‘Quicker, quicker, come on,’ bellows Andoni Iraola, wearing a club tracksuit and blowing on a whistle on a lanyard.The setting is the Endeavor Health Performance Center several miles outside of downtown Chicago, with stunning views of the Windy City. But there is no time to stop and admire the skyline, which boasts the third-tallest building in the country, or the multitude of helicopters buzzing overhead.For Liverpool and their new head coach, this pre-season tour has been all about hard work, intensity and consequences. Those are the buzzwords of the fortnight and, had we a pound for every time a player talked about ‘intensity’, we would be able to afford to buy the new players that Liverpool desperately still need to give Iraola a platform for success.The 19-year-old winger Kieran Morrison, a breakout star of the tour and contender for first-team minutes, told us that his ‘legs are finished by 9pm most nights’ after double sessions that include tough gym workouts and heart rate-raising pressing drills.Last season’s best player Dominik Szoboszlai, whether intentional or not, had an indirect dig at the former regime led by Arne Slot, saying: ‘The intensity we need, it’s here now. What we have been missing, it’s back from the coach’s side, from the players’ side as well.’Fellow Hungarian, left back Milos Kerkez, who has made huge strides tactically and stepped up as a mentor to youngsters this pre-season, told reporters: ‘It’s the intensity, he (Iraola) is not scared to play one-on-one all over the pitch, to press high and to be on the front foot always.’ ‘Quicker, quicker, come on,’ bellows Andoni Iraola, wearing a club tracksuit and blowing on a whistle on a lanyard The setting is the Endeavor Health Performance Center several miles outside of downtown Chicago, with stunning views of the Windy CityAfter training, players have been known to be lying flat on the pitch – think of a tennis player after a five-set thriller at Wimbledon. On afternoons off, they have enjoyed shopping trips around Chicago but also have just put their feet up in the hotel rooftop bar. No Aperol Spritz or fancy cocktails like the fellow patrons of the Park Hyatt Hotel – hot chocolate has been a favourite.There has been time for games of Uno and cup stacking competitions and, in these regards at least, Mohamed Salah is not missed. He used to be the king of everything, not excluding pre-season pastimes such as ping pong. Szoboszlai has stepped up in that regard.But Salah’s exit after nine years, 257 goals and seven major trophies has left a gaping hole in the squad, with a leadership vacuum also felt on this trip given the post-World Cup absences of Virgil van Dijk and Alisson. Given that captain Van Dijk played more minutes than anyone last year, the 35-year-old was offered an extended summer break and began his pre-season work back at base in Liverpool instead of living out of a suitcase for two weeks here.Iraola has still left a lasting impression in training, with relentless pressing drills. There have been modern touches but also old-school punishments. If players are on the losing team in training, they face consequences. Found slacking in one of the exercises? That’ll be a sprint to the other end of the pitch and back, sunshine. Lose out in the small-sided games? Off you go, get running.There have been some celebrity sightings. Jon Bon Jovi was in the same hotel Liverpool spent an afternoon in New York City, while music artists such as Olivia Dean and Charli XCX were also in town for the Lollapalooza music festival.Fashion designer Tommy Hilfiger has also taken pictures with staff and some players took a trip to learn about the legendary 1990s Chicago Bulls basketball team and posed for selfies with a Michael Jordan statue. While other team-mates shot hoops, back-up goalkeeper Harvey Davies showed his reaction skills by diving to save a basketball that was careering towards a photographer’s camera at full pelt.Others visited a sandwich joint where hit show The Bear is set and were saved by a member of the media team pulling some strings after they nearly missed the opening hours. The owner had no idea what ‘soccer’ was, or who these people were outside of his store.Legendary former Bayern Munich and Barcelona striker Robert Lewandowski was rubbing shoulders with the team at the base of Chicago Fire, which Liverpool trained at for the fortnight at a camp not too dissimilar to what nations did at the World Cup – instead of moving from state to state, they used Chicago as a base and flew in and out of Nashville and New York only for matches – though one