Despite goals from two new signings, Liverpool’s Community Shield defeat asks fresh questions of Arne Slot
Wembley was supposed to be a case of the men who weren’t there. It ended up asking questions of the team asked to defend the Premier League title.
Alexander Isak may soon become a Liverpool player. That will be decided soon enough by the transfer market; a game of charades is being played before money eventually dictates its conclusion.
Modern football’s eternal melodramas fade into significance when considering the player Isak could replace as a Liverpool centre-forward. The club plays under the shadow of the loss of Diogo Jota, his death alongside his brother André Silva on a Spanish highway, its shattering of family and friends a reminder football is played by real people with real lives. Liverpool’s pre-match lineup did not feature a No 20, Jota’s number retired.
The season ahead will be played in the memory of a popular, skilled yet understated professional, 12 months ago at Ipswich the scorer of the first Premier League goal of Arne Slot’s reign. Jota died a champion, a beloved teammate. Before kick-off, Wembley was supposed to drop to a minute’s silence, only for an idiot fringe of Crystal Palace’s fans to shame themselves by chanting. A tiny minority though enough for a booed response from Liverpool fans, referee Chris Kavanagh blowing his whistle quickly. What should have been a moment of perspective was sullied. Football’s ability to crack on blithely in the face of tragedy is one of its worst qualities.
