When Andoni Iraola was appointed Liverpool manager, I think most supporters had a pretty clear idea of what we were going to get.
Fast. Aggressive. Front-footed. Attacking football.
After watching his Bournemouth sides, there was an expectation that Liverpool would become a completely different proposition going forward.
But five Premier League games into Iraola’s reign, that isn’t really what we’re seeing yet.
In fact, Liverpool’s attack has probably been the biggest disappointment of the opening weeks.
The good news?
The other end of the pitch is looking considerably better.
Liverpool aren’t firing going forward
Let’s be honest about it.
Liverpool have some frightening attacking talent.
Alexander Isak.
Cody Gakpo.
Florian Wirtz.
Bradley Barcola.
And there are other options waiting in the squad.
Yet the attacking football hasn’t consistently matched the quality of the players available.
The 0-0 draw with Fulham was the obvious example, while the 1-0 victory at Bournemouth was another game where Liverpool struggled to create consistently.
Against Bournemouth, Liverpool managed only six shots on goal, with Reuters describing the attacking performance as lacklustre.
That’s not what we expected when Iraola arrived.
We expected Liverpool to be tearing teams apart.
We expected relentless pressure.
We expected the front players to overwhelm opponents.
We’re not there yet.
But look at what Iraola has done defensively
This is where I think we need to give the manager considerable credit.
Liverpool have now kept three consecutive Premier League clean sheets.
That’s their longest run without conceding in the league since September 2024.
And it isn’t just about the goalkeeper.
Alisson has been outstanding and produced another huge save at Bournemouth, but the defensive unit in front of him is beginning to look increasingly settled.
Jeremy Jacquet has emerged as a hugely encouraging presence.
Virgil van Dijk remains the leader.
Ronald Araújo is becoming more comfortable.
Milos Kerkez is settling in.
And suddenly Liverpool are starting to look much harder to break down.
Iraola himself said after the Bournemouth victory that the defenders are becoming more solid as a unit as they spend more time playing together.
That is significant.
Perhaps Iraola is building from the back
This wasn’t necessarily what we expected.
But perhaps it’s exactly what Liverpool need.
Iraola inherited a team that finished fifth last season and conceded too many avoidable goals.
So perhaps his first priority isn’t actually to turn Liverpool into an attacking machine.
Perhaps it is to make sure they stop giving games away.
And there are signs that he is doing that.
Liverpool have now won 1-0 at Bournemouth after drawing 0-0 with Fulham.
Those aren’t spectacular results.
But they’re results built around defensive resilience.
When the attack isn’t functioning perfectly, Liverpool are finding ways to stay in games.
That’s something we didn’t always see last season.
And Isak gives us hope
The other reason I’m not overly worried about the attack is Alexander Isak.
The Swedish striker has scored four goals in five Premier League appearances.
That’s an outstanding start considering Liverpool’s attacking play has been far from fluid.
And that’s the exciting part.
What happens when the attack finally clicks?
Isak is already scoring.
Gakpo is producing dangerous moments.
Barcola is showing flashes.
And Wirtz is still searching for his best form.
If those players eventually start operating on the same wavelength, Liverpool should become a completely different attacking proposition.
The Bournemouth match was a perfect example.
Liverpool weren’t brilliant, but Gakpo’s work helped create the winning goal and Isak was in the right place to finish it.
Wirtz is the obvious missing piece
This is probably the biggest concern.
Liverpool signed Wirtz to be one of the players who makes everything happen.
At the moment, he isn’t doing that consistently enough.
His adaptation to English football and Iraola’s system is still ongoing, and his struggles have naturally attracted plenty of attention.
But I’m not ready to write him off.
If Wirtz finds his confidence and starts receiving the ball in the dangerous areas where he can influence games, Liverpool’s attack could suddenly look completely different.
And that’s before we consider what happens when the likes of Barcola, Gakpo and Isak develop greater understanding.
Iraola deserves time
This is the bit I think Liverpool supporters need to remember.
Iraola hasn’t been at Liverpool for years.
He’s trying to implement a completely new way of playing.
He’s learning his players.
The players are learning him.
New signings are adapting.
Young players are trying to establish themselves.
And already, there are signs that one part of his football is taking shape.
Liverpool are becoming difficult to beat.
The attack can come.
In fact, I’m confident it will.
But I’d rather see Iraola build a strong foundation and then add the attacking football on top of it than have Liverpool playing spectacular football while conceding goals every week.
Maybe this isn’t the Liverpool we were expecting – yet
That’s probably the fairest way of looking at it.
Iraola hasn’t given us the swashbuckling attacking Liverpool many of us imagined.
Not yet.
Instead, he’s quietly made them more resilient.
More organised.
More difficult to break down.
And that could ultimately be the foundation on which the attacking Liverpool is built.
The next challenge is obvious.
Keep the defensive solidity while making the attack much more dangerous.
Because if Iraola can get Liverpool defending like this and eventually unlock the attacking talent at his disposal, then we might finally see the Liverpool we were expecting when he walked through the door.
For now, though, perhaps we should appreciate something we weren’t necessarily expecting from Iraola.
He’s making Liverpool hard to beat before he’s made them exciting to watch.
And if he can get both sides of the game working together, Liverpool could become a very different animal indeed.
Jamie (The Kopite View)
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