Iraola Era Begins with Promise as Liverpool Overcome Sunderland in Nashville
The Reds recover from an early setback to hand their new head coach a winning start in the United States
There was a fresh face in the dugout, a new chapter beginning, and by the final whistle Liverpool supporters had plenty to be encouraged about.
Andoni Iraola’s first game in charge ended in a 4-2 victory over Sunderland in Nashville, although the scoreline only tells part of the story. This was a performance that showed flashes of what the Spaniard wants from his side, energetic pressing, quick combinations and attacking intent, while also highlighting the work still to be done before the Premier League season begins.
Preseason results should always be treated with caution, but there was enough on display to leave Reds fans optimistic.
Morrison writes his name into the history books
Every new managerial era has its first goalscorer.
That honour belongs to Kieran Morrison, who capped off a superb flowing Liverpool move after just 13 minutes. The build up was arguably the highlight of the afternoon, with James McConnell, Rio Ngumoha and Harvey Elliott combining brilliantly before Morrison calmly slotted beyond the Sunderland goalkeeper.
It was exactly the type of football Iraola will want to see more of.
Fast, direct, technically sharp and full of movement.
For the youngster, it was another reminder that Liverpool’s academy continues to produce players capable of making an impression whenever given the opportunity.
Sunderland expose some early rust
Liverpool’s bright start was interrupted when Sunderland punished a costly mistake.
James McConnell lost possession deep inside his own half, allowing Enzo Le Fée to drive forward before unleashing an unstoppable strike from distance to level the match.
Things became more difficult immediately after the interval when Jeremie Frimpong was dispossessed, gifting Sunderland another opportunity which Aleksandar Tuterov converted to give the Black Cats a surprise lead.
Those moments will certainly provide Iraola with valuable material for the training ground.
Liverpool looked sharp going forward, but defensive concentration and ball retention clearly remain areas that require further work.
Szoboszlai changes everything
If there was one moment that truly lifted Liverpool into another gear, it came courtesy of Dominik Szoboszlai.
After excellent work down the left involving Lewis Koumas and Milos Kerkez, Sunderland only managed a partial clearance. The Hungarian international needed no second invitation, smashing an unstoppable volley into the top corner from the edge of the area.
It was a goal worthy of winning any match.
From that point onwards, Liverpool looked far more confident and began to dominate proceedings.
Strength in depth begins to shine
One of the most encouraging aspects of the afternoon was the contribution made by those introduced from the bench.
Federico Chiesa put Liverpool ahead with an excellent finish from a tight angle after being played through by Ramsey, showing the composure supporters know he possesses.
Lewis Koumas then rounded off the scoring five minutes from time after another Sunderland mistake. Szoboszlai provided the assist and the Welsh youngster finished confidently to seal a deserved victory.
Preseason is often about squad depth just as much as starting elevens, and Liverpool’s substitutes made a genuine impact.
The Joe Gomez concern
The only real sour note arrived inside the opening ten minutes.
Joe Gomez, captaining the side, was forced off with what appeared to be a muscle injury.
Given Liverpool’s current situation at centre back, it is far from ideal.
With Ibrahima Konaté having departed earlier this summer, Giovanni Leoni continuing his recovery from a serious knee injury and new signing Jeremy Jacquet also unavailable, Iraola will be hoping Gomez’s latest setback proves to be only a minor one.
Speaking after the match, the new Liverpool boss admitted it was the biggest disappointment of the evening.
He acknowledged there were plenty of aspects still needing improvement after only a few weeks of preparation, but admitted losing Gomez so early was the worst news to come from an otherwise positive afternoon.
Plenty to build on
No manager should be judged on a preseason friendly.
Equally, there were plenty of encouraging signs for Liverpool supporters to take away from Nashville.
The pressing was aggressive at times, several young players looked capable of contributing this season, the squad responded impressively after falling behind and there were moments of genuine attacking quality throughout the game.
Iraola himself admitted there is “a lot to correct”, but that is precisely what preseason is designed for.
Liverpool’s American tour now continues with fixtures against Wrexham and Leeds before returning to Anfield to face Monaco and Como.
This was only the first step.
But it was a positive one.
The Iraola era is officially underway, and if Liverpool continue to build on what they showed in Nashville, supporters will have every reason to be excited about what lies ahead.