Iraola: "We are not managing to play at the desired level consistently"
The Liverpool manager is concerned after the loss in his first match on the sidelines at Anfield: "We have a lot more work to do." Will Araujo manage to solve the problems in defense?
This is not how Andoni Iraola hoped his first match on the sidelines at Anfield would look. The new Liverpool manager was indeed received with excitement by the crowds that filled the streets in the Anfield area ahead of the friendly match yesterday (Sunday) against Monaco, but the final result — a 3:2 loss — dampened the mood at the club.
For the second time in a row, the Mighty Reds lost a 2:0 lead and came away from the match with nothing, and it seems they have a depth problem in the squad.
"We played well in the first half, especially in the first 30 minutes," Iraola said at the end. "At the moment, we don't have the ability to give more than that. They deserved to turn the result around. In the last two matches, we have not been able to consistently maintain the level at which we want to play. As soon as we made substitutions, the players started to get tired and couldn't maintain the level. We have a lot more work to do."
The Spanish coach will hope to achieve an improvement in performance in the two remaining preparation matches, both against the Italian side Como, before Liverpool begins the season in the Premier League against Newcastle.
One of the central questions remaining before the start of the season is the identity of the second center-back, alongside Virgil van Dijk. Against Monaco, it was the young Ifeanyi Ndukwu, who looks like a great talent but is not yet ready, and will likely be loaned to another team before the end of the transfer window. Liverpool hopes to solve the problem with the arrival of Ronald Araujo, who is close to joining the team. 21-year-old Jérémy Jacquet, who arrived from Rennes, has not yet participated in a full training session since his arrival.
