The midfield riddle standing between Iraola and his best XI

Andoni Iraola’s start at Liverpool has been encouraging enough that it is easy to forget how much of the jigsaw is still being assembled. New head coaches usually get judged on results first and process second, but a few months into the job it is process that tells us the most about where this Liverpool side is heading. And on that front, the picture is only half finished.

A defence that has settled quickly

The most striking thing about Iraola’s opening weeks is how fast the back line has taken shape. Right-back has been nailed down, a settled defensive unit has emerged, and there is a clear sense that the head coach knows exactly what he wants from that part of the pitch. That is no small thing. Plenty of new managers spend half a season shuffling their defensive personnel before finding a formula that sticks. Iraola appears to have skipped that phase entirely, and it has given the rest of the team a platform to work from without the usual early-season chopping and changing at the back.

Midfield remains the unresolved question

Everything changes when the conversation turns to central midfield. This is where pundit David Lynch, discussing Iraola’s early Liverpool tenure, suggested the head coach has not yet settled on his best combination, largely because he has not settled on exactly what he wants the role to look like. That is a notable admission about a team that has otherwise looked coherent. It suggests Iraola is still weighing up whether he wants a midfield built for control, for energy, or for some blend of the two, and that the answer will shape everything from how Liverpool build attacks to how exposed they are on the counter when possession is lost in dangerous areas.

There is a reasonable case that this uncertainty is no bad thing at this stage of a managerial reign. Iraola inherited a squad, not a blank sheet, and working out which of his midfield options complement each other best takes time and information that only competitive matches can provide. The speed with which he resolved his defensive puzzle offers some reassurance that he can move quickly once he has seen enough. As one well-placed observer of the club put it, working out the identity of a midfield remains “the biggest puzzle” left for him to crack, and there is no shame in taking a little longer over the hardest part of the job.

Our verdict

Our take is that Liverpool supporters should not read too much into a still-evolving midfield picture this early into a new coaching appointment. A head coach who has already sorted his defence and identified his best attacking unit in a matter of weeks has earned some patience over the one area still being worked out. The concern would be if this uncertainty were still present come Christmas. For now, it looks like a coach methodically building towards his ideal XI rather than one still searching for a plan. The next few months, and particularly how Iraola configures his midfield against Liverpool’s toughest opponents, will tell us whether that early reading holds up or whether the puzzle proves more stubborn than expected.