Arne Slot had spent a large proportion of his six weeks off partying and relaxing in the sunny climes of Ibiza. So in many ways, the Liverpool manager was accustomed to the intense heat that greeted him in Asia.
It was the temperature that formed part of his opening address to the squad on arrival in Hong Kong last week, the Dutchman telling his troops that celebrating last season’s title triumph must stop now and that they must fight through the taxing conditions to get in peak shape to go again.
He told the squad that putting in the hard yards now, in the sticky humidity of Hong Kong and energy-zapping 37-degree temperatures of Japan, would serve them well in the long run as the champions look to go back-to-back — and perhaps bring in a couple more trophies to boot.
And how they put in those hard yards: double sessions, intense gym work that elicited screaming and a fairly non-stop itinerary that some players joked was how they imagined military training to be.
This reporter was on site and I can testify that, after just standing on the sidelines, I was soaked with sweat as if I’d been caught in a storm and was desperate for some air conditioning.
But these are highly toned athletes who, in team meetings, have discussed how complacency is their biggest rival this season. After spending £295million, Liverpool are no longer a side free of expectation from the outside — they are the team to beat with pressure on their backs.
Arne Slot has told his players to end the celebrations and focus on the new season
The squad battled through brutal 37-degree heat in Hong Kong and Japan
Liverpool fans turned out in force at each of the tour matches to support their team
Seven new signings were on the tour and all were made to feel at home with ice-breaking games at the team hotel. Jeremie Frimpong is a laidback character who is always smiling and laughing, the Dutch international the king of card game Uno.
Florian Wirtz, who like Frimpong has joined from Bayer Leverkusen, had his team-mates in awe of his abilities. The £116m man was the standout star, operating from an advanced midfield role. The German gem, one of 10 siblings, has been described as humble and polite.
Captain Virgil van Dijk, who rang Wirtz to tempt him to join Liverpool, delivered an opening message to the new boys, including Hugo Ekitike who joined halfway through the trip.
He told them no matter the graft they put in to be where they are, nor the big price tag and reputation they arrive with, the hard work starts now and they need to prove themselves to the coaches and fans from day one.
None of the new arrivals were able to knock Mohamed Salah off his perch as the king of ping pong, though, the Egyptian having reigned supreme for several pre-season tours. The table tennis kit is a staple of these trip and there was no exception at the plush Rosewood Hotel in Hong Kong.
Some players said the location, overlooking the stunning Kowloon Bay, was the most luxurious place they had ever been.
The hotel, with average nightly rates of £1,500 per room (the touring party is at least 100 strong), has four different shower settings and 24/7 butler service — though ordering food to the room was banned to the floors Liverpool were occupying.
No late-night pizzas if you want to be champions, clearly. There are 11 restaurants at the hotel but the Reds had their own chefs on tour, as well as hotel rooms booked out for the masseuses to offer treatment and rub-downs after the aforementioned gruelling sessions.
There were double sessions for the squad to endure as the club prepare to defend their title
Liverpool’s players have highlighted in team meetings that their biggest enemy this season will be complacency
The entire club is still in mourning after the shocking death of Diogo Jota last month. Despite not kicking a ball in a competitive match, the group has already been through an awful lot together this season.
There was space in the packed schedule for well-needed leisure time, with trips to the uber-posh Avenue of Stars shopping mall, Japanese temples and the Shibuya crossing in Tokyo, a pedestrian hub where up to 3,000 people cross the road at once.
Again, Mail Sport can attest that this place makes Leicester Square seem like a remote countryside village, blink and you have lost your mates (and belongings). Kudos to the club’s travelling security team, then, who also dealt with crazy fans mobbing the squad.
Those being screamed at for selfies and signatures were the big names but also Japan captain Wataru Endo, an icon of the national team who had 70,000 fans singing his name at his local stadium in Yokohama, the host venue of the 2002 World Cup final, where Liverpool played their final tour game.
