Iraola: Liverpool not yet at ideal tactical level, but progressing each game

Hupu July 30th — Liverpool secured a 1-0 victory over Wrexham in a pre-season friendly. After the match, head coach Iraola spoke to the club's official media, discussing the team's performance, young players' contributions, tactical progress, and new signings' adaptation.

On the Team's Performance

Reporter: What are your thoughts on tonight's match? Are you satisfied?

Iraola: Yes, I think overall we were more solid than the last game. It was a completely different type of match, with a narrower pitch and less space, but I believe we put in a good performance. While the previous game might have had more goals and been more attractive, I feel today we looked more like a cohesive unit, with stronger teamwork.

On Young Players' Contributions

Reporter: Everyone wants to see a 5-0 win in pre-season, but the reality is these games are sometimes more like training sessions, right? The aim is to get the players physically ready.

Iraola: Yes, I'm quite satisfied today because we fielded many young players. Some of them faced very tough challenges—for example, Chambers playing as a center-back against physically imposing opponents, but he did very well in terms of defensive coverage and was excellent at playing out from the back.

The wide players, and Kieran Morrison who came on late—I think the young players all performed well, which is always a good thing.

Reporter: This will be a huge learning experience for them. For instance, Wright facing a very experienced professional player late in the game—he'll learn a lot from that, right?

Iraola: Yes, I think Kumas and Will (Wright) both did well today. They helped us with pressing, contributed to attacking spaces, and linked up well with Harvey (Elliott), Dom (Szoboszlai), and the players behind them. I think both of them put in good performances.

On Tactical Integration

Reporter: In your view, are the players ahead or behind where you want them to be in terms of your tactical system?

Iraola: I think we haven't reached the target yet, not yet. There are times when we're late in our positioning, but I feel since the match against Sunderland, we've taken a step forward—the first half of that game was more instructive than the second.

I want to take it step by step, getting closer to the goal with each match. We're also starting to integrate new players, because right now we're using a lot of young players. Gradually, we need to bring in the senior players who have started training with us, so we can be in a good state when the new season begins.

On Trey Nyoni's Impact

Reporter: Trey (Nyoni) has a huge impact on the team, right? He had a lot of possession, with many touches in the first half. You can see you want them to pass—if they can move forward, to quickly get the ball into the gaps between the lines.

Iraola: Yes, Trey is excellent on the ball, very calm. He reads the game well. We're also working on improving his pressing without the ball, and he's doing very well—his timing for jumping into the press is accurate. He's always confident when in possession.

So we encourage him, even if he sometimes loses the ball, to try to find the number 10, find the number 9. Even attempt some passes behind the defense, longer passes—because he can do it, he's that good.

Reporter: As that confidence builds, he'll do more. That's part of the role of a midfielder—first secure possession, then start looking forward more, then think about scoring. There's still a lot of potential to unlock in him.

Iraola: Yes, ultimately, as a midfielder, I always tell them—sometimes you need to demand the ball under pressure. And he doesn't feel that pressure at all, even when opponents are closing in, he still dares to ask for the ball. He's full of confidence, never panics. For me, that's very valuable.

On Returning Players and Minutes Against Leeds United

Reporter: Obviously, a few players have returned to Chicago—will they get some minutes in the match against Leeds United?

Iraola: Yes, my idea is to give Ryan (Gravenberch), Florian (Wirtz), Alex (Isak), and even Jeremy Jacquet some playing time against Leeds United. We'll see how many minutes they can handle, but we need to gradually integrate these senior players—they've had fewer training sessions. However, I think they should be ready to play by the weekend.

On Returning to Yankee Stadium

Reporter: Finally, coach, how did it feel to be back at Yankee Stadium? Did you enjoy it?

Iraola: Yes, it was great. I love this place. It's a special stadium because it's narrow and small. When I came here to play back in the day, I felt it suited me too—I had little running ability left by then, so it actually masked my physical limitations at the time. But playing here requires precision, because finding space in this stadium is not easy.

Reporter: Thank you for your time, and for coming to the interview.

Source: YouTube