Arne Slot offered a positive assessment of Liverpool’s pre-season training programme following a 1-0 loss to Preston North End in a behind-closed-doors friendly. A total of 25 players participated in the match at the AXA Training Centre, with a senior XI featuring Curtis Jones, Mohamed Salah, and Dominik Szoboszlai playing the first half, followed by a team mainly composed of Academy prospects in the second half.
Reflecting on the game, which took place two weeks into Liverpool’s 2024-25 preparations, Slot told Liverpoolfc.com: “After two weeks of tough training sessions it’s important to play a game as well. The most important thing is that everybody was fit before the game and they stayed fit during the game as well. So, it’s been a good two weeks. Unfortunately the result today was not what we wanted, but they stayed fit, many of them got minutes [and] also a lot of young players got a few minutes so that was a good thing.”
Slot noted the positive impact of training ideas being implemented in the match, though acknowledging the challenge posed by Preston’s playing style. He said, “We controlled the game completely, we only conceded one shot. The bad thing about it was that that shot went in, [it was] a great goal, though. We had some good build-up moments, had some good chances in the first half as well. Second half, I didn’t think we created that much, which is normal because there were a lot of young players in the team who didn’t play in their own positions sometimes as well. So, we couldn’t have asked for more from the boys in the first two weeks – [they have] worked really hard, tried to implement ideas and it’s not that we only bring new ideas. There are a lot of things that have been done here that were really good. So, like I said, a bit unlucky to lose 1-0 if you only conceded one shot.”
He also highlighted that friendly games provide valuable insights into areas needing further improvement. “Every session or every game gives you new ideas where you have to work on, but we have to understand as well that still 10 or 11 players of the ones that played many, many, many minutes last season are not even in the building yet. So, it’s good to see that some young players again today showed some good things and the ones we have, the ones we have who had many minutes last season, they stayed fit [and] showed some good things today, and especially in the last two weeks. So, that’s something to take into our USA tour.”
