I’ve been pretty critical of Liverpool’s summer transfer business.
If I’m being completely honest, I’d give the window around 4/10.
I still believe the squad has some obvious deficiencies.
There’s no specialist defensive midfielder.
There’s no real specialist right-back.
Mohamed Salah hasn’t been properly replaced.
And with Hugo Ekitike facing a long-term absence, Liverpool look light for another option alongside Alexander Isak.
So why am I still feeling reasonably optimistic?
Andoni Iraola.
Liverpool may not have built the perfect squad this summer, but having Iraola in charge gives me hope that he can find solutions to some of the problems the transfer window has left behind.
Iraola gives me something to believe in
One of the reasons I’m excited about Iraola is that I don’t think he is the type of manager who needs every position to have a perfect, specialist player.
He wants his teams to be flexible.
He wants players to understand different roles.
And he wants the team to function collectively rather than relying entirely on one player to solve every problem.
That could be hugely important for Liverpool.
Because there are areas of this squad where I would have liked the club to strengthen.
But perhaps Iraola can find ways of getting around some of those deficiencies.
Liverpool don’t necessarily need a traditional No.6
This is probably the biggest example.
I’ve been one of the people saying Liverpool should have signed a defensive midfielder.
I still believe another midfielder would have improved the squad.
But Iraola’s approach gives me some hope that Liverpool can compensate for the absence of a traditional No.6.
Rather than asking one player to sit in front of the defence and solve everything, Iraola can use positioning, pressing and collective movement to protect the back four.
That doesn’t mean Liverpool don’t have a midfield problem.
It simply means there may be another way of solving it.
And that is where having a manager with a clear tactical identity becomes so important.
The full-back situation could also be manageable
I was also disappointed that Liverpool didn’t sign a specialist right-back.
But again, Iraola’s tactical flexibility could help.
Jeremie Frimpong can provide enormous attacking threat.
Conor Bradley will eventually return from injury.
Joe Gomez can provide experience and versatility.
Ronald Araújo can also operate at right-back when required.
That doesn’t necessarily make the position perfect.
But it gives Iraola options.
And sometimes having three or four players who can perform a role adequately can be more useful than having one specialist and no alternatives.
Barcola could give Iraola another weapon
Then there is Bradley Barcola.
For me, this was the signing that really changed how I viewed the window.
Liverpool needed more pace.
They needed someone who could beat a defender.
They needed somebody capable of creating something when a game becomes difficult.
Barcola potentially gives Iraola exactly that.
And the important thing is that Iraola now has another attacking profile to work with.
He doesn’t have to build every attack in exactly the same way.
He can use Barcola’s pace.
He can use Wirtz’s creativity.
He can use Gakpo’s strength and ability to drift into dangerous areas.
And he can build around Isak’s movement and finishing.
That gives me hope that the attack can eventually become much more dangerous.
This is why keeping Gakpo could be important
I was worried Liverpool might sell Cody Gakpo.
I’m actually glad they didn’t.
Gakpo showed in the opening games that he can still be hugely important to this team.
And if Barcola can settle quickly, Liverpool suddenly have another player who can provide the unpredictability that has sometimes been missing.
Rather than losing Gakpo and having to replace another attacker, Iraola now has more options.
That’s important over a long season.
Iraola can improve players too
This might be the biggest reason for my optimism.
A good manager doesn’t just organise the players he has.
He improves them.
Liverpool have players who haven’t necessarily reached their full potential yet.
Iraola has an opportunity to develop them, give them clearer roles and make the collective stronger.
Players who looked like squad options under one manager can sometimes become important under another.
We’ve seen that happen at football clubs countless times.
So perhaps someone who I’m currently questioning will end up becoming one of Iraola’s most trusted players.
I’d certainly love that to happen.
Liverpool’s biggest strength could be their adaptability
If I look at the squad now, I don’t see a perfect Liverpool team.
Far from it.
I see weaknesses.
I see areas where I think Richard Hughes and the recruitment team should have done more.
But I also see a squad with enough quality for a very good manager to work with.
And that’s the difference.
If Liverpool had a manager who insisted on one rigid system and needed a specialist player for every single role, I’d be far more worried.
But Iraola gives me the impression that he can adapt.
He can change the shape.
He can change the pressing structure.
He can ask different players to perform different jobs.
And he can potentially turn some of Liverpool’s weaknesses into something less damaging.
But Iraola can’t perform miracles
There is a limit to this.
I don’t want to pretend that a brilliant manager can solve every problem.
Liverpool still have a squad that looks short in certain areas.
Injuries could expose that.
Suspensions could expose it.
The Champions League could expose it.
A run of difficult fixtures could expose it.
That’s why I still think the transfer window should have been better.
But there is a difference between saying “Liverpool’s squad isn’t good enough” and saying “Liverpool’s squad isn’t perfect.”
I don’t think this Liverpool squad is bad.
I think it is incomplete.
And that’s an important distinction.
Iraola gives me hope
That’s ultimately where I am after the transfer window.
I’m frustrated that Liverpool didn’t address every obvious weakness.
I’m frustrated that we didn’t sign a defensive midfielder.
I’m frustrated that we didn’t bring in a specialist right-back.
I’m frustrated that Salah hasn’t really been replaced.
And I’m concerned about the lack of cover for Isak while Ekitike is unavailable.
But then I look at the man standing on the touchline.
Andoni Iraola.
And I feel a little more optimistic.
Because perhaps Liverpool don’t need everything to be perfect.
Perhaps Iraola can make the whole greater than the sum of its parts.
Perhaps he can find solutions that aren’t immediately obvious.
Perhaps he can develop players who still have another level to reach.
And perhaps, most importantly, he can give Liverpool a tactical identity that allows the squad to cope with some of its weaknesses.
That’s why I’m still hopeful
Liverpool’s transfer window may have left me frustrated.
But it hasn’t left me without hope.
Iraola is the reason.
The squad has deficiencies.
There is no point pretending otherwise.
But now we get to see what a new manager can actually do with it.
And if Iraola can get the best out of these players, find solutions to the midfield and full-back problems and make Liverpool’s attack more unpredictable, this season could still surprise us.
The transfer window wasn’t perfect.
But maybe the manager can make it work.
And honestly, that’s what I’m holding on to.
Iraola gives me hope.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
Think You Know Liverpool FC?
Put your Liverpool knowledge to the test with The Liverpool FC 100-Question Quiz Book!
With 100 questions covering Liverpool legends, Anfield, European nights, trophies, managers and famous moments, how many can you get right?
🏆 100 questions
⚽ 10 quiz rounds
🔴 Full answers included
🎯 Perfect for Liverpool fans
👉 Test your Liverpool knowledge — get the quiz book here for just £3.99.
Leave a Reply