Andoni Iraola has been candid about the challenges his pressing philosophy presents for Liverpool’s congested schedule. He noted that some athletes can comfortably feature every two or three days without a noticeable dip in form, while others are more vulnerable to fatigue and a consequent loss of quality. "I have to learn who can handle a game every two or three days and who needs a rest to keep their level steady," he said, acknowledging that his squad is still adapting to a calendar that demands frequent appearances. The issue became starkly apparent on a Saturday at Anfield when Liverpool were held to a lacklustre draw by a Fulham side that had yet to win any of its opening three Premier League matches.
The mid‑week Europa League clash against Atletico Madrid the previous night seemed to have taken its toll. Iraola did not mince words after the match, describing the team's condition as "a lack of freshness, definitely.
We cannot hide it." He highlighted that the Premier League’s fixture‑spacing rules forced what he called "the worst turnaround" of the season, and admitted that Liverpool must quickly learn to cope with such compressed timelines. Looking ahead, the calendar offers little relief. After the upcoming international break, Liverpool face Manchester City at home – a game that will test their stamina and tactical discipline. Within three days they travel to Austria for a Champions League tie with LASK Linz, and only 72 hours later they are back on English soil to face Brentford away.
The schedule continues to pile on: a home showdown with Arsenal, a mid‑week trip to Fenerbahçe, a trip to Crystal Palace, followed by a visit 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 time is a luxury. Iraola’s biggest unknown has always been how his players will respond to a high‑intensity, high‑press system while maintaining the technical standards expected at Liverpool. In pre‑season he explained that he was asking his squad to execute slightly different tasks, especially when out of possession, and that the players were beginning to grasp the concepts.
Alexander Isak, after a friendly against Monaco, echoed the sentiment, saying, "We are all working hard to make things work." The Fulham game, however, was the first true test of the theory under competitive pressure. The match revealed a clear pattern: after a grueling Champions League night that required Liverpool to come from behind, the team struggled to impose the same tempo in the league fixture. Iraola observed in the post‑match press conference that the side was "arriving late to the presses" in the first half, a symptom of reduced sharpness. Although tactical tweaks were introduced at halftime, the problem persisted, highlighting the difficulty of maintaining a coordinated press when players are fatigued.
Liverpool’s defensive shape often splits under pressure, with the back line retreating while the forwards press high. Against Fulham, this created pockets of space for opponents such as Josh King to exploit. When Fulham goalkeeper Bernd Leno found an easy outlet, several Liverpool attackers were forced off the ball, illustrating the risk of a disjointed press.
Despite these setbacks, Iraola is unlikely to abandon his philosophy; he believes the long‑term benefits outweigh short‑term growing pains. Statistically, Liverpool’s pressing intensity – measured by Passes Allowed Per Defensive Action (PPDA) – sits at an impressive 8.6, the lowest figure recorded this season and even lower than any full campaign under Jürgen Klopp. While the PPDA rose slightly against Fulham, suggesting a temporary dip in pressing vigor, the team still leads the league in sprints and total distance covered, ranking 12 places above the average in those metrics. To sustain this work rate, Iraola has begun rotating personnel.
He has experimented with rotating wingers and midfielders such as Ryan Gravenberch and Alexis Mac Allister, while still relying heavily on the likes of Dominik Szoboszlai and Florian Wirtz. The latter struggled against Fulham, displaying sloppy ball handling that frustrated some supporters who are eager for immediate results. Nevertheless, Wirtz remains one of the league’s most active players in high‑speed distance, a factor that could justify his continued selection if his technical execution improves.
Iraola admits that the squad cannot afford to over‑rotate key players like Alexander Isak, especially with injuries to other forwards such as Hugo Ekitike. The Swedish striker’s suitability as a pressing forward is still under scrutiny, as is the role of midfield enforcers like Trey Nyoni and seasoned campaigner Wataru Endo.
The manager’s task is to identify a core group capable of performing at a high tempo every three days while mitigating injury risk. In summary, the Liverpool experiment under Andoni Iraola is a work in progress.
The manager is navigating uncharted territory, balancing a demanding fixture list with a high‑pressing identity that demands both physical stamina and tactical cohesion. The upcoming weeks will provide further data points: can Liverpool sustain their intensity against Manchester City, then quickly switch to European competition, and still deliver a convincing performance at Brentford? Will the rotation policy keep players fresh without sacrificing quality?
And can the squad internalise the pressing cues so that they arrive on the pitch ready to execute, regardless of how many days of rest they have had? The answers will shape not only Liverpool’s season but also the broader debate about how modern clubs can blend a relentless pressing style with the realities of a congested calendar. As Iraola himself acknowledges, this is a learning curve, and the next few matches will be crucial in determining whether his pressing blueprint can become a sustainable hallmark of Liverpool football.