On the flight home from Chicago, Andoni Iraola will have a great deal to reflect on after Liverpool’s 4-2 defeat to Leeds ended their United States tour.
The result told two very different stories, with Liverpool producing arguably their best first-half display under the Spaniard before collapsing spectacularly after the break.
Liverpool conceded four times without reply inside 25 minutes in the second half, a capitulation that exposed serious concerns about squad depth and physicality ahead of the new season.
Iraola made a raft of changes at half-time and during the second period, but those alterations cannot fully excuse the manner in which Daniel Farke’s side dismantled the backline.
The defence that eventually finished the game included Calvin Ramsay, Ifeanyi Ndukwe, and Mor Talla Ndiaye, an inexperienced combination that Leeds exploited with alarming ease.
Set-piece vulnerability was also a recurring problem, with midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai addressing that issue directly after the final whistle in Chicago.
“We conceded two goals from set-pieces. We have to fix that and make sure we deal with them better,” said Szoboszlai, acknowledging the structural problems that emerged in the defeat.
Senior players including Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa failed to impose themselves in the second half, falling well short of the intensity Iraola consistently demands on the training pitch.
Iraola himself had already spoken candidly about the difficulties of this particular period, saying earlier in the week: “I particularly hate this month of August because you start the competitions and you still don’t know if some of the players are going to leave and who’s going to come – there is a lot of uncertainty.”
That uncertainty has been compounded by the fact that Liverpool made no incomings during their fortnight in America, partly because Iraola wanted to assess the squad before making transfer decisions.
What he witnessed in this defeat will inevitably shape those decisions, particularly regarding defensive reinforcements and the physical profile of any potential arrivals.
On the positive side, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both impressed on their return, helping Liverpool dominate the first half and providing genuine reasons for optimism despite the final scoreline.
The duo, who cost a combined £225m last summer, gave the teamsheet the kind of star quality befitting Chicago, a city hosting the Lollapalooza Festival and a Major League Baseball series between the New York Yankees and the Chicago Cubs across the same weekend.
Luke Chambers opened the scoring in the seventh minute, hammering home from inside the box after Milos Kerkez got a touch on Szoboszlai’s corner, a remarkable contribution from a player who spent the second half of last season on loan at Charlton Athletic.
Rio Ngumoha caused real problems down the left flank, while 19-year-old Trey Nyoni continued a standout pre-season with another composed performance in central midfield.
Nyoni’s contribution to the second goal was particularly eye-catching, as he floated a ball across to Jeremie Frimpong, who cut back for Wirtz to finish in a move that also involved Isak.
Nyoni has been linked with a loan move this summer, but on the strength of these pre-season displays, the midfielder looks set to remain at Liverpool and push for more regular first-team minutes this season.
He played just 229 minutes in 2025-26, but Iraola has spoken glowingly about his attributes, not least his confidence on the ball and willingness to play forward.
Iraola will soon be reunited with Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Alisson Becker, and new signing Victor Munoz at the AXA Training Centre, with the squad beginning to take fuller shape ahead of the competitive season.
Alexis Mac Allister remains the only first-team player Iraola is yet to meet, having been granted extra time off following Argentina’s run to the World Cup final, though Munoz will return sooner to begin integrating into the group.
