Relief for Iraola but Liverpool have work to do
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A draw will do wonders for their spirit but it will certainly not mask their concerns."It's probably not the result you want when you come in before the game but we definitely deserve this point and even more," Iraola told BBC Radio 5 Live. "The team has never given up and we've recovered one point and probably the taste is better because we score in the last minute."Iraola will be content with the outcome, given his side trailed twice at a raucous St James' Park.But on the flight back to Merseyside on Sunday evening, he would have had time to consider the performance, which highlighted why his squad needs more depth."You're expecting Liverpool to get top four this season at least but they didn't look like a top four team today," former Scotland winger Pat Nevin told 5 Live.
If Liverpool do bring in two more attacking players then Gakpo may leave.The club have been linked with Paris St-Germain's Bradley Barcola and Ibrahim Mbaye and have had two bids rejected for Brighton's Yankuba Minteh.Yet Dutchman Gakpo was Liverpool's best player at Newcastle and took his goal brilliantly - while there was another positive in the performance of Spanish forward Victor Munoz on his Liverpool debut from the bench. Munoz won the late penalty after replacing Ngumoha but Iraola's decision to take off the English teenager off after just over an hour summed up how much he struggled down the right.Ngumoha will turn 18 next week and has preferred to play down the left throughout his youth career but failed to have an impact on the other side.With Iraola determined to have his wingers able to play on both sides, it remains to be seen if that experiment persists once Liverpool get more attackers in.
The lack of a defensive midfielder showed and it was revealing to see Iraola use Mac Allister just ahead of the back four after Joe Willock put Newcastle 2-1 up.Liverpool have now conceded more goals via fast breaks in all competitions than any other Premier League team since the start of last season - nine.All that and more will be food for thought for the new Liverpool boss but this was a relatively positive start to life under Iraola - who prefers to wait until the day after the match for a debrief."I've liked a lot of the things I've seen from the team," he said. "There's definitely things to improve like the goals but I've seen a lot of things I've liked from the team.