Liverpool have won two pre-season games, 1-0 against Wrexham and 4-2 against Sunderland, but the more important development may be cultural rather than cosmetic. Dominik Szoboszlai has said plainly what many around Anfield wanted to hear, that intensity is back under Andoni Iraola.
The Hungarian midfielder did not dress it up. Speaking during Liverpool's tour of the United States, he said: "He is very good. The intensity we need is here now, what we have been missing is back. From the coach side and the players, now we have to put this together."
That is a significant line. It tells you what Iraola has prioritised from day one, and it also tells you what the squad felt had slipped. Liverpool have had enough neat possession, enough sterile control and enough softness over the past year. The issue was never effort in the abstract. It was tempo, aggression, second **** , pressure and the ability to make opponents uncomfortable.
Iraola has been appointed to fix a side that drifted badly in 2025/26. The **** le-winning success of 2024/25 under Arne Slot stands on its own, but football does not hand out credit for sentiment. Last season was poor, the drop-off was obvious and Liverpool needed a reset. Iraola's first task was always going to be restoring the physical and mental edge that defined this club at its best.
So far, the messaging is direct and the signs are positive. Pre-season scorelines matter less than habits, and the habits being discussed are the right ones. Szoboszlai's comments matter because he is one of the players most affected by rhythm and intensity. If Liverpool press well, break quickly and play vertically, he becomes a far more influential figure.
#Liverpool #intensity #players #matter
The Hungarian midfielder did not dress it up. Speaking during Liverpool's tour of the United States, he said: "He is very good. The intensity we need is here now, what we have been missing is back. From the coach side and the players, now we have to put this together."
That is a significant line. It tells you what Iraola has prioritised from day one, and it also tells you what the squad felt had slipped. Liverpool have had enough neat possession, enough sterile control and enough softness over the past year. The issue was never effort in the abstract. It was tempo, aggression, second **** , pressure and the ability to make opponents uncomfortable.
Iraola has been appointed to fix a side that drifted badly in 2025/26. The **** le-winning success of 2024/25 under Arne Slot stands on its own, but football does not hand out credit for sentiment. Last season was poor, the drop-off was obvious and Liverpool needed a reset. Iraola's first task was always going to be restoring the physical and mental edge that defined this club at its best.
So far, the messaging is direct and the signs are positive. Pre-season scorelines matter less than habits, and the habits being discussed are the right ones. Szoboszlai's comments matter because he is one of the players most affected by rhythm and intensity. If Liverpool press well, break quickly and play vertically, he becomes a far more influential figure.
#Liverpool #intensity #players #matter
2 days ago
