Chester FC joint boss Anthony Johnson was pleased with individual performances in the Blues 7-0 friendly loss against Premier League giants Liverpool.

A new look Blues squad faced a side littered with Premier League and international stars at the Swansway Chester Stadium in what was Johnson and Bernard Morley's first game in charge of the club.

The National League North outfit found themselves 2-0 down at half time thanks to a double from Harry Wilson.

Against a completely different Liverpool XI in the second half and with several Blues Academy players given game time, the Reds added a further five goals with a brace from Daniel Sturridge, a James Milner penalty, with further strikes from Ryan Kent and Danny Ings.

And though Johnson felt the strikes the Blues conceded in the first half were 'sloppy', he reserved praise for how the younger members of the Chester squad acquitted themselves after the break and the team's performance out of possession, as well as on the counter.

"For large periods we didn’t touch the ball, but I thought in the first half, how we looked out of possession and then on the counter attack a couple of times, we looked really decent," he said.

"I’m pleased with individual performances, but really upset that we conceded two sloppy goals at the back end, because they were both avoidable.

"Some of the play in the second half, we couldn’t get near them, but in the first half the two goals that we conceded were rubbish.

"Second half is a different kettle of fish, we had lads playing out of position.

"But what we wanted to do was try and reward the younger lads from last season who had had such a good season winning everything they had been involved in, and then played against James Milner, Daniel Sturridge, Keita, those type of lads – that’s what we wanted.

“One or two were out of position but I thought their application and their desire, wanting to get on the ball when we had it, was fantastic, so I’m made up for them in the second half.

"The scoreline, it didn’t feel like it was ever going to be a 7-0 in the first half. But there were some good individual performances.

"I thought Grant Shenton pulled off some unbelievable saves in the first half, Jordan (Archer) was unlucky with his one-on-one, Jon Moran impressed me with his one-on-one defending against Origi and then against Sturridge.

"If the performance on Tuesday isn’t what we want it to be, we won’t be critical then because it’s a process of building for the next four weeks."

With it being the start of the Blues pre-season campaign, as well as many new players and the first game under new management, the game marked the beginning of a new era at the club.

Johnson accepted the match was an extension of the physical work they have been doing since returning to training a few weeks ago and believes the team which begins the National League North at the start of August will look different to what played against Jurgen Klopp's men.

"In terms of the occasion and everything it was, we knew it was about the supporters more than anything. We just said to the lads try and enjoy yourselves as best as you can," he said.

“We’ve worked to no shape, no tactics, no nothing. It was an extension of the physical work we’ve been doing over the past couple of weeks.

“It would have been easy to have said to them in training on Thursday we don’t want to get hammered, it could have been about ego, it could have been keeping the scoreline down to 2-0 and sit on the edge of the box, but we didn’t want to do that.

"We wanted to lads to be creative, we wanted them to take risks, we asked them to be brave. That means if you’re a centre half, can you play through the thirds into the centre forward. If it gets took off you, so what.

“All we’re trying to do is build towards Spennymoor at this time, so what’s inbetween has absolutely no relevance to what it’s going to look like in four weeks."

With the glamour and prestige of hosting Liverpool and Klopp at the Swansway Chester Stadium, Johnson paid tribute to the German, who spent large parts before the game watching the Blues players undertake their pre-match routine.

“He thanked us for being good hosts as a football club," said Jonhson.

“He was a pleasure, he was stood there watching our lads do their warm up, and the players, James Milner’s waiting to give Scott Burton his shirt.

"What a great bunch of people. I’ve genuinely absolutely loved the day, it’s been great."