Iraola: I Take Responsibility for Slow Start; I Hope Llorente Stops Scoring Here

In the first round of the Champions League league phase, Liverpool came from behind to beat Atletico Madrid 2-1 at home. After the match, Liverpool head coach Iraola attended the press conference and answered questions from the media.

Andoni, congratulations. You earned three points in your first Champions League match as a coach and also achieved your first victory over Diego Simeone. The team's rhythm looked especially good at the start of the second half. After equalising before halftime and getting back into the match, what did you say during the break to consolidate and push the team forward?

Yes, I think I have to take some responsibility for our poor start today. Atletico Madrid used a formation system today that they had not used previously this season, which cost us some time in adapting to the matchups. It took us a few minutes after conceding to adjust, and after that our positioning was much better. From that moment, we started to play better. Obviously, after halftime we had more time and our plans were more properly arranged. I think we performed better in the second half. The whole team and the players showed great resilience, very strong resilience. In addition, the supporters gave us tremendous support in the second half. On a Champions League night like this, you are doing your job while also enjoying the atmosphere, and that is truly special.

Also, was there no better way for Alexis Mac Allister to make his case for a new contract tonight?

Yes, Alexis scored a fantastic goal. Dominik Szoboszlai's goal was also excellent. I think it is a great thing when midfielders can contribute goals, because we have a group of midfielders who naturally have the ability to make runs into the box. Sometimes we keep emphasising the tactical system and maintaining positions, but for Gravenberch, Szoboszlai and Mac Allister, that instinct to make forward runs is part of who they are. It is great for us to benefit from the attacking threat they create by entering the penalty area.

But are you concerned about Bradley Barcola? He was holding his left calf before being substituted.

No, he just had cramp. It was only cramp, not an injury. For Bradley, the key is gradually building up his fitness. Previously we did not really know, or perhaps only now are we finding out, how long he can play because he did not play a single minute in Paris Saint-Germain's preseason. He played 30 minutes a few days ago, and today we were still unsure how many minutes he could handle, but now we have a better idea. I am very happy because he had two excellent chances one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Although he did not score, I want him to be in those positions. That is exactly where he needs to make an impact—making runs into dangerous areas and spaces. I am very pleased because, regardless of how long he played today, facing the goalkeeper twice is a good sign for Bradley.

Overall, what was tonight like for you? What aspect pleased you the most?

I really enjoyed it. As a coach controlling the match, sometimes you cannot spare much attention to feel the atmosphere in the stadium. But after the score became 2-1, we played several excellent minutes, created some chances and kept pushing forward. You could truly feel the atmosphere inside the stadium, right? Even near the end, when the opponents started to attack and we had to defend with everything, the players were physically exhausted, but the supporters gave us huge encouragement. I am grateful for that, truly.

Good evening, Andoni. Congratulations on the victory. Can you analyse the match? Atletico Madrid had an excellent first half, and you made adjustments in the second half. How do you view the game?

Yes, I think Atletico Madrid's tactical approach caught us somewhat by surprise. They do not often use this system this season, with five midfielders, Koke and Barrios in the centre, and Baena as well. If you are not prepared for it, it is very difficult. The way they pressed us caused us a lot of problems. I think we actually improved after they scored because we had two minutes during that break to make adjustments. After that, I think we played very well. We equalised near the end of the first half, and then during the 15-minute halftime break we had more time to reorganise our shape. I think we regained control of the rhythm and played an excellent second half.

Hello, Andoni. I wanted to ask about Ronald Araujo. You started him against Ipswich and then selected him again tonight. How do you think he performed, especially at right-back? With his experience from Barcelona, what has he brought to the team?

I think he was very, very good in the previous match, and today he was arguably even better, right? He was flawless defensively in his area, but sometimes because he is a centre-back, we underestimate his attacking ability. Today I think he provided an outstanding assist for Dominik Szoboszlai. He made several high-quality attacking runs from his flank. I am very satisfied with him, really satisfied. I think he joined the team with a strong desire to prove himself and show that he belongs at the top level. I hope we can help him maintain this form because his current level is very good.

Andoni, Cody Gakpo did not play tonight. Do you expect him to return on Saturday?

I do not know yet. I hope so, but at the moment it is uncertain. I do not think he suffered a serious injury, but after the match a few days ago he had some discomfort in both adductors. We hoped he would be available today, but it did not happen. The issue is not too serious, but the difficult part is that we play here again two and a half days later. So these two days are mainly for rest and recovery, to see how Bradley feels after the match and how Cody is doing, and whether he can give us some minutes. If not, we also have Rio Ngumoha and Victor Munoz. I think everyone gave everything today. We need to recover and regroup because two and a half days later we face Fulham here again. It is another extremely important match for us. Therefore I hope Cody can make it, but I cannot guarantee it now.

Hello, Andoni. Milos Kerkez was also substituted today. Was that because of an injury, or...?

No, Milos and Bradley both only had cramps; they were simply exhausted physically. I think making substitutions for that reason is exactly what I want to see, because you have given everything on the pitch and that is perfect. We make the change. I prefer to see you give your all and then come off because you have run out of energy, rather than being substituted because you are not working hard enough.

Hello, Andoni. I would like to know how satisfied you are with the team's progress in understanding and integrating your tactical system.

I am very pleased today because we faced an extremely difficult situation—we conceded early, and our pre-match plan was temporarily disrupted by the opponent's tactical changes. But I think we adjusted very well during the match, and this experience will be very valuable for dealing with similar situations in the future. We have not built up three years of understanding together, where you can simply say, 'Remember that plan? We fix the problem in two quick moves.' It is not like that now. You have to communicate with many players individually and correct things during the match. To still achieve the desired result in such circumstances and complete a comeback victory—among our four matches, we have already produced three kinds of comebacks—I think that proves the players are fighting with full effort and showing strong determination. The next step is to make the whole system operate more smoothly and sharply.

Good evening. Half of Marcos Llorente's Champions League goals have come at Anfield. Coach, can you explain this? There seems to be almost nothing more unusual than this in world football.

You have to ask Marcos Llorente about that. I still remember the goals when he scored twice here before. He is an extremely good player. Ultimately, whether in defence or attack, he is a top-level player. Atletico Madrid are also a top team. They started aggressively and took the initiative from the beginning, and before we made tactical adjustments it was very difficult for us. These things always happen in football; every player seems to have a stadium where they are especially likely to score. Today... we really hope Marcos does not score here again in the future. He has scored here for two consecutive years, so hopefully there will not be another time. At least today, stopping him was a very difficult task for us.