PLAYERS RATINGS : The Arne Slot era shows promise  Winners & Losers as Jurgen Klopp’s successor oversees controlled preseason win over Real Betis

The Arne Slot era has begun. And so far, there are brief signs of encouragement. The Dutchman’s new-look Liverpool side were admittedly sloppy in their first match under their head coach, but showed enough about them to suggest that the post-Jurgen Klopp world might just be alright – beating Real Betis 1-0 in a sluggish contest in Pittsburgh.

With a number of big names given time off following summer tournament madness, Slot supplemented a number of star names – Mo Salah, Dominik Szoboszlai – with agreeable backups. Pieced all together, and there were real signs of encouragement, if an understanding that there’s a long way to go.

The contest simmered for most of the first half, a new-look and much-changed Liverpool struggling to find a rhythm under Slot. Szoboszlai provided the majority of the threat for his side, thriving in the space afforded to him on the right side of the pitch.

He scored the opener for Liverpool, sprinting behind the backline and taking a Salah pass in stride before finding the bottom corner with a clever finish. Chances were few and far between otherwise. Bradley offered ideas on the right wing, but without a recognised striker in the team, Liverpool failed to capitalise on them.

After an hour, Slot introduced waves of academy products, giving his bigger names a rest ahead of a past approaching season. There is still a lot of work to be done, but the new manager might have something to play with here.

WINNER: Dominik Szoboszlai

The former RB Leipzig man struggled to make an impact during the second half of last season under Jurgen Klopp. Hampered by a hamstring injury and failing to find a groove, what seemed a good piece of business started to appear something of a dubious deal.

And he recaptured some of that early season form here. Szoboszlai ate up ground on the right, galavanting up and down the wing. He combined effectively with Bradley and Salah, and very much deserved his goal – a tidy finish into the bottom corner.

LOSER: Curtis Jones

So much for a strong start to the Slot era for Jones. The midfielder insisted earlier this week that the Dutch manager was the best coach he’d ever played under – leading to hopes that this might be the campaign where the local product finally kicks into gear in red. And it might still be. However, his attempt didn’t get off to an overtly promising start here. Jones exited the game with an apparent injury after 30 minutes, and might have to watch from the sidelines for a few weeks.

WINNER: Arne Slot

He has quite the job to live up to here. Slot will find it difficult to cast off the Jurgen Klopp comparisons – no matter how much he might emphasise that he is overseeing a new era of the side.

This Liverpool will look somewhat different to the title and Champions League winning outfits under Klopp. It won’t build up as quickly, nor will it press as high. But, after 90 mixed minutes, Slot has started to put something together here. There is a recognized structure off the ball, clear patterns of play down the wings, and an emphasis on clever runs in behind the defence. Yes, his team only found the net once. But they still controlled the game, even with a number of key players missing. It all looks like quite a good start.

LOSER: Fabio Carvalho

Carvalho looked like an odd signing at the end of the summer 2022 transfer window. Neither an attacking midfielder, nor a winger, the former Fulham man didn’t have a natural fit in then-Klopp’s team. Two loan spells later, with a new manager in place, and this might have been an opportunity to stake his claim for a look on Liverpool’s crowded left wing.

But he didn’t really impress here. Carvalho tried to do too much, too often. He sacrificed the easy pass in favour of the highlight reel, and some of his defensive work was lacking. By the end of it all, he completed just 16 passes in 64 forgettable minutes in his debut under a new coach. Not exactly the best start.

WINNER: Conor Bradley

Trent Alexander-Arnold probably will not leave Liverpool. Real Madrid talk seems to have little actual backing, his name caught up in the swarm of summer transfer rumours. Still, there will likely be some minutes available at right-back this year. Alexander-Arnold’s long-term position, as has been chronicled on many occasions, could change. It’s unclear if Slot sees the academy product as a centre-midfielder or not.

Either way, Bradley has done enough over the past six months to at least put himself into the conversation for potential minutes at right back. He offers more of a marauding presence than Alexander-Arnold, a more natural runner to hold width. And he was useful in that capacity here, creating chances from wide areas; it’s a shame Liverpool didn’t have anyone in the middle to finish them.

LOSER: The fans

Well, that was hardly a thrilling watch. Preseason football is usually a dour thing, but there really wasn’t a lot to take from this one for the thousands that packed into the Pittsburgh Steelers’ usual stomping ground.

The two teams combined for just four shots on target, and the general standard of play here was lacking. Neither side consistently completed more than a few passes at a time, while individual inspiration was nowhere to be found. Yes, it’s still July. No, these players really shouldn’t be on the other side of the Atlantic. But still, fans pay to watch these games. It’s hard to say they got their money’s worth.