Liverpool will be hoping to get off to a good start under new manager Arne Slott following the departure of long-time manager Jurgen Klopp.
The Dutchman has made his mark on the Merseyside club and transformed Liverpool’s pre-season.
One player who is already performing at a high level under the new regime is 32-year-old Mohamed Salah, according to The Athletic, and despite being past the traditionally recognised prime of his playing days, he is clearly making a big impression.
Liverpool players have become accustomed to lactate tests under Klopp’s guidance, in which players undergo rigorous aerobic training whilst running long distances and then their lactate levels are measured.
That has reportedly changed under Slott, who favours a simpler six-minute test, asking athletes to go as far as they can around a track for six minutes, testing not just their endurance but also their top speed.
Salah has reportedly wowed Liverpool’s new staff by overtaking young Dutch defender Sepp van den Berg to top the rankings, in a move Liverpool’s fitness coach Conal Murtagh described as “phenomenal”.
New manager Slott assesses Salah and Reds’ fitness
Salah’s fitness levels have never been in question but he has shown signs of decline in previous seasons, particularly towards the tougher second half of the campaign, which included a mid-way withdrawal for the Africa Cup of Nations.
Therefore, his impressive performance in pre-season will surely excite Reds fans who will be hoping to see him perform well under new leadership.
But Liverpool are still without a number of key players in pre-season, and that could continue for some time, including Virgil van Dijk and Ryan Gravenberch of the Netherlands, Alexis Mac Allister of Argentina, Darwin Nunez of Uruguay, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez of England and Luis Diaz of Colombia, all of whom have progressed through major international competitions this summer.
They will all be on an extended break before joining the club in the coming weeks.
Most of these players are likely to miss most or all of Liverpool’s US tour, meaning they will have little time to settle in under the new manager before the start of the season.
