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New York Times
11 hours ago
- New York Times
Liverpool tour diary: Slot's shift from Klopp time, Mac Allister's Cantonese and loans latest
Arne Slot made some subtle changes on and off the pitch during his 2024-25 debut year as he led Liverpool to Premier League title glory and he has now tweaked how they approach pre-season tours, too. When the club travelled to Asia on such trips during predecessor Jurgen Klopp's reign, the players were put on 'tour time' for the duration rather than adjusting fully to the actual time difference between the UK and wherever they were. The idea was to reduce the impact of jet lag. Advertisement Hong Kong is seven hours ahead of the UK, so the squad would previously have been told to set their watches only three hours ahead of the time on Merseyside. The clocks in their rooms and in communal areas at the team hotel were also changed accordingly. It meant there was often the strange sight of players having breakfast at what was actually lunchtime and their evening meal late at night. However, 'tour time' has been ditched under Slot, with Liverpool's schedule in Hong Kong on their current tour all in sync with local time. It has made life easier for staff, who previously had to juggle events across two different time zones, and has gone down well with the players. Tuesday was a good example of why this change is working out. Being on local time meant Liverpool trained in the morning, before the heavens opened. It is common during monsoon season here for there to be heavy rainfall later in the day. By then, the players were under cover, attending various meet-and-greet events with sponsors such as Standard Chartered, Nike and Carlsberg. The mood in the camp is certainly more buoyant than Liverpool's previous visit to Hong Kong, in 2017, when the weather was so bad that several training sessions were cancelled. Klopp also had to deal with key player Philippe Coutinho agitating for a move to Barcelona. The Brazilian finally got his wish six months later. Eight years on, there has been no such disruption, and Liverpool also have the daily backup option of training inside the new Kai Tak Stadium, which has a retractable roof and air-conditioning. On Wednesday, when Slot oversaw a gruelling double session, they used the pitch next to the stadium in the adjacent sports park. Luis Diaz's future may be uncertain amid Bayern Munich's ongoing pursuit but there has been no sign on this tour of the Colombian attacker downing tools to try to force a move. He has been the same bubbly personality as normal around the squad, and you certainly couldn't question his commitment during Thursday's open session. Diaz wowed a 25,000 crowd with some mazy runs down the left flank during the training drills. At one point, he hit the deck after tangling with Mohamed Salah and claimed he had been fouled. Slot smiled and gestured to Diaz that he'd dived. The former Porto winger saw the funny side and high-fived the Dutchman as he jogged past him. Diaz was down on the turf again soon after, having been too quick for Wataru Endo, who apologised for a late challenge. Cody Gakpo also stood out with some clinical finishing, while there were some lovely touches from newcomer Florian Wirtz, who was operating centrally as a No 10. The only concern for Slot ahead of Saturday's 50,000 sell-out against Milan here was the sight of the stadium's pitch cutting up a fair bit as the session progressed. New striker Hugo Ekitike watched on, having just flown in following the completion of his £79million ($107m) move from Germany's Eintracht Frankfurt. Hugo Ekitike walks out on to the training pitch in Hong Kong. A warm embrace from Arne Slot and then he meets his new team-mates for the first time. #LFC — James Pearce (@JamesPearceLFC) July 24, 2025 As the session came to a close, the 23-year-old Frenchman walked onto the pitch. Slot embraced him and then he went around meeting his new team-mates, who he joined on a lap of appreciation for the fans. Ekitike has been given No 54 as a temporary squad number, with no official confirmation of the shirts Liverpool's new signings will wear in the coming season expected until after the new kit deal with Adidas is launched next month. Hundreds of fans have been camped outside the team hotel on the stunning Kowloon waterfront in the hope of catching a glimpse of their heroes. Liverpool's captain Virgil van Dijk delighted them by going across for a lengthy signing session. Some of the throng have been holding up Diogo Jota No 20 shirts in tribute to the Portugal international, who died in a car accident in Spain earlier this month. Hong Kong Reds intend to perform Jota's fan chant during the 20th minute of Saturday's game. Advertisement Understandably, the demands on Liverpool's players in terms of corporate events and media duties on this trip have been scaled back as they continue to grieve for a much-loved colleague and friend. Kostas Tsimikas now has a permanent reminder of Jota — a tattoo on the back of his left hand which reads: 'Wish you were here 20'. Liverpool are contractually obliged to hold one press conference in Hong Kong and another in Japan before the other game of this trip against Yokohama F. Marinos there next week. Slot will be doing them post-match in both destinations rather than before. Salah has previous for winning table-tennis tournaments on Liverpool pre-season tours, and he remains the man to beat. He has been lighting up the ping-pong contests among the squad in the team hotel. Playing the card game Uno is another popular pastime for the squad during down time. Some brought a PlayStation with them from home to set up in their rooms. Alexis Mac Allister received a warm ovation from the locals by speaking Cantonese during a corporate event for Carlsberg. 