Liverpool let a two-goal lead slip for the second time in pre-season as Andoni Iraola lost his first match at Anfield and then offered up a worrying assessment of where the team is at
Andoni Iraola has shied away from admitting Liverpool's flaws - which are alarming
Andoni Iraola has shied away from admitting Liverpool's flaws - which are alarming
View 2 Images
Andoni Iraola admits Liverpool "cannot sustain their level" after another collapse saw them fall to defeat against Monaco.
The Reds are having to get to grips to life under Iraola, who was hired as Arne Slot's replacement, and it is taking time for the team to adapt to his methods. The ex-Bournemouth boss was renowned for his high energy system whilst in charge of the Cherries.
Liverpool are clearly in an adaptation phase with the first warning signs on show during their loss to Leeds over in the United States. They let a two-goal lead slip and ended up losing 4-2 to the Whites.
On Sunday their inability to last the course was again exposed as they squandered a two-goal lead against Monaco, this time at Anfield. It was Iraola's first game at his new home but things soon collapsed after Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz had scored in the first-half.
The French side staged a fightback and Paris Brunner was able to cap their comeback in a five-goal thriller with Iraola not hiding anything with his assessment.
Iraola told LFC TV: "It was quite similar to the game we played against Leeds. We played a good first half, especially a good 30 minutes. Right now we probably don't have much more, in terms of the levels required to play like this. They deserved to turn around the game.
"We won the first two pre-season games, but the last two we cannot sustain the level we want for all of the game. As soon as we made some changes, players start to get tired and we cannot sustain that level. So, we have work to do."
Letting leads slip has been a problem in pre-season for the Reds
Letting leads slip has been a problem in pre-season for the Reds
View 2 Images
Liverpool finished fifth last term, a steep drop off from winning the league 12 months prior, which ultimately cost Slot his job. Iraola was tasked with making the Reds title challengers once more but pre-season has showcased issues in getting his ideas across.
The Reds begin their campaign away at Newcastle before games against Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Fulham. A return to Bournemouth faces Iraola in September.
Isak has said on the new environment: "I feel like the spirit is good in the group and we're all working hard to make things work. We're going to make sure that we're ready for the start."