Liverpool Transfers: What Iraola Needs to Make His System Work
Recruitment Must Match Iraola’s Game Model
When I look at Andoni Iraola and how his teams play, the first thing I come back to is the structure. It is easy to be drawn towards the attacking excitement, the high regains, the quick transitions and the idea of Liverpool playing with purpose again. That matters, of course. It is a big part of why this appointment feels exciting. However, for that football to function properly, the recruitment has to be right.
Iraola’s model asks specific things of specific players. It is not a case of simply adding talent and hoping the system takes care of itself. The profiles matter. The balance matters. The way players cover space, receive under pressure, win duels and play forward matters.
That is why I keep coming back to the same area, the double pivot.
For me, that is the key zone in this Liverpool squad. We need defensive players who can sit in front of the back four, protect the central areas, and prevent opponents from finding the dangerous pockets between midfield and defence. I have spoken before about defending zone 14 and the half spaces, and that is exactly where Liverpool needs more control off the ball, and then we need to impose ourselves in those areas when we do have the ball.
If Iraola wants to play aggressive, vertical football and wants his team to win the ball high, then Liverpool still needs insurance behind that pressure. The players in the pivot cannot simply be passers. They have to be able to defend first, nick the ball, cover ground and then play quickly into the players who can do damage; they become the foundation from which we attack and a position we defend from.
Without that, the exciting parts of the system can become exposed. With it, Liverpool has a chance to make the whole thing work and become challengers again.
Double Pivot Should Be Priority
I would be very clear on this. Liverpool have to sign players who can operate in that double pivot. The profile is important. They need to be mobile. They need to be quick-footed. They need to be aggressive enough to win the ball back, but composed enough to use it properly once they have won it. This cannot simply be about adding a destroyer, nor can it be about adding a neat passer. The role requires both sides of the game.
