Some Liverpool players should be getting well used to Arne Slot’s training methods after entering the second week of pre-season training.
The Reds were back last Friday having spent the summer getting an emotional farewell for Jurgen Klopp out of their systems.
Not all of them are back at the AXA Training Centre, of course, with plenty of international football having happened – and some still ongoing – this summer, most of the Liverpool squad are still away.
However, Slot has still had a good sized group to work with. Supplemented with youngsters from the Liverpool academy, the new head coach will quickly be working out who he likes and who he’s not so keen on.
At the very least, Slot will be getting an idea of who is a fan of all the pre-season exercises, and who could do without it.
Arne Slot tires Liverpool players out
With so many big Liverpool players away, these couple of weeks are a big chance for some of those more on the fringes of the Reds squad.
Slot will obviously have arrived at Anfield with some pre-conceived ideas about many of the group he has inherited.
However, with most of the stars gone for the time being, the Dutchman may have found himself surprised by one or two.
If those young players, and others such as Kostas Tsimikas, can catch Slot’s eye early on, then they can become favourites of the new boss before others have had their chance.
READ MORE: What Mohamed Salah said about Kostas Tsimikas when meeting Arne Slot for the first time
On the flip side of that, it can also go the other way, too. Slot could easily decide that he does not like the look of some players who could then struggle to get back in favour. First impressions do stick.
Three players who will hoping to make that impression count in a good way are Jarell Quansah, Sepp van den Berg and Conor Bradley.
All three youngsters will have high hopes for the new season and Van den Berg has already impressed Slot.
However, the Liverpool ECHO report that the trio were all left looking ‘exhausted’ following a six-minute ‘endurance test’ Slot put them through during training.
Liverpool trio ready for big season
There are probably half-a-dozen or so players who will benefit the most from these early sessions under Slot.
The ones coming back from the loans are right at the forefront of this. Van den Berg has a real chance to cement himself in Slot’s plans at centre-back for the season.
Meanwhile Fabio Carvalho will be hoping that the change in tactical system can help him and Tyler Morton will be keen to show that with other midfielders away, he can step up.
Then there’s Bradley and Quansah. The two shining lights of the Liverpool academy last season, even more will be expected from both this time around.
Get off to a good start and impress the boss, and they could force themselves into the team from day one. Keep pushing yourselves, lads!
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