Agree
I couldnāt find a press conference summary so hereās a long read:
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola gives his verdict on the debate surrounding Dominik Szoboszlaiās goal against Tottenham Hotspur:
"I think we need a different word because I donāt think itās a volley and I donāt think itās a half-volley.
"I donāt think itās a volley because the ball bounces and I donāt think itās a half-volley because a half-volley is when the trajectory of the ball goes upwards, for me, and you hit it and you score.
āBut this one was like bounce, then goes up, downwards again and you hit it. We need to find a third word I think.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola on the inclusion of Rio Ngumoha and Alex Scott, whom Iraola worked with at Bournemouth, in Thomas Tuchelās England squad:
āVery happy for both. They both absolutely deserve it. They also went to help the national team before the tournament and Iām sure they did a good job. I can only speak well about both. Very deserved, very ready. And I hope they both enjoy it, yes.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola asked how the current Bournemouth side compare to the one he left behind:
"I donāt think theyāve changed too much. Definitely in terms of names. Theyāre using mostly the same starting eleven, very few changes. They lost Marcos Senesi and theyāve signed Antonio Silva, a very similar kind of player.
"The main ideas and the philosophy, I was lucky also to talk to Marco Rose before leaving. It hasnāt changed too much.
āThey continue to be very dangerous, a very good team, yes.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola asked what he expects from Florian Wirtz:
"He should be judged like everybody well. Like, if he plays well, if he doesnāt play wellā¦ I always say, āhow does the team play when you are on the pitch?ā
āI rate Florian very highly, he understands what we need from him, he is trying to help in every aspect of the game. Obviously he will want also to add assists or goals but he is helping us in a lot of different areas. Also, we could give him a rest [against Spurs] the other day, that he needed because heās put in a good effort in the games.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, asked for his team news for the Bournemouth game:
āEveryone is ready to go. We are in the same place we were, three long-term injuries [Hugo Ekitike, Conor Bradley, Giovanni Leoni] plus Federico [Chiesa, who has a back injury]. The others, no, nothing. We still need to train tomorrow and travel, but everyone is fine.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, asked whether summer signing Bradley Barcola is fully up to speed yet:
āWith Bradley, the more time he plays, the better he will become. Heās come in straight away, without pre-season minutes, but in a good shape. Like all the signings coming from other leagues, he will need some time to adjust to the Premier League. But heās very used to playing high-level games and I see him in a good place, yes.ā**
**Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, asked about his wealth of wide options:
āItās the spot that we want to be in in every position. In this case, for players fighting for those wide positions, in most of the games - if not all - two will start and two will come from the bench. If it doesnāt happen probably weāre winning a game and see something different. Most of the games, four of them are playing, itās a good fight. Itās good for me that itās not easy to choose. We will need them all. For me, itās a luxury to have this kind of options.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, asked about the start made by defender Ronald Araujo, who joined on loan from Barcelona in the summer:
"Iām very happy for him because the first time I talked to him, we knew each other because weād played each other but not personally. Sometimes you talk to a player and you feel it straight away, itās positive. I think he needed this kind of change. He comes with humility, from a big club, an experienced play. We need you right-back, [heāll play] right-back, we need you centre-back, [heāll play] centre-back, we need him in other position, I think heās ready to do it.
"Physically also, he played more minutes than we expected, being so early in the season. Itās still early but heās finishing the games in a good place, heās not cramping heās notā¦ especially when you are a centre-back and you have to play wide as a right-back, the demands are different. Probably itās more demanding. Heās assuming these efforts well.
āI like his spirit. Now I am pushing him to learn a little bit of language. A good way for us to use his experience is if he can communicate with his teammates a little bit all the experience that he has. But I suppose it will take some time.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, asked about a video which appears to show Cody Gakpo asking Rio Ngumoha if he wanted to switch wings:
"In the case of our wingers, we will have these moments in games where they change sides. If we see something is not working or if we can damage one of the opponents on the other side.
āWe were talking, it was the moment after they changed their left-back from Destiny Udogie to Andy Robertson and the demands are different so you have to adjust. Some full backs are more offensive, others are better from building from fartherā¦ Itās good that they start to communicate together, sometimes I donāt mind if they come to me during the game and say maybe we should change, sometimes we will, sometimes we wonāt, there are other factors. But I think itās good that all the wingers are doing the effort of playing both sides and more or less are doing a good job.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola responds to a reporter who suggests that his opponents will have a better understanding of his tactics than his own players:
"Itās going to be a tricky one because they know very well what we try to do with or without the ball. But I also have this advantage. I know their strengths and weaknesses. It happened in a lower amount the other day [against Spurs] because they had Solanke, Senesi, players that Iāve already coached and probably, like we all do, they talked to [Spurs manager] Roberto De Zerbi and now [Bournemouth manager] Marco Rose about the things weāre going to do.
āItās going to be strange for me, I donāt know if itās a big advantage or disadvantage, but itās going to be different, yes.ā
Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola, asked about Rio Ngumoha:
"The other day for example against Spurs, he didnāt have his best start of the game. But I liked how he came back from there. He lost a couple of duels at the beginning, Udogie is a strong player, itās not easy. But after, he did his job, in the first two goals he appears, everything comes from situations where he goes one v one, takes good decisions. The play finishes on the other side but heās part of those.
"Itās what we trying to put into him, he still has to adapt to every game of the league, because he is very young, being 18. But he has the quality to be involved in those kinds of play.
āI like especially his attitude. Because heās not saying āI prefer to play hereā, he asks āwhat do we need?ā and is ready to do it.ā
TLDR:
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I want Gravenberch to start this one. Donāt even know why.
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Probably does. Gives some of this forum a scapegoat anyhow if it all goes tits up.
However Iraola is picking the team how he sees it, idea that heās scapegoating or dropping players is very wide of the mark. Heās getting used to rotation I trust him to get it right far more than some keyboard warriors.
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Massive test this.
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Yeah, Bournemouth will be up for it.
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My team :
Alisson
Araujo Jacquet VVD Kerkez
Szobo Mac
Munoz Wirtz Gakpo
Isak
Subs : Mamar, Gomez, Frimpong, Ngumoha, Barcola, Koumas, Nyoni, McConnell, Gravenberch
Go full court press from the start. Take advantage of our relative freshness. Sub in Ngumoha and Barcola on 60mins for Munoz and Gakpo. Sub Mac with Nyoni and Szobo with McConnell. Isak with Koumas and Wirtz with Gravenberch if ineffective. Another option would be to sub Wirtz with Koumas if Wirtz is off his game. Koumas with Isak would create hell for their tired defence.
Should come back with 3 points.YNWA
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Itās going to be massive test to massive until the players become accustomed to Iraolaās tactics, Iraola gets to know the squad and which players will fit his tactic, and then the players get used to each other in these new roles.
We brought in a manager to make drastic changes and to stay unbeaten so far, for me, is a happy surprise in these early days. Consistency is going to be harder to achieve than an individual good result.
The lines between clubs at the PL or UCL levels are so thin that any hesitation or miscue could affect a result.
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Neymar FFS why was that posted?
reverse jinx
Bournemouth will be interesting as they are also adapting under Rose and had a European game two days after ours.
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I thought Endo would be in the stands, but he has not even travelled.
TV coverage here is that goal rush shite again!
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2-2, you read it here first.
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Side youād expect really. Probably better with gakpo than MuƱoz even on the right
Looking forward to it
Feels like the 1st team. My only concern is how Dom fit into the set up. Like others, am looking forward to it.
7 changes for us and 1 for them, so in the second half this should tell. 