It was a treble of sorts, though not one that brought the match ball or any cause for celebration. Liverpool's season started at Newcastle, paying tribute to a man who scored hat-tricks for both clubs, in Kevin Keegan. Ryan Gravenberch's campaign began with passes that led to three goals. Although the inconvenient detail was that two of them were Newcastle goals.
In the Dutchman's defence, two misplaced ****** , even one from a backheel, could easily have been forgotten, given that he lost the ball around 80 yards from his own goal, but for the clinical nature of Newcastle's lightning counterattacks. Though a contributory factor was that Liverpool's supposedly defensive midfielder was so advanced, caught ahead of the ball when a change in manager may make it even more important he is behind it.
Andoni Iraola highlighted the potential reward entailed in the risks his side take. "I understand that Ryan Gravenberch is basically the No 6 and is on the edge of the box, and if he shoots and scores then we are saying what a play from Ryan Gravenberch," the new head coach reflected.
"I don't want us to take that from his game but we have to adapt as a team to these situations, we have to know these situations can happen. The second goal we did better in terms of having the numbers to defend, but we don't make a foul or go to the first challenge. It's not just because one person is playing there. It's something we have to correct between a lot of players."
There are various aspects to it; the duties of committing the tactical foul in many a team, fall to the defensive midfielder. So, too, the broader task of subduing the opposition's No 10, and Newcastle's Yoane Wissa was the man of the match on Sunday.

#ball #gravenberch #even

There's real uncertainty over Liverpool's next move as it's confirmed that they're not in talks with a World Cup star.
Liverpool have not planned their midfield correctly, I think that's fair to say. There's massive uncertainty over what it'll look like going forward, made worse by the fact it's not particularly balanced.
They have, of course, locked down Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai to long-term deals. The pair of them will play the foreseeable future at Anfield. Trey Nyoni looks like a long-term fixture, too, even if he'll need a better contract before confirming that.
Curtis Jones, though? Who knows what's happening there. His deal expires in under a year and there's next to no impression that he'll be signing a new one. We fully expect him to depart either in the coming weeks or in 2027.
And then there's Alexis Mac Allister. Talk around Mac Allister's contract has been conspicuously absent in light of the other 2023 arrivals getting deals. It's created a lot of speculation that he could be on his way, either now or in 2027.

#uncertainty #next #term

Como lose the second match of the day at Anfield. The first behind-closed-doors game between the Reds and the Lariani had ended 0-0, but in the evening clash it was Liverpool who came out on top 2-0 thanks to goals from Gakpo(24') and new signing Jacquet(44').
Fabregas' side, just as had happened against **** nal, looked far from out of place despite the defeat, and the coach can be satisfied, also with the upcoming international commitments in next season's Champions League in mind.
Now, for both teams, the focus shifts to the league. Como will begin on Saturday, August 22 with an afternoon clash against Udinese, while Iraola's Liverpool will open their Premier League campaign on Sunday the 23rd in a blockbuster match against Newcastle.
In the second half, Liverpool controlled the game and until the 84th minute there were no major chances for either side. But it was right at the end that the match came alive again, first through Diao and then Gravenberch.
The Como player was picked out after a fine counterattack by new signing Cuoto! The Senegalese forward tried a curling right-footed shot from the edge of the box, but it went just wide! A few minutes later, Liverpool had the chance to make it 3-0 through Gravenberch: the Dutchman confidently went for a placed finish, but the ball crashed against the crossbar and went out.

#went #second #clash

Liverpool surrendered a two goal advantage for the second successive match as AS Monaco recovered to win 3-2 at Anfield, leaving Andoni Iraola with plenty to consider following his first home appearance as head coach.
Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz had put Liverpool firmly in control, both delivering performances that suggested the attacking structure is beginning to take shape. Yet the defensive instability that surfaced against Leeds returned, with Monaco exploiting errors before completing an impressive turnaround.
For a pre season fixture, results only tell part of the story.
Isak was excellent during his 45 minutes. His movement repeatedly unsettled the AS Monaco defence and his finish for Liverpool's opener was outstanding, calmly converting after Ryan Gravenberch's clever **** ist.
Wirtz was similarly influential. Given licence to operate closer to Isak, the German found **** es between Monaco's midfield and defence and looked considerably more dangerous. His goal, following another lively attacking move, made it two goals in successive pre season matches.

