Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Photo by Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images
Liverpool can sit back and enjoy the elongated international break safe in the knowledge that they are heading in the right direction under Andoni Iraola.
The Reds have had a slightly bumpy start to life under the Basque, but Sunday’s 1-0 win over former club Bournemouth was a big moment, ensuring they go into the break unbeaten and only three points behind champions Arsenal.
The performance at the Vitality Stadium may not have been vintage Liverpool, or even anything remotely close to it, but Iraola‘s team were solid in defence and picked up a third consecutive Premier League clean sheet. Things are getting better, that is plain to see, and while there are a variety of reasons for why that is, Iraola’s decision to make Ronald Araujo and Alexis Mac Allister certain starters is definitely contributing in a big way.
I’m gonna say B. Nothing special but still unbeaten. It’s not as exciting as I first thought the football would be, but hopefully that’ll come with time. I’m not unhappy tho!
Araujo and Mac Allister are now key for Liverpool
At the beginning of the season, neither Araujo nor Mac Allister were seen as being part of Liverpool’s best XI. Both were left out of the opening day match against Newcastle and there was an expectation that they would not be coming into the XI for a little while at least.
Araujo was seen more as a centre-back, and though the doubts over Jeremie Frimpong’s suitability were widely held, the No. 30 was still fairly clearly ahead in the pecking order at right-back.
Mac Allister, meanwhile, was firmly behind Ryan Gravenberch having dropped off massively last season and then joined pre-season late.
Gravenberch struggled against Newcastle, though, gifting the Magpies possession for both of their counter-attacking goals, and the Dutchman has failed to really regain his starting role ever since, with Mac Allister starting the second game of the season against Nottingham Forest.
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Frimpong lasted a little longer, also playing from the start against Forest, but having been poor at Anfield he was dropped for Araujo at Ipswich and has only featured for 18 minutes in the Premier League since.
Iraola acted decisively to drop Gravenberch and Frimpong after seeing them struggle, and replaced them with upgrades who have since made Liverpool much more solid.
Iraola must continue to act quickly on underperformers
A big part of the criticism Arne Slot received last season was to do with the Dutch coach appearing to be far too loyal to players who simply did not deserve to continue in the team.
Ironically, Mac Allister was one of the worst for this, with many fans believing that Curtis Jones would have offered more than the Argentine at the time.
The evidence so far is that Iraola will not continue in that vein, with Mac Allister again the beneficiary.
For now, there is no reason for the Liverpool head coach to change things at all in either of these positions. Araujo has been a brilliantly shrewd addition, while Mac Allister has looked very much back to his best.
But if either drops off – or if any of their teammates in any position see a drop off in their form – Iraola must continue to find these quick resolutions. Poor performances should lead to time out of the team, and if the replacements are as hungry as Araujo and Mac Allister have been, Liverpool will be better for it.
Right-back and central midfield were seen as two areas which the Reds made a mistake in overlooking during the transfer window, but while supporters were right to be concerned, Iraola has found some internal solutions to make the team stronger immediately. In the long-term they still need to be addressed, but this will do for now.