By the time the whistle blew for half time, there realistically looked like only one team capable of opening the scoring in East Anglia. And it wasn’t Arne Slot’s team.
Liverpool, like so many before them, appeared taken aback by the aggression, intensity and bullish self-confidence of the much-admired Kieran McKenna’s players. But after squandering a couple of presentable chances on the counter attacks and in set-pieces, an Ipswich side basking in the glow of successive promotions were handed a dose of harsh reality.
Switch off for even a second, at this level, and that can prove fatal.
Within three touches and only a few more seconds, Liverpool can gone from their own half and into the Ipswich net. Trent Alexander-Arnold bamboozled Leif Davis with a gorgeous through ball, Mo Salah laid the ball across goal, and Diogo Jota fired a typically emphatic finish into the roof of Christian Walton’s net.
Mo Salah shines as Liverpool beat Ipswich Town 2-0
McKenna feels this is a lesson Ipswich must heed.
Not only on the pitch but in the transfer market too, with two weeks remaining in the window and a lack of proven Premier League experience arguably The Tractor Boys’ most glaring weakness.
“To go toe-to-toe with Liverpool for 45 minutes was a big positive,” a proud McKenna begins, speaking to TNT Sports via their official YouTube channel. “Then, of course, we need to keep improving we need to keep adding to the to the squad.
“We need to keep improving the players who are who are here to help them find another level to be competitive in the game for longer.
“I think (the fans) have seen plenty of good things. They’ve seen the things that they they love about this team and they’ve also seen the level (of the Premier League).”
Salah kick-started his Premier League account for the season only five minutes after Jota’s opener.
Thus, ensuring there would be a goal and an assist for a man who now has more opening weekend strikes than anyone else in the division’s history.
For McKenna, however, it was the speed and the precision of the way Salah combined with Jota and Alexander-Arnold for that hour-mark opener which highlighted the difference between the two sides.
“Liverpool; the quality of the execution of the the two goals, probably first goal especially where we do not do that many things wrong. But you’re one or two yards off on your pressure in a couple of different positions, and how ruthless it can.
“They’ve seen, you know, the level of one of the best teams in the league. We’ll all learn from it as a club and we will go again.”
Arne Slot pleased with Portman Road victory
Opposite number Slot, meanwhile, was pleased with the way Liverpool held their nerve after a punishing – and at times worrying – first-half while belatedly making their quality count.
“The first taste (of Premier League football) in the first half was maybe as expected because they were all on top of us. Very aggressive. Second half was a joy to watch,” says the 2023 Eredivisie winner.
“First thing (I said at half-time) was we don’t have to speak about tactics if you don’t lose so many duels. I think we needed to win the long balls through the air. That helped and gave us control. I don’t think Ipswich could keep up with the tempo in the second half.
“If a team plays all over the pitch one-vs-one, do not always play the ball short constantly. I didn’t see them fighting for it in the first half. we lost almost every long ball.
“In the second-half, they were ready and then gas opened up and you could see we can play quite good football.”
