Andoni Iraola's Liverpool: unbeaten but six points worse off

Andoni Iraola's Liverpool are still unbeaten but six points worse off than last season

Andoni Iraola returns to Bournemouth on Sunday with his Liverpool side unbeaten but six points worse off than at this stage last season. The 44-year-old replaced Arne Slot at Anfield last summer and has made intensity his non-negotiable, though a goalless draw with Fulham exposed the strain of a punishing schedule.

Fixture: Bournemouth vs Liverpool, Premier League
Venue: Bournemouth's home ground, where the away changing room has been renovated for Europa League compliance
Context: Iraola returns to the club he managed for three years
Form: Liverpool are unbeaten under Iraola but six points worse off than last season
Schedule: Sunday is Liverpool's fourth game in 12 days
Key stat: Liverpool have made the most sprints in the Premier League this season

What was said

"It's really intense. There's a lot of hard work and no sort of light days. Everyone's putting in 100%."
— Lewis Koumas, Liverpool forward, on training under Iraola

"We have an understanding of how the first team play and key principles, like how we press, how he wants his number 10 to press, how he wants his number eight to press, how he wants his centre-backs to press - we mirror that absolutely."
— Rob Page, Liverpool Under-21s coach, on aligning the academy with Iraola's methods

"Draws aren't good enough for Liverpool."
— Alisson, Liverpool vice-captain, last week

Koumas's description of relentless training sessions underlines why Iraola is nicknamed a 'six days a week' coach. Page's comments reveal a deliberate attempt to synchronise the academy's pressing structure with the first team, ensuring young players can step up without adjusting their instincts.

Alisson's assessment cuts to the core of Liverpool's current situation: an unbeaten start is progress after 12 league losses last term, but draws will not satisfy a club of this stature. Iraola must convert resilience into victories, starting at Bournemouth.

The numbers

Six points worse off than at this stage last season
Unbeaten in the Premier League under Iraola
Average age of Liverpool's Premier League players this season: 25.3 (only five teams have a lower average)
At least 49 games this season, potentially into the 60s depending on cup runs
Sunday is the fourth game in 12 days
After the international break: four games in 10 days
Between 11 October and 7 November: nine matches

Iraola's adaptation: training ground, squad management, and youth

Andoni Iraola rarely uses his own office at Liverpool's AXA Training Centre in Kirkby, preferring the coaches' room alongside assistants Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and Pablo de la Torre. He is often first on the training pitch, marking out cones. De la Torre, who followed Iraola from Rayo Vallecano to Bournemouth in 2023, is a key pillar in ensuring players meet the physical standard demanded.

The changes inside the club are not as drastic as outsiders might think, given the structured nature of the head coach role. Iraola was appointed on the back of his work at Bournemouth, but he is learning on the job when it comes to Liverpool's congested schedule. There is a willingness to listen to the medical and fitness departments as the Reds manage a squad playing at least 49 games. Training times now adapt to the following fixture's kick-off, with late afternoon and early evening sessions increasingly common. Under Arne Slot, Liverpool trained at a similar time each day.

Iraola names his team on the morning of the game and holds the post-match debrief the day after. His media interactions are pragmatic; after a pre-season friendly against Monaco, his comments to LFC TV were widely reported. He conceded Liverpool ran out of steam after 30 minutes and lacked the energy to play with the desired intensity. It was not a dig at his players but an admission of where they were physically. At Liverpool, every word can be shared across social media and misinterpreted. Still, Iraola appears calm in news conferences and open to discussion.

The average age of Liverpool's Premier League players this season is 25.3, with only five teams lower. Youngsters Rio Ngumoha (18), Trey Nyoni (19) and Koumas (20) all started against Tottenham in the Carabao Cup and will play bigger roles. Dominik Szoboszlai recently explained how Liverpool play with a number six, a number eight and a number 10; despite fans calling for a defensive midfielder in the transfer window, Iraola's system can work if everyone improves collectively.

Tactical analysis: Why Iraola's intensity faces its toughest test yet

The most sprints in the Premier League tell you Iraola's pressing demands are being met, but the goalless draw with Fulham, less than 72 hours after beating Atletico Madrid in the Champions League, showed the cost. With four games in 12 days and nine between 11 October and 7 November, Iraola must rotate smartly. Expect late-afternoon training sessions tailored to kick-off times as he manages load.

His system relies on the number 10, number eight and centre-backs pressing in coordinated fashion, as Rob Page explained. Without a specialist defensive midfielder, Szoboszlai and his midfield partners must cover ground intelligently. Against Bournemouth, Iraola may lean on younger legs like Ngumoha and Nyoni to sustain intensity, especially with a fourth game in 12 days.

Iraola is unbeaten in the Premier League since January across his two clubs. A win on familiar territory would be the perfect way to head into the international break. But the challenge is clear: turning draws into wins while keeping everyone fresh for a brutal autumn.

Talking points

Is an unbeaten start with six fewer points than last season actually progress, or just a prettier version of the same flaws?
Iraola's 'six days a week' intensity is admirable, but with at least 49 games, will the squad burn out by November?
Starting three teenagers against Tottenham was bold, but should Ngumoha, Nyoni and Koumas be trusted in must-win league games?
Liverpool's fan calls for a defensive midfielder went unanswered; can collective improvement really compensate for that gap?

What happens next

Liverpool travel to Bournemouth on Sunday for a fourth game in 12 days. A win would send them into the international break on a positive note, while defeat would intensify scrutiny of Iraola's unbeaten but draw-heavy record. After the break, they face four games in 10 days, with nine matches between 11 October and 7 November.