Andoni Iraola made it a point to note how important his substitutes will be for Liverpool this season, which supports the need for squad depth before the transfer window closes.
Iraola was without a handful of senior players for the opening game of the season, leaving limited choices when it came to game-changing substitutions.
Victor Munoz proved decisive by winning the penalty late on, while Lewis Koumas put forward another compelling argument to be retained as an option this season.
The duo were mentioned throughout Iraola’s media obligations after the match as he emphasised how significant the bench will be to Liverpool’s season.
“All the subs gave us energy: Koumas, Victor, Macca, and Ronald,” the head coach told BBC Sport.
“They have given us this energy we need, because with the way we want to play it’s difficult to last 90 minutes with the same starting eleven.
“We will need this for the season, players coming off the bench that can affect the games.”
While it was not an obvious cry for reinforcements before the summer window closes on September 1, having made more obvious mentions of how thin his squad is previously, he knows his style demands depth.
Speaking to Sky Sports, he said: “I think the players coming from the bench gave us energy. I don’t know if they played better or worse, but they gave us energy.
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Picture date: Sunday August 23, 2026.
Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates scoring their side's second goal of the game during the Premier League match at St James' Park, Newcastle upon Tyne. Picture date: Sunday August 23, 2026.
“You can feel, the way we want to play, not everyone is going to last 90 minutes.
“So we need this energy from the ones coming from the bench, and I think today it happened.”
And it was a message he repeated in his post-match press conference after making note of Munoz putting himself in dangerous positions when Newcastle were tiring.
He said: “I’m happy also for Victor because he has created problems for his opposition, and I think these players from the bench that can alter games are going to be important for us.”
Liverpool continue to work on a deal for PSG‘s Bradley Barcola, while talks for Brighton winger Yankuba Minteh are ongoing. It remains to be seen if any other targets are pursued.
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Football – Pre-Season Friendly – Liverpool FC v AS Monaco
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 8, 2026: Liverpool's Jeremie Frimpong during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and AS Monaco FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
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