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Pre-season is either the best of times or the worst of times, a tale of two viewpoints which largely depends on results.

For the pessimistic fan, glass consistently three-quarters empty, a bad result in a pre-season game heralds doom; for the optimistic supporter, the result is inconsequential. The roles remain the same when reversed – wins are either important or insignificant.

For managers, pre-season can reveal a lot and allows the opportunity to tweak and tinker. For players, every game is a step towards full match fitness.

After Liverpool’s defeat to Brondby in their opening game of this pre-season, the debate has returned. Brendan Rodgers used 23 players in the 2-1 loss, including two entirely different teams for each half, but it still could reveal something – anything – about the squad and its direction.

But who is right in the endless pre-season discussion? Do games serve solely as a vehicle to fix the squad and make any necessary adjustments under the bonnet, or do they provide a glimpse into what will follow over the next nine months?

VIDEO: James Pearce on Brondby 2-1 Liverpool

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The answer appears to be clear when these three teams are considered: Twente, Anderlecht and Feyenoord.

These were three teams the Reds failed to beat in pre-seasons precluding three of their four European Cup wins between 1977 and 1984.

Borussia Monchengladbach were rolled over in Rome, but nine months earlier, the Reds struggled in front of 10,000 fans against Dutch side Twente.

Four years later, Real Madrid were cast aside in Paris, but Liverpool shipped four against Anderlecht, fifth in Belgium the season before.

And a penalty shoot-out in Rome in May 1984 thankfully didn’t mimic their shoot-out antics in the August previous, finishing fourth in a four-team tournament after losing on penalties of Feyenoord.

That’s not to suggest these three teams were poor, but the excellent seasons Liverpool would have contradicted these poor showings in pre-season. There were no thoughts of Twente, Anderlecht or Feyernoord when the Reds lifted trophies months later.

But the case isn’t quite closed there, because in recent times, friendlies have increasingly forebode what happens when the season begins.

Liverpool are only now entering a period of stability after years of changes both on and off the field – but in that time, one thing remained consistent.

The poorer the pre-season, the poorer the 38 games after; likewise, the more impressive preparations paved the way for good seasons.

LFC points-per-game in pre-season

For example, in 2008/09, Liverpool went through their entire pre-season undefeated, including an impressive win against Rangers. The Reds looked strong in defence and well-organised, conceding just three goals – this would translate into the actual season when Rafael Benitez’s side came close to the title, finishing on 86 points.

The season after however, following the uncertainty of Xabi Alonso's future, Benitez’s men struggled. A 1-0 defeat to Rapid Vienna was soon followed by chastening defeats to Spanish duo Espanyol and Atletico Madrid.

These results didn’t matter, said observers – but having been slow throughout pre-season, the season started similarly, with two defeats in the first three games. Liverpool never really recovered and it soon emerged the problems of pre-season were also problems in reality.

In the past six seasons, Liverpool’s pre-season points-per-game – on the assumption friendlies awarded points – has fluctuated between 0.33 points-per-game and 2.6 points-per-game.

Tellingly, Liverpool’s best pre-season, in terms of results, was last season. Rodgers’ side looked confident, assured and hungry as they won seven of their eight games, keeping six clean sheets; of course, clean sheets would not be a feature of the Reds’ excellent season, but they did begin 2013/14 with three 1-0 victories.

Liverpool’s worst, with 0.33 points-per-game, was the one pre-season under Roy Hodgson. Granted, the new manager had to contend with early Europa League fixtures and only presided over three friendlies - but they included defeats to Kaiserslautern and Borussia Moenchengladbach, while Liverpool also went 270 minutes without scoring a goal.

The correlation continues. Benitez’s 2008/09 pre-season campaign was the second-best over the past six years, while 2009/10 and 2011/12 only yielded 1.14 and 1.66 points-per-game respectively.

This is not scientific, of course. Different managers have different methods in pre-season; some would rather see sweat-laden shells of men draw 0-0 rather than a 4-0 stroll.

Liverpool position in season

In 2006/07, the Reds lost to Kaiserslautern and were hammered 5-0 by Mainz, but would finish the season as Champions League runners-up (although it should be noted they languished in ninth in November). In the treble winning season of 1983/84, the only team of any note the Reds beat were Dinamo Bucharest – and that was a tournament in Braga, a location not too kind to the Romanians.

On the other hand, the trio of John Aldridge, Peter Beardsley and John Barnes plundered 14 goals in the games before 1987/88 – an ominous sign of what was to come that season.

In recent seasons, pre-season has been proven to matter. Whether this is a genuine marker for the season is to be debated; so too why there is such a difference between friendlies now and in the 1970s and 1980s.

Pre-season preparations do seem to be taken more seriously now, perhaps because of the increase in squad size, and the physical demands of the modern footballer.

There is the commercial aspect to trips abroad, but also a genuine opportunity for the manager to see who of his extensive squad is worthy of a starting place when the real deal begins, and a chance to perform in-front of loyal fans abroad.

Liverpool’s 2-1 defeat against Brondby cannot be read into. But at some point, Liverpool will want to return to winning ways – especially if the precedent set over the past six years continues.

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