The last time Liverpool played at Anfield, Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson said goodbye to fans. Arne Slot was still on the coaching bench at that time, but that was also the last time the Dutch coach appeared at Liverpool. About 11 weeks later, Andoni Iraola officially opened a new era at Anfield.
Iraola's debut was not complete when Liverpool lost to Monaco 2-3, despite once taking the lead. Losing the advantage and letting the opponent score from a set piece reminds of the problems that once caused Liverpool difficulties last season. However, this is just a friendly match and Iraola still has time to adjust the team.
One of the most urgent issues is the transfer work. Liverpool have identified the need to recruit Ronald Araujo and are approaching an agreement to loan this center-back from Barcelona. In the left-back position, Kostas Tsimikas has returned to replace Robertson, but the space on the right wing after Salah's departure has not been filled.
Lewis Koumas is temporarily taking on this role, but the Welsh winger is likely to continue to be loaned instead of becoming a regular choice in the main squad.
The "Red Brigade"'s transfer activities also stalled after they recruited Victor Munoz in June. Yan Diomande has slipped out of hand, while the Bradley Barcola deal has not made much progress due to the large price difference between Liverpool and Paris Saint-Germain.
Liverpool were once willing to spend large sums of money, but the current budget is quite limited. However, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both scored against Monaco, bringing positive signals for Iraola.
Wirtz continues to be used in the number 10 position, instead of often playing on the wing like under Slot. Meanwhile, Isak also left his mark with a goal after a pass from Ryan Gravenberch.
In terms of playing style, Liverpool shows more directness. The full-backs often push high, which may be suitable for Jeremie Frimpong and Milos Kerkez. However, this operating method also requires right-backs to have better one-on-one defense.
The defeat against Monaco once again shows that the defense is still the point that The Kop needs to prioritize improving. Ronald Araujo is undergoing a medical examination before completing the deal, while Jeremy Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni, two young center-backs with a total transfer fee of nearly 100 million pounds, have not yet played in the pre-season period. Joe Gomez is also out of action due to injury.
Virgil van Dijk made his first comeback since the 2026 World Cup but has not reached his best condition. He fouled Aleksandr Golovin in the penalty area, leading to a penalty that the Russian player himself converted successfully. Wataru Endo and Frimpong also made mistakes when Liverpool let Mika Biereth score the equalizer.
Araujo can become a bridge between Liverpool's current generation and future. At the age of 27, he is between Van Dijk and young talents like Leoni, Jacquet in terms of age, and is in better physical condition than Gomez.
Harvey Elliott also returned after a loan spell at Aston Villa and received loud applause from the Anfield stands. However, the future of this midfielder is still unclear. Rio Ngumoha was also tested by Iraola on the right wing at the end of the match, opening up the possibility that this young player becomes a replacement for Salah in the future.
In general, Liverpool has started to change their playing style, but the defense, squad depth and space on the right wing are still big problems. Before the new season begins, Iraola still has a lot of work to do both on the field and in the transfer market.
