Merseyside Sport latest: Liverpool and Everton standouts from pre-season and more
The full version of the LiverpoolWorld Q&A
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00:00So Will, starting with Liverpool and they're obviously back from their pre-season tour,
00:05in terms of standout performers, obviously sometimes pre-season you can't look massively
00:10into at times, but it does sort of set a nice thing to look ahead for the actual competitive
00:16season to begin. Has there sort of been a standout performer for Arnie Slott's side so far?
00:22Yeah, there are a few. It was obviously good to see the sort of changes that have been made
00:27since Arnie Slott has arrived as manager, and yeah, maybe a little bit more progressive
00:33through the middle of the pitch. But yeah, there's some standout performers. I mean,
00:38Gelo Kwanzaa was excellent in all three games, you know, he had that breakthrough campaign
00:43last season, and now I think he's put himself firmly ahead in the peccan order to start that
00:49opening day against Ipswich, because Ibrahim Kanati has come back late, he only played 45
00:54minutes in the final game, had injury problems at the end of last season, and Joe Gomez has only
01:01just arrived back, he didn't take part in the tour, he checked back in in Kervia to training
01:07ground. So it looks like Gelo Kwanzaa, if he can keep it up, is in line, he has a really strong
01:12pre-season. Harvey Elliott was excellent, another one who has done himself no harm whatsoever. He
01:17ended the season really, really strongly last campaign, and Jadon Klopp said probably that
01:22was as big of a regress for his final season, not playing Harvey Elliott more. So in one of those midfield
01:27positions, and maybe, you know, a performer who now has a bit of an uncertain future, Fabio Carvalho,
01:34he performed really well on the left wing, scores against a fantastic goal, he's man-united,
01:40and scores against Arsenal as well, and he's come back from his loaner hole, he looks sharp, but
01:46is he better than what Liverpool have got, realistically? Is he better than, you know,
01:50Arsenal regards him as a left-winger rather than a midfielder. I think Fabio Carvalho
01:58ideally wants to play in the number 10 role, but Liverpool have got Harvey Elliott there,
02:02they've got other players who can play in the attacking role, and is he better than Lewis
02:07Dales on the left wing, is he better than Joel Jost, is he better than Cody Garpo, might get
02:11moved there, but probably not. So I think maybe Liverpool and Fabio Carvalho have got a decision
02:17to make, but based on his performances, his price tag's probably increased, so, you know,
02:22Liverpool will be happy with that, and yeah, players like Mo Salah look sharp, he's benefited
02:27from not having a tournament, and Conor Bradley has been excellent, obviously Trent Alexander-Arnold,
02:33the first choice there, but overall some good performances out in America, but yeah, there's
02:41big hits as you've arrived back now at Liverpool, the likes of Van Dijk and
02:45Alexander-Arnold, Alexis McAllister, Darwin, Nunes, so things are only going to hot up places.
02:52And on the transfer front, obviously, you know, we've spoken whether the fans might have been
02:56itching a bit because there was no business being done in terms of incomings. Is anything
03:02expected to sort of pick up now from now until the start of the season, now players are starting
03:06to return from the tournaments, and hopefully there can be some transfer business done?
03:11Yeah, I think so, I think, you know, looking at the slots, what the players we have now,
03:17they're pretty much starters, or the ones you bring on off the bench, and obviously,
03:23you know, likes of Van Dijk, Alexander-Arnold, and Luis Diaz, and Nunes, McAllister, he already
03:29knows enough about them to know that they'll be in his plans, and so it's been the case of
03:35who are the back-ups who want to keep, who maybe do want to leave, and where do we need to
03:41bolster? And obviously, the number six role is one that's been talked about quite a lot,
03:48is with Taro Endo, the player who Arnold Slot wants for that holding midfield role,
03:54is he good enough on the ball to be progressive enough that Arnold Slot wants? Well, maybe not,
03:59so Liverpool go and look elsewhere, and, you know, just before we've come, we've started
04:04talking now, and Paul from you have said that Liverpool have identified a number six outside
04:09of the Premier League, so I'm sure that fans will be strolling through La Liga and Serie A
04:14seeing who could fit the bill, so that would be one. Another forward has been talked about,
04:23the Anthony Gordon links are continuing, but for Anthony Gordon to come in, you'd probably have to
04:30lose a left-sided forward, because Liverpool have got three, stroke four, who can play there,
04:36Luis Diaz, Kylian Mbappe, Joel Jotunen, even Zara Nunes can play there, and you've got a couple of
04:43younger players as well, and, you know, Fabio Carvalho stays, that's another option, so did
04:48he need another forward, did he look on the other's flank, did he look for a long-term
04:53successor for Mo Salah, someone who can give Salah a little bit of respite, because when he
04:58came back from injury last season, he wasn't the same player, and maybe, you know, playing all those
05:03games Diaz has done since he arrived at Liverpool, he's catching up on him, and a centre-back has been
05:08talked about as well, and Liverpool have got four, stroke five options, if you include Stefan Zuberg, who's
05:15done well in pre-season, obviously Joe Gomez, there was an agreement with Newcastle for him
05:21to go the other way with Golden before that deal broke down, before the PSR deadline,
05:26but reports suggest now Joe Gomez is fully committed to Liverpool, and in the spot, so
05:33if Joe Gomez stays, and the Liverpool needs another centre-back, they have four, stroke five
05:39options, depends on what happens with Van den Berg as well, but yeah, I think in midfield,
05:44if you are to ask supporters, what they want to be in midfield, and it looks like that will be the
05:49area of the pitch that Arnold Slotts is looking to tie it down.
