What lies ahead for Iraola's Reds?
Two weeks out from the start of the season and the signs are ominous. For the third summer in a row - arguably fourth, if you include the midfield overhaul prior to Klopp’s final season - the club is in a major period of transition. The renewed optimism that greeted Andoni Iraola earlier in the summer has subsided as a lack of much-needed reinforcements and some mixed pre-season results have dampened the mood. Michael Edwards, whose laptop was heralded as the answer to losing Jurgen Klopp, has left his role with FSG without making an impact. Richard Hughes will soon follow him out the door. His legacy will depend on how the fruits of his work in the transfer and managerial market play out over the next couple of years. All of this upheaval has meant the club looks, from the outside at least, as though there is no long-term direction behind the scenes in what is a key period of transition. This summer Mo Salah has departed, next year it is likely to be Virgil Van Dijk and Alisson waving goodbye to the Kop. They are the last of the modern-era club legends who have taken the club to heights not seen for a generation. When they are gone, this new generation will need to take up the mantle if Liverpool are going to continue winning and thus far, haven’t come close to matching what came before. That is a big problem that those behind the scenes need to solve if they want to maintain the standards that Liverpool have set over the last decade.
It is not all about transfers. History tells us that the number of signings does not always correlate with the success of the season to come. Liverpool’s two recent league titles were both lifted on the back of summer windows where the club did effectively nothing to improve the first team, with all due respect to Adrian, Sepp Van Den Berg and Federico Chiesa. In contrast, last summer Liverpool made a string of high-profile signings and were effectively crowned champions-elect in September after a strong start but went on to produce one of the most underwhelming campaigns in living memory. But, while signings don’t mean success, the truth is that this squad needs major surgery. Objectively, it is not equipped to win titles playing high-intensity football three times a week. If last season is anything to go by, legs are a problem all over the pitch. Mentality is a problem all over the pitch. Most positions are lacking in depth or in some cases, lacking a first-team starter. If Liverpool don’t address that reality over the next four weeks, they will be nowhere near the major honours come May.
Andoni Iraola and the club hierarchy face questions that need answering across the pitch. Who will partner Van Dijk in what is likely to be his final season at Anfield? Have the club got a competent right-back who can stay fit? Who is going to fill Mo Salah’s boots? Can Alexander Isak stay fit? Is Florian Wirtz going to be the main man in this team? Can this squad cope with high-intensity football for the next 10 months? Are Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni ready to play their part in the biggest games? Has Andoni Iraola been given what he needs to be a success at this club? As things stand, the answer to all of those questions is either “no” or “we don’t know”. In a couple of weeks, Liverpool may have picked up 3 points against Newcastle with Bradley Barcola through the door and that would help to improve the outlook in the short-term. For now though, the jury is very much out on what this Liverpool team is capable of this season. The saving grace is that Arsenal aside, every one of Liverpool’s main rivals is also in at the beginning of a new era and facing similar questions. If Liverpool can get this next few weeks right, there is nothing to say that this season can’t be a special one but at this stage that “if” is a big one.
