Andoni Iraola's Liverpool Draw with Fulham: A Pressing Problem
Andoni Iraola did not hide behind the scoreline. A 0-0 at Anfield against a Fulham side with no points on the board felt less like a platform and more like a warning.
Liverpool were flat. The crowd knew it, the players sensed it, and their head coach spelled out why.
Pressing problem leaves Anfield restless
The afternoon never really caught fire. Liverpool, usually so sharp and suffocating without the ball, allowed Fulham to play through them far too easily in the first half. The midfield press, a non-negotiable in Iraola’s blueprint, simply wasn’t there.
“Especially in the first half, we were arriving late for the presses, that is clear,” Iraola admitted. It was obvious from the stands. Fulham found pockets, turned, and played. Liverpool chased rather than hunted.
Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch started as the central pairing, but the gaps around them kept opening. The Kop grew impatient as Fulham began to enjoy themselves, carving out the better chances before the break.
Victor Munoz carried Liverpool’s main threat, while at the other end Jeremy Jacquet was forced into a goalline clearance from Gonzalo Garcia, a moment that summed up the unease around Anfield. Liverpool were not in control. Not in the way Iraola demands.
Second-half control, but no cutting edge
The message at half-time clearly landed. Liverpool tightened up after the restart, the structure looked cleaner, and Fulham’s breaks became rarer.
“I think we improved this part a lot in the second half,” Iraola said. “We have been better structured and we controlled better the game in the second half.”
It wasn’t thrilling, but it was at least stable. Liverpool limited Fulham to scraps, with Iraola pointing to just one real scare – a self-inflicted one.
“Even without scoring the goal, I was feeling more comfortable,” he added. “Even if we haven't been incredible, and it was a struggle sometimes, we haven't conceded clear chances. The one we conceded was the one where we messed up the goal kick and that is the only clear chance we conceded.”
That control never turned into conviction in the final third. Liverpool’s most dangerous moments came from dead balls rather than open play. A set piece clipped the crossbar, and Alex – one of their brighter second-half sparks – went close, but not close enough.
“We had probably our best chances coming from set plays, hitting the crossbar, and one chance from Alex in the second half,” Iraola said. “But not a clear enough one that can score the goal you need in these kind of games when you are not playing well.”
The whistle went. No boos, but no real applause either. Just a low, resigned murmur.
Midfield competition and Endo’s wait
Alexis Mac Allister came on for Gravenberch midway through the second half, adding a touch more calm in possession, yet the deeper story of Liverpool’s midfield was sat on the bench.
Wataru Endo remained unused. So did Trey Nyoni.
Endo has not played a single minute this season, his campaign stalled before it has even begun. That could change soon. With the League Cup tie against Tottenham Hotspur on Tuesday, Iraola is expected to rotate heavily, and the Japan international is edging closer to an opportunity.
“Wata lost quite a lot of the pre-season. He is still not at his best but he is training very well,” Iraola explained. The issue is not effort. It is congestion.
“The problem is in front of him in his position I have a lot of players. He is competing against a lot of players.
“We are giving minutes to Trey, Ryan, Alexis and Dom, players that I am selecting right now. But Wata is definitely a player that I like and for sure he will have his moments.”
That feels significant. Iraola’s system demands intensity and clarity in midfield. Right now, he is still searching for the right blend, still juggling profiles and partnerships, still trying to turn training-ground ideas into match-day rhythm.
A drab, goalless draw at home to a previously pointless Fulham underlines how urgent that search has become. The League Cup may not define Liverpool’s season, but for Endo, for Iraola’s evolving midfield, and for a press that misfired badly here, Tottenham on Tuesday already looks like more than just a rotation exercise.
