I’ve been pretty critical of Liverpool’s summer transfer window.
I still think there are weaknesses in this squad.
But after listening to Andoni Iraola’s pre-Ipswich press conference, I’m feeling a little more optimistic.
Not because he pretended Liverpool have a perfect squad.
Quite the opposite.
Iraola acknowledged some of the problems Liverpool are facing, but he also made it clear that he has confidence in the players available to him.
And perhaps most importantly, he now has a clear squad to work with.
The transfer window is closed.
There are no more distractions.
Now it’s about coaching, improving and winning football matches.
Barcola has already made a good impression
One of the obvious talking points was Bradley Barcola.
The new Liverpool winger has trained well and is in a good place, according to Iraola.
However, there is one obvious complication.
Barcola hasn’t played during pre-season.
That means Iraola still has to decide whether throwing him straight into the starting XI against Ipswich is the right thing to do.
Personally, I’d love to see him start.
But I completely understand why Iraola might be cautious.
The exciting part is what the manager said about Barcola’s mentality.
He is apparently very happy with him.
Barcola wanted Liverpool strongly.
He has shown the right attitude.
And he’s already demonstrated a willingness to help the team.
That’s exactly what I wanted to hear.
Gakpo gives Iraola another attacking option
There was also plenty of praise for Cody Gakpo.
I was delighted Liverpool kept him after the interest from Manchester City.
And Iraola’s comments make me even happier about that decision.
He believes Gakpo has played very well so far and is in a good physical and mental place.
In other words, he’s ready to contribute.
That’s important because Liverpool need experienced attacking players.
With Hugo Ekitike facing a lengthy absence, the pressure on Alexander Isak and the other attackers increases.
Having Gakpo performing at his best could therefore be hugely important.
Szoboszlai could be Liverpool’s secret weapon
I’ve already written about Iraola’s comments regarding Dominik Szoboszlai and his versatility.
The midfielder is apparently willing to play wherever the team needs him.
Right-back.
Midfield.
Right wing.
And Iraola clearly values that enormously.
This could become one of the defining characteristics of Liverpool’s season.
The squad doesn’t have a specialist player for every single situation.
But it does have players capable of adapting.
And Iraola appears determined to use that.
Ngumoha could be another exciting option
Then there’s Rio Ngumoha.
Iraola believes the teenager already looks like a Premier League player.
That’s a huge compliment.
Ngumoha primarily plays on the left, but Iraola also wants him to develop his game on the right.
I really like that.
Rather than simply putting him into one position and leaving him there, Iraola appears to be thinking about how Ngumoha can become a more complete attacker.
And Liverpool could certainly use another young player capable of playing across the frontline.
Iraola doesn’t want Liverpool to buy players just for positions
This was probably one of the most interesting things he said.
Iraola explained that he prefers having the best players available rather than signing somebody simply because they play one particular position.
That helps explain some of Liverpool’s summer transfer business.
It also explains why he isn’t necessarily panicking about the right wing.
Liverpool may not have bought a player specifically labelled as a right winger.
But Iraola believes the squad has enough quality and versatility to cope.
And I think that’s an important insight into how he wants to build his team.
The manager trusts the squad
This doesn’t mean I suddenly believe Liverpool’s squad is perfect.
I don’t.
I still think another midfielder would have been useful.
I still think right-back is an area that could become problematic.
And I still worry about attacking depth while Ekitike is unavailable.
But Iraola clearly believes there is enough quality.
He said he is very happy with the signings Liverpool made and believes the squad has plenty of quality.
Some other options were rejected for sporting or financial reasons.
That’s football.
You can’t sign everybody.
But Iraola wants Liverpool to start games better
This is where I think he has identified one of Liverpool’s biggest problems.
Liverpool have started the season without a win in their opening two Premier League matches.
They drew 2-2 with Newcastle.
Then drew 2-2 with Nottingham Forest.
And in both games, there were periods where Liverpool appeared to react rather than control the game.
Iraola wants that to change.
He wants Liverpool to be more aggressive from the beginning.
He doesn’t want the team waiting until they concede before responding.
That is something I completely agree with.
Liverpool shouldn’t need to go behind before they start playing with urgency.
Ipswich will provide another test
And Ipswich aren’t going to make it easy.
They won their first home game and were the better team for much of the first half against Manchester United.
Iraola knows Liverpool have to be ready.
There can be no complacency.
Liverpool need to give their best from the first whistle.
Because another slow start could make this a very uncomfortable afternoon.
The winless start is frustrating — but Iraola has clarity now
I also liked Iraola’s honesty about Liverpool’s start.
He admits the lack of a win is frustrating.
Of course it is.
Liverpool should be winning football matches.
But there is now one major difference.
The transfer window is closed.
Iraola knows exactly which players he has.
There are no more rumours about who might arrive.
No more wondering whether somebody might leave.
No more speculation about what his squad will look like.
Now he can coach.
And that’s exactly what he wants to do.
The injury situation remains frustrating
There was also an update on Liverpool’s injured players.
Joe Gomez is closest to returning and should begin training next week.
That’s excellent news.
With Liverpool’s lack of specialist right-back cover, Gomez’s versatility could be incredibly valuable.
Iraola also suggested that Giovanni Leoni could return during the international break.
However, Conor Bradley and Hugo Ekitike will take longer.
That means Liverpool will still have to manage their squad carefully.
And this is where the next few weeks will really test Iraola.
Ignore the price tags
Another comment from the press conference that stood out to me was Iraola’s attitude towards transfer fees.
His message was essentially that players shouldn’t be put under additional pressure because of what Liverpool paid for them.
Once they become Liverpool players, they’re simply expected to perform.
I completely agree.
A player doesn’t become a better footballer because he cost £100 million.
And he doesn’t become a worse footballer because he cost £10 million.
The price is the club’s business.
The player’s job is to play.
And Iraola clearly wants his new signings focused on football rather than the numbers attached to their transfers.
Now comes the exciting part
This is why I came away from Iraola’s press conference feeling more positive.
The transfer window wasn’t perfect.
I’ve said that plenty of times.
But now it’s finished.
The excuses are finished.
The speculation is finished.
The squad is here.
And Iraola believes in it.
He believes Barcola has the right mentality.
He trusts Gakpo.
He values Szoboszlai’s versatility.
He believes Ngumoha is already capable of competing at Premier League level.
He believes Liverpool have enough midfield numbers.
He believes the squad has quality.
And he believes coaching can make the difference.
This is what I want to see from Iraola
I don’t expect Iraola to magically make every weakness disappear.
But I do expect him to make Liverpool better.
I want to see a team that starts games aggressively.
I want to see better combinations in midfield.
I want to see Barcola bring another dimension to the attack.
I want to see Isak getting better service.
I want to see Liverpool use their versatility intelligently.
And I want to see the younger players given genuine opportunities when they deserve them.
Because perhaps that’s the biggest reason for optimism.
Liverpool’s squad isn’t perfect — but Iraola has a plan
I’ve spent a lot of time discussing what Liverpool didn’t do in the transfer window.
Now I want to see what Iraola can do with what Liverpool did give him.
That’s a completely different question.
And it’s one I’m really looking forward to finding out.
The manager has told us he trusts his squad.
He has told us versatility will help him.
He has told us he needs to find the right combinations.
And he has told us Liverpool need to start games better.
Now comes the hard part.
Show us.
Because if Iraola can get this squad playing to its potential, Liverpool could be a very different team by Christmas than the one we’ve seen during the opening weeks.
The transfer window may have left me with questions.
But Iraola’s press conference has given me hope.
Now let’s see what he can do.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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