One of my biggest criticisms of Liverpool’s summer transfer window was the lack of cover in certain positions.
I wanted another midfielder.
I wanted a specialist right-back.
And with Conor Bradley currently unavailable, the right-back position was always going to be a concern.
But listening to Andoni Iraola talk about those exact issues has actually given me a little more confidence.
Because while Liverpool may not have recruited the players I wanted, the manager clearly has a plan for dealing with the squad he has.
And perhaps that is going to be just as important.
Iraola admits the right-back problem
Iraola was asked about Liverpool’s options at right-back and didn’t pretend everything was perfect.
He specifically highlighted the absence of Conor Bradley.
“Challenge in the squad now is we don’t have Conor Bradley there at right-back.”
That is important.
Bradley would obviously have been one of the natural options, but with him unavailable, Iraola needs another solution.
And interestingly, he pointed towards Dominik Szoboszlai.
“That’s why I value Dom \[Szoboszlai\] at right-back as he can play there.”
For me, this is exactly where having a versatile manager and versatile players becomes so important.
Szoboszlai at right-back?
I’ll admit, it’s not something I would have immediately considered.
Szoboszlai is a midfielder.
He’s an important player for Liverpool in the middle of the pitch.
But Iraola clearly sees qualities in him that can allow him to perform elsewhere when necessary.
And that’s what the manager means when he talks about versatility.
“Versatility in the player helps us go through the moments when we have injuries.”
That’s a really interesting comment.
Liverpool haven’t got perfect cover in every position.
But perhaps Iraola doesn’t need it to be perfect.
He needs players who can adapt.
This could be Iraola’s biggest strength
This is one of the reasons I was excited when Liverpool appointed Iraola.
I don’t expect him simply to look at the squad and say:
“We don’t have a specialist player for this position, so we’re stuck.”
I expect him to find solutions.
If a right-back is unavailable, perhaps a midfielder can do a job.
If an injury affects midfield, perhaps the shape can change.
If Liverpool need more attacking width, perhaps the positioning of the full-backs can change.
That’s coaching.
And Iraola actually used that word when discussing Liverpool’s midfield.
“We have good numbers” in midfield
This was probably the most interesting part of his comments for me.
I have repeatedly said that Liverpool should have signed another midfielder.
I still believe that.
But Iraola doesn’t appear to be particularly concerned about the numbers he currently has available.
He said:
“In midfield we have good numbers.”
And then came the really important part.
“Now it’s a matter of getting the right calls from myself.”
I actually like that attitude.
He’s not making excuses.
He’s saying the responsibility is on him to find the right combinations.
Finding the right midfield combination
Liverpool have several midfield options.
Ryan Gravenberch.
Alexis Mac Allister.
Dominik Szoboszlai.
And others who can contribute depending on the situation.
The question isn’t necessarily whether Liverpool have enough midfielders.
It’s whether Iraola can find the right combination.
And he knows that will take time.
“I’m finding now the best combinations and we are going through a period now where we will play a lot of games and we’ll have a chance to see the options we have and the combinations we have.”
That makes complete sense.
You don’t always know the perfect midfield three simply by looking at a squad list.
You have to see how players work together.
You have to see who complements who.
And you have to see what happens against different types of opponents.
This is where the next few weeks become important
Liverpool are about to enter a period where the squad will be tested.
More matches.
More rotation.
More tactical challenges.
More opportunities for players to prove themselves.
And that could actually help Iraola.
He’ll get to see which combinations work.
He’ll discover which players can handle different roles.
And he’ll learn who he can trust when injuries and suspensions inevitably arrive.
That’s why I’m willing to give him time.
It changes how I view the transfer window
I’m still not changing my opinion on Liverpool’s summer transfer business.
I’d still give it 4/10.
I still think the squad would have been stronger with another midfielder.
I still think a specialist right-back would have been useful.
And I still have concerns about the lack of attacking depth with Hugo Ekitike unavailable.
But Iraola’s comments have made me look at the situation slightly differently.
Perhaps Liverpool didn’t need to have two players for every position.
Perhaps they needed a manager capable of making the most of the players they already had.
And that’s what Iraola believes he can do.
But versatility can’t solve everything
There is one important caveat.
I don’t want to use Iraola’s comments as an excuse for Liverpool not strengthening.
Versatility is fantastic.
But you can only stretch a squad so far.
If Liverpool suffer several injuries at the same time, those weaknesses could still become exposed.
And asking players to regularly play outside their natural positions isn’t necessarily a long-term solution.
That’s why I still think Liverpool should be monitoring the market.
Especially when January arrives.
But I trust Iraola to find solutions
This is ultimately where I am.
I wanted more from Liverpool’s transfer window.
I still do.
But I’m increasingly confident that Iraola isn’t going to sit there worrying about what he doesn’t have.
He’s going to work with what he does have.
He’s going to experiment.
He’s going to coach.
He’s going to find combinations.
And he’s going to use the versatility within his squad to get through difficult periods.
That gives me hope.
Maybe the answer isn’t always another signing
Liverpool supporters naturally look at a weakness and immediately think:
“We need to buy somebody.”
Sometimes that’s absolutely correct.
But sometimes the solution is already inside the squad.
Maybe Szoboszlai can provide temporary cover at right-back.
Maybe another midfield combination suddenly clicks.
Maybe a young player steps forward.
Maybe Iraola changes the system to protect an area where Liverpool are short.
That’s what I want to see.
Give Iraola the chance to prove it
I’ve been critical of Liverpool’s recruitment this summer.
But I’m not going to judge Iraola before he’s had the opportunity to work with this squad.
He knows the deficiencies.
He knows Conor Bradley isn’t available.
He knows the midfield combinations aren’t settled yet.
And, crucially, he believes he can solve those problems through coaching.
That’s a manager I want to see given time.
The squad isn’t perfect.
There are weaknesses.
There are positions where I still believe Liverpool should have strengthened.
But perhaps we’ve got something else that could make the difference.
A manager who believes he can find solutions.
Andoni Iraola has made it clear.
Now it’s time for him to show us.
Maybe the biggest signing Liverpool made this summer wasn’t a player at all.
Maybe it was the manager.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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