Liverpool enjoyed an excellent opening day of the Premier League season, beating Ipswich Town 2-0.
The result had not looked especially certain during the opening 45 minutes, but the Reds turned it on in the second-half to ease past their newly-promoted hosts.
Unusually for the first game of a new campaign, Liverpool did not have any new faces on show at Portman Road.
While last year Reds fans got a first look at Alexis Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai, this time it was the same old, same old. At least Arne Slot brought a semblance of freshness to proceedings.
All around Europe, other clubs have been buying players and slotting them into their teams. Unfortunately for one former Liverpool star, it turned into a debut to forget.
Alberto Moreno named in Serie A ‘flop XI’
Supporters will have their own ideas on the fact that Liverpool are the only club in Europe’s top seven leagues yet to make a new addition this summer.
While it is not a great look for FSG, at least Liverpool are now pushing to sign Giorgi Mamardashvili to correct that.
Elsewhere across the continent, some teams have been bringing in players like it’s going out of fashion.
Playing in Serie A for the first time since 2004, Italian side Como are one who have been especially busy. With Cesc Fabregas installed as head coach, I Lariani have signed 15 players.
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Two former Liverpool stars joined as part of that push. Spaniards Alberto Moreno and Pepe Reina arriving on the banks of Lake Como from Villarreal in order to bolster the squad.
Both made their debuts on Monday, as Fabregas and co kicked off their latest stint in the top flight with a tough away game at Juventus.
With Reina keeping goal behind him, Moreno started and played the full 90 minutes as Como fell to a 3-0 defeat.
Unfortunately for Albie, things did not go well. The 32-year-old was included in Tuttomercatoweb’s ‘flop XI’ of the opening weekend of Serie A. Moreno is said to have been ‘disastrous’ during the defeat to Juventus, earning a four out of 10.
Who else have Como signed?
Como have been one of the stories of the summer in Europe. With hugely rich owners, it could be that they soon become a genuine force in Italy.
Moreno and Reina’s arrival was part of a summer which aimed to make it look like that could be the case anyway.
But the two Spaniard’s are 32 and 41 respectively. They are well past their peaks as players.
So too is Raphael Varane, who became Como’s headline signing after arriving on a free transfer from Manchester United.
Elsewhere, Andrea Belotti is the pick of the bunch, with the Italy striker tasked with getting the goals to keep Como afloat. Hopefully better days ahead for Moreno, Reina and co.
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