Round-upAndoni Iraola press conference: Gakpo, squad balance, Ipswich v Liverpool and more

The head coach sat down with reporters at the AXA Training Centre on Thursday morning and discussed a range of topics ahead of Friday's 8pm BST kick-off.

Read a summary of the briefing below.

On Cody Gakpo...

Cody's a very smart player. I think also my relationship with him has been very honest since the beginning. He has performed with us, I would say, very well in all the pre-season games, in all of the games. He scored the first day, assisted the next one. He was always aware of the situations in the market. We were constantly talking with each other. He's trained very well and I hope we keep him in the same level. I'm sure it's going to be like this. I think he's now in a good place physically, mentally, and I'm very happy to keep Cody because for me he's a very valuable player.

On the balance of the squad in attack…

I think we've preferred at the end to have the best players, probably, than a player that maybe is specifically for that [right] position. I think I'm very used [to it] from my previous teams to demand for all the wingers to play both sides. I know they have normally their preferred position, but we've been playing with Victor [Munoz], with Cody, with Rio [Ngumoha] in pre-season, in competition now, on the right side.

• 'I'm very happy' - Andoni Iraola on Bradley Barcola's arrival and availability for Ipswich

I think probably all of them have played more on the left, but I would say I've seen them in a good place on the right. Probably Rio is more specific from the left side, but I think he has also showed the willingness to improve and play on the right.

Even Bradley, I think he's very open and I think he can play right and left. He started actually more on the right side when he started with Olympique Lyonnais. Obviously it will depend on the matchups and what we consider from every game. I'm happy with the four wingers we have and I'm sure we are going to be able to cover those two positions.

On the expectation on his attacking players with the money spent overall…

Yes, but I think we cannot put the price on the players, so we put pressure on the players to perform because they cost. We've seen the market and we've seen what the players have cost in this summer in other positions for other teams. It's about trust [in] the players we have. Now we have to help them to perform and not just because they cost.

For me, it's the same. I will put the player that I think will help us to win the game. I will not be looking at if they earn more money, less money, they cost us more, they cost us less. I need to win games. Once it's our player, for me, he's our player. I don't really know what they earn. I didn't ask the club, 'How much does he earn?' I know for me are all four players and I have to choose the best one each week to try to win.

On whether there's any 'frustration' about not getting a win so far…

Yes, definitely. When you don't win you are frustrated. That is part of the job. I think it's still two games, but I want to win. I need to win and we will go with this aim tomorrow [at Ipswich]. I think these two game weeks for me are probably the most difficult ones in terms of the market [being] open, difficult situations, everything is like virtual. Now, honestly, I'm much more comfortable. Once the market is closed, we know who we are. I think we have a lot of talent in this group of players and now we have to perform. We have to do our job and we have to start from tomorrow.

On what kind of test he expects at Ipswich...

I think Ipswich has started well in terms of they won the first game at home and even the other day, you look at the result you can think, 'OK, they were far from [Manchester] United', but I think the first half probably they were the better team until United scored the 2-1 and the game went more open and they had to risk a little bit more. I think they were playing really well, so we have to be very ready and give our best to win our first game.

On whether Dominik Szoboszlai is an option for the right-back role...

I think since I started here I talked to a lot of players about the position where they prefer to play, but I haven't found any situations where any player has told me, 'I don't want to play here.' I think everyone has shown the right attitude. I more or less know the preferred position of everyone. Sometimes it's the same I think from them, sometimes I say, 'OK, I see you maybe more here' and we have discussions, but everyone is ready to help.

If we have to play him as a right-winger, as a right-back, as a left-back, I think he's ready to do it. I think he wants to help the team first. I think it's good also to have players who can cover different positions, especially now that we have some injuries and probably we need this versatility of the players. Having players like Dom for me is very valuable because even in game they allow me to change their positions.

• Injury news: Update on Gomez, Leoni, Chiesa, Bradley and Ekitike

On his team finding an equaliser four times in the first two games...

That's the positive side of the reaction, but I want to focus on trying to score first because everything looks better. Everything looks easier. We've been basically losing 90 per cent of the minutes this season because we conceded very early goals. When you are losing, everything that is not your score doesn't look good.

Everything, even the same plays, the same patterns, [if] you are losing it doesn't look good. You are winning 1-0 and the same pattern looks 'wow, it's nice and they are controlling.' So it's focused on starting the games stronger, don't wait until the first goal to be more aggressive. I think we have to start definitely stronger because after everything else gets a lot easier when you are controlling the result.

On whether he's happy with the squad he has available...

I'm very happy with all the signings we've made. I think [we made] three or four signings with Jeremy [Jacquet] and I'm happy with all the signings. I know the next question, you wanted more signings in all positions. At the end, the club has decided those signings we've done are the ones that improved our team, improved our position and there were other options we decided not to take.

For different reasons, sometimes it's sporting reasons because they don't improve what you have, sometimes it is because of economical reasons and it didn't make sense in terms of the market to do those movements. But I'm happy now that I know what we have, I have a lot of quality in the team and now is the moment for us, for the players, for me to develop what we have.

On Rio Ngumoha playing on both flanks...

I think we know Rio, because he has played there until now, probably his preferred position is on the left. But also he needs to develop on the right so he can have more options to play. Because if you have both options, you can challenge for here and challenge for here. So, I think he's ready to do it and he's so young that because he hasn't been incredible in the first game we put him on the right, we cannot say, 'He cannot play on the right anymore.' Maybe it's going to take more time but sometimes until you don't put the player there in a competitive game, you don't know how they are going to answer.

Victor [Munoz] also has played more games kind of in the left wing during his career, but maybe he has even been better on the right with us. Sometimes it's a matter of the connections they make with the players around them. We trust all the wingers we have. I think they are all going to give us quality minutes. We will need them all. And Rio is incredible because it was his birthday, I think, yesterday or two days ago [and] we were saying happy 18th birthday, and he looks already like a settled football player in the Premier League - this is because he is very good, yes.

On his options at right-back...

The challenge now in our squad is that we have now, for example, you asked me for the right-back, so we don't have Conor Bradley right now, we don't have Joe Gomez right now. Definitely we look thin, yes. But if you take two players from every position injured, you will look thin always. And now we are in that situation. That's why I value Dom Szoboszlai that can play right-back, Ronald Araujo that can also play right-back.

This versatility in the players helps us to go through these moments in the season where we will have injuries - and now it's the right-back. But maybe in two months we are talking about other positions. Then for me it's very valuable to have players who can cover us during these moments where we are thin in certain positions, like it can be the right-back right now, yes.

On midfield options...

I think in midfield we have good numbers. Now it's a matter of getting the right calls from my side. I learn every game, I coach these players, I learn a lot and finding now the best combinations. Now we are going to go in a period of these next two weeks where we are going to play a lot of games, we will have the chance to see all the options we have, the combinations, who plays well with the other. I think it's a matter of coaching and taking the decisions. But we have the numbers there.