Andoni Iraola’s pre-Atletico Madrid press conference: Every question answered
Andoni Iraola faced the media at Anfield on Tuesday ahead of Liverpool’s Champions League meeting with Atletico Madrid, with the Spaniard discussing the significance of his European debut, Diego Simeone, Liverpool’s progress, Bradley Barcola, Milos Kerkez, squad rotation and the challenge posed by Atletico.
Here is what the Liverpool head coach was asked and how he responded.
How special is it to manage Liverpool in a Champions League night at Anfield?
Iraola admitted that taking charge of Liverpool in the Champions League at Anfield represents a significant moment in his coaching career.
He described the opportunity as one of the ambitions he had when he began coaching and acknowledged the responsibility that comes with managing Liverpool in such an important competition.
The Spaniard said he feels privileged to be in the Anfield dugout for the occasion, but stressed that his focus is not on the personal achievement. Instead, he wants to ensure Liverpool are properly prepared to start their Champions League campaign strongly.
"Definitely, it's one of the dreams, probably, when you start.
"It was difficult for me when I started my coaching career seven, eight years ago, to position myself in the position that I am right now, and I hope I can enjoy it.
"It's a big responsibility, massive challenge, but I feel privileged to be there in that dugout tomorrow and now my thinking is about putting the team together in a position where we can play a good game, win the game and start strong in this Champions League."
What does he make of Diego Simeone and Atletico Madrid?
Iraola spoke highly of Simeone's work at Atletico and the consistency he has demonstrated during his long tenure in Madrid.
The Liverpool manager has encountered Simeone at different stages of his career, both as a player and as a coach. However, Iraola acknowledged that the Atletico boss has considerably more experience of Champions League football.
He nevertheless hopes Liverpool can provide Simeone with a difficult evening at Anfield.
"Everyone talks [about] the Champions League nights at Anfield and also the first game is against a strong opposition, it's Atletico Madrid.
"Simeone is doing an incredible job as a manager. To be all the years that he has been achieving every season the goals of the club I think is remarkable and definitely it's a big challenge for us.
"I think I played against him as a player, he was still a player, and I played against his teams when he was a coach and I also coached against him. So, we had a lot of precedent before.
"Definitely he has much more experience than me in these kinds of games but I hope tomorrow we can give him a good game, yes."
How does he expect Atletico Madrid to play?
Iraola rejected the idea that Atletico are simply a defensive side, pointing to developments in their style under Simeone.
He believes Atletico have become increasingly comfortable with possession during the first phase of their attacks, while their four attacking players provide considerable movement and interchange.
" I think Atletico Madrid are a team that play very well. Always if you look at Simeone teams, they have more possession, they're starting to have more possession of the ball in that first phase.
"They have lots of dynamism in terms of the four attacking players, so it is difficult to tie them down at times because ultimately, there is lots of rotation between their players in offensive positions. It is not easy for their opponents and for us tomorrow."
What does Liverpool need to do tactically against Atletico?
The Liverpool manager's response was straightforward: his team must play its own game.
Iraola wants Liverpool to dictate the pace, remain proactive and apply pressure early rather than allowing Atletico to settle into the match.
He pointed to Friday's victory over Ipswich as an example of the approach he wants to continue, particularly the intensity Liverpool showed during the opening stages.
"I think we need to play our game. We know we're facing a team that are of a very high level, as they've shown in previous seasons in the Champions League, but we need to play at our pace.
"We want to be proactive and start well, to pressure our opponents early on in the game. In the way we played on Friday, we started very strong, we wanted to score that first goal, but obviously you have an opponent in front of you that is very good and that's what we face tomorrow."
Is this the biggest test yet of his Liverpool project?
Iraola accepted that Atletico represent one of the strongest opponents Liverpool are likely to face, particularly given the club's record in European competition.
However, he does not view the Champions League as an entirely different form of football. Liverpool already face high-level opposition regularly in the Premier League.
For him, Wednesday's match is primarily an opportunity to measure where his team currently stands.
Liverpool showed encouraging signs against Ipswich, he said, but Atletico will provide a considerably stronger examination of whether those improvements can be sustained.
"I think it's a Champions League game, it's the first game against probably one of the strongest opposition that we are going to face, but at the end it's football.
"We play against very good teams also in the Premier League. I think I kind of know quite well Atletico Madrid, some of their players. It's going to be a big test - but it was going to even if I wasn't the manager [because] it's the first game in the Champions League against another big club. It's a great game to play, it's a massive test for the team overall and I think it will show us a little bit also where we are.