05:53So, well, Everton coming back from their pre-season tour as well, you know, in terms of
05:59standout players, we've mentioned they've lost, obviously, Harnar, who could have had a fantastic
06:06season, he's gone to Aston Villa now, Jared Brantway obviously had a fantastic season last
06:12time out, is he still hitting those same heights in pre-season so far, who's stood out for you?
06:18Well, Brantway hasn't played yet, because he's had minor surgery with a groin issue, so that's a
06:24little bit of a disappointing one, I should say, but Everton fans will be looking forward to seeing
06:28him back. I think in pre-season so far, I've been really impressed by one of the sons signs,
06:36Tim Iribonne, he looks composed on the ball, he looks tenacious in midfield, looks like a good
06:43little bit of business, that he still is only young, but he looks sharp. Jack Harrison as well
06:50has had a good pre-season so far, and it was interesting, because both him and Sean Dyche have
06:54said that there's more to come from Jack Harrison, obviously, Everton getting back, and yeah, he missed
07:00the start of last season, because he arrived with a hip injury, and he probably played too many games
07:04for his own liking, because Everton didn't have enough options in the wide areas, so Jack Harrison
07:12has looked fairly decent, so those are probably the two standouts. There's been more about
07:19fitness so far for Everton, as we speak in the games, you know, they drew against Slago Rovers,
07:24and they lost to Salford and to Coventry, but Sean Dyche has said he's worked the players hard,
07:30and Naferino went at Preston, and he looked good. Dominic Calvert-Lewin, after struggles,
07:37he looks pretty sharp, won the penalty, put the penalty home, and obviously, it's an interesting
07:43few weeks when it comes to Calvert-Lewin's future, given he's into his final year of his deal,
07:47and to Everton, stick or twist if an offer comes in. And then, just in terms of the new signing,
07:55Jake O'Brien made his debut at Preston, looked pretty decent, scored a good goal, and Jesper
08:00Lindstrom as well, who's arrived on the season long loan from Napoli, whipped home a fantastic
08:04free-kick. I think he maybe might take a little bit of time to get used to the physicality of the
08:10Premier League. Maybe Everton will get him in the gym to just bulk him up a little bit, but he looks
08:17a clever player, looks like he's someone who can get you off your seat, and yeah, I think
08:22there's still a little bit of work to be done for Everton in the transfer window,
08:25if they can stretch the finances. But I've come with some stars, and yeah, all eyes are on the
08:31first game of the season against Brighton now. Yeah, and Everton, obviously, going into that
08:37transfer situation, we've said how the finances, it's quite tough to juggle for Sean Dyche. He says
08:44he wants more experience in the side. Is there any sort of move to suggest that more transfers
08:51are being done? Obviously, he added Ashley Young, a bit of experience there. Is that the sort of
08:56route that they might be going down? Yeah, so, yeah, obviously, Ashley Young's pent another
09:02year extension, and Jack Harrison's come back, who's got Premier League experience in abundance.
09:08But, you know, Sean's, like I said, it's just a mark at the level they're about to be working in.
09:12They've got assigned players who are inexperienced enough because, obviously, they are cheaper,
09:18and they've got, you know, a selling value as well down the line, whichever, you know, they need to
09:23improve the financial situation. But if you're looking at them, Timmy O'Bannon hasn't played a
09:28lot of Premier League games, and he was eliminated when he was at Sheffield United, and Jake O'Brien
09:33was at Palace for a period, but he never made a senior appearance. Jesper Lindstrom arrives with
09:39a lot of top flight experience, but he's never played in the Premier League, and he'll take
09:42a while to get used to those demands. So, yeah, as I say, they do need a little bit more
09:48I think they do need another midfielder in there. We've talked of Calvin Phillips potentially being
09:53one, but it's an interesting one with him because, obviously, he's been playing for Man City
09:59in the pre-season periods, and he played centre-back in their last game, and
10:04does Pep Guardiola look at that and think, well, I'll keep him around and be an extra centre-back
10:09if, you know, the right terms aren't agreed for him with Man City.
10:16And another winger I think Everton fans will be open to, another one with quite a lot of,
10:23you know, burning pace, will he, Nonto, will he, can he get a deal over the line?
10:30Now that Somerville's left Leeds, are they under enough pressure, are they under any pressure now
10:35Leeds to sell him? Will Nonto look at that and think, I can be a talisman now? I think a lot of
10:42fans would agree that a left-back's needed. Young's cover there for Vitaliy Mikhailenko,
10:48but I think another specialist is needed, and you could even say the jury's still out on the
10:53right-back situation, because, you know, you've got Ashley Young and Seamus Coleman, but Ashley
10:59Young's what, 39, Seamus Coleman's 35, 36, and Nathan Paterson's still recovering from a hamstring
11:05injury, and since he arrived two and a half years ago, he hasn't quite hit it off yet, so still a
11:11little bit of work to be done, I think, for Sean Dyche. He'll be plotting what he can do with
11:17director of football Kevin Fellow, but look, as we think, as we speak now, less than two weeks to go
11:22before the start of the season, I think a lot of support will be encouraged by the deals that
11:28Everton have managed to get over the line so far, but yeah, a little bit more knelts will be needed,
11:34because there is quite a lot of inexperience in the team at the minute.