Iraola Liverpool creativity — Andoni Iraola has challenged Liverpool to accept less control in possession in exchange for a sharper attacking edge, with the manager identifying the trade-off as the route out of the club’s scoring problems. The demand comes before Sunday’s Premier League trip to Crystal Palace.
Liverpool have managed only four goals across five home league matches this season, equalling their lowest tally at this stage in club history, and they have created the second-fewest big chances in the division. Last weekend’s home defeat to Arsenal produced no shot on target, the first time that has happened in a home Premier League game in more than 440 such fixtures since Opta records began in 2003.
Iraola wants more bodies in the box
Iraola, who joined last summer with a reputation for aggressive, front-foot football, has found it difficult to imprint that style on his squad during his first three months. He now wants his players to take greater risks rather than prioritising control, arguing that territorial dominance has not translated into clear openings.
He pointed to the recent match against Fenerbahce as an example of his side over-controlling proceedings. According to Iraola, Liverpool frequently reach good possession positions but need to commit more players into the penalty area and arrive with greater intent. He accepts that this approach will reduce control but believes it will add threat in the final third.
The manager was particularly critical of Liverpool’s attacking shape against Arsenal, saying the way his team attacked the box needed to improve. He noted that Liverpool rank highly for final-third entries, shot volume and crosses, yet the quality of the chances generated remains low. In his view, arriving better—even at the cost of some control—would produce cleaner shooting opportunities, including more efforts from inside the six-yard box.
Shot locations reveal the problem
Statistics support Iraola’s concern. Liverpool have taken 140 shots this season, the fifth-highest total in the Premier League, but they sit ninth for goals scored and 11th for expected goals. A large share of their attempts have come from long range: 39 per cent of their shots have been struck from outside the box, the fourth-highest proportion in the division, behind only Manchester United, Hull and Newcastle.
By contrast, only eight per cent of Liverpool’s shots have come from inside the six-yard box, the sixth-lowest share in the league. The two sides with the highest proportions of close-range efforts are Arsenal and Manchester City, at 17 per cent and 13 per cent respectively, and they occupy the top two places in the table.
Isak carries the scoring load
Alexander Isak has provided six of Liverpool’s 11 league goals this season, a return that places him second in the Golden Boot race behind Erling Haaland. The striker has already doubled his league tally from his first year at Anfield, despite that campaign being disrupted by injury and form issues, and Iraola is eager to maximise his strengths.
Iraola described Isak as a top goalscorer and said that putting him in more scoring positions is the closest thing to a guarantee available. He added that Isak can still develop other parts of his game, but the priority is to use the qualities he already possesses—attacking space and channels, and receiving the ball cleanly.
Honesty debate after penalty appeal
Liverpool’s 1.05 expected goals in the Arsenal defeat might have been higher had they been awarded a penalty for Jurrien Timber’s shirt pull on Isak. Iraola said afterwards that a spot kick would likely have been given had Isak gone to ground, and following praise from officials after the Fenerbahce match, he suggested his team can be too honest.
He stressed that any complaints must be genuine and that players cannot fake incidents, while acknowledging the difficulty of balancing honesty with the intensity Liverpool want to play with. The manager also praised Isak’s start to the season, noting that the forward remains central to the club’s efforts to convert possession into goals.