#Liverpool #wirtz #attacking #season

Liverpool and Leeds square off in Chicago on Sunday in a really fun preseason friendly.
Andoni Iraola's Liverpool have plenty of players still on their World Cup breaks but his high intensity style of play is already clear from their preseason displays so far. Plenty of experienced players have left Liverpool this summer and there is a really fresh feel about their squad with Iraola replacing Arne Slot and ushering in a totally new style of play.
Daniel Farke did a fine job last season to keep newly-promoted Leeds comfortably in the Premier League. Their squad is evolving nicely and many will tip them for a top 10 finish this season.
Kick off time: 4pm ET, Sunday August 2
Venue: Soldier Field — Chicago, Illinois
TV Channel/Streaming: All Red TV, LUFC
The likes of Domink Szoboszlai and Milos Kerkez have played big roles in preseason, while Joe Gomez going down with an injury has shown how short of center backs Liverpool are ahead of the new season. Iraola's side beat Sunderland 4-2 and Wrexham 1-0 in the last week and teenager Rio Ngumoha has been excellent. Ryan Gravenberch, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz are all expected to be in action for the first time this summer after their World Cup exploits.

#Liverpool #leeds #Chicago #players

Andoni Iraola says he hopes to have four Liverpool players back involved for the first time this pre-season when his side take on Leeds on Sunday.
The Reds beat Wrexham 1-0 in their latest pre-season friendly in New York, thanks to a Rio Ngumoha goal.
Ryan Gravenberch, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Jeremy Jacquet were among those not involved again, but Iraola says he is hoping to have them all play a part later this week.
Y"es, my idea is for Ryan [Gravenberch], for Florian [Wirtz], for Alex [Isak], for even Jeremy Jacquet to have their first minutes against Leeds," he said.
"We'll see how many minutes they can play but we have to start slowly, slowly integrating more of the senior players that have had less training sessions. I think they should be ready on the weekend to have their first minutes."

#iraola

Andoni Iraola has started where any sensible head coach starts, with the calendar, the workload and the reality of modern football. Liverpool are in pre-season, the squad is split by summer commitments and the new man at Anfield has made it clear there will be no rush with players returning from the World Cup.
The key names are obvious. Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Ryan Gravenberch are expected to link up with the squad in the United States during the second week of the tour. That gives Iraola time to get them into the group, and more importantly, time to get them physically right.
He put it plainly: “The three players (Gravenberch, Isak and Wirtz) that are going to join us are going to be [in the] second week fully with us.” That is the headline. Clear enough, no spin, no fake mystery.
Liverpool’s World Cup players were knocked out between June 29 and 30, which left some room for interpretation over whether they would return midway through the US trip. Iraola has now shut that down with a structured plan. He said, “The ones that were [eliminated] from the World Cup, they all – because of different reasons – have individual days for their arrivals, but I think the sooner we can start working with them and they can understand what we want from them the better.”
That matters. New ideas take repetition. New pressing triggers, distances, and responsibilities do not appear by magic. Iraola has already spoken to the players individually and said, “Individually I talked with the three of them, they know the main things, but I am looking forward to having them here with the group and to go slowly, slowly with recovering bodies [to the squad].”

#wirtz

The Netherlands job remains one of the biggest posts in international football, and the noise around Arne Slot refuses to go away. Since Ronald Koeman stepped down after the Dutch World Cup exit this summer, the Dutch FA has been searching for a figure capable of restoring direction and belief.
Slot has quickly become one of the standout names in that conversation. Reports in recent weeks have suggested he has already held initial talks and remains firmly on the shortlist. For Liverpool supporters, that naturally catches the eye. A Netherlands role would see him working closely with Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Ryan Gravenberch and Jeremie Frimpong on the international stage, a familiar spine with plenty of quality.
Slot is far from the only contender. Peter Bosz has also emerged as a serious option, with the Dutch FA understood to have considered him even before Koeman walked away. Bosz brings experience, presence and a clear footballing identity, all things that matter when a national side is trying to steady itself.
Erik ten Hag has been mentioned too, but his position appears clear enough. He has said, "I'm not available," before adding, "I have deliberately chosen this step. I'm working on that for the next two years anyway. I'm having a good time here and would like to help the club further." That sounds like a man who has no intention of jumping ship.
Photo: IMAGO

