Andoni Iraola's Premier League Challenge at Anfield: Forest Awaits
Andoni Iraola has barely had time to catch his breath. A chaotic late escape at Newcastle, a record-breaking transfer edging closer, and now a first Premier League game at Anfield with a bogey side in town.
Nottingham Forest arrive on Saturday for a 12.30pm kick-off, and the history is awkward. Under Arne Slot, Liverpool lost both home league meetings to an aggregate score of 4-0. Forest didn’t just nick results; they enjoyed themselves here.
Iraola’s task is clear: change that story.
Barcola, the market and the waiting game
The headline away from the pitch is obvious. Liverpool have reached an outline agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for Bradley Barcola, a deal worth more than £100m and potentially rising towards £120m with add-ons based on individual and team success.
He is the club’s top attacking target to reshape the forward line after Mohamed Salah’s departure. Iraola, though, stayed firmly on script.
“As you know, we are trying to sign in that position,” he said. “We can’t talk about players who right now aren’t ours. But we are trying to improve and fill that position as we don’t have the numbers. I hope we have good news soon but we are still not there.”
That uncertainty stretches beyond Barcola. Iraola made no attempt to hide his frustration with the limbo of the final days of the window.
“There are certain things we can do but it’s true we need players in the wide areas,” he explained. “I’m sure if we can improve other areas we will but I don’t know how the market is going to finish. I have to be patient as well as you. It’s very uncomfortable for me as you are dealing with uncertainties all the time. In four or five days we will know what we have and then we can make proper plans.”
He stressed the alignment with the club’s hierarchy, even if the outcomes are still unknown.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen. Even myself I have to be patient. Then we get to September 2, this is who we have and the options we have, then we can start thinking. For now we don’t know. I have in my head what I want, we’ve been talking since the beginning with the club, they know what we want. It’s about closing the deals.”
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has already called for more than just Barcola, urging the club to follow that move with a right-back and a midfielder. Iraola didn’t go that far publicly, but he did admit the squad is light in certain areas.
“It depends on the other positions,” he said when asked if one or two wingers would complete the business. “We know from the beginning what we wanted. We are probably down a player in some positions due to long-term injuries and those have been our main issues.”
Midfield scrutiny and the balance problem
If the transfer market is noisy, the midfield debate is deafening. Iraola walked into it with eyes open.
“Not surprised,” he said of the reaction. “I expected when I came here that everything would be magnified. I’m starting to understand. But it’s just one game where we did a lot of very good things, even the players in midfield did, but there are definitely things we need to improve.”
The focus, inevitably, has been on defensive transitions after the draw at Newcastle.
“It’s football. You go to the goals always,” he said. “If you make exactly the same mistake then it’s normal and I understand we have to talk about the defensive transitions. I thought we improved during the game in that aspect, were much, much better getting the numbers. I think the first goal is more to blame than the second in terms of how we positioned when we lost the ball. We will soon be talking about something else.”
He is determined not to blunt Liverpool’s attacking edge while tightening the back door.
“We don’t want to lose the offensive side, the fluidity, the arrival of numbers, but we were punished the other day. We have been intently working on it. It’s nothing new, we always want to control that. But there is a balance, we can’t go from one way where we send a lot of people forward to putting everyone back and it looks stale.
“It’s a matter of identifying the situation. The players who are very good, they smell whether they can take the risk of going or staying, it’s the quality of the player who takes those decisions.”
Ryan Gravenberch was a clear example in his mind.
“We can’t attack with everyone,” Iraola said. “I don’t want to tell Ryan Gravenberch don’t carry the ball as he scored against Monaco, it came from his pass to Alex. But there is a balance, recognising the situation, how we can balance those numbers in those positions. Sometimes you have to accept the players go forward, it isn’t always one stays back and one goes forward. If the opposition are defending deep maybe both can go forward.”
Newcastle positives and a young defender’s debut
Lost amid the storm around transitions was Iraola’s belief that Liverpool actually controlled large parts of the game at St James’ Park.
“I thought we controlled the game quite well, I felt we had meaningful possession, were quite direct in attack,” he said. “I was feeling good in the game, I felt we were closer to scoring than Newcastle in most part of the game. I felt good things in the first game.”
One of those positives was the performance of young defender Jacquet.
“He played very well considering it was his first game,” Iraola said. “It’s true he was tired, we had to sub him as you could feel he was tired in the last five minutes. He is very confident on the ball and good without the ball. Very young, we have to accept he will make mistakes.”
Gakpo’s form and the reality of the window
Cody Gakpo’s display at Newcastle also drew praise, though Iraola refused to make promises about anyone’s future while the window stays open.
“After the performance he had in first game I say the same, he’s playing very well for us,” he said. “He’s been very good since he’s been back from World Cup. The right attitude and I hope we can keep him at that level. He can be very influential on us.
“When the market is open and we bring in expensive players I cannot guarantee anything. But I don’t know. Our players, I cannot guarantee anything about how many we are going to sign or whatever. Experience tells us that if there’s an opportunity the last day you can do something.”
Team news: Chiesa, Elliott and the bench balance
There was mixed news on availability. Federico Chiesa will not feature.
“Fede is not available, in the game against Como he felt something in his back,” Iraola confirmed.
Harvey Elliott, meanwhile, finds himself squeezed by the numbers rather than frozen out.
“With Harvey and some of the players I can only choose 20,” Iraola said. “Harvey is trying and improving every week but I still prefer other options, about the balance on the bench. That’s why James McConnell was in the squad, but it’s now another new week and new chances for everyone. They have to keep that mentality.”
Glasner’s Forest and a special Anfield moment
Nottingham Forest under Oliver Glasner are not the chaotic, open side of old. Iraola has seen enough to know this will be no free-flowing exhibition.
“He has been very successful,” the Liverpool boss said. “You can see straight away the shape. They don’t concede many chances, against Leeds it was a very tight game which was won with a free-kick in the last minute. We will have to earn every chance, win our duels, nothing is for free.
“We have to be good on the ball and patient because defensively they are very solid and good and have very good players. In transitions they are good threats on the counter.”
All of that is wrapped inside a personal milestone. This will be Iraola’s first Premier League game at Anfield as Liverpool head coach.
“It’s going to be a special moment for me to have first PL game at Anfield,” he admitted. “I already felt it in pre-season. I will be thinking of the game but it’s also going to be emotional, it has to be like this as it’s a special place. I hope everything goes well and I enjoy the game.”
Forest have turned Anfield into their playground in the last two visits. Now it is Iraola’s turn to find out whether this Liverpool, with a new voice on the touchline and a blockbuster signing on the horizon, can finally slam that door shut.
