Liverpool have signed two centre-backs this summer, Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo – one a permanent signing, the other on loan.
Jacquet started Sunday’s final pre-season game against Como and scored Liverpool’s second goal before being replaced by Araujo at half-time.
The French defender was making his first appearance since dislocating his shoulder while playing for Rennes in February, while Araujo joined Liverpool from Barcelona on a season-long loan last week.
Captain Virgil Van Dijk, who should be expected to pair with either player, said both had made a positive start, but he added that understanding between defenders is built over time as they play together.
“I think [Jacquet] did well, same as Ronald,” Van Dijk said. “It’s a start, a good start so hopefully he can crack on. [You build relationships] by playing games. I won’t say it’s the only way, but games are totally different than training.”
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The Liverpool captain also noted that communication should not prevent the pair from settling in. “Jeremy’s English is, I would say, a bit better than Ronald’s but at the end of the day we are all pretty good footballers,” he said. “But it’s pretty clear that you need to form a connection together and that takes a bit of time.”
Jacquet’s return provides Liverpool with another option in central defence after a long injury absence. He looked comfortable enough against Como to earn Van Dijk’s praise, although the 45 minutes represented only the start of his return to full match fitness.
“It’s absolutely normal when you’re playing your first 45 minutes after such a long time,” Van Dijk said. “Now it’s down to him to recover.”
Liverpool also used the Como game to address concerns over their ability to maintain their intensity for an entire match. They had surrendered two-goal leads against both Leeds and Monaco in their previous two pre-season fixtures.
Van Dijk believes there was a clear improvement against Como, with Liverpool managing their pressing more carefully instead of trying to sustain maximum intensity throughout.
“No team in world football can play full intensity for 90 minutes,” he said. “Then it’s down to us to make sure that we are compact and find the right moment to press again.”
The captain added that Liverpool must improve their timing and collective movement rather than simply run harder. “It’s a team game and we need everyone together in order to be able to do that,” he said. “But it’s a process and we’re working on that.”
