Andoni Iraola Says Leeds Defeat “Probably the Most Useful Friendly”

Liverpool’s pre-season United States tour showed both promise and highlighted concerns, with new head coach Andoni Iraola starting to implement his more positive brand of football and a return of a high press and embrace of verticality to a side that had gone flat last season under Arne Slot.

That was the promise. The concerns are on the squad balance and depth front, where the Reds continue to appear to have massive issues with pre-season now half-way through, the 2026-27 season creeping closer,

and a month left in the summer transfer for sporting director Richard Hughes to fix the problems he has helped to create over the past two off seasons.

“I think we learned a lot of things,” reflected Iraola when asked about his takeaways following Sunday’s 4-2 defeat at the hands of Leeds United that saw Liverpool win the first half convincingly before second half changes highlighted those depth and balance issues as the game got away from them.

“Obviously it’s not the result you want but I think probably it was the most useful friendly—in a positive way in the first half and a negative way in the second. I think we’ve learned a lot from today and I think we can take good conclusions and solve some things. At the end, we want to get ready for the season—that is when people want to see us play well and get results.”

Of particular concern over the tour were Liverpool’s clear lack of attacking options, question marks at right back, concerns at centre half—with Joe Gomez injured in the first game and the top player on the tour being a teenager who will have to be loaned back to Austria due to work permit issues—and likely needing to strengthen midfield if Curtis Jones departs.

Without at least one major forward signing, a senior centre half, right back, and—if Jones is sold—midfielder it will feel as though Iraola is being set up for failure by Hughes, who was gifted a title-calibre squad in 2024 and is expected to pop the parachute and head to Saudi Arabia next month after pissing it away.