While you were busy watching FIFA undermine the sporting integrity of the World Cup, former Liverpool head coach Arne Slot was busy being shortlisted to become the next Netherlands national team manager. He might even be the favourite to take over following the sacking of Ronald Koeman.
At least that’s the story from Sky German’s Florian Plettenberg, who Liverpool fans may remember as the guy who gets basically everything wrong if it involves Liverpool (see: the Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch transfer sagas) but hey, maybe he knows more about the Dutch NT than he does about the Reds.
Beyond question marks about the source, though, it’s a move plenty of people have suggested could be on the cards ever since Koeman and the Dutch got dumped out by Morocco, though most reliable reports have suggested that they aren’t in any particular hurry to name a replacement.
While the Dutch might be content to pause and consider—the World Cup is still going on amongst FIFA’s attempts to do corruption, after all—it won’t stop the rumour mongers, and they have Louis van Gaal as the main alternative to Slot while Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robin van Persie are also said to be options.

Richard Hughes has been a major player in Liverpool’s post-Jurgen Klopp operations.
The former Bournemouth technical director was headhunted by FSG CEO of Football Michael Edwards to become Liverpool sporting director in 2024.
Hughes, 46, set about hiring Arne Slot as new head coach - a remarkable appointment given the Dutchman won the Premier League ***** le in his first season in charge.
The Scottish exec then oversaw £450m worth of transfer spending last summer - breaking the British transfer record for Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.
He also orchestrated new deals for Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk in 2025 - as well as Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch in the 2025/26 season.

Liverpool's midfield is one of their main areas that needs to be revamped.
Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch both failed to meet expectations last term with their inability to run one of their main problems.
And, even when they did run, whenever an opponent faced up to them, especially Gravenberch, he rarely ever beat them and was often sent to the shops.
Indeed, the Dutchman did sign a ****** per new deal with the Anfield outfit during the 2025-26 season so he isn't likely to go anywhere but, Mac Allister's future still feels like it's undecided.
With all of this in mind, it's hardly surprising to see Liverpool being linked with new players almost every other day.

Alexander Isak was the subject of a rather unforgiving verdict from one reporter as the Liverpool striker exited the World Cup on Tuesday following Sweden’s 3-0 defeat to France in the round of 32.
He became the fifth Reds player to be knocked out of the tournament in the ***** e of 24 hours, suffering the same fate as Florian Wirtz (Germany), Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo and Ryan Gravenberch (Netherlands).
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Graham Potter’s side had no answer to a rampant Les Bleus outfit in New Jersey, and the performance of our number 9 came in for plenty of scrutiny.
Matthew Guyett handed Isak a lowly 4/10 in his player ratings for GiveMeSport, observing that the 26-year-old was ‘rarely involved’ and, on that display, is ‘not in the same league as [Kylian] Mbappe and [Michael] Olise’.

After a disastrous ******* le defence, Liverpool are in the market to strengthen their midfield options.
Both Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister both failed to live up to the expectations set during Liverpool's ******* le winning season in 2025, with the latter now facing an uncertain future at Anfield.
25-year-old Curtis Jones has also found himself as subject to heavy transfer interest as he heads into the final 12 months of his deal.
Liverpool have already rejected two bids from Serie A champions Inter Milan for Jones, but an exit this summer can't be ruled out with the Reds valuing him at £40m.
But who could be brought in to strengthen Andoni Iraola 's midfield?

Big changes are coming to Liverpool’s midfield this summer.
Incoming deals could be done by sporting director Richard Hughes following a poor season. Alex Scott, Adam Wharton and Aurelien Tchouameni are just a flavour of the names mentioned as potential Reds’ targets.
The outgoing Premier League champions got diminishing returns from certain individuals within the midfield ranks last term. Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch were beneath their 2024/25 Premier League ******* le-winning best.
And that’s why it’s no surprise to see Andoni Iraola’s side linked with incoming midfielders. Any transfers completed are likely to have another knock-on effect - diminished opportunities for up-and-coming midfielders.
Trey Nyoni and James McConnell are likely to end up on loan - and according to a new report in Ontheminute there is another contender to join them for a temporary spell away.

