It would have been impossible for any Liverpool fan to have left Anfield on Sunday feeling anything but excited about the new season. The sun was shining and Arne Slot's side had just torn Sevilla to shreds in a 4-1 win, with Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz performing particularly well in the Dutchman's first appearance in front of the Kop.
Slot admitted afterwards that certain star players are not yet fully up to speed after being given extended breaks due to their involvement in this summer's major international tournaments, but pre-season couldn't have gone much better for the new manager, whose side also won all three of their games on their pre-season tour of the United States. As Virgil van Dijk put it, "so far, so good."
And yet the captain couldn't help but add to the nagging sense of uncertainty surrounding Anfield right now by casting doubt not only over the strength of Liverpool's squad, but also his own future at the club.