Iraola insists Liverpool’s woes go beyond midfield: calls for collective intensity and frontline pressure before Spurs clash | OneFootball

Andoni Iraola has said Liverpool's issues are more than the balance of the midfield and has said improvement must be made as a collective.

Liverpool drew for the third time in fourPremier League games at the weekend after being held goalless by Fulham at Anfield.

The Reds produced a poor performance against a Fulham side that had arrived on Merseyside without a point in the Premier League this season, as Liverpool's unconvincing start to the season continued.

Liverpool's midfield was again criticised after the game, with both Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai far below their usual standard. Florian Wirtz also continues to struggle for effectiveness, but Iraola has said the midfielders cannot take the entire blame.

He said the gaps in his side are an issue that the team must solve as a collective, starting with intensity from the frontline.

Speaking ahead of tomorrow'sCarabao Cup clash with Tottenham Hotspur at Anfield, he said: "It's more than the midfield. When we have been good collectively the midfielders have looked a lot better and recovered more balls," he said at his pre-match press conference.

"We are helping them more to win the duels. The ones up front do their job very well then the midfielders look good. If we are allowing them to defend one v one all the time and we are not aggressive, then also our defenders will struggle.

"If the players ahead of you are doing the job then midfielders look better. It is more collective. That's the help we have to give to our defenders and midfielders so everyone looks better, looks smarter and in better positions.

Iraola confirmed there will be some rotation to his squad, with Alisson Becker confirmed to be rested. However, he said the League Cup is a competition his team wants to win.

"It's not about the ranking of the competitions. They are different. I am sure if you ask you prefer to win a Champions League and Premier League game but there's no guarantee that is you rest players you're going to win the next one. We want to win and play well and that's what we are going to try tomorrow."