Liverpool prepare for another marathon season admitting they are not yet at their best

Manager Jurgen Klopp will use Community Shield encounter with Manchester City to test his new stars

Mohamed Salah of Liverpool during the pre-season training camp in Austria. All photos by Getty Images

James Milner, Mohamed Salah and Fabio Carvalho working hard during the Liverpool pre-season training camp.

Joel Matip with Fabinho on the run.

James Milner tries to cool down after the training session.

Manager Jurgen Klopp didn't take part in the run but seemed to enjoy the day.

Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson is ready for action.

Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Kostas Tsimikas, Joel Matip and Luis Diaz of Liverpool during the Liverpool pre-season training camp.

Mohamed Salah, James Milner, Curtis Jones, Fabio Carvalho and Jordan Henderson on the move.

Joel Matip, Trent Alexander-Arnold, Fabinho, Kostas Tsimikas and Luis Diaz prepare for the new season.

Isaac Mabaya, Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate, Sepp van den Berg, Harvey Elliott and Andy Robertson of Liverpool during the pre-season training camp.

It has been a while since Liverpool won a Community Shield, the curtain-raiser to the English season and, until 2007, a trophy that no other club had held more often than they had. Partly to blame is that long drought of English league titles, a 30-year longing that was finally soothed in 2020.

They have not been so sharp on penalty shoot-outs in their last two appearances in the one-off showpiece either, losing to Manchester City and Arsenal via spot-kicks on the last occasions they took part.

Jurgen Klopp’s men would back themselves should Saturday's Community Shield against Manchester City go to penalties. They won two domestic cup finals last season that way, both against Chelsea, and in every competition they took part in during 2021-22 there were podium finishes.

Little doubt, though, that the silver medals – Champions League and Premier League – linger in the collective memory more than the golds in FA Cup and League Cup from a draining, record-breaking 63-match campaign in which the league title was only decided, in City’s favour, on the last matchday.

The European Cup was then kept from Liverpool’s grasp in large part by the inspired goalkeeping of Real Madrid’s Thibaut Courtois.

A marathon of a season that entailed playing the maximum number of matches in every competition they entered now tailgates into a new campaign that Klopp describes as “very strange” because of its calendar.

Pre-season has been shorter than usual, the Community Shield bumped forward into July because of the relocating of the World Cup into November-December.

“It is a long season, with a break in between and [effectively] another preseason,” said Klopp, surveying a summer diary that has already included a tour to Asia and friendlies, within the last eight days, in Leipzig and Salzburg.

“We want to be ready for Saturday but it will be a big fight because we are not at our best. The only good news is City are in the same situation.”

The unspoken assumption here, as in the blue half of Manchester, is that Liverpool and City must first and foremost measure themselves against one another.

Liverpool were the last club to interrupt City’s sequence of Premier League titles; Liverpool have twice in the last four seasons entered matchday 38 with a chance of overtaking City at the summit of English football.

The impression that these two great modern squads stride ever upwards in tandem, step for step, has only been enhanced by their mirroring one another in the current transfer window.

They both swooped for powerful young, highly rated centre-forwards, Erling Haaland at City, and, at Liverpool, Darwin Nunez, who, if he reaches the potential Klopp sees in the 23-year-old Uruguayan, could earn Benfica close to €100m.

Liverpool 2021/22 season ratings

MANAGER: Jurgen Klopp – 9. A year ago the manager looked a broken man. Personal and professional problems made 2020/21 a difficult campaign. Last season he recovered his bounce and his deployment of the squad while competing on four fronts was superb. The added bonus for the Kop is he has extended his contract until 2026. A triumph of a year, even if the two biggest trophies got away from him. Getty Images

GOALKEEPERS: Alisson Becker – 9. The Brazilian is among the best in the world at his position. His shotstopping is magnificent – especially one-on-one – and his distribution is excellent. He managed the defence with aplomb, too, directing those in front of him. A key component in the team. EPA

Caoimhin Kelleher ¬– 7. The Irishman did not get much playing time but he made the most of it when he did. His biggest moment came in the League Cup final against Chelsea when he made two crucial saves and scored a penalty in the shoot-out. The most reliable of backups. PA

DEFENDERS: Trent Alexander-Arnold – 8. The 23-year-old was again the creative hub of the team. His forward play and his crossing are vital to the way the side plays. Sure, he had some tricky moments defensively when opponents managed to exploit the space behind him, but it was a risk worth taking. He oozed class. Getty Images

Joe Gomez – 6. The 25-year-old dropped down the pecking order at centre-half after returning from long-term injury. On the plus side, he was impressive when filling in at right-back. He has done well enough to likely earn a contract extension. Reuters

Joel Matip – 8. One of the big question marks over the 30-year-old had been his robustness. Injuries were not a factor last season. His use of space, quickness and his ability to bring the ball out from the back were outstanding. It bodes well for the future. Reuters

Ibrahima Konate – 7. The Frenchman is a work in progress but he made significant advances in the season. He is sometimes skittish on the ball but improved with every outing – his best game was the Champions League final. His physicality is impressive and he was a threat in the opposition box. At just 23 he has massive room for improvement. PA

