NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 22, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 22, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Andoni Iraola demands his players work extremely hard, but only one team covered less ground than Liverpool on the Premier League‘s opening weekend.
Among the criticisms levelled at Arne Slot and his players last season was that they simply weren’t fit enough.
This could have stemmed from a disrupted pre-season, due to Diogo Jota‘s death, or the Dutchman’s training methods.
Over the course of the 2025/26 season, 11 teams covered more distance than Liverpool and it became a point of contention as the Reds’ form dropped dramatically from the previous campaign.
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 22, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz (R) and Newcastle United's Malick Thiaw during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 22, 2026: Liverpool's Florian Wirtz (R) and Newcastle United's Malick Thiaw during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. The game ended in a 2-2 draw. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Iraola has been brought in with the expectation that he and coach Pablo de la Torre will help raise the squad’s levels.
In their first game, FotMob tells us Liverpool covered less distance (107.2km) than every Premier League team except Aston Villa on the opening weekend.
This doesn’t necessarily equate to a lack of fitness, but it is a worry that last season’s problems haven’t vanished – it will take time for Iraola to make a real impact.
Of course, the state of matches can also affect how far a team runs – often the side with more possession needs to run less.
Liverpool had 60.8 percent of the ball at St James’ Park, the seventh-highest possession tally from the league this weekend.
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 22, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 22, 2026: Liverpool's Alexander Isak during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
It was interesting, though, to note that Newcastle were ranked 17th in terms of distance covered, as Matthias Jaissle’s side ran 112.8km collectively.
That suggests that the game suffered from being broken up by fouls and had less ball-in-play time.
Liverpool averaged 112.3km covered per match across the 2025/26 Premier League, 5.1km more than they ran in the 2-2 draw against Newcastle.
Andoni Iraola clarifies ’30 minute’ comments
Earlier in the summer, after Liverpool’s friendly against Monaco, Iraola told LFCTV: “I think we played really good [in the] first half, especially the first 30 minutes.
“But right now probably we don’t have much more in terms of the level required to play like this.”
This was generally taken as the players only being able to play at the coach’s level of intensity for half an hour.
However, Iraola has since clarified his comments, explaining on TNT Sports: “I realise I have to be very careful with the things I say here for Liverpool, because every comment you make, they talk a lot about it.
“It wasn’t just a physical thing. I think it was more in terms of keeping the mentality, the focus throughout the whole game – not giving up one throw-in, my quick positioning for a goal kick – mentally, we have to be in the right place.
“Obviously, when you start to get tired, these things cost a little bit more. I think we are physically better every week, the more we train, like most of the teams.
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 22, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 22, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during the FA Premier League match between Newcastle United FC and Liverpool FC at St James' Park. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“It was more, ‘OK, we have to be like a team that doesn’t relax in any moment, doesn’t take anything for granted’.
“Especially in two games, winning 2-0, and we lost those games. It’s a matter of, ‘OK, don’t relax. Even if we are winning, even if you are feeling comfortable, no’.”
Going back to the Newcastle draw, one game in isolation shouldn’t be a catalyst to chastise the players.
However, it does act as a reminder that there isn’t an immediate fix to Liverpool’s woes.
Thiago, Wilson, Kadioglu, Arbeloa collage
Thiago, Wilson, Kadioglu, Arbeloa collage
Andoni Iraola Liverpool FC Training Session
Andoni Iraola, Head Coach of Liverpool during a training session at AXA Training Centre on August 25, 2026 in Kirkby, England. (Photo by Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)