Ipswich vs. Liverpool: 5 things to look out for

Liverpool kick off their 24/25 Premier League campaign at Portman Road against newly promoted Ipswich, who will be looking to continue their meteoric rise up the English football pyramid.

Arne Slot and Ipswich gaffer Kieran McKenna may both be new to the Premier League, but they may well be somewhat familiar with each other's tactics. According to analysis by The Coaches' Voice, The Blues also set up in a 4-2-3-1 structure.

This means that we may see direct battles in positions all over the field. The two double pivots will fight it out in midfield, and if Trent bombs forward, he will be met by Ipswich's own marauding full-back in Leif Davis, who likes to advance down the left flank.

This potential to cancel each other out will require a few tactical tweaks, so it will be very interesting to see how it plays out.

Plenty of work for the centre-back pairing

Insight from The Coaches' Voice indicates that McKenna will look to spearhead attacking play with a strong central forward, such as Liam Delap, who will aim to occupy centre-backs with both hold up play and runs in behind.

Additionally, stats from FBref show that Ipswich created the most chances from set pieces in the Championship last season. From these chances, Ipswich scored the second most goals from dead-ball situations in the league.

Last season, Liverpool only ranked 10th in the league for goals conceded from set pieces, but the likely pairing of Van Dijk and Quansah will still have be extremely vigilant in their own box tomorrow.

The forward line takes shape

In terms of attackers, pre-season was consistent in its inconsistency. Szoboszlai was given one match as a central forward, and Carvalho, impressive on the left, was then sold to Brentford.

The only thing that is clear is the defined positions that players will be fighting for. Slot confirmed that Gakpo will not be tested in a central forward or midfield position again, as he was under Klopp, but will instead compete with Diaz on the left.

Down the middle, Slot has Jota and Núñez to choose from. The only certainty in attack is the presence of Salah, who is one of the first names on the team sheet. By midday tomorrow, Slot may have given us some indication of the attack that he will go for.

Trent's position

There is a new coach at the helm, and we are still none the wiser as to where Trent will play this season.

Slot was ambiguous on the topic during the pre-match conference, explaining "I think he’s capable of playing both positions really good, and then it’s up to me where I think he could help the team the most."

A double pivot system would, theoretically, provide Trent with the option to play as a deep-lying-playmaker, picking out long passes for quick transitions from a defensive position. These speedy counter-attacks have been a theme of pre-season, and look integral to Slot's footballing philosophy.

However, the match against United also showed us that Slot sometimes wants the right full-back to be brave and make advanced runs inside and outside of Salah, who likes to drift inwards. Bradley was impressive that day, but Trent would devastate teams with crosses from such forward positions.

Did Slot play to Bradley's strengths against United? Is he still indecisive about Trent's hybrid inverted role? Saturday may have answer some of these questions.

Double pivot personnel

Following Zubimendi's rejection (a saga that may not be completely over), Slot will have to solve the No 6 dilemma with resources from the current squad.

Mac Allister's place in the double pivot is practically assured, given his excellent form in midfield last season and the suitability of Elliott and Szoboszlai to a more advanced midfield role.

His partner in this setup, however, is still a mystery. Given Slot's emphasis on ball retention and press resistance, Gravenberch and Jones have been given a chance to impress during pre-season. Endo represents a more defensive-minded option of course, and Nyoni and Morton are fringe options.

This tactical question, like every other talking point, may be answered tomorrow, but bigger pictures like Slot's preferred XI and formation will only become fully clear in the months ahead. For now, we concentrate on Ipswich. Come on you Reds!