Liverpool suffered another pre-season setback on Sunday as Monaco came from two goals down to secure a 3-2 victory.
The loss, which is Andoni Iraola’s first at Anfield, has given the Liverpool boss plenty to consider ahead of the new season.
The Reds produced an impressive first-half display but struggled to maintain their intensity after the break as Monaco grew into the contest.
With Liverpool still building towards full match fitness, the defeat exposed some areas that will need attention before the competitive campaign begins.
Liverpool’s second-half collapse
Liverpool produced an encouraging first-half display but struggled to maintain their level after the break.
The Reds took a two-goal lead before Monaco fought back, eventually completing the comeback in the second half.
Iraola admitted the performance was similar to Liverpool’s recent defeat to Leeds, with the opposition becoming increasingly dominant after the interval.
“It was quite similar to the game against Leeds,” the Liverpool boss told LFCTV.
“We played a good first half but we don’t have much more in terms of the level required to play like this. And then they were much better in the second half.”
Iraola also acknowledged that Monaco deserved to turn the game around after producing a stronger performance following the interval.
“In the same way we were better in the first half, they were much better in the second half and they deserved to turn around the game,” he said.
Plenty of positives to build on
Despite the defeat, Liverpool’s first-half performance provided encouragement, with several senior players showing signs of sharpness ahead of the new campaign.
Iraola was particularly encouraged by the energy shown by those making their first or second appearances, although he admitted there remains work to do.
“A lot of the senior players were at different levels but mostly they were in a good place,” he said.
“Even the ones playing their first or second game had energy.”
The Liverpool boss believes the squad can learn from the defeat, adding: “We can take a lot of positives but also a lot of negatives from today.”
MORE FROM JULIETTE WHITE: Liverpool 2-4 Leeds Utd: Five talking points from Reds’ pre-season defeat in Chicago
Fitness remains a concern
The biggest issue highlighted by the defeat was Liverpool’s inability to sustain their performance for the full 90 minutes.
Iraola believes fatigue was a major factor as his players struggled to match Monaco after the break.
“The problem is right now they probably don’t have the energy for 90 minutes,” he said. “They started to get tired and that will take time for them.”
The Liverpool boss knows additional training will be crucial, adding: “We need more training with them.”
Liverpool were also without Jeremy Jacquet and Curtis Jones. Iraola expects Jacquet to be available against Como after deciding not to risk him, while Jones missed the match after experiencing a minor hip issue.
“Curtis has trained every day but yesterday he had some issues in his hip,” Iraola explained. “It doesn’t look like anything big, but it didn’t make any sense to risk it.”
Liverpool will now look to use next Sunday’s meeting with Como to build fitness and address the weaknesses exposed against Monaco.
READ NEXT: Arsenal sign Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle for £75 million
Michael Davey