Iraola echoes Roberto Martinez as Liverpool prepare to ask ‘who the f***’ they appointed | OneFootball

“I’ve been so lucky. So, so lucky,” said Andoni Iraola. “I have to be thankful every day for this group of players, for this staff, for this club, for everyone that supported me – especially when we didn’t start as well and probably you were thinking ‘Who the f*** is this guy?’.”

Liverpool cannot feign ignorance. They knew what they were getting into. So, too, must Iraola, for whom becoming only the second manager to ever begin a Premier League campaign with consecutive 2-2 draws must be no surprise.

It could have been worse. Liverpool’s Desmond has been delivered entirely from losing positions, with 140 minutes spent trailing against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest in exchange for a couple of points.

When Roberto Martinez opened with two 2-2s at Everton in 2014/15, it was followed up with a 6-3 defeat to Chelsea. That result feels unlikely at Portman Road next week, but crucially not impossible.

With this Liverpool defence and attack, nothing can be ruled out. The former can be breached by a long Matz Sels kick alone, while the latter is starting to thrive and flow as the new Entertainers settle into their role.

Florian Wirtz already seems to have had his performance floor raised, if not his ceiling. Whether that is by the “rocket” requested by Gary Neville, the impotent fury of Jamie Carragher or simply the supreme coaching of Iraola, it is a welcome boon for Liverpool.

The German was unfortunate to have an excellent equaliser ruled out against Forest, with Sels tipping another effort onto the bar and Wirtz playing Victor Munoz on to rescue a late draw.

That, the Spurs-tempting thrust offered by Cody Gakpo down the right, a well-taken Isak goal and Trey Nyoni’s substitute cameo ensured there were positives for Liverpool to cling onto.

But that susceptible backline and non-existent midfield continues to undermine much of what Iraola wants to do.

It is difficult to see how Bradley Barcola fixes the issues laid bare at St James’ Park and Anfield. It is damning that Dominik Szoboszlai is a) this team’s back-up right-back, b) a far better fit there than in a midfield pivot, and c) better than their first-choice right-back. Jeremie Frimpong remains deeply unconvincing. Milos Kerkez should look far more acclimated to this manager’s methods on the other side.

There are flashes of attacking brilliance. One smooth move ran from a centre-half pass through the lines to a clever Alexis MacAllister spin, a Gakpo nutmeg and a lacklustre finish Munoz made up for later on. But this is not yet a stable team, as proven by that opener.

A big kick from Sels. A touch to bring it down by Igor Jesus. A lay-off to Morgan Gibbs-White and a touch across to Dan Ndoye to score. Being undone by a Barclays-coded Delap throw for the penalty Gibbs-White converted was not much of an improvement.

Iraola went nine games without a win at the start of his Bournemouth reign. That sort of run will not be tolerated at Liverpool, but these teething problems after a couple of matches are no particular shock. Too much longer and supporters might indeed be wondering who the f*** this guy is.