Andoni Iraola | Liverpool manager

They've been so ruthless in the transfer market in recent years it seems slow from them this year. Last summer their investments were poor and maybe that has disabled them a bit this summer but it seems to be a more ponderous now.

Of all those in and around top 6, they're the ones in need of investment the most having lost Salah and VVD hitting 35, so it seems odd to see such little activity, unless they're lining stuff up quietly.

Even if they do get Barcola, which is another heavy investment, they still look light in CM, wide areas and at CB, although Araujo was obviously bought to add depth at CB.

Feels like they're gambling on Isak and Wirtz coming good, if they do they're in decent shape tbf but based on last season, its a risk.
 
M Bison said:
They've been so ruthless in the transfer market in recent years it seems slow from them this year. Last summer their investments were poor and maybe that has disabled them a bit this summer but it seems to be a more ponderous now.

Of all those in and around top 6, they're the ones in need of investment the most having lost Salah and VVD hitting 35, so it seems odd to see such little activity, unless they're lining stuff up quietly.

Even if they do get Barcola, which is another heavy investment, they still look light in CM, wide areas and at CB, although Araujo was obviously bought to add depth at CB.

Feels like they're gambling on Isak and Wirtz coming good, if they do they're in decent shape tbf but based on last season, its a risk.
Click to expand...
You can add Ekitike in there too, who has at least been good but looks like they misallocated funds, when there are obvious deficiencies in their squad.
 
saivet said:
You can add Ekitike in there too, who has at least been good but looks like they misallocated funds, when there are obvious deficiencies in their squad.
Click to expand...
With him and Isak, they’re made for a front 2 but then Wirtz as well means you’re playing without width, which is very unbalanced.

Obviously can juggle but you want your best players on the pitch when you can and it just doesn’t quite seem possible!
 
M Bison said:
They've been so ruthless in the transfer market in recent years it seems slow from them this year. Last summer their investments were poor and maybe that has disabled them a bit this summer but it seems to be a more ponderous now.

Of all those in and around top 6, they're the ones in need of investment the most having lost Salah and VVD hitting 35, so it seems odd to see such little activity, unless they're lining stuff up quietly.

Even if they do get Barcola, which is another heavy investment, they still look light in CM, wide areas and at CB, although Araujo was obviously bought to add depth at CB.

Feels like they're gambling on Isak and Wirtz coming good, if they do they're in decent shape tbf but based on last season, its a risk.
Click to expand...
Wouldn't say we're light in centre midfield, but agree otherwise.

Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Szoboszlai, Endo, Nyoni, Elliott (unsure where the plan for Elliott is positionally, so maybe not him).

Question marks over a few r.e. whether their drop off was down to Slot or not, but then that's a different issue than being light.
 
DennisReynolds said:
Wouldn't say we're light in centre midfield, but agree otherwise.

Gravenberch, Mac Allister, Jones, Szoboszlai, Endo, Nyoni, Elliott (unsure where the plan for Elliott is positionally, so maybe not him).

Question marks over a few r.e. whether their drop off was down to Slot or not, but then that's a different issue than being light.
Click to expand...
Yeah on paper that seems ok, but there was a big drop off in the first 2 last season, especially Macallister although were brilliant for Klopp. Szob is absolutely class but a bit of a drop off after that?

Main issue I think is balance and the gulf from the wide players under Klopp to now is a big shift.
 
M Bison said:
Yeah on paper that seems ok, but there was a big drop off in the first 2 last season, especially Macallister although were brilliant for Klopp. Szob is absolutely class but a bit of a drop off after that?

Main issue I think is balance and the gulf from the wide players under Klopp to now is a big shift.
Click to expand...
There was a drop off in every single player other than Szoboszlai last season.

That said, Mac Allister has had a hernia operation, played a serious amount of minutes for us last season and played the most of any player at the World Cup. So even at the ripe old age of 27, I can't write off the feeling that his legs have just gone.

Think the rest of the squad should bounce back, even if not to peak levels.
 
Cutch said:
I believe that is Liverpool's last non homegrown squad place now filled. To sign Barcola or anyone else they will need to start selling, what a mess they're in
Click to expand...
They could just not register a foreign player for the season to allow the signing of Barcola. Anyway Gakpo will probably be gone anyway
 
I feel like they are in a complete mess but a few shrewd loans could sort it.

You can’t spend what they spent last year and continue to spend the season after.