Eduardo Camavinga has long been linked with a Liverpool move.
The Frenchman was on the Reds' shortlist before he chose to join Real Madrid back in 2021 and, since then, he's not too far out of Liverpool's thoughts.
One of Liverpool's main problem areas since Fabinho exited has been their number six.
Although they've had some top prospects such as Tyler Morton, Stefan Bajcetic and Luca Stephenson all come through in that position, none of them have been deemed good enough to make the step-up to the Reds' starting XI.
This is why Ryan Gravenberch was converted into a defensive midfielder by Arne Slot and, while that worked out during the 2024-25 season, it was a completely different story during the 2025-26 campaign.

International tournaments often shine a spotlight on goalscorers, and Netherlands’ emphatic 5-1 victory over Sweden at the World Cup was no different. Brian Brobbey and Cody Gakpo grabbed the headlines with two goals apiece, helping the Dutch bounce back from an opening 2-2 draw against **** an and move closer to qualification from Group F.
Yet while the forwards took centre stage, one Liverpool player quietly delivered the kind of performance that coaches and teammates value enormously. Ryan Gravenberch may not have found the scoresheet, but his influence across midfield did not go unnoticed, particularly by Alan Shearer.
Speaking during BBC Sport’s coverage of the match, Shearer singled out the Liverpool midfielder for special praise.
“He has been everywhere. He’s epitomised everything good about the Dutch in midfield.”
Photo: IMAGO

Coming into the World Cup, Netherlands head coach Ronald Koeman was already under pressure from media and fans. His loyalty to some players at the expense of others was questioned, although in fairness to Koeman he had called up some players outside of his usual favourites. One of this, Crysencio Summerville, scored a wonderful goal to give Oranje a 2-1 lead over ******* an in their opening game. However, Koeman then took Summerville off, a move that has received criticism from fans and media alike.
Just six minutes after taking a 2-1 lead, Koeman moved to replace Donyell Malen, Summerville and Tijjani Reijnders with Memphis Depay, Teun Koopmeiners and Quinten Timber. Of those changes, Depay and Koopmeiners have been the ones focused on by fans. Given that this defaulted the Dutch to sitting in and absorbing ******* anese pressure, the side suddenly had no out ball, with Summerville and Malen having shown the ability to stretch the ******* anese defence. When Nathan Ake replaced Ryan Gravenberch, it was clear that Koeman was looking to hold on to the lead.
Unfortunately for the Netherlands, the side were unable to hold on. NEC Nijmegen forward Koki Ogawa came off the bench to head a corner against his teammate Daichi Kamada and into the net late on.
Japan were always going to be the toughest game for the Netherlands in the Group Stages, but the performance left a lot to be desired and has heaped even more pressure on Koeman. Next up is a clash with a Swedish side who just hammered a poor Tunisia, before a final group match against the North Africans to end the group. Failure to beat Sweden could heap plenty of pressure on the Dutch, but realistically they should make it through to the next round of the World Cup with a victory over Tunisia in the final game. Four points in this format will almost certainly be enough to qualify for the next round.
GBeNeFN | Ben Jackson

Japan came from behind twice to draw 2-2 with the Netherlands in their World Cup Group F opener on Sunday as they stretched their unbeaten run to eight matches.
Daichi Kamada deflected a header from Koki Ogawa into the roof of the net in the 88th minute to award the fighting Samurai Blue.
Captain Virgil van Dijk headed the Dutch ahead in the 51st minute off Ryan Gravenberch's cross and Crysencio Summerville restored the lead in the 64th with a classy shot into the far left corner.
Japan had levelled for the first time from Keito Nakamura's low shot in the 57th as the game came to live after the break following a cagey first half in which chances were sparse.
The **** anese maintained their unbeaten streak even though the draw ended a run of six victories, including against Brazil and at Wembley against England.

