NewsAndoni Iraola reaction: Liverpool 2-3 Monaco, fitness update, Anfield reception and more
Andoni Iraola acknowledged that Liverpool were unable to sustain his desired level as AS Monaco fought back to win Sunday’s pre-season friendly at Anfield 3-2.
The head coach’s first home game in charge of the Reds started brightly as Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz scored to put the hosts two goals up by the half-hour point.
But Monaco pulled one back from the penalty spot on the stroke of half-time, then equalised soon after the restart and went on to grab a late winner as Paris Brunner glanced home a front-post header from a corner.
Post-match, Iraola reviewed the game with Liverpoolfc.com and also offered a fitness update on Jeremy Jacquet and Curtis Jones, both of whom missed Sunday’s match.
Read the boss’ reaction in full below.
On his assessment of the game…
I think quite similar to the game we played against Leeds. I think we played really good [in the] first half, especially the first 30 minutes, but right now probably we don’t have much more in terms of the level required to play like this. Then they were much better in the second half, in the same way were better in the first half they were much better in the second half, and they deserved to turn around the game, yes.
On several senior players getting their first minutes of pre-season and where he felt they were at in terms of their levels…
I think they were in different levels but mostly they were in a good place. I think the ones that it was their first game, or even the ones that it was their second game, they had energy. The problem is right now probably they don’t have the energy for 90 minutes and they start to get tired. It will take time with them, we need more training with them. But we can take a lot of positives, but also a lot of negatives from today.
On whether there are any updates on the fitness of the players who missed the match…
Jeremy Jacquet, we were in doubt whether to put him [in the squad] today, we decided not but he should be fine for the next one. It is taking a little bit of time, as we expected. Curtis [Jones], he has trained every day but yesterday finished with issues in the hip. It doesn’t look anything big but it didn’t make any sense to risk and those are the ones, more or less, closer to a return.
On where the squad are at after four friendlies in pre-season…
I think we are, right now, especially considering we won the first two games but the last two, we cannot sustain the level that we want for all the game. As soon as we have made some changes they start to get tired, we cannot sustain that level, so we have work to do.
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On the reception he received and the support from the Anfield crowd…
Yeah, lovely, lovely – especially in the first half when we were pushing and everything was going so well, we were enjoying it. The second half has been harsh because when they are expecting you to go and you are not able, and you cannot give them what we wanted, it is frustrating, yes.