flight was cancelled due to a storm. Liverpool’s players took in the training base of the legendary Chicago Bulls team that dominated the 1990s in the NBA Virgil van Dijk has been beginning his recovery back at Liverpool’s home base after his World Cup exploits Chicago Fire also rented their base to Germany last month and want to showcase why America can be a go-to destination. Club staffers at the Major League Soccer side were gutted to learn Van Dijk was not on tour as they thought they could make an unofficial pitch to sign him in the future by showing him around their state-of-the-art facilities. Van Dijk’s £350,000-a-week contract expires next summer.Given the absence of some high-profile stars, some teenagers have stepped up. None have impressed more so than young midfielder Trey Nyoni, 19.Even before the three friendlies, sources spoke about how he was stepping up in training sessions and now there is momentum behind him to start the opening Premier League fixture away at Newcastle on August 23.Nyoni, who joined from Leicester’s academy as part of Liverpool’s aggressive approach to sign the best young talents in the country, is a deep-lying midfielder who can also play in multiple other positions.‘Even when he has one opponent quite close, he asks for that ball and he’s confident, he doesn’t rush,’ said Iraola in New York. ‘For me, that is very valuable.’The breakout star of the last 12 months, Rio Ngumoha, now looks nailed on to start at St James’ Park, where he scored his first senior goal last season to snatch a 3-2 victory at the death. Iraola has tried to convert all his wingers to be able to play on both sides, given they are lopsided with the current crop all preferring to play from the left-hand side – a problem that will increase if they sign top target Bradley Barcola.New £34.5million signing Victor Munoz, another left-sided winger, will begin pre-season work this week after winning the World Cup with Spain, while Cody Gakpo has been given time off after his partner lost a child during pregnancy in June. Tottenham want to sign Gakpo but the Reds have no desire to sell. But the balance of the wingers is not Iraola’s biggest problem.That would lie in defence, where the tour started with Joe Gomez limping off injured after eight minutes of the first friendly, a win over Sunderland in Nashville. Liverpool hoped January signing Jeremy Jacquet would be fit by now but they have instead gone careful on the young French defender, who they agreed a deal to sign for £55million in January just before he suffered a shoulder problem with Rennes. He has not played since. Trey Nyoni has shone on tour and there is now momentum behind him to start the opening Premier League fixture away at Newcastle on August 23 The breakout star of the last 12 months, Rio Ngumoha, now looks nailed on to start at St James’ Park, where he scored his first senior goal last season to snatch a 3-2 victory at the death Joe Gomez’s injury eight minutes into the first tour match has plunged Iraola further into a centre-back crisisIt means Gomez’s eight minutes are the only action of any senior centre-back this tour, with right back also a problem given the long-term injury to Conor Bradley. Jeremie Frimpong had to be substituted in that last friendly but it is not understood to be a serious issue.Austrian 18-year-old Ifeanyi Ndukwe, 18, has been a class act but does not have a work permit after a move from Austria Vienna and so cannot yet play competitive matches, while versatile defender Luke Chambers has also shown significant promise after spending last season on loan at Charlton.Chambers, 22, has always impressed staff and appears to be over several lengthy injury setbacks, scoring the opening goal in the final tour match, a 4-2 defeat by Leeds. ‘What a diamond of a boy he is, Liverpool are lucky to have him,’ his former Kilmarnock boss Derek McInnes, now at Rangers, told Daily Mail Sport.On the youngsters, one source said how the rookies have been taken aback by Iraola’s approach. No player is bigger than another, Iraola will devote as much time to a youngster with zero first-team minutes as star attraction Szoboszlai.His coaching staff have helped him settle in, with English duo Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper well-liked by the group. When trying to eavesdrop on Iraola’s on-pitch instructions at training, it was amusing to instead hear Elphick’s south coast accent.The former Brighton, Aston Villa and Bournemouth defender has even put on a bib and joined in training sessions to make up the numbers amid a crisis at centre-half. Elphick