If there was any sense of a hangover following the disappointment of the end of last season for Liverpool, it will surely have been banished during the past week.
The reception the Reds were given in both Bangkok and Singapore on their Far East tour will have, if it were necessary, provided a shot of confidence for Jurgen Klopp and his players.
It didn’t go exactly as intended - losing 4-0 to Manchester United, as Liverpool did in Thailand, is never welcomed - but there were more than enough positives from which to take into the remainder of the pre-season programme.
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And there were a few highlights - both good and less encouraging - for a number of Liverpool players during the tour.
Harvey Elliott
The teenager’s impressive pre-season last year helped force his way into the starting line-up before injury ruined his term. And Elliott has once again started the summer superbly, encouraging against United and then excellent against Palace, setting up the opener for Jordan Henderson. Keep this up, and he could well be in line for a repeat of 12 months previous - but hopefully with a happier campaign.
Fabio Carvalho
The excitement around the signing of the Fulham youngster appears to be justified on this early evidence. Energetic and creative from an attacking midfield role in Bangkok, Carvalho was clearly identified as a danger when lining up against Palace on the left flank. His ability to shrug off a succession of fouls shows he has the physical and mental mettle, too.
James Milner
There will surely come a point when the tough-as-teak Yorkshireman is revealed to be some kind of alien being, such is his ability to defy the ageing process. Milner was in magnificent form as an auxiliary right-back in Singapore where his famed embracing of pre-season graft held him in good stead.
Tom Hill
Hill was making excellent progress at the Academy - and had already appeared in the first team in the League Cup quarter-final at Aston Villa in December 2019 - when he suffered a serious knee injury that kept him out for more than a year. Having made his return in an under-23 friendly at the end of last season, the 19-year-old’s half-hour against United was both incentive for the future and reward for his hard work to regain fitness.
Isaac Mabaya
Anyone who has been paying attention to the Academy teams of the last two years will have surely noted the rapid rise of Mabaya. Having played for the U18s at just 16 years of age - he’s not 18 for another two months - Mabaya has shone as both an attacking right-back and defensive midfielder. Mabaya impressed in the former position although a mistake that led to a goal for United underlined his inexperience. He will learn, though, and a campaign at U21 level will offer further room for improvement.
Darwin Nunez
The mean-spirited nature in which Nunez’s close-range miss against United went viral on social media underlines the kind of spotlight the Uruguayan is going to have to get used to during his first few months at Liverpool. And while he was undoubtedly guilty of trying too hard to impress, there were sufficient signs for encouragement. He’s been among his new team-mates for barely a week, don’t forget.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
There are many Liverpool supporters who wouldn’t have been surprised had the midfielder left this summer given his lack of minutes since March and now being in the last year of his Anfield contract. Oxlade-Chamberlain, though, was increasingly influential in both friendlies until an untimely hamstring injury. He deserves better.
Diogo Jota
The Portuguese sat out the United game with Liverpool careful with his fitness after a hamstring injury on international duty last month. However, it appears the issue has been aggravated with Jota now unlikely to be fit for the Premier League opener at Fulham on August 6. Alisson Becker and Joe Gomez also picked up knocks, but Jota is the most serious concern.
Nat Phillips
The centre-back was caught up in the general defensive malaise against United, possibly overcompensating for the issues around him. Confidence will have been steadied by a solid cameo against Palace, but it’s clear he is fifth-choice centre-back. A departure seems likely in the coming weeks.
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