Iraola says Liverpool took 'a step backwards' in Fulham stalemate
Liverpool took "a step backwards" in their 0-0 draw with Fulham on Saturday, head coach Andoni Iraola said. The stalemate at Anfield made it three draws in four Premier League games for the new boss The Guardian.
It was flat. Liverpool struggled to click in attack and never forced Fulham out of shape. Iraola pointed to one problem above all: his team won the ball back too deep.
He wants Liverpool to recover possession as high as possible, to make the attacking job easier. Against Fulham they did the opposite. They won and recovered the ball much lower than in previous games, which left them trying to break down all 11 Fulham players time after time.
Pressing, the coordinated chase to win the ball back quickly, was the issue. Iraola said the problems started further forward with the attack, not just with the midfielders behind them. When the first press fails, everything drops deeper.
The numbers were stark. Dominik Szoboszlai won one of nine duels, those one-against-one battles for the ball, while Ryan Gravenberch won two of five. That is a long way from the energy Liverpool showed four days earlier.
On Wednesday night Liverpool had come from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1, with Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister scoring Liverpool FC. Iraola praised his players for showing "big character" that night. Against Fulham that snap was missing.
Iraola did mention a lack of freshness after the Fulham game, saying his players looked tired ESPN. He refused to use it as an excuse. The result still leaves him unbeaten as Liverpool's new coach Reuters, but the momentum has slowed.
For supporters, this is what an early rebuild sounds like. Iraola said Liverpool will have to accept "ups and downs" while he searches for consistency in his first weeks at Anfield AFP. One night is spirit and fight. The next is sideways passes.
Change is coming on Tuesday, when Liverpool host Tottenham in the Carabao Cup third round, the early-season knockout competition. Goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili will replace Alisson for his first appearance of the season. Iraola knows him well, having tried to sign him for Bournemouth.
The front four of Alexander Isak, Bradley Barcola, Florian Wirtz and Victor Munoz is unlikely to start again against Spurs. Young midfielder Trey Nyoni is pressing for a start after Liverpool's flat middle third against Fulham. Tuesday is a chance to reset the tempo.
