Neil Atkinson’s post-match review for The Anfield Wrap after Liverpool 1 Wrexham 0 in the Yankee Stadium, as part of the 26/27 pre-season tour…
Andoni Iraola’s second pre season game took place in Yankee Stadium on Wednesday evening local time and in the first half, for five minutes, it was compelling. In those five minutes, both Lewis Koumas and Harvey Elliott are exceptionally bright and pretty much operating as a front two. Joshua Abe gets in one on one because of a particularly good ball from Elliott.
The forty that followed, though, were not compelling in the slightest. The game turned into the worst type of training game, one that appeared not to be about learning anything new but an exercise to be got through.
Within that, there were small things worthy of observing from a Liverpool perspective. Ifeanyi Ndueke showcased both potential and what he needs to work on. Calum Scanlon looked a solid left sided option and Georgi Mamardashvili showed again he is a neat shot stopper from a Wrexham effort which was ruled offside.
In terms of the shape, it was interesting to see Elliott drop deep to get himself involved. This left Liverpool an attacker light, though it helped them retain possession. He should have been released after some smart play around the twenty minute mark, only for Liverpool to go in the opposite direction.
Trey Nyoni found things a little harder than in his second half against Sunderland, and Dominik Szoboszlai spent the half anchored next to him in terms of starting position but always looked to break forward and, in the second half, when next to substitute Curtis Jones, we could see how the manager could use Szoboszlai high from restarts to try and overload a press. One occasion just before the hour led to Elliott being able to get his (wasteful) shot away.
The raft of half time substitutions brought into focus that Liverpool only had 9 outfield options. The manager uses four of them and chooses to use Kieran Morrison left and Rio Ngumoha right, which is an interesting choice in and of itself. But it was Koumas and Elliott linking up again just five into the second half which gave Liverpool their best opportunity since that early Abe chance.
After the second raft of substitutions around 62, Szoboszlai ended up as Liverpool’s most advanced midfielder and showed his preparedness for next season by still running hard when each of his outfield colleagues, barring the two centre backs, had been removed.
The second half felt a little improved as a spectacle and its outstanding performer became Luke Chambers, who repeatedly gambled and got in ahead of his centre forwards on the halfway line before passing neatly forwards. It was this which led to Liverpool getting Rio Ngumoha space in the penalty area and him getting a ricochet which saw the ball loop over the Wrexham goalkeeper, leaving him helpless and leaving the New York Reds delighted. One of the players they had come to see in the flesh made his mark.
Liverpool made their final changes, getting Chambers and Szoboszlai a rest, before Lewis Brunt had an excellent chance to equalise from a corner for Wrexham. Will Wright could have done better for Liverpool before Kieffer Moore skewed a great chance over the bar with four minutes to go, and then Wright missed another opportunity to settle the argument as the game drew to a conclusion. Unlucky, big men.
Over 42,000 attended the game, which is a healthy return given the proximity in terms of time and in terms of location to the World Cup. For Liverpool though, New York is about more. There was an excellent event pulled together by the New York OLSC before the game for supporters. And Liverpool launched their frankly gorgeous (now seen on footballers) new away kit last night. New York’s Liverpool contingent has been well served, though I suspect Liverpool would have preferred not to fly in today.
It wasn’t a classic. It was an exercise. And that’s fine. That’s pre season. But, again, the manager will like them to come on for the run and he’ll like the video.
Chicago is now the game where we can expect to see the late returnees alongside, hopefully, a couple of those who have missed out on what will also, hopefully, be a slightly better surface. By the end, the going shifting to good to soft in places on the turf tonight.
Subscribe for immediate post-match reaction from around the ground…