The pitches, as players discussed, were awful but the tour was a great experience — and Wirtz was gifted 1million yen (about £5,000) for being man of the match in Wednesday’s 3-1 win over the J1 League team Yokohama formerly managed by Ange Postecoglou and former England assistant Steve Holland.
Aside from the household names and big-money buys, though, the real star of the tour was 16-year-old Rio Ngumoha, who dazzled in both games – the other was a 4-2 loss to Milan in Hong Kong – with tricky displays on the left wing, capping it off with a thumping goal against Yokohama.
‘If you are 16 and you can impact games in the way that Rio does, then it is worth a compliment,’ said Slot after the match. And he is right. It is worth a ton of compliments. This kid is often cited as the best in Liverpool’s academy. He is ready now.
It is believed that Salah has played a pivotal role in coaching Ngumoha, who goes simply by ‘Rio’ on the back of his shirt, on how to improve. The winger is a raw talent who loves to run at defenders but, as seen in the youth games last year, he can also score and assist.
Rio Ngumoha, at just 16, was the breakthrough star of the tour for Slot’s side
Japan captain Wataru Endo was a particularly popular face in his homeland
With Luis Diaz leaving for £65.5m this week, Ngumoha – as it stands – is the back-up left winger to Cody Gakpo, who is also taking on more of a senior role with the young additions. Ngumoha was poached from Chelsea this time last year and the west London club still regret it.
The Blues offered him more money but Liverpool sold him a better pathway. Ngumoha, a kid with a tight-knit family, saw a chance to break into first-team football on Merseyside, with the Reds’ head of academy recruitment Chris Dowling said to be instrumental in the sales pitch.
Chelsea also refused accreditation for Liverpool’s scouts at Cobham for youth games, such was their fury over the lad John Terry described as ‘the best in the academy’ being poached. Slot will be careful with him and not want to do too much too soon, but he knows he has a gem.
There was chatter last season that Ngumoha had been excelling so much in first-team training that the media team had to delete footage of it to prevent embarrassment for defenders. That was never verified but, watching him out here, it would be no surprise.
Ngumoha and fellow teenager Trey Nyoni, the 18-year-old that also scored against Yokohama and has a big fan in Slot, have been taken out of training sessions at times in order to protect their bodies and not cause physical overloads.
But other than that, the intensity on the practice pitches has been remarkable, especially noting the heat. Before training at the aptly-named JFA Dream Field (Japan’s version of St George’s Park) just by Disneyland Tokyo, one could hear genuine screams coming from the gym.
Wacky warm-ups devised by fitness specialist Ruben Peeters involved racing with medicine balls and the playground classic hopscotch, while new goalkeeper coach Xavi Valero had his students juggling – throwing one ball up, saving three shots, then catching the original ball.
And then there are the long throws. Liverpool have been working on launching the ball into the penalty area from wide for the last week with technical coach Aaron Briggs, and it could be unleashed at a Premier League ground near you soon.
Andy Robertson and Curtis Jones battle in training, which has seen some more wacky methods this summer
Liverpool have been working on a host of new tactics to hit the ground running for the new Premier League season
Slot’s side now turn their attention to the Community Shield next week at Wembley against Crystal Palace
It has to be said, though, that Ryan Gravenberch is not quite at Rory Delap level just yet. Endo is not bad, while full backs Conor Bradley and Milos Kerkez have also been practising their best throwing techniques.
There are still things to solve for Liverpool in the transfer market. Despite £295million being spent, it is not over the top to suggest they are still a central defender and a forward light, especially with Darwin Nunez and Federico Chiesa’s futures still in heavy doubt.
Sporting director Richard Hughes has been the busiest man at the club this summer. He jetted into Hong Kong the night before the first game – originally staying at home to finalise Ekitike’s £79m signing – and then travelled on to Tokyo but had left before the game on Wednesday.
Maybe he was back in Liverpool doing yet more business. Who knows? But regardless of whether a new forward or defender arrives in the next month, the English champions are looking in mint condition, raring to go again, with the Community Shield coming up in just over a week, as they look to turn a one-off triumph into a dynasty.
