Andoni Iraola bemoaned his midfield's efforts in the goalless draw with Fulham at the weekend, and the Liverpool boss already knows who he could turn to instead this week
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 12: Andoni Iraola manager of Liverpool gestures during the Premier League 2026/27 match between Liverpool FC and Fulham at Anfield on September 12, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Gaspafotos/MB Media/Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola already knows he has a player who could solve one of his problems at Liverpool(Image: Getty Images)
Anyone who watched Liverpool last season knew there was a problem in midfield. The club’s decision not to bring anyone new into that area during the summer then seemed odd to say the least.
It looks even stranger now after the start to the season. Alexis Mac Allister looks to have improved, but his teammates in the engine room are struggling.
Ryan Gravenberch is a long way off the performances he was showing a couple of seasons ago, Florian Wirtz still hasn’t managed to find his feet in the Premier League, and even Dominik Szoboszlai seemed to have caught the bug against Fulham on Saturday.
That goalless draw felt far too much like last season’s Liverpool for comfort, especially after the high of the midweek win over Atletico Madrid. The Reds were slow and laborious, with Andoni Iraola bemoaning the press coming from the middle of the park.
"Especially in the first half, we were arriving late for the presses, that is clear,” the Liverpool boss said. He did go on to suggest he was happier with the efforts after the break, but it still feels a long way off what he or the club’s supporters have come to expect.
If Iraola wants to change things up, then this week feels like the perfect time to do so, and he’s already identified a player who could fit his specifications perfectly.
Trey Nyoni of Liverpool
Trey Nyoni should get an opportunity for Liverpool this week(Image: Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Trey Nyoni has had to stay patient for his chance to follow up on what was an encouraging pre-season. The 19-year-old has made just two cameos from the bench thus far against Nottingham Forest and Ipswich, but he has the exact attributes Iraola is looking for.
"Trey is very good on the ball, very calm, he reads the situations well," Iraola said during the summer. "We're reinforcing him in the work without the ball, in the press, and he is absolutely doing very well.
"I think the timings of the jumps are very good. He is always confident on the ball so we encourage him.
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"Sometimes even if he loses the ball, 'Try to find the No.10, try to find the No.9, even balls in behind, look a little bit further' because he can do it, because he is so, so good.
"At the end, he is a midfielder who, I always say, you have to ask for the ball sometimes with pressure – and he doesn't feel this pressure.
"Even when he has one opponent quite close, he asks for that ball and he's confident, he doesn't rush. For me, that is very valuable."
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 16: Andoni Iraola, Manager of Liverpool, with Trey Nyoni and Victor Munoz during the pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como Calcio at Anfield on August 16, 2026 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Visionhaus/Getty Images)
Andoni Iraola was full of praise for Trey Nyoni in pre-season(Image: Getty Images)
With his midfield failing to carry out their duties adequately at the weekend, the time is surely right for Nyoni to get his chance in the Carabao Cup against Tottenham on Tuesday.
There might be a temptation to stick with the tried and tested options against another Premier League opponent, especially when you want to move on quickly from a disappointing result like Saturday’s. Having claimed his side was lacking freshness against Fulham though, there is no reason for Iraola not to change things up against Spurs.
It may be a little much to expect Nyoni to kick-start a stuttering midfield, but the teenager needs to at least be given a chance this week. If he can live up to his head coach’s glowing pre-season review, Liverpool might well have a solution to its midfield problem.