Expected, of course. Inevitable in fact. That, though, didn’t make it any easier for Liverpool supporters as the revered attacking triumvirate of Roberto Firmino, Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah was banished to the history books earlier this summer.
It had been coming, the parting of ways gradual over the last 18 months as first Diogo Jota and then Luis Diaz challenged the status quo in the Reds attack. Indeed, only five times last season did the long-established trio start the same game, the last occasion of which came in the win at Burnley way back in February.
With Mane now at Bayern Munich, a new chapter is about to be written. Darwin Nunez has joined for a potential club record £85million from Benfica while, for a mere fraction of that cost, teenager Fabio Carvalho has been snapped up from Fulham.
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Both are part of the Liverpool squad here in Thailand, although Nunez may have to wait for his first action after sitting out the second half of Monday's training session after complaining of blisters on his left foot.
But former Liverpool defender Jason McAteer is in no doubt Jurgen Klopp and his recruitment team – headed by new sporting director Julian Ward – have made the right calls in continuing the squad’s ongoing evolution.
“They have done really good business” he says. “The club had to evolve and they cannot stand still.
“It would be great to have Roberto Firmino, Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane forever given what they could clearly do. But now we are looking at Luis Diaz, Darwin Nunez and Salah, and it’s mouthwatering, isn’t it?
“Fabio Carvalho coming in looks a little like he could play like Philippe Coutinho or could play in that false nine role like Firmino.
“In every area, the squad has fantastic cover and I thoroughly expect Liverpool and Manchester City to stride away again at the top of the Premier League.
“All the leading clubs have strengthened. Manchester United are trying to get back on their pedestal, Tottenham have strengthened, Arsenal have done likewise, Chelsea are yet to do it but I’m sure they will once they get their ownership issues sorted out.
“But I still think it will be Liverpool and City who will be battling it out for the title.”
McAteer is in Bangkok as one of several former Liverpool players – Jose Enrique, Sami Hyypia, Vladimir Smicer and Ian Rush the others – who are taking part in promotional and commercial activities as part of the tour.
He was alongside Enrique at a special event at the club store in the Thai capital’s Siam Square One shopping mall on Monday where a hundred local fans were given the opportunity to listen to a question and answer session before having their photo taken with the duo and shirts signed.
Around a thousand were then present at the Rajamangala National Stadium in the evening to witness a 90-minute open training session where every goal was cheered as if netted in a competitive match.
“There is massive support and it is crazy in a good way,” says McAteer, who has been a regular visitor to the region. “The lads have a training session under their belt, and the ex-players come over and alleviate some of the pressure with sponsors and commercial appearances. We take a bit of the workload off the players.
“I came here as a player in the late 1990s while with Liverpool and it was like being in The Beatles. Which one? John Lennon obviously! It was mad back then, something I’d never seen before. Coming back as an ex-player I’ve seen how it has grown. It’s unbelievable how we’ve had no real success for years but the support has grown through generations, and now Jurgen has been here it has ramped up 100 miles an hour.”
Liverpool will face Manchester United in front of an expected 51,000 sell-out crowd on Tuesday in their opening friendly of pre-season with the Bangkok Century Cup on the line. Tickets are not cheap – ranging from £115 to an eye-watering £580 to sit near to the pitch - but the Reds are nevertheless a major draw.
“We are surpassing Manchester United from a commercial point of view but also from a fanbase point as well, social media numbers will tell you that,” adds McAteer. “It’s important that we come here, it’s important than the fans see us and the kids see us because they are the next generation. You can see the lads taking their time with the fans and signing things.
“There’s a lot of excitement and a lot of buzz here, they are fanatical and it’s almost as if it’s their life.”
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