ReactionAndoni Iraola press conference: Liverpool 2-2 Nottingham Forest
The Reds had to come from a goal down twice to rescue a point at Anfield in the Premier League clash on Saturday lunchtime.
Dan Ndoye opened the scoring for the visitors with a low strike from inside the area to earn Forest a half-time advantage.
Alexander Isak then levelled from close range on the hour mark for Liverpool, though Forest restored their lead via a Morgan Gibbs-White penalty a short while later.
Victor Munoz, however, produced an emphatic finish eight minutes from time to ensure the spoils were shared between the two teams.
Read what head coach Iraola had to say on the game and more during his post-match reaction with the media below.
On the result and how he saw the game…
I think it has been quite clear, the first half has been poor from our side. I think we haven't been good enough, we haven't controlled the game and afterwards we improved a lot in the second half. We were much more intense, much quicker on the ball with more sense of urgency, and I think that we have been much better. But it hasn't been enough to win the game, and I think we have to blame the first half that we've done.
On whether he is 'frustrated' with the draw…
Yes. I'm frustrated because we want to win - especially at home. It's not a good result to draw at home. It's true that we've come back from two results where we were losing, like the other day against Newcastle. But at the end what makes the difference are the wins and the three points. I like what we've done in the second half, but we haven't been able to complete the comeback and the point. It leaves you frustrated, yes.
On his view of Forest's penalty…
Yes, I cannot explain because I don't have explanation. I wanted to make those three subs like three minutes before. And there have been two, three or four times I think the ball has gone out and I still don't know the reason why we haven't made the subs. I think definitely he was having some problems with the board or something.
[It] would have happened, definitely. You stop [the game] because you want to sub [but] it doesn't happen. The quick throw-in, because we are waiting for the subs, so if I ask for the sub, and I already asked and I complained even the previous time that the ball went out and everyone was - even the supporters, I think they were shouting - aware of the situation, but I don't know the reason why they haven't done it. And the penalty, I leave you to decide if it's a penalty or not.
On how 'pleased' he has been with Munoz…
I think Victor has been very good [in] both games. I like that sometimes he hasn't taken the best decisions, has sometimes made some fouls and everything hasn't been perfect but he's continued trying all the time. He's gone again and again and I like this a lot from the wingers. The other day he contributed with the penalty and today with the goal. I think he has been always a threat. And also defensively he has helped us a lot, so I'm happy with him, yes.
On Florian Wirtz's performance...
Yes, accepting and assuming that it has been a poor first half, we've also been very unlucky, you know, because their goal, I thought honestly like it looked offside [in real time] then there is a heel of someone [playing them onside]. Then there's the VAR decision, the goal from Florian, even I think Forest was not complaining. We were not really aware and then there is a VAR decision that goes against you.
It would have been lovely for us and for Florian to score the goal and it's still the first half and it's 1-1. Obviously it leaves you in a much better position for the second half. In the second goal also he does very well. He does very, very well. Florian is very good. I trust him a lot. I think we have to find the best way to use him. I think his position from my side is quite clear and the more he plays with us I think the better he will be. I have very little doubt.
On whether he expects to add to the squad before the close of the transfer window...
I cannot tell you anything different right now. It's true that there are things going on, like is normal because we are talking about the last weeks of the market, but now we have to wait. I'm looking forward to having the squad [on] September 2, [so we can say] this is who we are and working with certainties. Now everything is quite like uncertain and it's the same for every team, but it's how the competition works. Now we have to wait just some [more] days and work with what we have after the market closes.
On whether Cody Gakpo is a regular option for the right wing...
With the wingers, obviously normally they have a preferred position, but we normally analyse the match-ups, analyse what they have to do on one side, what they need to do on the other side. We decided with Rio [Ngumoha] and Victor to change them at the end. I think they have to get used [to that]. I think he [Gakpo] was going to be one of the subs when we scored the goal, he made a great play and then we were creating momentum. I decided to leave them a little bit more - three, four minutes - to see if we could use this momentum to score a second one. When it went a little bit more plain, we decided to do those subs. That goal and the other one were, I think, very good goals.
On starting games quicker after admitting he had been disappointed with the first half...
I think what we do without the ball affects a lot after our play in possession. I think in the first half we were being passive without the ball, leaving a lot of distance, leaving them joining some passes, becoming a little bit comfortable. After we improved this and that matter of intensity, being closer to the opposition gives you the chance to win duels and then you start attacking quicker, attacking better. This lack of intensity without the ball I think has hurt us and also we've had issues today with the throw-ins. Not only the long throw-in, just the throw-ins because the first ball comes from a throw-in [that] we don't defend well in the right side after there is a long throw-in and after comes, obviously the second goal comes from that situation.
On whether he feels the squad is 'equipped well enough to achieve his ambitions'...
We are talking now about the hypothesis because we don't know what's going to be the squad on September 2. I think every analysis that I can make is when I know and when everything finishes, when I know who's going to be here all the season or at least until January. So now, we've waited all the summer, so we have to wait two, three more days, analyse and see what we have when the market closes.