What they did on the back of a title winning season was a real statement of intent. It spectacularly backfired. Having said that I expect Isak and Ekitike to both come good. They are two top players who’ll give them a good 5 years. Wirtz will be ok but never live up to the price tag. The centre back loan is a must as VDV is looking his age. It could be a very long season with some real hammerings if they are not careful. The defence still needs work.
 
Steve Bruce said:
They could just not register a foreign player for the season to allow the signing of Barcola. Anyway Gakpo will probably be gone anyway
Click to expand...
Won't be an issue until January even if Gakpo stays since we won't need to register Ekitike.

Then if Gakpo stays, 1 of Chiesa, Endo or Tsimikas will move on I'd guess.
 
Steve 007 said:
I feel like they are in a complete mess but a few shrewd loans could sort it.
Click to expand...
Apparently they have signed a centre half on loan from Barcelona on a one year contract. A Uruguayan who can also play at full back.
Vinicus Junior quoted as saying he is the best defender he has ever faced.
Barcelona happy to release him because his poor passing stats disrupt their style of playing out from the back. Injury prone too.
 
Araujo seems a bit of a punt: would probably have been a good chance to take if VVD and Konate were still in their pomp, but this seems risky.
 
Bartondale said:
Apparently they have signed a centre half on loan from Barcelona on a one year contract. A Uruguayan who can also play at full back.
Vinicus Junior quoted as saying he is the best defender he has ever faced.
Barcelona happy to release him because his poor passing stats disrupt their style of playing out from the back. Injury prone too.
Click to expand...
He's been playing for Barcelona for 7 years, I think people may have heard of him.
 
Bartondale said:
Apparently they have signed a centre half on loan from Barcelona on a one year contract. A Uruguayan who can also play at full back.
Vinicus Junior quoted as saying he is the best defender he has ever faced.
Barcelona happy to release him because his poor passing stats disrupt their style of playing out from the back. Injury prone too.
Click to expand...
Barca captain. Dropped out for two months last season with mental health issues. Should be fine for them. He’ll fill a gap no problem.
 
£300k a week for Barcelonas 5th choice CB who started less than a third of their games last year.

Hmmmmm
 
GaryLifo said:
Given how poor they look and how little they've strengthened, I'll be really really annoyed if they aren't total shit this season.
Click to expand...
Iraola has them doing double training sessions, so I expect them to go back towards the high intensity football they played under klopp. Apparently against leeds the first half as very good and after the half time substitutions they fell apart.

I think this will be the toughest PL on record so far to get CL spots. Chelsea have no European football. Arsenal and City will still be very strong. Liverpool under Iraola are a unknown and their injury list will affect them for awhile.

Who knows how much progress spurs will make. I believe they are aiming to qualify for CL. Can't rule out villa under Emery, he's worked wonders.

Lastly, Newcastle 2.0 and their new operating model of buying younger players could be a surprise. Apparently the training under the new manager has been utterly brutal. Very high intensity, pressing.

We're still a few players short of where we need to be. Hopefully we get a few more in the door
 
DennisReynolds said:
There was a drop off in every single player other than Szoboszlai last season.

That said, Mac Allister has had a hernia operation, played a serious amount of minutes for us last season and played the most of any player at the World Cup. So even at the ripe old age of 27, I can't write off the feeling that his legs have just gone.

Think the rest of the squad should bounce back, even if not to peak levels.
Click to expand...

Or the fact he has played so many games, he might just need a rest.
 
He'll be gone after a month or so.

They've had a terrible summer recruitment wise - but the manager will always carry the can.
 
simonhch said:
Last I heard of Araujo he had had some sort of a nervous breakdown and had to take time off from football. He was sent off in a 3-0 defeat to Chelsea in November ‘25, and became depressed after the criticism he received in the wake of that performance. He took a month off over December of that year. Allegedly he’d been battling anxiety for some time, and the criticism of that sending off apparently tilted it into full blown depression. Mental health in no joking matter, and I don’t know if he has genuine issues in that regard, or is just a bit soft. He won’t get an easy ride of it in England, so o genuinely hope he doesn’t have a bonafide mental health issue, because it can be unforgiving here.

