It would have been no surprise if Liverpool's had players questioned the wisdom behind one particular pre-season exercise three years ago.
As Jurgen Klopp and his staff gathered their squad at the hotel pool in the picturesque setting of their Evian base in August 2019, they were introduced to a man named Sebastian Steudtner, a world-class high-wave surfer from Germany. After an introduction from the world-record holder, the players were asked to perform one task: to hold their breath underwater for as long as possible.
Quite how this would help them overthrow Manchester City in the forthcoming Premier League season was probably a mystery to many at the time. After all, this particular team meeting was not focusing on tactical improvements, fitness building or any kind football-related work whatsoever.
