Liverpool pre-season report: Who has impressed? What have we learned about Andoni Iraola after Como win?

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola started his career as Reds boss with three wins from six in pre-season, but he did suffer a 4-2 defeat against Leeds United and a 3-2 loss against Monaco.

Heading into the new campaign with momentum will be important if the club are to fight for the title, so the 44-year-old will be thankful that his side won 2-0 against Como on Sunday.

Iraola's side were impressive in spells of each of their games, though they are still clearly short in a number of areas.

The head coach's next game will be against Newcastle United on August 23, his first Premier League game in the Reds' dugout..

Here, Sports Mole looks at who impressed for Liverpool, and whether there was anything to take away from the club's matches against Sunderland, Wrexham, Leeds, Monaco and Como.

Liverpool beat Sunderland and Wrexham: Who impressed for Andoni Iraola?

The clash in Nashville against Sunderland was undoubtedly a game of two halves, with the Black Cats troubling the Reds for significant periods before the interval.

Dominik Szoboszlai came on at half time, and with the captain's armband, the 25-year-old scored his side's second and was the best player on the pitch.

After signing a five-year deal to extend his stay at Anfield until 2031, fans should be excited about the heights the Hungarian might reach.

However, Szoboszlai was not the only midfielder to impress on Saturday, as teenager Trey Nyoni demonstrated immense composure on the ball.

The 19-year-old was consistently overlooked by Arne Slot last season despite the consistently poor performances of Alexis Mac Allister and Ryan Gravenberch.

If Nyoni can handle the intensity required to play in an Iraola system - the Englishman won three of his four duels and two of his three tackles against Sunderland - then there is no reason why he should not play a role next season.

Kieran Morrison started on the right of attack for the Reds, and the 19-year-old managed to score in the 13th minute with a strike that would not have looked out of place had Mohamed Salah been in his position.

The forward is highly regarded, and his attacking qualities as a creator and direct threat could be useful for Iraola, who is known for rewarding young talents with first-team opportunities.

Iraola's lineup against Wrexham was also far from his strongest given the likes of Alexander Isak, Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz were all unexpectedly left out of the squad entirely.

Slot opted to start Nyoni this time around, and he was paired with Szoboszlai, but the teenager outperformed his midfield counterpart.

The 19-year-old was excellent with the ball against Wrexham, completing 59 of his 63 passes, and he also played eight passes into the final third.

Nyoni was not at his best defensively, though many of the issues that the Reds faced in that match were due to the mistakes of Szoboszlai.

The Reds have been consistently linked with midfielders this summer, but with so much work to do elsewhere, there are fears that they will not strengthen that area.

However, Nyoni could very well be considered a new signing for the Merseysiders, and while they arguably still need another player for their double pivot, Liverpool's squad will be significantly stronger if the 19-year-old develops as expected.

Liverpool 2-4 Leeds United: Who impressed for Andoni Iraola?

Liverpool fans were treated to an impressive first-half display against Leeds United, with Nyoni once again strengthening claims that he should be seen as a genuine option for the starting XI.

Szoboszlai improved considerably compared to his display against Wrexham, although he was still at times over eager when pressing.

Perhaps the most pleasing aspect of the performance will be the fact that Wirtz and Isak, both of whom were afforded the entirety of the first half, looked like they already understood the demands of Iraola's intense system.

Both made mistakes and needed to be guided through the game at points, but there were several moments from the match that suggested that they could adapt to the manager's demands.

Teenager Ifeanyi Ndukwe continued to impress at centre-back, with the defender routinely winning his duels.

The 18-year-old has also looked comfortable when playing out from defence, and perhaps it will come as a bitter blow that he is unable to play a role for the Reds until at least January due to the fact he does not meet the required points total for a work permit in the UK.

Liverpool 2-3 Monaco: Who impressed for Andoni Iraola?

