Andoni Iraola says this Liverpool pre-season tour is about building a side that is “very difficult to beat”, not dressing up friendly results. Ian Rush is already on board with the direction, while also warning that the squad still needs more attacking help after Mohamed Salah’s departure. The first match comes against Sunderland on Saturday in Nashville at 5pm local time, 11pm BST, at Geodis Park.

Iraola’s message before the friendlies

Iraola was blunt about what he wants from this group. “The most important thing that we can deliver is our performances,” he said. “It doesn't matter if I speak well, if I don't speak well, if I say the right things or if I don't say the right things. At the end people just want to see the team play well and deliver good results. I know this is 90% of my job.”

That is a fair way to frame a tour like this. Liverpool finished fifth last season with 60 points, and a 17-9-12 record that was solid without ever looking settled. A +10 goal difference is fine, but it does not scream control. Rush, speaking to BBC Sport, said the style should fit the club: “This is Liverpool and we want to play a high pressing game and we'll know in the next few days what that looks like.”

The squad questions around the tour

This is not a full-strength reset. Liverpool have 32 players out in America, with Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch due to join in the second week of camp. Cody Gakpo, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson will not travel, while Harvey Elliott is back in the squad and Stefan Bajcetic has rejoined team training.

Rush also underlined the rebuild job by saying replacing Salah “won't be easy at all”. That leaves the tour doing double duty, with BBC Sport on the ground at all three friendlies in the USA, including Wrexham in New York and Leeds in Chicago next week. The friendlies will not tell us everything, but they should show whether Liverpool can already look organised, aggressive and hard to play through.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →