Liverpool have developed a reputation for having one of the best academies in world football in recent years.
The club has the ability to show prospective additions a clear pathway to the first-team, and the Reds' senior squad has been littered with academy graduates in recent years.
Trent Alexander-Arnold, Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Conor Bradley, Jarell Quansah and Coaimhin Kelleher are just some of the examples of recent graduates from the Kirkby to have become important parts of the team at Anfield.
The club have adopted the strategy of recruiting some of the world's most promising youngsters to the academy, and it is clearly working.
Lewis Koumas, Trey Nyoni and Rio Ngumoha have all established themselves as important first-team squad players in the early days of Andoni Iraola's tenure at Anfield.

#first

Alexander Isak has a problem and there's no clear fix. Andoni Iraola has real work to do as Liverpool boss.
Alexander Isak scored a winner for Liverpool on Saturday, finding the net on his return to beat Brentford. It was the kind of moment that Isak was signed for - to be the decisive goalscorer in a difficult game.
No matter what, then, this was a good performance from Isak. He did his job, got the three points for Liverpool, and it's difficult to have complaints. 'Difficult' but not impossible.
This was not a brilliant display from the Swede, who struggled badly to get into the game before Brentford were reduced to 10 men. And that creates a very difficult problem for Andoni Iraola to solve.
Brentford's red card came in the rarely-seen 8th-minute of first-half stoppage time, so this was truly a game of two halves. Incredibly, Liverpool actually had the same share of the ball in each half, though - 60 per cent of it.

#Liverpool #game #problem

Alex Scott has been one of Liverpool's main targets ever since Andoni Iraola was brought in.
The Spaniard managed to turn despite him only being 23 years old.
Scott knows Iraola's system like the back of his hand and, during their time together at Bournemouth, the two often spoke highly of one another.
At the moment, one of Liverpool's main issues is their midfield so, if Iraola can bring someone in who already knows his system, it would make things much easier.
That's why, of all the recent midfielders linked with an Anfield switch, Scott has been the most talked-about.

#scott #iraola #system

Liverpool are still trying to figure things out under Andoni Iraola.
The first couple of months under the Spaniard have shown promising glimpses of what could be at Anfield, but the side lacks consistency and still looks some way off competing on all fronts.
Several issues still plague the squad, but two of the most prominent have come in the midfield and on the right wing.
The Reds midfield has lacked balance this campaign and has often been the weakest area on the pitch, whilst the right side of the attack is left with no natural option following the departure of Mohamed Salah.
Luckily, there is one man who could fix both problems for Liverpool.

#spaniard

Andoni Iraola has admitted Liverpool will be without Dominik Szoboszlai and Jeremie Frimpong "for some time" after both were forced off with hamstring injuries in Saturday's 2-1 win at Brentford.
Vice-captain Szoboszlai, who had missed Liverpool's previous two matches with the same problem, was replaced after 32 minutes at the Gtech Community Stadium. Frimpong came on at half-time but lasted just six minutes before limping off.
Both players will undergo scans to determine the extent of the damage.
Iraola explained that a tight turnaround from Wednesday'sChampions League trip to LASK in Austria had left him with difficult selection calls.
"We had a very delicate situation coming back from playing Champions League away (against LASK in Austria) on Wednesday, arriving back late at night and probably not a proper chance of recovery. So you are in doubt between (selecting) the players who have already started two games and are very tired or the players who are recovering from injuries on whom you are not 100 per cent sure."

#minutes

Harvey Elliott went to Valencia in search of calm, minutes and the sort of fresh start that can rescue a career from drift. Instead, as Liverpool.com reports, he has arrived in the middle of turbulence, and for a young footballer trying to rebuild belief, that can be a cruel place to begin again.
The move to Spain felt, on the surface, like a sensible answer to a difficult year. Elliott had returned from an underwhelming loan at Aston Villa, a spell that promised more than it delivered, and came back to Liverpool needing clarity. Under Andoni Iraola, opportunities in pre-season were there in glimpses, but the direction of travel soon became obvious. He was not an obvious fit and early omissions from matchday squads told their own story.
So Valencia offered possibility. A big club, a demanding crowd, a league that can reward intelligence and craft, it seemed a place where Elliott might reconnect with the qualities that once made him such an exciting young midfielder. Yet football has a habit of mocking tidy plans.
IMAGO | Anfield Index
Valencia are bottom of La Liga after five matches, with only one draw to show for them. Supporters are restless, results are poor and the mood has soured quickly. Elliott, still working his way towards full sharpness, has managed only two substitute appearances. That was already a delicate situation. It has now become even more unstable.

#valencia #place #obvious

Andoni Iraola's words confirm Liverpool have a new Roberto Firmino.
The Brazilian is one of the most underappreciated club icons in recent memory. Firmino never really sought the acclaim of the Anfield crowd.
He was more like a cog in a machine. He kept Jurgen Klopp's side running and he helped provide the stamina and fuel for Sadio Mane and Mo Salah to play at their very best.
Firmino was unselfish. Yet he was capable of doing magnificent things. He worked tirelessly and embraced Klopp's philosophy of gegenpressing to the max.
Without him, who knows whether the Reds would have been able to achieve everything they did. That's how essential the Brazilian was to the operations at Anfield.

#andoni #roberto #salah

Two Premier League matches at Anfield. Two draws.
For just the third time in 63 years, Liverpool have failed to win both of their opening home games of a league season - not exactly the flying start new boss Andoni Iraola would have been dreaming of.
After such an encouraging midweek performance against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, full of urgency, Saturday's goalless draw against Fulham was a flat follow-up, especially with the Cottagers lacking in confidence and having conceded seven goals in their first three league games.
The Reds looked physically and mentally tired and, to put it bluntly, like an entirely different team to the one that won against a Diego Simeone side that made it to the Champions League semi-finals last season.
On the first real look at how Iraola's style will cope with two games a week, this was certainly not what the Liverpool head coach, nor the Anfield crowd, would have wanted to see.

#league #games #champions #premier

If part of the challenge for Andoni Iraola when he took the Liverpool job was mastering the art of winning Premier League games after midweek Champions League dates, he failed his first test. An Anfield afternoon against a side with the wrong sort of 100 percent record ought to have been the ideal introduction to such ******* ignments.
Instead, Fulham got their first point of the season. A Spanish manager with a playing career at right-back had much to savour; but it was Alvaro Arbeloa, not Iraola. A terrific defender under Rafa Benitez, Arbeloa contributed to many a clean sheet in his time at Liverpool. Now Fulham have a first in the Premier League in his reign. Having conceded three goals to left wing-backs against Crystal Palace last week, they conceded none to Liverpool's three £100m men.
Alvaro Arbeloa could celebrate a first point in the Premier League with Fulham (Getty)
"Happy with the point and more happy with the performance," said Arbeloa. "We were more balanced today. We defended so well." He had made the bold decision to give the Austrian centre-back David Affengruber a debut at Anfield. "He proved how good he is," Arbeloa said.
But Iraola's side delivered a disjointed display, failing to touch the heights they reached in their comeback against Atletico Madrid and failing to score for the first time under him. "What was lacking was quite clear. It is the first game we had problems to create chances and score goals," he admitted.

#first #league #point #alvaro

A fourth nine-figure signing? One club has slapped enormous valuations on their players - and that will hit Liverpool.
Liverpool have spent unprecedented amounts of cash in the last two summers. They've gone from zero nine-figure signings to three a little over a year, completely reshaping their attack with elite talent.
Now, it should be said that the transfers haven't quite delivered yet. Liverpool took a giant step backwards last season and are trying to get back on track in this campaign under Andoni Iraola.
And we should stress that the squad building process is not done. Richard Hughes has left behind a very imbalanced squad, one which lacks a right-winger as well as midfield depth.
The Reds must re-enter the market in 2027 to correct things, then, and they've naturally had a look at three players from Iraola's former club, Bournemouth. However, none of those players are coming cheap.

#they 've #figure #last #andoni

Andoni Iraola has sent a message to Liverpool across his first few games in charge. It's puts the Reds in a difficult position.
We've now seen what Andoni Iraola is about over his first four matches in charge of Liverpool. The Spaniard has tried to develop the team quickly, hoping to get them pressing higher and playing with more energy than last season.
That was very apparent in the wins over Ipswich Town and Atlético Madrid. The latter was a particularly impressive win in the UEFA Champions League and it was the Reds' high press that made it happen.
What Iraola needs, then, is to get a hold of the right players for the right roles. That includes figuring who in this current bunch are capable of delivering what he needs.
And one decision he appears to have made on that puts Liverpool in a very tricky position.

#andoni #first

Speaking on the Transfer Insider podcast, journalist Pete O'Rourke claimed that Liverpool are keen on recruiting Bournemouth winger Rayan. O'Rourke said,
"There's obvious links between Rayan and the Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola.
"Iraola was at Bournemouth when they signed him, and obviously he made a massive impact there, he got seven goal contributions in 15 games which is pretty good going.
"Obviously, links with Liverpool are pretty easy to come up with in that respect because of who the manager is.
"Iraola is a big fan of his, having worked with him before, so of course it is a possibility and Liverpool will be keeping a close eye on his performances for Bournemouth this season.

#rayan #manager #pretty #speaking

| Wednesday, September 9th |
Champions League | Anfield
8PM BST/3PM EST
Liverpool kick off the league phase of their 2026-27 Champions League campaign on Wednesday night under the lights at Anfield and while reality might always play out differently, on paper at least it seems likely to be the toughest test they will face before the knockout rounds—assuming, of course, that they make it that far.
It's also the first time new head coach Andoni Iraola will manage in the Champions League, having previously only managed AEK Larnaca in the Europa League in 2018-19, which required him to navigate six qualification matches before finishing third in their group behind Bayer Leverkusen and FC Zürich.
Wednesday, then, will be a much sterner test than he's faced before, at least in Europe. The Premier League though is no walk in the park, and Iraola has played and managed against Diego Simeone sides from his time as a player at Athletic Bilbao and then as a manager at Rayo Vallecano. One wouldn't expect, then, for anything he does see on Wednesday night to be truly unexpected or beyond his ability to prepare for.
Predicted Liverpool Lineup (4-2-3-1)

#least

Liverpool's Champions League campaign begins at Anfield on Wednesday, with Atletico Madrid providing an immediate test for Andoni Iraola and a squad still adjusting to life under their new head coach.
Iraola arrives at his first European fixture with some momentum. Liverpool's 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town on Friday ended a run of two successive 2-2 draws, with Alexander Isak scoring twice and Cody Gakpo supplying both ****** ists. It was the sort of result that gives a new manager some breathing room, although Atletico Madrid will represent a very different proposition.
Alexis Mac Allister was the first Liverpool player to face the media at the AXA Training Centre on Tuesday, and inevitably, his future was one of the main talking points.
The Argentina international confirmed there had been a genuine possibility of leaving Liverpool during the summer, following uncertainty over a new contract.
"There was a chance, of course," Mac Allister said. "I received the news that the club wasn't in a position to offer me a new contract, which made me sad."

#atletico #allister #Liverpool

Liverpool have finally got a win on the board under Andoni Iraola, beating Ipswich 2-0 at Portman Road with Alexander Isak scoring both goals. Useful, professional, no drama. Now attention shifts to availability, because the fixture list does not slow down and Liverpool's squad still has too many names in the treatment room.
The headline is straightforward. Joe Gomez is the closest of the current absentees to coming back, and that matters. He offers depth, experience and flexibility across the back line, which becomes important very quickly once European games begin.
X: AnfieldAgenda
Gomez lasted fewer than 10 minutes in Liverpool's first pre-season friendly before suffering a muscle injury. At the time, Iraola said: "He will be some weeks off. It's a muscle injury and [with] muscle injuries it is difficult to say one day, but normally I always put [it] as one month."
The situation has improved. Ahead of the trip to Ipswich, Iraola gave a more encouraging update: "Joe will probably start training with us next week, and it has gone normally. The recovery from a muscle injury – more or less, we were expecting the time on this. I hope we can have him before the break, let's say.'"

#ipswich #normally

The summer transfer window may have only just shut but, the rumour mill is already going into overdrive.
Liverpool finally won their first game of the Premier League season on Friday with Andoni Iraola's style of football finally shining through.
However, if they don't manage to keep their performance levels to that standard throughout the rest of the season, there's no way that they'll be anywhere near the top of the table.
So, in order for them to keep things this way and ensure that they can out-do their performances from last term, some new transfers may have to be made.
This is why it's important that Liverpool may have already decided on who their next transfer is going to be.

#transfer #already #keep #Friday

Due to some sporadic runs of form and a very big helping hand from the footballing Gods, Liverpool found themselves qualifying for this season's Champions League and so the dream of more European nights at Anfield again became reality. For all of us Reds supporters and club it's the bare minimum requirement, and this writer has been luckily enough to have watched all six finals that Liverpool won, the first in 1977 when I was eight years old.
More importantly in the present moment, Wednesday evening is going to be the very first European game for head coach Andoni Iraola as head coach of any club, and let's hope that it will be even more than he could ever imagine because it's at Anfield and against one of the most difficult opponents in the Champions League in recent years in Diego Simeone's Atletico Madrid.
Everyone involved in European football probably knows about those Famous European Nights at Anfield under the lights, but it's not all up to the supporters—the players will need to start in the right mood as they did against Ipswich, with intensity from the first whistle but unlike in that game the players won't be allowed to ease up until the final whistle is blown.
There is history between Liverpool and Atleti, with the Reds winning three of the seven times the clubs have faced off in the Champions League whilst Atletico have won two and then two draws between them. More than the match ups being fairly even there are the tough tactics of Simeone, who has a knack of getting under the skin of opposing managers as well his players being very physical in their play. It's going to be an interesting test for Iraola and the players but especially Liverpool's head coach as this will be his first experience of the Champions league and a congested fixture list.
"Big game, the first Champions League for me as a coach," Iraola noted during the post-Ipswich match interviews when he was asked about the approaching match against Atletico. "At Anfield, under the lights. I love to play at night."

#first

There's a new Mo Salah on the scene and he is destined to join Liverpool.
It was an eyebrow raising decision not to replace the Egyptian star this summer. Salah's departure has left a void in the squad but looking back it was definitely a necessary move.
Ultimately, Liverpool had moved away from relying on their former talisman. Salah is still a supreme footballer. However, long-term Liverpool need to look ahead to the future.
That future is now represented by Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Bradley Barcola alongside a myriad of supporting cast players who are young and hungry and determined to make an impression on the first-team.
It's an exciting direction, especially with Andoni Iraola at the helm.

#florian

With Richard Hughes' move to Al-Hilal now confirmed, Liverpool are seeking a new sporting director for the fifth time since 2022.
Hughes joined Liverpool in the summer of 2024 and oversaw the appointments of Arne Slot then Andoni Iraola. He informed the club earlier this year that he wanted to pursue a new challenge in Saudi Arabia.
Mike Gordon, the president of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), is overseeing the process of finding Hughes' replacement, with Liverpool keen to make a swift appointment.
Liverpool will look at internal candidates, but have not ruled out the possibility of appointing someone from outside the club. There is a desire to have someone that is committed long term.
When the question of stability was put to Billy Hogan, Liverpool's CEO, this summer, he told BBC Sport: "I would send a message that we are in a very healthy place as a football club - the leadership from the ownership is in a very steady place and we're looking forward to the next season and the season ahead."

#summer

However, thanks to the many fallings out that the Egyptian King had with Arne Slot, Liverpool and the attacker both agreed to terminate his deal a year before it was due to expire.
Most fans thought that this would mean the Reds' main target was going to be a new right-winger.
However, that was far from the case with Bradley Barcola taking until the very end of the window to get brought in.
And, if we're being picky, although the Frenchman can play on the right if needed, Andoni Iraola now has four left-wingers in his squad.
So, realistically, the Anfield outfit still need to find their replacement for Salah but, thanks to their business this summer, they may have already ruined their chances in that department too.

#egyptian #arne

Andoni Iraola has said Liverpool 'need a win' at Ipswich Town tomorrow after a frustrating start to the season.
Liverpool have opened thePremier League campaign with successive draws, as Iraola awaits his first win as manager. The Reds have twice trailed against both Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest, before fighting back to earn late draws.
Iraola acknowledges that improvement is needed ahead of tomorrow's trip to Portman Road.
"We need a win, we are frustrated at this part of the job. I think we need to stick to games but I want to win, I need to win," he said at hispre-match press conference.
"We will go with this same [mentality] tomorrow. I think the first two gameweeks were probably the most difficult ones in terms of the market being open.

#andoni #town

Liverpool have named their squad for the 2026/27 Champions League league phase, and there is no point dressing it up, two senior players have been left behind. Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo are not in Andoni Iraola's List A squad, which means they are unavailable unless changes are made later.
That is the headline. It is also the message. Iraola has looked at his options and decided that, for this part of the campaign, neither player is essential.
Chiesa's omission stands out. He stayed at Anfield this summer despite more uncertainty over his future, hoping to rebuild momentum after a stop-start spell shaped by injuries. He has not featured in the Premier League yet this season because of a minor issue, and with Liverpool short of proven width on the right, there was a route back into the picture. This decision closes that route, at least in Europe.
Endo's situation is less surprising, but no less significant. He has been working back from a pre-season injury and has clearly lost ground. Liverpool have younger legs and, in Iraola's view, better fits for the way he wants the side to play. At 33, Endo now looks like a squad player whose role is shrinking fast.
Photo IMAGO

#endo #back

Liverpool turned down a seven-figure offer for Keyrol Figueroa before sanctioning his deadline day loan to Port Vale, according to Liverpool.com, in a move that says plenty about how the club currently view the young striker.
Transfer deadline day was relatively calm at Anfield, but this was one of the more interesting developments beneath the surface. Figueroa, a highly regarded 20-year-old forward, had attracted interest from a number of markets, with Liverpool.com reporting that approaches arrived from Ligue 2 in France, Major League Soccer and Portugal. One unnamed club went further and placed a seven-figure proposal on the table for a permanent transfer, only for Liverpool to reject it.
That stance is significant. Liverpool have clearly decided that Figueroa remains an ***** et worth protecting, even if he is not yet in a position to force his way into Andoni Iraola's first-team plans. The head coach approved a temporary move instead, with the club choosing Port Vale as the destination for a player in need of regular senior minutes.
The immediate picture at Anfield helps explain the decision. Figueroa was involved during pre-season and wanted to make his case ahead of the new Premier League campaign, but the pathway looked crowded. He has found himself behind Jayden Danns and Will Wright in the attacking queue, while Josh Sonni-Lambie has also stepped up into the under-21s environment.
Even so, Liverpool's refusal to cash in suggests they believe there is still substantial upside. The report states that "they feel the frontman has a big future ahead of him and a loan was preferred rather than allowing the player to move on a permanent switch." That is a notable message for a player who is yet to make his professional debut for Liverpool's senior side.

#move #transfer

My daughter's old maths teacher, Mr Fields, is an Ipswich fan and he is very excited about how ambitious the club has been since getting promoted. I think all their supporters must be the same.
Ipswich have spent almost £200m on a stack of new signings to try to stay in the Premier League and, watching them, it is clear they are not just planning to park the bus.
They will be confident for this game after beating Sunderland at home on the opening weekend and I am expecting them to have a real go at Liverpool too.
It will be interesting to see if new signing Bradley Barcola starts for the Reds, who seem to have a lot of attacking players who like to play off the left.
Boss Andoni Iraola has plenty of attacking options, but I still have concerns about them defensively, while his players adjust to his front-foot pressing style.

#Liverpool

What had initially promised to be a busy final couple of days for Liverpool during the summer transfer window ultimately fizzled out into nothing. The Reds managed to confirm a deal for Bradley Barcola after weeks of negotiations with Paris Saint-Germain.
That deal always felt like it was a matter of when and not if though.
The expectation was that there would be more business done. Andoni Iraola confirmed as much in the build-up to the season opener against Newcastle United.
"We will definitely sign some players. Some deals you have to wait until the end. But the end is the important picture, the one we will have on September 1. Because it is true that we are still quite thin."
The reinforcements, however, did not arrive and the former Bournemouth boss now has to get the best out of an incomplete and unbalanced squad. It is an unenviable situation to be in. But it is one Iraola is going to have to manage, at least until January anyway.

#iraola #barcola

Liverpool have left Federico Chiesa and Wataru Endo out of their 25-man squad for the league phase of the Champions League.
Italy forward Chiesa was also initially excluded in the competition last season under former boss Arne Slot, before being added to the list after defender Giovanni Leoni suffered a long-term knee injury in September.
Chiesa, 28, is currently out injured but expected to return to training during the international break later this month.
He has struggled for first-team football at Liverpool since joining from Juventus in August 2024.
Japan midfielder Endo, 33, has been an unused substitute for manager Andoni Iraola's side in their two league games so far this season, but he misses out too, with 21-year-old James McConnell making the cut.

#chiesa #wataru #arne

Andoni Iraola is set to throw Bradley Barcola straight into the Liverpool team for Friday's trip to Ipswich following his £123m signing.
Liverpool made the statement acquisition of Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain on the penultimate day of the transfer window, culminating a summer-long saga surrounding the French winger.
An exit had been on the cards from PSG with Barcola not being included in any matchday squad this season, following zero minutes during pre-season.
Iraola, however, says Barcola is in a "good place" and did not rule out the 23-year-old starting at Portman Road, with the Spaniard still searching for his first win in the Reds dugout after two draws with Newcastle and Nottingham Forest.
Bradley Barcola is Liverpool's newest signing and could feature against Ipswich (PA Wire)

#iraola #following #andoni

Liverpool boss Iraola due to meet media from 10:00 BST
Reds travel to Ipswich Town on Friday (20:00)
Will new £123m signing Barcola be in squad?
Opposite number O'Neil speaking from 13:30
Six other news conferences from 13:00

#barcola

Somewhat surprisingly, Liverpool made plenty of changes to their ranks this summer.
Indeed, fans knew that moves needed to be made but, after their £450 million spend last term, most people were unsure about how much money FSG would've been willing to spend.
If Bradley Barcola hadn't joined, the window would've been an absolute travesty but, since his £100 million + move was confirmed, the Reds' spending was high again.
Despite the Frenchman's arrival, new players are still needed before it feels like the Reds are definitely ready to challenge for silverware again.
Of course, they'll still be seen as one of the Premier League's biggest teams but, unless Andoni Iraola manages to get his players performing to the standards expected of them soon, they could be left behind by their rivals.

#made #needed #somewhat #Liverpool

Ipswich Town host Liverpool this Friday at the Portman Road for matchweek three of the Premier League. The match will be broadcast live at 20:00 on Sky Sports Main Event.
Ipswich Town have 3 points to their name this season and occupy 12th position in the table. In their last game, Gary O'Neil's team lost 5-2 against Manchester United (Premier League 2026/27).
Liverpool have won 2 points to date and are placed in 13th position. In their last outing, Andoni Iraola's team drew 2-2 against Nottingham Forest (Premier League 2026/27).
The last meeting between the two teams ended with Liverpool winning 4-1.
Azor Matusiwa - Injury

#league #position