Isak and Wirtz were outstanding during their time on the pitch together, with both of them scoring to give the Reds a 2-1 lead at half time.

It was noticeable that the two players were positioned close to each other, and their innate technical qualities led to a number of silky combinations in the final third.

The decline and exit of Mohamed Salah was devastating for Liverpool, and while no single player will be able to replace his impact, Wirtz and Isak could replicate the Egyptian's impact in the aggregate.

Ndukwe played once again, and he was arguably the best defender on the pitch before he was subbed off in the second half.

While the likes of Wataru Endo and Federico Chiesa performed poorly, they are not expected to play a significant role in 2026-27.

Liverpool 2-0 Como: Who impressed for Andoni Iraola?

Iraola's side arguably produced their most complete performance of pre-season against Como at Anfield, and he will be particularly pleased by the displays of Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo.

The former had not played any game since February due to a shoulder injury, but he was incredibly composed on the ball, while he rarely looked troubled when contesting battles against opposition forwards.

Araujo was less adventurous with the ball when he came on in the second half, though he was just as dominant when duelling.

The two centre-backs will likely have to share the privilege of playing next to Virgil van Dijk, but Iraola will need both to stay fit if he is to experience success in his first season at Anfield.

What have we learned about Liverpool and Andoni Iraola in pre-season?

Iraola's system is defined by intensity, but it is fair to say that Liverpool were not at their absolute best out of possession in their four pre-season games.

However, the intent to press high was evident, and they have looked far better whenever Szoboszlai was on the pitch.

Slot was frequently criticised last term for his passive approach without the ball, something that did not fit the identity of Liverpool and its fanbase.

If there was one worry with Liverpool's pressing strategy, it would be Liverpool's double pivot given it looks like the best duo are Nyoni and Szoboszlai.

Both have provided an intensity and a willingness to run, something that Curtis Jones and Gravenberch have lacked so far in pre-season.

The latter has shown that he has the physicality needed to play in such an intense system, but his application has not been particularly positive.

However, Nyoni is just 19 and cannot be expected to be a consistent starter if fans want a flawless performer in the middle of the pitch, whereas Szoboszlai is relatively inexperienced in a deeper midfield role.

The Hungarian certainly has the energy and technical quality to play in such a position, though he will have to be more switched on defensively if he is to be a mainstay there.

Iraola will naturally expect his players to become more familiar with his demands as pre-season progresses, but Liverpool supporters should at least be excited about the prospect of intense and direct play returning to Anfield.

Interestingly, Ngumoha was used on the right side of attack against Wrexham, and that could perhaps hint at the manager's plans to use prospective signing Bradley Barcola on the left.

Many fans and pundits - including Jamie Carragher - have wondered how the club might replace the impact of Salah, and it appears that the 44-year-old head coach is not against trusting his younger talents to play on that side of the pitch.

It remains to be seen if Ngumoha's impact would be blunted if he was seen as the long-term right-winger, though he did score the only goal of the game against Wrexham, and he is young enough to adapt.

Elsewhere, Joe Gomez was forced off with an injury within the first 10 minutes against Sunderland, and Iraola has confirmed that he will miss at least a month of training.

Liverpool have Gomez, Van Dijk, Araujo, Jacquet and Giovanni Leoni as options for two centre-back spots, but there are some doubts about the group's ability to last the season.

Van Dijk is 35 and is unlikely to play at an elite level throughout the campaign, while Jacquet and Leoni are only 21 and 19 respectively.

Araujo was signed on loan from Barcelona, but he has picked up 20 separate injuries during his career, and he has missed 40 games for club and country over the past two seasons.

Right-back Jeremie Frimpong was forced off the pitch against Leeds for precautionary reasons, and though he did start against Monaco, a potential absence at some point next term would be hugely significant given Conor Bradley is expected to miss months of action.

Whether the Merseysiders will look to bring in extra defensive cover having signed Araujo remains to be seen, but not bringing in a specialist right-back could be risky.