"We showed last Friday good signs and now let's see against a team like Atletico Madrid where we are.
Does Friday's victory over Ipswich mean Liverpool are now up and running?
Iraola said the result was important because Liverpool had entered the game after consecutive 2-2 draws against Newcastle United and Nottingham Forest.
Beyond the result itself, however, he was encouraged by the manner of the performance.
The manager highlighted Liverpool's stronger start and increased intensity, particularly during the first half. Those are elements he wants his team to carry into the Champions League.
"I think last Friday it was first of all about winning because we had this bad taste after two draws and we needed the win, definitely. But also I think I was encouraged because I saw very good performances from some individual players, I saw the team starting a lot stronger the game with a lot more intensity, especially in the first half, and I think it's the line that we want to continue."
Will he rotate his starting XI because of the upcoming fixture schedule?
Iraola refused to reveal his plans.
He joked that he would not even tell the media whether significant changes were coming because his own players had not yet been informed of the starting XI.
The manager acknowledged that Liverpool will have to consider the physical demands of a congested schedule, but believes the current situation is manageable because the team last played on Friday and therefore had several days to recover.
"I will not tell you the starting line-up! You are asking me if I am going to do a lot of changes or not, but still my players don't know the line-up so I will definitely not tell you.
"I have to consider that we have more games, where they are physically, but I don't think it's going to be the most difficult scenario I will find this season because we are coming from playing on Friday so we've had good days of recovery.
Is Bradley Barcola ready to start against Atletico Madrid?
Iraola gave a positive update on the new signing.
Barcola made his Liverpool debut as a second-half substitute against Ipswich, playing around 31 minutes. Iraola said the French winger is ready to play more minutes against Atletico.
The manager explained that Barcola has been training normally but lacks the pre-season minutes normally required to build full match fitness.
Nevertheless, Iraola does not consider him to be restricted from playing. He believes Barcola is in a good condition and capable of taking on a greater role.
That leaves open the possibility of the £125 million summer signing making his first Liverpool start at Anfield on Wednesday.
How will Liverpool cope with the increasingly congested fixture schedule?
Iraola said managing a packed calendar will be an ongoing challenge, but insisted it is something Liverpool must become accustomed to as a major club competing across several competitions.
The immediate schedule is not his biggest concern because Liverpool had several recovery days after playing Ipswich on Friday.
The situation becomes more demanding next week, when Liverpool face Fulham before meeting Tottenham in the Carabao Cup just three days later.
Despite that, Iraola made clear that Wednesday's Champions League fixture remains the priority.
What did he make of Milos Kerkez's performance against Ipswich?
Iraola was particularly positive about Kerkez.
The Liverpool manager said he knows the left-back well and believes the 22-year-old still has significant room for development.
He highlighted Kerkez's Premier League and international experience while making it clear that he has confidence in the defender.
Iraola also stressed that Kerkez, like every other player in the squad, still has areas of his game that need improvement. His role, he said, is to help the defender continue developing.
"I think Milos played really well the other day, last Friday. I think I know him very well, I know what he can achieve. He has still a big potential being very young, also a good amount of experience in the Premier League, also with his national team and he's a player that I trust, definitely. He needs to improve a lot of things like all the others, like I have to improve a lot things. But I think I'm ready to try to help him first to become a better player and I think he's in a good line. I think the other day he played really well for us."
What does Iraola want to see from Liverpool against Atletico?
The manager's message was consistent throughout the press conference: intensity and confidence.
He wants Liverpool to start aggressively, press Atletico early and impose their own rhythm on the match.
At the same time, Iraola recognises that Atletico's quality will make that difficult. Simeone's team have considerable Champions League experience and possess the tactical flexibility to make the game uncomfortable.
For Iraola, that is precisely why Wednesday's match is important.
What does the Atletico game tell him about Liverpool?
More than anything, Iraola sees the match as a measure of Liverpool's current level.
The victory over Ipswich provided encouraging signs, but he knows that Atletico offer a much stronger examination.
The Liverpool head coach therefore views Wednesday's contest as an opportunity to discover how far his team have progressed and where further improvement is required.
Liverpool's Champions League campaign begins with Iraola facing one of the competition's experienced managers, and the Spaniard is under no illusion about the size of the challenge.
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