had offers to be a first-team manager in the Championship this season but opted to stick by Iraola as his No2.Iraola’s predecessor Slot was criticised for giving the squad too many days off last season. Although that theory was categorically not true – they had the same amount of downtime in the season that they won the Premier League – fans will be pleased to learn Iraola is relentless.Slot’s sacking came as a surprise to many, especially after the club backed him all season, though it was the right decision after a torrid campaign. Van Dijk was not consulted and found out only when landing in Amsterdam for pre-World Cup duty, while Kerkez was woken up from a holiday nap by his shocked brother. Austrian 18-year-old Ifeanyi Ndukwe, 18, has been a class act but does not have a work permit after a move from Austria Vienna and so cannot yet play competitive matches Iraola brought assistants Tommy Elphick (left) and Shaun Cooper (right) with him from Bournemouth and they have done a lot of the hands-on coaching so farAlthough Iraola laughed off suggestions from his former Bournemouth pupil Antoine Semenyo that he never gives time off, the Basque believes that hard work now will lead to success in the long run.Some players have worn Whoop armbands that track physical data and new fitness coach Pablo de la Torre – described as much more than just a physical guru – has a big job alongside medical staff to avoid the injury crisis that plagued last year.Iraola differs from Slot in terms of the amount of video meetings and his teachings are more physical than in a classroom. The new boss does not conduct post-match briefings on matchday and instead talks to the team the following morning.He would have much to ponder as the squad jetted back across the Atlantic. The tour was broadly positive but had negative notes, not least an on-pitch spat between Szoboszlai and Curtis Jones, who is subject to interest from Italian champions Inter Milan and will be allowed to leave if they pay £35million.Jones and Szoboszlai were rowing about how the latter gave the captain’s armband to Kostas Tsimikas, after a 1-0 win over Wrexham at Yankee Stadium. The trio were all smiles the next time the cameras were on, with Jones glancing over at photographers in a move that hinted at it being a calculated act, though every suggestion is that the issue has been brushed away.There is a desperate need for signings. Without a top-class winger to replace Salah and at least one defensive reinforcement, Iraola’s platform for success will be lowered. Further movement with the Barcola deal is expected in the next week.Opponents bypassed Liverpool’s midfield far too easily last year and a true No6 would stiffen their weak underbelly. Iraola also believes Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak will be ‘massive’ and last summer’s £241million duo are expected to be better for their struggles in their debut campaigns.There is also a cloud of uncertainty off the pitch, with Fenway Sports Group chief Michael Edwards quitting his role and sporting director Richard Hughes all but certain to join Al Hilal in Saudi Arabia. Hughes recruited Iraola at both Bournemouth and Liverpool but changes upstairs look likely now. Curtis Jones (centre) and Dominik Szoboszlai (right) rowed about how the latter gave the captain’s armband to Kostas Tsimikas (left), after a 1-0 win over Wrexham at Yankee Stadium But Szoboszlai and Jones were all smiles by the next time the cameras were on them This Stateside trip has seen more positives than negatives and Iraola has been immensely impressive. But there are plenty of questions left to solveFormer Jurgen Klopp ally Mike Gordon was in Chicago and he is back running the show as president of FSG, who are exploring selling a 30 per cent stake for £1.35billion to a consortium led by Amit Bhatia.The former QPR supremo is trying to get Amazon billionaire Jeff Bezos, the fourth-richest man in the world, on board with the bid, while reports suggest Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin is also keen. FSG are open to selling the minority stake which would see money go to the Boston-based owners rather than the club but would have a positive knock-on effect for Liverpool.It has, though, raised suspicions with fans that the long-term custodians of the club, led by 76-year-old John W Henry, are heading closer to the end of their tenure.This Stateside trip has seen more positives than negatives and Iraola has been immensely impressive. But there are plenty of questions left to solve before the trip to Tyneside in just three weeks.