball under any pressure at any time.
Just seeing Curtis Jones go off around the half-hour immediately brings concerns but, as ever in football, it’s a revolving door and Trey Nyoni impresses with a performance of genuine range. He’s an exciting talent who looks so mature. His performance is the takeaway as a positive and the midfield being as involved as it is means he is continually involved. When the raft of second half changes are made he moves behind Blair.
Sepp Van Den Berg looks a perfectly good defender. He has a turn of pace, but also a good touch. The expectation remains he will move on, but someone will be getting a player.
Bradley was full of exuberance and strong running. Ben Doak tormented his full back when he came on and Kaide Gordon found neat areas. Vitezslav Jaros looked full of confidence and made an excellent late save.
The first one is out the way and as said it has been a privilege to be in Pittsburgh. It’s a sports city full of energy and they’ve welcomed us all in marvellously. The circus moves itself along now and us with it, Philadelphia via Washington.
We know a little more but only a little. Important not to get carried away in any way shape or form.
Not yet. Not yet.
