Defence needs additions, Iraola-ball excites: What we learned from Reds boss' debut

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Andoni Iraola kicked off his Liverpool reign with a 4-2 win against Sunderland in Nashville on Saturday - so what did we learn from the new head coach's first outing in charge of the Reds?As it happened | Teams | StatsTransfer Centre LIVE! | Liverpool latest | Sunderland latest 🔴Premier League pre-season: Fixtures and resultsSky to show at least 215 live 2026/27 Premier League gamesDefensive reinforcements are needed with Gomez unlikely to stay fitIt already seemed a risk going into the new season having Jeremy Jacquet, Joe Gomez and Giovanni Leoni as contenders to be captain Virgil van Dijk's centre-back partner given the fitness doubts over the trio. Also See: Liverpool news and transfer latest Liverpool fixtures Watch FREE Premier League highlights Stream the Premier League with no contract Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Take a look at the best bits from Andoni Iraola's first Liverpool press conference.

I want to be dynamic, to play in the opposition half as much as we can, sometimes on the ball, sometimes without the ball, and try to suffocate the opposition." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Andoni Iraola wants Liverpool to play differently to last season under Arne Slot, saying that after reviewing last year's campaign, he is focused on building strong relationships with his players. And while it is impossible to make any firm conclusions after one 90-minute runout using 22 players, there were certainly glimpses of this in Nashville, especially for the Reds' first and last goals.In fact, Kieran Morrison's 13th-minute opener came after a free-flowing move involving some impressive build-up play from the likes of James McConnell, Rio Ngumoha and Harvey Elliott, while Lewis Koumas's late strike came about after some excellent counter-pressing.Szoboszlai still Liverpool's most dynamic and important midfielderThere is a reason Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes and the club were so keen to tie Dominik Szoboszlai down to a new five-year contract, and the Hungary midfielder's all-action second-half display at the Nashville SC Stadium just emphasised once again what a vital cog he is in the Reds machine.

It is not just the 25-year-old's ability to score from range, which he did again with an unstoppable volley to bring his side level, but also the example he sets in the middle of the park with his incredible pressing game that his new boss favours.As mentioned, Iraola has "always loved gegenpressing and the German coaches," as he told The Times, so expect the versatile Szoboszlai - who also created a goal for Koumas on Saturday - to be a key component of his three-man midfield.Iraola won't be afraid to give young guns a chanceOne criticism of Slot was he appeared not to trust Liverpool's young players during his time on Merseyside, especially exciting England forward Rio Ngumoha, a charge that is unlikely to be levelled against his replacement. Image: Young Liverpool midfielder Kieran Morrison celebrates his opener against Sunderland Iraola, maybe through necessity at times, was never afraid to give youngsters a go at Bournemouth, so do not be surprised if we see the likes of Trey Nyoni, Koumas, Morrison and James McConnell in first-team action next season.That quartet all impressed against Sunderland, especially England U20 international Nyoni and his Wales counterpart Koumas, who both caught the eye in the second half, the former with a calm and composed display in midfield and the latter with an energetic performance in attack.'First outing a good starting point - but still lots to improve'For a first pre-season runout, Iraola could not really - Gomez's untimely injury apart - have asked for much more.The Basque got off to a winning start as Reds boss, which always helps breed confidence and trust in the new man, although ultimately the result was immaterial and more important were miles in the players' legs and the squad beginning to understand the 44-year-old's ideas.