Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna says Arne Slot’s Liverpool did something pure ‘quality’ against his team

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Liverpool are off and running in the Premier League this season after recording a 2-0 win over Ipswich Town on Saturday.

The Reds headed away to a newly promoted team for the third time in four years on the opening day of the campaign.

And while those games can often be tricky affairs to navigate, Liverpool did well to come away with a comfortable win.

In the end, the Reds could have scored a hatful in their first competitive game under Arne Slot. Luis Diaz, Diogo Jota and Conor Bradley all missed good chances to add to the score.

But despite a slightly difficult opening 45 minutes, there were clear signs of what Liverpool fans can expect to see under Slot. Ipswich boss Kieran McKenna was suitably impressed, too.

Kieran McKenna impressed by ‘ruthless’ Liverpool

It had indeed been a bit of a drab opening half of Premier League football for Slot to endure on the touchline.

The pitch looked a little heavy and Liverpool simply couldn’t get going. Anxiety reigned amongst a fanbase who had enjoyed an excellent pre-season.

But after Slot took Jarell Quansah off for losing too many duels, Liverpool improved massively in the second period.

Two goals were quickly scored which ultimately put the game beyond Ipswich. Quansah didn’t look happy to be subbed and in truth the change in pace had little to do with his omission. But there’s little denying that it was chalk and cheese.

READ MORE: What Liverpool fans were singing about Arne Slot during their Premier League opener

If Slot was happy with what he saw, though, then McKenna was left in no doubt about the quality his team are going to face this season.

Asked about how Ipswich fans will have seen the game by TNT Sports, the 38-year-old admitted that they may have been a little in awe of watching ‘one of the best teams in the league.’

“Liverpool, the quality of the execution of the two goals, the first goal especially,” he said. “We did not that many things wrong but we were one or two yards off on our pressure in a couple of different positions and that’s how ruthless it can be.

“They’ve [the supporters] seen the level of one of the best teams in the league and we’ll all learn from it as a club and we’ll go again.”

Liverpool show their cutting edge

For 45 minutes, it had looked a possibility that Slot’s reign at Liverpool was about to get off to the worst possible start.

The Reds found the going tough at Portman Road and looked a shadow of the side we’d seen in pre-season.

However, they quickly found their rhythm in the second-half and showed exactly why there is so much excitement about this season within the fanbase.

Things could still have been better and Liverpool should have scored at least two more. But as McKenna alludes to, the patterns of play were outstanding at times.

Lots to be pleased about for Reds fans and even more to come.