'I love you' and 'cheers' were two of the phrases the Argentina midfielder nailed, pronunciation-wise. The host informed him he was a natural. Mac Allister wasn't involved in Thursday's open training as Liverpool continue to carefully manage his workload following the injury which ruled him out for the final two games of last season. He sat watching instead, having done an individual session earlier in the day. With all of Slot's senior stars available for this tour, a lot of talented Liverpool youngsters were left behind on Merseyside. However, two who were included in the travelling party have been earning rave reviews here. Midfielder Trey Nyoni and winger Rio Ngumoha have impressed staff with their attitude and application as well as their technical ability. Both appear to have made strides physically in terms of being better able to handle the demands of senior football. Advertisement Nyoni was rewarded with a contract on improved terms when he turned 18 last month, while Ngumoha will sign his first professional deal when he celebrates his 17th birthday next month. 'Training with the best team in the world so young, it's like every kid's dream, really. (Have to) Just keep on pushing now,' Ngumoha told LFCTV. 'The sessions are intense and tough, but it's been very good. Patience is key. I don't want to rush anything. I'm young, so I'll just keep working hard, showing the manager what I can really do.' Salah is a source of great support for the youngsters and provides advice on recovery and diet. Striker Jayden Danns and midfielder James McConnell were among the academy graduates who did not fly out to Hong Kong. Given the attacking options Slot already possesses, it was decided Danns would be better off staying behind to train with the under-21s at Kirkby. The 19-year-old is still building up his fitness after last season was wrecked by a back injury. A loan is on the cards, and the same goes for McConnell, who was not in the tour squad due to a minor injury issue. There is plenty of interest in borrowing him among clubs in the second-tier Championship, with the 20-year-old set to sign a new contract before he goes.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Texas lawmakers investigate flash floods as death toll hits 137
By Brad Brooks (Reuters) -Texas state lawmakers met during a special session on Wednesday, to address for the first time the deadly flash floods that hit the Texas Hill Country this month, killing at least 137 people. Senator Charles Perry, chairperson for the joint Senate-House committee investigating the preparation for and response to the flooding, said the committee did not want to assign blame, but sought "constructive policy solutions which will remit future loss of life." Texas Governor Greg Abbott included the investigation on the agenda of a special legislative session that opened on Monday. Abbott said on social media that the death toll from the July 4 flash flooding ticked up to 137, and a man and a girl remained missing. Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, was the first person lawmakers called to testify. He described the vast state's emergency response system as fragmented. Under the system, each of 254 counties maintains control over ordering evacuations. Such an order was not given in the hardest hit areas earlier this month. Kidd told lawmakers that to improve preparation for natural disasters, he needed better in-house radar systems, better communications systems to warn local leaders and residents, and more resources for evacuations or to assist residents who shelter in place. The high casualty toll ranked as one of the deadliest U.S. flood events in decades, raising questions about the lack of flash-flood warning sirens in hardest hit Kerr County. Many have expressed concern about vacancies at National Weather Service offices due to staffing cuts under President Donald Trump. The legislative committee investigating the floods will next meet on July 31 in Kerr County. The committee will write a report to be forwarded to the full Texas Senate and House to inform possible legislation during the month-long special session.
Washington Post
2 days ago
- Washington Post
Couple tie the knot in flooded church amid Typhoon Whipa
World Couple tie the knot in flooded church amid Typhoon Whipa July 23, 2025 | 12:23 PM GMT A couple waded down the aisle of a flooded church in Malolos, Philippines, on July 22, amid heavy rain and deadly flooding brought by Typhoon Whipa.
