I think Liverpool fans have been waiting for this for months.
Not one particular signing.
Not one particular result.
Just the chance for Andoni Iraola to actually get a proper look at the team he is supposed to build.
Because there have been so many interruptions.
New players arriving. Players leaving. Injuries. International football. Players trying to understand a completely different style of football.
It has been difficult for Iraola to get everybody together and work out exactly what his Liverpool team should look like.
Now, finally, that is starting to change.
And some of the signs are really encouraging.
The defence is starting to look settled
The biggest change for me has been at the back.
Liverpool have now kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets, and Iraola himself pointed to the growing understanding between Jérémy Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk, with Ronald Araújo and Milos Kerkez also becoming part of a more settled defensive unit.
That doesn’t happen overnight.
Jacquet has had to adjust to the pace of Premier League football, but his performance at Bournemouth was another big step forward.
He was voted Player of the Match after making important interceptions, defending his box and completing 54 of his 61 passes. Liverpool’s own analysis recorded 10 line-breaking passes from the young centre-back.
Then you’ve got Araújo.
He was brought in to give Liverpool more defensive strength and versatility, and he is already looking like an important part of the team.
And behind all of them is Alisson.
That is beginning to look like a proper defensive platform.
I’m not saying Liverpool have suddenly become unbeatable.
They haven’t.
But there is a much better feeling about the defence than there was a few weeks ago.
Now the injured players are coming back
This is where it gets really interesting.
Giovanni Leoni is expected to return to full training this month, with the week commencing October 12 reported as the likely target.
That is a massive moment for the youngster.
He has been out since suffering an ACL injury in September 2025, meaning he has barely had the chance to start his Liverpool career. Iraola had already said the plan was for Leoni to return to group training during the international break.
Then there is Federico Chiesa, who has also been working his way back.
Joe Gomez is another important option for Iraola.
And further down the line, we should eventually see Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley return from their long-term injuries. Liverpool have previously indicated that those two would take longer than the September/October international break.
That changes the squad.
Suddenly Iraola isn’t looking at the same group of players every week and trying to find solutions to problems created by injuries.
He’s going to have more options.
And that matters.
The attack still has work to do
I’m not going to pretend everything is suddenly perfect.
Liverpool have spent an enormous amount of money on their attack, and I still want to see more from it.
Florian Wirtz needs to become more influential.
Bradley Barcola needs time to settle.
Alexander Isak needs to stay fit and keep getting the service he needs.
But there are signs.
Isak already has four Premier League goals this season, and his winner at Bournemouth showed exactly why Liverpool spent so much money bringing him to Anfield.
Cody Gakpo has also become incredibly important.
In fact, I think Liverpool will be very happy they didn’t sell him.
Gakpo has talked about the improved understanding between himself, Isak and Wirtz, pointing out that playing together more often is helping them develop patterns of play.
That might be one of the most important things Liverpool have going for them.
You can’t buy chemistry.
You have to build it.
And then there is Wirtz
This is probably the biggest piece of the puzzle for me.
We know Wirtz is an outstanding footballer.
We’ve seen it.
The question is how Iraola gets the best version of him at Liverpool.
His Germany performances have provided a useful reminder of what he can do when he is confident, involved and allowed to influence the game.
I don’t think Liverpool need to panic about Wirtz.
They need to keep working with him.
Give him the ball.
Get him into dangerous areas.
Build an understanding with Isak and Gakpo.
And let him settle into the new system.
He’s still learning.
So is everyone else.
This is what I wanted to see from Iraola
When Iraola arrived, I didn’t expect everything to suddenly click.
How could it?
He inherited a squad that had gone through a huge amount of change.
Liverpool had lost major players, brought in several expensive new signings and were dealing with injuries at the same time.
Iraola himself said Liverpool had chosen to think beyond short-term problems rather than spend “crazy money” on temporary solutions while waiting for injured players to return.
I actually like that approach.
Because Liverpool don’t need to keep throwing money at every problem.
They need to get the players they’ve already got working.
And we’re starting to see that.
Now comes the really interesting part
Liverpool go into the international break unbeaten in seven matches in all competitions.
They aren’t playing perfect football.
Far from it.
But they’re improving.
The defence is becoming more settled.
Isak is scoring.
Gakpo is contributing.
Jacquet looks increasingly comfortable.
Araújo is giving Iraola another defensive option.
Leoni is getting closer.
And there are still players like Ekitike, Bradley, Gomez and Chiesa to come back into the picture.
Then comes Manchester City at Anfield on October 11.
That will be a serious test.
But perhaps that’s exactly what Liverpool need.
Because after all the changes, injuries and uncertainty, Iraola is finally getting closer to having the Liverpool squad he actually wanted to work with.
Now we get to see what he can really do with it.
And honestly, that’s the part I’ve been waiting for.
By Jamie (The Kopite View)
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