Iraola reacts to criticism that Liverpool failed to sign a replacement for Salah | OneFootball

Andoni Iraola has hit back at criticism that Liverpool failed to sign a right wing replacement for Mohamed Salah over the summer transfer window.

The Reds signed Victor Munoz and Bradley Barcola from Osasuna and Paris Saint-Germain respectively as Liverpool brought in extra firepower this summer.

However, both players are more used to playing on the left, while existing wingers Cody Gakpo and Rio Ngumoha are also seen as left-sided players.

Forgotten man Federico Chiesa could fill Mohamed Salah’s shoes on the right but it’s more likely that one of the four left-wingers is put out there.

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher was left scratching his head at the Reds’ summer business, he earlier this week: “I sit there scratching my head and thinking, ‘We’ve got four left wingers; we haven’t got one right winger.’ Something like that just doesn’t feel right to me.

“Liverpool won the league just over a year ago. We spent an awful lot of money since then and I don’t think anybody inside Liverpool or Liverpool supporters really believe we can win the league this season, or the manager’s got the tools to go and win the league this season, and that just doesn’t feel right.”

Responding to criticism of not replacing Salah, who signed for Turkish side Trabzonspor in the summer, new Liverpool head coach Iraola said: “We prefer at the end to have the best players rather than players specifically for that position. I’m used at other teams to demand wingers to play on both sides.

“We’ve played with Rio and Cody now on the right, probably most of the wingers play on the left but I’ve seen them good on the right.

“Bradley Barcola is very open and can play on the left or on the right. At Lyon he sometimes played on the right. It depends on the match-ups, but I’m happy with the wingers we have and we are going to be able to cope on the right.”

On Dominik Szoboszlai potentially playing out there, Iraola added: “I haven’t found any situation where a player has said he doesn’t want to play in a position. We have discussions but everyone wants to help. If we have to play Dom as a right winger, as a right-back or a midfielder, he wants to help the team first!

“We have some injuries now and we need the versatility of the players, players like Dom. Even in the game they have to change positions.”