The matchup between the two best teams in Group F lived up to the hype, with the two teams playing to an entertaining 2-2 draw after a busy second half.
The two teams stayed locked at 0-0 throughout the first half, as ***** an's notoriously impenetrable defense held the Netherlands out of the attacking third completely. The Dutch, who held most of the possession in the half, were able to get a few good chances, but some excellent saves from ***** anese goalkeeper Zion Suzuki kept the game level heading into halftime.
In the 51st minute, though, the Oranje finally broke through. After a well-defended Dutch free kick, Ryan Gravenberch sent in a long ball off the rebound, finding captain Virgil van Dijk for a beautiful header.
That seemed to open the floodgates for both teams. Just six minutes later, ***** an found its equalizer with a gorgeous strike from Keito Nakamura. Seven minutes after that, the Netherlands responded with Crysencio Summerville’s beautiful shot from the edge of the box.
For a moment, the Netherlands re-took control, seemingly locking up a key victory. But in the final minutes, ***** an turned up the heat on offense, looking for that equalizer.

Japan and the Netherlands will kick off their World Cup campaign in Texas on Sunday night. There are seven Bundesliga-based players in Hajime Moriyasu’s squad, with FC Bayern’s Hiroki Itō, Eintracht Frankfurt's Ritsu Dōan and Mainz’s Kaishū Sano making the starting lineup.
From the starting XI of the Samurai Blue, Daichi Kamada (Eintracht Frankfurt) also had previous Bundesliga experience. With Wataru Endo's international retirement and former Borussia Mönchengladbach defender Kō Itakura on the bench, Dōan will captain ***** an.
Meanwhile, Leverkusen’s Mark Flekken is the substitute goalkeeper for the Netherlands. From the eight players with previous Bundesliga experiences, Micky van de Ven (Wolfsburg), Ryan Gravenberch (FC Bayern) and Donyell Malen (Borussia Dortmund) are in Ronald Koeman’s XI.
Netherlands: Verbruggen; Dumfries, van Hecke, van Dijk ©, van de Ven; Gravenberch, de Jong, Reijnders; Summerville, Malen, Gakpo
Japan: Suzuki; Taniguchi, Watanabe, Itō; Dōan ©, Sano, Kamada, Nakamura; Maeda, Kubo; Ueda

Liverpool are making big changes to the midfield.
Arne Slot lost his job as head coach last week and midfield was a problem during the 2025/26 season.
The Reds were unable to defend their Premier League ***** le and there were poor performances from the likes of Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister.
Accordingly it has been suggested that sporting director Richard Hughes is in the market for midfield reinforcements.
Lamine Camara and Adam Wharton are among the players linked with an Anfield arrival but ***** e will need to be made for new faces.

Netherlands are ranked only eighth favourites to win the 2026 World Cup, below Spain, France, Argentina, Brazil, England, Portugal and Germany. Depending where you draw the line, they are either the worst of the realistic contenders or the best of the rest.
Yet there is plenty of evidence to suggest that is a pessimistic view of one of the best squads in North America this summer. Netherlands have one of Europe’s form strikers in Donyell Malen, who scored 14 goals in 18 Serie A games since joining Roma in January, much to the surprise of Aston Villa fans. They have Frenkie de Jong, Ryan Gravenberch and Tijjani Reijnders in midfield. And the defence is like something from a Premier League fantasy team.
Virgil van Dijk, Micky van de Ven, Nathan Ake and Jurrien Timber are an elite quartet, and that is before you get to the power of right-back Denzel Dumfries – about to join Real Madrid from Inter as Jose Mourinho’s first marquee signing since returning to the Bernabeu. Chelsea’s Jorrel Hato and Brighton’s Jan Paul van Hecke add strength in depth.
Goalkeeper Bart Verbruggen is developing into a hugely talented player in his own right, but he feels more secure knowing who will be standing in front of him when the Netherlands begin their World Cup campaign, against ***** an on 14 June.
“It makes my life a bit easier, that’s for sure,” Verbruggen says. “As a competitor, you always want to play against the best players but you also want to beat them, and in order to beat them you need the best players on your side as well. And I’ve got the big privilege to be able to play with a defensive line that I think is up there with the best in the world.”