Virgil van Dijk – 8. It took a while for the Dutchman to return to his imperious best after returning from a cruciate ligament injury. He regained his stature as the season progressed. His commanding presence was vital to the team’s success. PA

Andrew Robertson – 8. The Scot’s boundless energy and his will to win were evident in every game he played. His crossing added a huge amount of threat to the Liverpool attack. He was one of the major figures in the side. AP Photo

Kostas Tsimikas – 7. They love the Greek at Anfield and every time he appeared in place of Robertson the crowd loved his approach. There was very little drop-off on the left side when the 26-year-old was involved. Reuters

MIDFIELDERS: Jordan Henderson – 7. The captain’s workrate and willingness to subvert his own game to help his teammates remained impressive. He might have slowed down a little at 31 but his experience more than made up for any reduction in pace. His leadership showed throughout the campaign. EPA

Fabinho – 8. The Brazilian is the man who seizes control of the midfield. His contribution was enormous and he supplied the platform from which the team could play. The defence were frequently grateful for his protective tackling. AP Photo

Thiago Alcantara – 9. At the beginning of the season some were still asking whether the 31-year-old was the right fit for Liverpool. Those questions have long been put to bed. His passing was often wonderful; his pressing remarkably effective. A standout campaign. EPA

Naby Keita – 6. The Guinean had moments when he looked brilliant and other games where he needed to offer more. He did not produce the consistency that the team needed over the season but a good finish to the campaign earned him a positive rating. EPA

James Milner – 7. The 36-year-old did everything asked of him. Much of that meant coming off the bench to help see games to their conclusion but the veteran put everything into every performance. Mr Reliable. AFP

Curtis Jones – 6. The 21-year-old didn’t develop quite as quickly as he might have hoped but that was due to an eye injury and the strength of the squad. He showed enough quality to be optimistic for the future. EPA

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain – 4. It was not a good season for the 28-year-old. His opportunities were limited and when the chances to play came along he rarely shone. With so many impressive performers, he found himself at the back of the queue and a summer exit seems inevitable. AP Photo

FORWARDS: Mohamed Salah – 9. The Egyptian remained the best attacker in the Premier League and perhaps the world. Even after taking a month off to play in the Africa Cup of Nations, he won the Golden Boot with 23 league goals. Defences were visibly unnerved by his presence. EPA

Roberto Firmino – 7. The Brazilian dropped down the pecking order but that was because of the abundance of attacking quality rather than his own failings. He was sometimes overshadowed by his teammates but his clever movement and touches frequently improved the side. AP Photo

Sadio Mane – 8. The Senegalese menaced defences. At times his competitive instincts meant he came close to overstepping the mark but he mainly stayed on the right side of the line. He will be sorely missed when he leaves Anfield this summer. Reuters

Diogo Jota – 7. The Portuguese maintained his fine form throughout the campaign. His direct running at defenders and his poacher’s instinct in the area proved effective. EPA

Luis Diaz – 8. The Colombian has been sensational since arriving from Porto in January. He slotted into the attack as if he had been at Anfield for years. A brilliant buy for the club. AFP

Divock Origi – 6. The Belgian departs Merseyside in a wave of affection. He was never a natural fit for the side’s style but he gave the team a different look and scored vital goals. The striker showed total commitment every time he played. PA

Takumi Minamino – 6. The Japanese spent most of his time on the bench. He was top scorer in both domestic cup campaigns and never lacked for effort. A move is likely in the summer and he should thrive elsewhere with more playing time. Reuters

Harvey Elliott – 6. The 19-year-old started the season expecting to contribute regularly but a serious ankle injury in September slowed his progress. By the time he came back in February, the dynamics of the team had changed and there were fewer chances for the youngster. There will be plenty of time for him to blossom. EPA

Both City and Liverpool allowed the departures of long-serving, more diminutive forwards: Raheem Sterling in the case of City, Sadio Mane, who was sold to Bayern Munich, in the case of Liverpool.

Mane will leave a gap, intensifying expectations on Nunez. Klopp resists comparisons mainly to ease the pressure on the newcomer.

They are also different sorts of footballer, the Uruguayan more raw and, naturally, less tuned to the aggressive, high-press, quick-on-the-break style that Mane, 30, came to epitomise in his seven years at Anfield.

A more relevant like-for-like would be between Mane and Luis Diaz, as significant a fresh arrival this calendar year as any at Anfield. The Colombian, signed from Porto in January, made a strong impression in his first six months, slotting into what had been Mane’s role on the left of the front three.

Diaz, Nunez, Diogo Jota, and, should he remain at the club amid keen interest from Juventus, Roberto Firmino are still an enviable quartet from whom to select complements for Mohamed Salah, whose commitment and continuing importance to Liverpool was endorsed when he signed a new contract in June.

In the attacking mix, perhaps even this weekend, are also the exciting Fabio Carvalho – outstanding for Fulham during their promotion from the Championship last season – and his fellow 19-year-old and Fulham academy graduate Harvey Elliott, whose serious ankle injury, sustained last September, looks merely to have postponed his breakthrough at senior level.

Both are long-term prospects but can expect opportunities as the Liverpool manager seeks elements of surprise within his tried, tested and successful formulas.

“We have a base, but we have to build on this base,” said Klopp by way of a mission statement for the season, “and be more unpredictable for other teams.”