Andoni Iraola continuously shouted loudly: "Faster, faster" in Liverpool's open training session in Chicago on Friday (local time).
That is not only a requirement for the players on the field, but also reflects the true situation of the team before the 2026-2027 season. There are only three weeks left until the Premier League kicks off, while Liverpool still has a lot of work to complete.
Iraola directly participates in most exercises at the Endeavor Health training center of Chicago Fire. He constantly asks players to accelerate in pressing exercises, coordinate attack and defense, and even asks for sprints after each roundo. The new Liverpool captain wants to quickly convey the high-intensity football philosophy, but the preparation time is too limited.
The biggest difficulty for The Kop lies in the force. After the 2026 World Cup, 8 first-team players have not yet returned to training, while 6 others are being treated for injuries.
The defense is the area most heavily affected. Jeremy Jacquet is recovering from a shoulder injury, Giovanni Leoni has not recovered from a anterior cruciate ligament injury, and Joe Gomez left the field early due to muscle problems right in the first friendly match.
The central defender shortage forced Iraola to give opportunities to two 18-year-old talents Mor Talla Ndiaye and Ifeanyi Ndukwe, although Liverpool still intends to let Ndukwe leave on loan to accumulate experience.
In that context, Liverpool's leadership also appeared to closely monitor the preparation process. Fenway Sports Group Chairman Mike Gordon is in Chicago and is expected to continue to watch the friendly match with Leeds, where Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are likely to play together for the first time in the pre-season period.
Wirtz is one of the most anticipated cards. Iraola confirmed that he will use the German international in the attacking midfielder position behind the striker instead of drifting to the wing as at the World Cup. The Spanish coach believes that this position helps Wirtz maximize his creativity and connect with Isak in attack.
However, Liverpool also needs Isak to quickly regain his form after a long period of struggling with injuries last season. The Swedish striker has shown positive signs on the training ground, but it is important to maintain stability when the season officially begins.
Besides perfecting their playing style, Liverpool still has to race in the transfer market. The Anfield team continues to pursue Bradley Barcola, a player who is said to be ready to leave Paris Saint-Germain, but the price of about 145 million pounds prevents the deal from closing.
Meanwhile, the future of Curtis Jones, Federico Chiesa and Harvey Elliott is still undecided, making Iraola's force building plan even more complicated.
Iraola himself also admitted that he "hates August" because this is a period containing too many personnel changes. With Liverpool, from the friendly match against Leeds to the away match against Newcastle in the opening round of the Premier League, all tasks from transfers, force stabilization to tactical completion must be accelerated.
