Five things we learnt from Liverpool's 4-0 loss to Manchester United
Here are five things we learnt from Liverpool's 4-0 loss to Manchester United in their opening pre-season friendly.
Liverpool didn't kick off their pre-season tour exactly how they would've wanted to after losing heavily to Premier League rival Manchester United.
Reds boss Jurgen Klopp played three teams for 30 minutes each. All three sides included a mix of youth and senior players.
So, here are the top five things we took from today's game.
1. Harvey Elliott looks very sharp
The first 30 minutes of the first-half weren't great. We conceded two goals, but it wasn't all doom and gloom.
Attacker Harvey Elliott looked electric. He was all over the pitch and some of his touches were exquisite.
Even though it was the first game of pre-season, the 19-year-old definitely caught a lot of people's eyes, which is only a good thing.
2. Is Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain back?
Surprisingly, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who was a part of the second-team, was probably one of Liverpool's best players today.
The midfielder was everywhere. Winning the ball back up the pitch and starting off some of our more promising attacks.
Oxlade-Chamberlain has been linked with a move away from Anfield. But, if the Englishman has a solid pre-season, Klopp might look to retain him.
3. Missed opportunities
We have seen it for years now, but Liverpool kicked off their pre-season tour by missing a lot of golden chances that you'd expect them to score.
In the first-half, the Reds hit the post twice courtesy of Luis Diaz and Fabio Carvalho.
In the second-half, Mohamed Salah cut in on his legendary left foot and fired the ball towards goal. Unfortunately, it hit the post and didn't land for a white shirt.
Another moment that Reds fans won't want to look back at was when new-boy Darwin Nunez basically missed an open goal.
The Uruguayan lent back just a bit too much and fired the ball over the goal. On another day, Liverpool could've easily scored four or five goals.
4. Tired legs
It's no surprise that the majority of the players looked knackered today. Most of the first-team players only returned yesterday and only had one proper training session.
A lot of the centre-backs especially looked very tired, which was a surprise.
At times, it seemed like certain players couldn't be bothered to track players or make runs.
Hopefully, it's just an adjustment period, especially considering the fact it is extremely hot in Thailand currently.
5. No need to worry, it's just pre-season
A lot of people are going to blow this game massively out of proportion. Yes, it's never nice to lose against Manchester United, but it's our first game of a very intense pre-season.
Opposition fans are also going to mention the Nunez miss, but at the end of the day, he's only just arrived with the team and he's trying to adapt to a new system.
Over the years we've seen the likes of Everton win 30-0 in their opening pre-season games and when it comes to the actual season, they're in a relegation battle.
It's annoying to lose, but it's always worth remembering that pre-season results mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.
All pre-season is used for is to sort out new tactics and get players fit for the campaign ahead.