Andoni Iraola aware Liverpool still have work to do despite winning run
Andoni Iraola is growing into the role as Liverpool head coach but accepts he needs more wins to really start feeling at home.
Momentum is growing after four successive wins in all competitions, and eight in 10 since opening the season with two draws, but the Basque acknowledges there is plenty of work still to do.
Iraola allowed himself a moment after Sunday’s 2-0 victory over Brighton to celebrate in front of the Kop for the first time, but he is well aware it does not take much for the confidence to be broken.
“It is not to gain the confidence. I said it since the first day, you have to earn the right to belong and you only get it with good performances, with wins, and this will take time,” Iraola said, speaking ahead of Wednesday’s Carabao Cup visit of a Chelsea team coached by his good friend Xabi Alonso.
“But I am glad because I felt the other day the supporters helped us a lot and they were enjoying it the same as we were.
“A start, yes. I would say a start – still we need more wins, we need more performances so we need more time.”
Having come up against one of his best friends in football in Inigo Perez in last week’s Champions League tie against Villarreal he will welcome two more this week in Alonso and, on Sunday, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta.
“We were close friends, we grew up together, we played in the same team, we played against each other, we played together in the national team with Spain and the Basque country,” Iraola added of Alonso. “But now he is the opposition and we want to beat him, in the same way he will do with us.
“After the game we can talk, definitely.”
One of the challenges Andoni has had to adapt to since arriving from Bournemouth is playing three games a week.
He is likely to make changes again for the League Cup tie but admits he cannot afford to look too deeply into the permutations of managing the squad for upcoming games.
Florian Wirtz is expected to be fit after his ankle problem at the weekend but winger Victor Munoz and Dominik Szoboszlai remain doubtful.
“We have some games where we have less time to rest than the opposition but you have to adapt,” Iraola said.
“It is a matter of adaptation and you cannot overthink it: analyse straight away what happened but in one hour (clicking his fingers) the next game and you have to be ready for this.”
Published: by Radio NewsHub