Had his team beaten a desperately out-of-form Fulham at Anfield, rather than one of the worst 0-0 draws you’re ever likely to see, Liverpool would be second in the Premier League table after the opening five games, behind only 100-per cent-pacesetters Manchester City.
It’s City who arrive at Anfield as domestic football returns this weekend, and it’s set to be an interesting atmosphere following the Premier League’s finding of the visitors being guilty of 114 financial breaches. That Liverpool were arguably the team most cheated by City’s breaches adds to the timing of the fixture on Sunday. Anfield will provide some 'welcome'.
But while much of the pre-match talk will focus on the ongoing fallout from the guilty charge, and the views of Liverpool supporters, this three-week pause on domestic football has given us time to review what's changed at Liverpool since Iraola's appointment - and there's plenty.
#1: Alexis Mac Allister is Iraola’s first-choice midfielder
Few players’ form represented Liverpool’s struggles last season more than Alexis Mac Allister’s. The narrative became that the Argentine’s leg’s had seemingly gone, struggling for speed in the middle and easily turned and ran in behind. It was a narrative that certainly passed the eye test, and most supporters wouldn’t have been too fussed had the 27-year-old departed in the summer.
But an impressive showing with Argentina at the World Cup showed that Mac Allister still has plenty to offer, something Iraola quickly identified, too. Mac Allister is now undoubtedly Liverpool’s first-choice midfielder, ousting Ryan Gravenberch in the position alongside Dominik Szoboszlai.
#2: Dutch duo are very much out of favour
Gravenberch started in Liverpool’s first game of the season, partly because of Mac Allister’s later return to pre-season, in a game where the midfield was completely exposed for both of Newcastle’s goals.
Since then he’s started just one of the six games - that being the dour 0-0 with Fulham when he was hooked after an hour.
It’s a similar story for Jeremie Frimpong, who didn’t play a minute for the Netherlands during their four games in the international break.
Frimpong started the two opening games of the season, before Ronald Araujo had arrived and settled in. Since then his only start has been in the Carabao Cup.
#3: Iraola is ruthless in addressing issues
The dropping of Gravenberch and Frimpong shows how quick Iraola is at not only identifying the issues, which had been apparent long before he arrived at the club, but also in addressing them and finding a solution.
Frimpong isn’t a right-back. Arguably he isn’t a winger either. He’s a wing-back. Liverpool don’t play with wing-backs. He’s a player who isn’t needed and who Liverpool should be looking to replace with somebody who suits the squad’s needs.
Meanwhile, Araujo provides a far more solid and reliable option. In fact, Liverpool haven’t conceded a goal in the 285 minutes he’s played in the Premier League!
Having Araujo as a less attack-focused full-back allows Milos Kerkez greater license to get forward on the opposite flank - which is the opposite to how Arne Slot used him for large parts of last season.
#4: Wingers are vital to Iraola’s identity
While a specific right-winger to replace Mohamed Salah eventually wasn’t acquired in the summer, the additions of Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola provided Iraola with a strong group of wingers.
With Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha, the squad includes four wingers, who Iraola has said will all have to get used to playing on the left or right, depending on the opposition and specific approaches in-game.
The further pursuits of Ismaila Sarr and Yankuba Minteh would have given Iraola more balance, with Barcola and Minteh or Sarr then being the first-choice options, Gakpo departing, and Munoz and Ngumoha providing the depth.
What’s apparent is that Iraola likes to have strong options from the bench to change the game, that primarily is his wingers, especially given the current lack of options to replace Alexander Isak.
Once Hugo Ekitike returns sometime in winter, it will provide an interesting new option for the Basque boss.
#5: More rotation will be required
Iraola was unlikely to select a much-changed lineup for his first-ever game as a manager in the Champions League, against a strong Atletico Madrid side, at Anfield.
But the result of making just two changes in that hard-fought 2-1 win against Atletico (both those being the wingers), was the desperately energy-devoid showing against Fulham three days later.
Clearly, for Iraola’s high-energy, pressing style to work more often, more rotation is required until players are capable of doing so midweek and weekend.
This is, after all, Iraola’s first time managing in Europe’s elite competition and having four competitions to play in.
Yet another tough Carabao Cup draw, at home to Chelsea, hardly helps things.
#6: Youth will get chances
Despite the need to get wins on the board early on, Iraola has shown that youngsters will get their chances. Trey Nyoni is a player many supporters would like to see get more opportunities in the league, having been marginalised last season under Slot and seeking a loan move away until Iraola’s arrival.
Iraola made 10 changes to the Carabao Cup lineup against Tottenham, with Nyoni and James McConnell in midfield and Lewis Koumas up front. Koumas’ energetic cameos in the league have also endeared him to supporters early on. His versatility makes him a useful squad player.
With nine games in 29 days after the international break and before the next one in November, Iraola will need to utilise his squad and that includes youngsters such as that trio. A Champions League tie away to LASK next week should provide the first opportunity to make some rotations, especially after what is likely to be an energetic match against Man City at Anfield on Sunday.
In the new format of the Champions League, finishing high up the league stage appears to offer little reward - provided you finish high enough to avoid the play-off. So there is no need to be playing a ‘best XI’ in all league games.
For example, Iraola needs to learn that an away match against Brentford is higher priority than LASK in the league phase. After all, Liverpool’s bread and butter is the league campaign. And European exploits can always be salvaged with a strong bench or winning later league stage games.
#7: Iraola has embraced everything Liverpool
The Spaniard’s first message upon his arrival on Merseyside was to tell fans how he wanted “to become one of you.”
He spoke of wanting to sightsee in Liverpool and immerse himself in the club and the city. Such words were welcome after reports of his predecessor not quite adopting that approach of ‘all in’, especially with regard to the Academy.
Praise for Iraola has been effusive from Under-21s coach Rob Page. “He has been excellent, and the staff,” said Page, referring to Iraola and his assistants of Pablo de la Torre, Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper.
This extended international break has seen Iraola working with the small group of first-team players not away with their country, plus some of the Under-21s. “The boss has had them in training,” explains Page. “They’ve worked hard. Our lads (U21s) last week went over for four consecutive days with him.”
After supporters become more accustomed to images of Slot on holiday during international breaks, that Iraola has been busy at the training ground hasn’t gone unnoticed.
He’s also been spotted in the city, posing for photos with kids at a GOALS soccer centre, having moved his family to just north of Liverpool, close to where Jurgen Klopp resided.
Again, after Slot opted to live near to Manchester airport and was often spotted in Selfridges in the Trafford Centre, it makes for a refreshing change.
Iraola appears to understand what it means to be the figurehead of a club like Liverpool, where every word and every moment, on and off the pitch, is perceived and interpreted by passionate and emotive fans.
