Andoni Iraola press conference: Liverpool v Brighton 'challenge', youngsters, Mac Allister, Gravenberch and more
Andoni Iraola is expecting a 'big challenge' when Liverpool host Brighton & Hove Albion in the Premier League on Sunday afternoon.
The Reds welcome the Seagulls to Anfield for a 2pm GMT kick-off on Merseyside with both teams enjoying a strong run of form in recent weeks.
Ahead of the fixture, Iraola sat down to answer reporters' questions on the contest and discuss a range of topics at the AXA Training Centre.
Read what the boss had to say in his press conference below…
On Brighton…
I think they are doing incredibly well. They deserved all the praise they are getting and I think there is little doubt there. I think it’s a team that is very well coached, already I think it’s the third season of Fabian [Hurzeler]. They are very good in every phase of the game. Without the ball they are, for me, one of the best teams and obviously with the ball also they have good quality and we have to be at our very best to beat Brighton because now they are with confidence. But I also see my team in a good place.
On what kind of game he is expecting and it potentially being an entertaining contest…
Yes. Probably not [too] different as the one we played against Villarreal: a team that also wants to press, wants to keep the ball, very good technically, they control all of the phases. So you never know, after we say this and after it’s a 0-0 and nothing happens! But I think both teams will try to control the game, will try to press, will try to win our duels and it’s going to be a big challenge, yes.
On still awaiting his first Premier League home win as Liverpool boss…
I want to win games. At home, away, we need points, wherever we can get them. It’s true that in the league the three [home] games we haven’t won, but also our three games that for me have been high-level games – Atletico Madrid, Villarreal, Spurs – we’ve won them and we’ve had good performances at home also. I think now we play at home, we are going to also play at home the next two games, so I would love to win them but if we were playing away I would say the same.
On his celebrations after his team’s goals against Villarreal and whether he is ‘realising how special Liverpool is as a club’…
Yes, I know this club is very special: this I knew before, [when] I was in other clubs. The thing is, when you arrive to a place like this, you need good performances, you need a lot of goals, you need to feel like you’ve earned the right to feel these things inside. Goals, wins, moments like the other day, obviously, help a lot, help me personally and they make you feel, ‘OK, there is something special also going on.’
On the benefit of Lewis Koumas, Rio Ngumoha and Trey Nyoni all breaking through into the senior squad together...
I think they are supporting each other. You can feel it straight away, even in pre-season, the ones who played the games, you could feel after their performances they were looking at each other and praising each other. When they see one of them getting a start in the Champions League or getting a start in the Premier League, maybe it's not themselves, but they feel it like, 'OK, I'm close to being there.' I think it's something that is going to be good for them, also good for the ones that are now in the second team, looking and playing with them and for sure they are texting them and they are sending messages. I think this is a good feeling.
On his younger players learning from older members of the squad...
I think they have to use all the help from the coaches and from the players. They are lucky now that we have good references. I suppose every defender goes to Virgil [van Dijk] and whatever Virgil says... I think you have to take it and consider it and learn from that. With Alex [Isak] and with every experienced player that we have, I think they have to get what they [can from] seeing training, what they act, what they do, and also what they can advise them.
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On Ngumoha dealing with the increased attention on his performances...
I think every player has to focus on performances and keep doing well and improve the things that he can improve. The outside noise... when it's good, when it's bad - I think it affects obviously - but we have to therefore not to be affected by those things. You continue to do your job as good as you can, try to improve the things that you can improve and don't be too affected from the things that you can hear. When you do well, they are going to praise you, when you do bad there are going be critics. But don't let those things affect too much the performance and that is at the end the most important thing.
On whether he wants players to manage their time on the pitch with so many games...
No, we cannot allow ourselves [to do that]. [With] the way we want to play, you cannot play at 70 per cent. Because imagine you don't have - I don't know - I'm a right winger and we don’t have a right-winger on the bench. I will put someone on as a right winger. I prefer to do this, that you save your energy so you have to last 90 minutes… no. Give everything - 65, 65, 72, 72. Then someone will do the 18 [or] the 25, whatever. We need to play full gas. Otherwise I would like to say, no, we are good enough to play at 70 per cent and win games, but it's not [the case]. We have to play to our very best because the teams we have in front [of us] also are very good.
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On Alexis Mac Allister's form this season...
I think he's another of the kind of leaders we have. I think that he has a lot of experience still not being as old, but I think he has been involved in top-level games and has won big titles club-wise and national team-wise. He's been really good. He arrived as the last one [to pre-season], I think, with Victor [Munoz]. Even Victor arrived a little bit earlier than him. But after two or three weeks he went into great form and I think he's performing consistently well. Sometimes you play well and then you play the next one not so well, but I think Alexis is now in a place where he has been consistently playing well. I hope he can stay there because it's going to be easier for us.
On where he believes Ryan Gravenberch is best suited in his system...
I think if you ask me what is the position that I feel like suits better to him, I think he's like a number eight for me. But he's a player that can do a job, obviously, because we've seen it as a number six. He won the league by playing there. I think he can do a job playing as a right-back, like the other day. In certain scenarios, it probably is going to cost him, but as a number 10 also I think he can do a job. He has played also - we haven't tried it ourselves - but in past seasons as a centre-back. In certain moments, he could do a good job.
For me, he's very valuable. This versatility in the players is very valuable, because in this schedule we have you are going to need help somewhere always. Now he's in the right-back position. Now that we lost [Jeremie] Frimpong and obviously we have the situation with Conor Bradley. In three months it can be in another position and to have players like Ryan that are comfortable putting in three or four different positions for me is a big help.