He’s always been a very strong and athletic CB/RB who looked like a top talent some time ago, but he never really kicked on and whenever I’ve watched him last couple of years he seemed really rash. It’s telling that Barca are so relaxed about letting him leave. Chelsea tore him to shreds. He’s also ridiculously injury prone. Only started 16 games in all competitions last season, and 19 the season before. And Barca play a lot of games. When fit he has been mostly used as a late sub, but most of the time he seems to have been injured with recurring hamstring issues. He was in Uruguay’s World Cup squad, but didn’t play a single minute because……you guessed it….:he got injured.

The pace of the PL you feel is set up to expose his rashness and paper hamstrings. But you never know, might be a stroke of genius from Liverpool.
Click to expand...
I know your coming from the right place but to pivot from mental illness is no joke to question if he’s abit soft is funny.
 
AkaAkuma said:
I know your coming from the right place but to pivot from mental illness is no joke to question if he’s abit soft is funny.
Click to expand...
Because I’m not diminishing mental health concerns. I have considerable experience with it personally. Unfortunately, and I have no nice way to say this or sugar coat it, but I also have too much experience of people using mental health in a way that does diminish true mental health issues. So I am somewhat cynical in that regard. People all to often dress up a lack of resilience as being a mental health issue, when the real problem is that they are just a bit soft. I’m not casting aspersions here because I just don’t know what his situation is. But there’s no point being so politically correct that one can’t even acknowledge it can be misused or abused in modern society.
 
AndrewMac said:
He'll be gone after a month or so.

They've had a terrible summer recruitment wise - but the manager will always carry the can.
Click to expand...
They are currently third favorites for PL title with betting on polymarket behind Arsenal and City.

Preseason is meaningless. They will be there or there abouts, Iraola is far too good a manager.
 
simonhch said:
Because I’m not diminishing mental health concerns. I have considerable experience with it personally. Unfortunately, and I have no nice way to say this or sugar coat it, but I also have too much experience of people using mental health in a way that does diminish true mental health issues. So I am somewhat cynical in that regard. People all to often dress up a lack of resilience as being a mental health issue, when the real problem is that they are just a bit soft. I’m not casting aspersions here because I just don’t know what his situation is. But there’s no point being so politically correct that one can’t even acknowledge it can be misused or abused in modern society.
Click to expand...
Its in a written report you quoted from.
I think he’s being honest in detailing his troubles.
 
I don't get why they seem to be chancing it with their defence again, and prioritising their attack for the big spend.

I mean it's good, but you do wonder what they are thinking.
 
C'est Moi Cantona said:
I don't get why they seem to be chancing it with their defence again, and prioritising their attack for the big spend.

I mean it's good, but you do wonder what they are thinking.
Click to expand...

Don’t they have two new CBs? I know Jacquet has now officially joined, but I thought I saw that they had two highly rated CVs joining this summer. Apparently they’re looking at Araujo on loan too.
 
pocco said:
Don’t they have two new CBs? I know Jacquet has now officially joined, but I thought I saw that they had two highly rated CVs joining this summer. Apparently they’re looking at Araujo on loan too.
Click to expand...

Tbh I wasn't fully sure, but a quick search says they have, VVD, Gomez, Jacquet, Leoni, and Araujo.

Gomez injured, Leoni recovering from ACL, Jacquet young and new to the league, and Araujo surely a big risk.

Obviously it could work, but given they messed up there big style last summer you'd think they'd want something a bit more secure than this.
 
pocco said:
Don’t they have two new CBs? I know Jacquet has now officially joined, but I thought I saw that they had two highly rated CVs joining this summer. Apparently they’re looking at Araujo on loan too.
Click to expand...
Leoni joined last summer but he picked up a lovely ACL injury in his first appearance for us, so he's still recovering.
 
No idea how good Jacquet is, but their central defensive options even with Araujo look dodgy enough.

Munoz looks like a decent player, he is quick, with bags of skill, quite small but seems to have good strength. Be interesting to see how he gets on.
 
Not worried about this guy becoming Liverpool manager. Think they’ll struggle in his first season. Especially with no Salah. There attack doesn’t look all that.
 
dwd said:
I think they’ll batter Newcastle in the first game and we will be back to hell.
Click to expand...
Newcastle are always tough at their ground and their managers first game in the prem. think it will be tougher than most think and that’s despite Newcastle loosing their best players
 
Lost another preseason game after being 2-0 up. I know it's only preseason and gaining fitness is more important than results, but am I right in remembering that his Bournemouth teams rarely kept clean sheets?
 
You must log in or register to reply here.