Friendly matches rarely tell the whole story about a team's level, yet what Liverpool are going through during their pre-season raises plenty of question marks. The attacking flashes have been promising. The defensive gaps, though, are glaring, and they have pushed manager Andoni Iraola into a public admission that problems need fixing before the season starts.
Those comments landed after Liverpool's 4-2 defeat to Leeds United in Chicago, laying bare the reality of the team's preparation period, according to the British Broadcasting Corporation "BBC".
The Spanish manager said: "It is clear that this is not the result we were hoping for, but it was perhaps the most useful friendly for us. It was useful in a positive way in the first half, and in a negative way in the second half. We learned a lot, and we will draw important conclusions from it to address some of the problems."
A defensive crisis imposes itself
One file demands urgent intervention above all others: the defensive line. Across their three matches in the United States, Liverpool conceded six goals. Four of them came against Leeds inside just 25 minutes of the second half.
Liverpool started that match with a back line of Jeremie Frimpong, Luke Chambers, Ivayne Ndoicoi and Milos Kerkez, before finishing it with Calvin Ramsay, Mour Tala Ndiaye, Ndoicoi and Kostas Tsimikas.
A similar young defence had kept a clean sheet against Wrexham days earlier. Against a Premier League side like Leeds, and a striker of Dominic Calvert-Lewin's calibre, the fragility of the system was exposed.
A clear lack of depth
Milos Kerkez stands alone among the defensive options as a genuine candidate to start the season. Virgil van Dijk has returned to training, yet the team still suffer from an obvious lack of defensive depth, less than three weeks before their Premier League opener against Newcastle United.
Fuelling Iraola's concerns are the absences of Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni, while new signing Jeremie Jacquet has not played a single minute on the American tour, working instead through a special programme to reintegrate him gradually.
More than once, the manager has confirmed that his team suffer a "numerical shortage" at the back, a situation that worsened after Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konaté departed.
Jacquet and Leoni carry great potential, but neither has proven himself yet. Gomez's recurring injury record makes leaning on him alone a big risk.
The management is aware of the scale of the crisis
Sporting director Richard Hughes made a point of watching the friendlies in Nashville and New York. He missed the Leeds match, but he knows exactly how deep the crisis runs.
Liverpool need to sign a new centre-back at the very least, and perhaps a right-back too, especially with the return of Conor Bradley still distant.
Last season Arne Slot was forced to play Curtis Jones and Dominik Szoboszlai at right-back, a scenario the club have no wish to repeat. They would rather bring in a player with real experience.
When asked about his position for the new season, Szoboszlai said: "You have to ask the manager, not me. I played in more than one position last season. I hope to play in midfield, but if the manager needs me at right-back I will do the job with great pleasure."
The team lacks leaders
Former Liverpool captain Phil Thompson, speaking to "BBC Sport", insisted the team need players with a leadership personality.
He said: "When Jürgen Klopp won the league, the team included leadership figures like Jordan Henderson and James Milner, alongside Virgil van Dijk, Alisson and Mohamed Salah, and even Trent Alexander-Arnold."
He added: "Today this aspect has declined, and that is why the team need new players to take on responsibility. The dressing room needs strong characters to impose discipline, especially during difficult periods."
He concluded: "At the moment there is only Virgil and Alisson, so a player like Dominik Szoboszlai must step up and take on greater responsibilities."
Midfield: relative stability
The midfield tells a different story. Liverpool possess a strong group including Dominik Szoboszlai, Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, and both Szoboszlai and Gravenberch have signed new contracts this year.
Iraola hopes to recover the best version of Mac Allister, who fell short of expectations last season. Curtis Jones, meanwhile, is close to a move to Inter, with Liverpool willing to sell him for around 35 million pounds sterling.
That decision also ties into the future of young Trey Nyoni, who caught the eye during pre-season. Wataru Endo and Stefan Bajcetic have both returned to training, while Harvey Elliott's future remains unresolved.
Liverpool had also enquired about Adam Wharton, the Crystal Palace midfielder, but the competition for his signature looks strong.
Barcola the first target
The attacking line remains a candidate for a new arrival in the coming period. After failing to sign Yan Diomandé, Liverpool's management have made Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola their first target.
The club had already signed Victor Muñoz from Osasuna for 34 million pounds sterling.
Barcola is not viewed as a direct replacement for Mohamed Salah, yet signing him would be a huge deal, especially with Paris Saint-Germain valuing the player at around 145 million pounds sterling.
Liverpool are preparing an offer approaching 100 million pounds sterling. The player welcomes a move to "Anfield", but so far there are no official negotiations between the two clubs.
Talents awaiting their chance
Rio Ngumoha, 17, is expected to be given greater playing minutes over the coming season. He looked more comfortable on the left against Leeds, though he can play on both wings, which suits Iraola's philosophy.
Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz both made an encouraging start to pre-season. Federico Chiesa's future is unsettled, as he wants to stay and fight for his place despite links with a return to the Italian league.
Kieran Morrison, 19, proved himself on the American tour after scoring the team's first goals of the Iraola era. He is likely to go out on loan for more experience, like a number of other young players.
Gakpo's future and a final signal
Tottenham had shown their interest in Cody Gakpo, but Liverpool have no intention of giving up the Dutch forward, especially with four years still left on his contract and his ability to fill several attacking positions.
Keeping Gakpo also makes sense given the long-term absence of Hugo Ekitike, out with an Achilles tendon rupture.
Watching on at the Leeds match was Mike Gordon, president of the Fenway Sports Group and the man effectively responsible for running the club. He saw for himself how the optimism of the first half curdled into great concern after the second-half collapse.
Between the ambitions and the awaited signings, the message inside "Anfield" is clear. Liverpool still need new reinforcements if they want to enter the race for every title next season.