Andoni Iraola has been candid about the challenges his new pressing system poses for Liverpool. He noted that some squad members can cope with a match every two or three days without a noticeable dip in form, while others are more vulnerable and see a clear decline in performance.
"I have to learn who can handle a tighter schedule and who needs more recovery time," he said, explaining that his approach will involve a careful assessment of each player's physical limits. The issue came into sharp focus on Saturday at Anfield, when Liverpool were held to a dull draw by Fulham – a side that had lost its first three league games. The mid‑week Champions League tie against Atletico Madrid in Europe seemed to have taken its toll.
After the match, Iraola admitted that the team was visibly lacking freshness and that the fatigue could not be concealed. He described the situation as "the worst turnaround" permitted by Premier League scheduling rules, but also stressed that the club must adapt quickly.
Looking ahead, the fixture congestion appears daunting. Following the international break, Liverpool host Manchester City, then travel to Austria for a Champions League clash with LASK Linz, and within 72 hours find themselves on the road at Brentford. In October the pattern repeats: a home showdown with Arsenal, a mid‑week trip to Fenerbahçe, and then an away game at Crystal Palace. November adds another round of tight scheduling with visits to Club Brugge sandwiched between matches against Manchester United and Everton.
This relentless rhythm underscores the reality of competing at the highest level, where recovery periods are scarce and the physical demands are extreme. Iraola's primary concern has always been how his squad will respond to the high‑intensity, hard‑working style that defines his philosophy, especially when the team is not in possession.
He told the press during pre‑season that he expects his players to execute slightly different tasks off the ball, and that they are already making strides toward that goal. Alexander Isak echoed this sentiment after a friendly against Monaco, emphasizing the collective effort required to make the system work. The Fulham game served as the first real test of those ideas. After a grueling Champions League night in which Liverpool came from behind to win, the team had to immediately switch to a high‑press approach against a side that, on paper, should have been easier to dominate.
Iraola observed that the players were late to the first press in the opening half, a problem that persisted despite tactical tweaks at halftime. Liverpool's traditional split‑team shape – with a compact defence and an aggressive press from the forwards – began to show cracks, allowing Fulham's striker Josh King and his teammates to exploit the gaps and enjoy unexpected space. When Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno found a simple outlet pass, several Liverpool attackers were left stranded, highlighting the risk of an over‑aggressive press when players are not at peak fitness. Nonetheless, Iraola is unlikely to abandon the pressing ethos, as it remains a cornerstone of his vision for the club.
Statistically, Liverpool's pressing intensity is reflected in their Passes Allowed Per Defensive Action (PPDA) figure, which currently sits at 8.6 – the lowest of any team so far this season and even lower than any full season under Jürgen Klopp. Although the PPDA rose slightly against Fulham, suggesting a marginal slowdown, Liverpool still lead the league in total sprints and rank 12th in overall distance covered. The team is unquestionably running more, sprinting more, and pressing more than most of their rivals. To sustain this level of activity, Iraola has begun rotating his squad.
He has experimented with different wingers and midfielders, giving Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister more minutes, while still relying heavily on Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz against Fulham. Both players appeared less sharp than they did three days earlier, with Wirtz, in particular, displaying a degree of carelessness in his ball handling that has drawn criticism from some supporters. Although Wirtz ranks second in the league for high‑speed distance covered, his technical execution fell short of expectations in that match. Iraola acknowledges that the ability to field the same eleven players every game is an unrealistic goal.
"You can use the same players in every match," he admitted, "but eventually fatigue sets in and the risk of injury rises." With key signings such as Hugo Ekitike unavailable, Liverpool cannot afford to see players like Isak or other forwards succumb to exhaustion. Questions also arise about whether the Swedish striker fits the profile of a natural pressing forward, and similar doubts linger over some midfield options.
The manager is therefore in a learning phase, navigating uncharted territory where three games in a week have become the norm rather than the exception. Determining which players can sustain a three‑day turnaround, how to balance rotation without sacrificing quality, and how to maintain the high‑press identity without over‑exerting the squad are the central challenges he faces. As the season progresses, the answers he discovers will shape Liverpool's ability to compete on multiple fronts while staying true to the energetic, aggressive style that brought him to Anfield.