Alexander Isak has just given Liverpool supporters a fascinating insight into what Andoni Iraola is trying to build at Anfield.
And, honestly, I really like the sound of it.
Speaking to Viaplay after Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over Ipswich, Isak was asked about Iraola’s style of play.
His answer said plenty.
He explained that he enjoys the way Liverpool counter-attack and attack when the opposition are disorganised, before adding that it feels like Liverpool’s identity because the team is always looking to attack and exploit counter-attacking opportunities.
That is exactly what I want to see.
Liverpool look more direct
One of my biggest frustrations with Liverpool last season was that we could have plenty of the ball without always looking dangerous enough with it.
Possession is great.
But what you do with that possession is what matters.
Under Iraola, there already seem to be signs that Liverpool want to be more aggressive when opportunities appear.
Against Ipswich, Liverpool recovered the ball high up the pitch and attacked quickly.
The reward?
Two goals inside the opening nine minutes.
Both came from Cody Gakpo finding Isak, with the Swedish striker showing exactly why Liverpool spent £125m on him.
Isak could be perfect for this system
This is the part that really excites me.
Alexander Isak isn’t just a player who wants the ball with his back to goal.
He wants to run.
He wants space.
He wants defenders turning towards their own goal.
And Iraola’s approach could give him plenty of those opportunities.
If Liverpool win the ball and immediately look forward, Isak can attack the space behind the defence.
That’s exactly what happened against Ipswich.
He was sharp.
He was aggressive.
He was making the runs we know he’s capable of making.
And suddenly we were seeing the Newcastle version of Alexander Isak again.
Iraola wants more than goals
What’s also interesting is that Iraola isn’t simply asking Isak to score goals.
After the Ipswich game, the Liverpool manager explained that his demands of Isak are about how he helps the team in different situations, particularly with the collective pressing game.
That makes sense.
If Liverpool press higher and win possession closer to the opposition goal, Isak gets better opportunities.
It’s a team effort.
Win the ball high.
Play forward quickly.
Attack while the opposition is disorganised.
Put Isak in dangerous positions.
That sounds pretty simple.
But sometimes football should be simple.
And Liverpool now have frightening pace
Then you add Bradley Barcola to the equation.
Liverpool can now have Isak running through the middle, Barcola attacking from the left, Cody Gakpo providing creativity and Florian Wirtz looking for space between the lines.
And Víctor Muñoz has already shown that he can carry the ball at serious speed too.
Suddenly there are a lot of players capable of attacking space.
That’s what makes Iraola’s philosophy so interesting.
If Liverpool win the ball and the opposition have committed players forward, they have the weapons to punish them.
This is what Liverpool supporters have been waiting for
I’m not saying everything is suddenly perfect.
It isn’t.
Liverpool still have plenty to improve.
The midfield balance needs work.
There are still questions defensively.
And we haven’t seen enough of Barcola yet to know exactly how much impact he’ll have over an entire season.
But the direction is encouraging.
Liverpool look like they want to attack with purpose.
And that’s a big difference.
Isak’s comments really stood out
The phrase that caught my attention was his reference to Liverpool’s identity.
Because that’s exactly what supporters want.
We don’t necessarily need Liverpool to copy Jürgen Klopp.
We don’t need Iraola to become Klopp.
But we do want to recognise what we’re watching.
We want to see a Liverpool team that plays with aggression.
A Liverpool team that sees an opportunity and goes for it.
A Liverpool team that doesn’t spend five minutes passing the ball around when the opposition is vulnerable.
Attack them.
That’s what Isak seems to be enjoying.
And that’s what I want to see more of.
Iraola could be building something really exciting
Liverpool’s 2-0 win at Ipswich was only one game.
Iraola has only just started his Liverpool project.
There will be difficult afternoons.
There will be games where the counter-attacking opportunities aren’t there.
And there will be opponents who sit incredibly deep and force Liverpool to find another solution.
But the early signs are encouraging.
Isak has already scored three goals in three league games, including his brilliant brace at Ipswich. Liverpool also kept their first clean sheet of the Iraola era in that match.
And now Isak is telling us that he likes the way Liverpool are being asked to play.
That matters.
Because if Iraola can get the best out of Isak, Barcola, Wirtz and Gakpo while creating a team capable of winning the ball and attacking quickly…
Liverpool could be seriously dangerous.
Maybe this is what Iraola is bringing to Anfield.
Not a copy of Klopp.
Not a copy of Slot.
His own Liverpool.
But one that still feels recognisably Liverpool.
And judging by Isak’s comments, the players are enjoying it too.
Always attack.
Exploit the counter-attack.
Punish teams when they’re disorganised.
That’s a Liverpool identity I can get behind.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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