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Liverpool begin life after Jurgen Klopp at Ipswich Town in the early Saturday kick-off in the Premier League.
Arne Slot will take charge of the Reds for the first time at Portman Road, with Kieran McKenna looking for a positive start in the battle to beat relegation.
Slot has built early momentum with a promising pre-season for the Reds, including four wins from six friendlies, with victories over Real Betis, Arsenal and Manchester United and a 4-1 defeat to Sevilla at Anfield. “There are a lot of similarities with Klopp,” Slot said. “With the way they played in the past, and I’m hoping we will see these similarities in the upcoming weeks and months.
Ipswich face a tough start to life back in the Premier League, with the Reds up first before a trip to champions Manchester City next week.
Follow all the latest build-up and team news from Portman Road below:
Ipswich v Liverpool updates
Nevertheless, Slot will feel he has a squad capable of challenging for the league title – all he needs to do now is prove its credentials.
Meanwhile, Ipswich have attempted to make shrewd signings as they bid to ensure Premier League survival in their first season in the top flight since 2001/02, with McKenna’s decision to stay in charge providing an early boost at the start of the summer.
And both managers will back themselves to make an impact at either end of the table, with Saturday’s match an excellent opportunity to lay down a marker to their closest rivals.
Ipswich v Liverpool updates
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s coverage of the first early kick-off of a new Premier League season!
The second game of the season pits newly promoted Ipswich against Arne Slot’s new-look Liverpool side at Portman Road, and it promises to be a cracker.
We’ll have all the build-up, team news and live updates as they come.
How Kieran McKenna guided Ipswich Town to the Premier League’s promised land
All the next great managers tend to be described in the same way: obsessive, a perfectionist, a details guy with a personal touch who always remembers the kit man’s birthday.
Ipswich Town’s Kieran McKenna is certainly one of those: he has amassed more points than any manager in English football since taking charge in League One in 2021 and has now led Ipswich to back-to-back promotions. A win against Huddersfield on Saturday sealed their return to the Premier League after 22 years away.
McKenna has big tactical ideas and a distinctive way to play. He conveys energy and enthusiasm and earns the trust of his players. But what stands out is that, first and foremost, McKenna is a coach: he doesn’t just get the best out of players, he makes them better.
Liverpool goalkeeper details early success of new boss Arne Slot with Reds’ tactical plan
Liverpool goalkeeper Vitezslav Jaros believes new head coach Arne Slot has done a good job in getting his tactical plans across to the squad.
Slot has insisted there would not be a huge style change from his predecessor Jurgen Klopp – that was one of the factors which elevated the Dutchman to the top of the list when the club was choosing a replacement.
In an interview on Wednesday he said he was working to “find the balance between trying to create chaos at certain moments and trying to keep possession of the ball a bit longer in other moments”.
Jaros has been elevated into the squad as third-choice behind Alisson Becker and Caoimhin Kelleher after a successful loan spell at Sturm Graz last season and featured in games on the tour of the United States, while also making his first appearance at Anfield in Sunday’s friendly victory over Sevilla.
Source: independent.co.uk
