I just don't understand how we got it wrong - we've been so good since Klopp arrived. The processes are pretty much tried and tested.
Its hard to pin point.
We started on july 2nd in preseason and had some players returning late form the pointless national league tournament. (37 days after CL final defeat)
This suggests a short break after last season of about 3 weeks total for the players (hangover comment you made is pretty logical here)
we went to bangkok and then singapore on the 9th. we got a bare week at our own training ground. so we've spent a week then in extreme humidity. we lose ox on his hamstring pull in thr 45th min of second friendly.
we flew then on the 16th to austria and then that represented a week and a half preseason really with 2 games in it.
we played city on the 31st july. 30 days total preseason.
this suggests to me that we spent too long travelling in a truncated preseason and not enough working.
I took a look at fulham's preseason. they started on july 2nd like us but just took a short hop to portugal and stayed there playing 4 quality preseason games in tournament form (nice, benfica, estroil) ,and came home to play villareal.
More time to train
Less players off doing nations league
Better conditions to train in
Less games to play
No community shield game.
We look underbaked but being fair, chelsea look terrible. city don't look absolutely perfect yet.