As the new season approaches, Liverpool finds itself grappling with significant pre-season challenges that raise concerns for head coach Andoni Iraola. While pre-season form can be misleading, the Reds have suffered back-to-back two-goal collapses against Leeds and Monaco, prompting questions about their readiness for the upcoming campaign.

Despite some positives, such as Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak showing promise, Iraola has publicly acknowledged the squad's fitness issues. He noted that players might only manage to implement his high-pressing tactics for about 30 minutes at a time. This is concerning as Liverpool's rivals, including Manchester City, Arsenal, and Aston Villa, prioritize match cohesion and fitness, often fielding their starters for extended minutes.

Key issues for Liverpool include:

• Lack of fitness: Players are not yet equipped to sustain the required intensity.
• Squad depth: The bench during the Monaco match featured inexperienced players with limited top-flight starts.
• Injuries: The departure of key players and injuries to others have left the squad thin, particularly in defense.

While the arrival of Ronald Araujo adds some depth, the team still struggles with only two fit senior centre-backs. Concerns also loom over the attacking front, with potential departures of players like Cody Gakpo and Curtis Jones.

With just weeks left in the transfer window, the urgency to address these gaps intensifies. As the season opener against Newcastle on August 23 approaches, Liverpool must swiftly navigate these challenges to avoid a rocky start.