Three Ways for Andoni Iraola to Fix Liverpool’s Fatal Flaw
Despite watching Newcastle United repeatedly spear through the soft center of his side on Sunday, Andoni Iraola bluntly rejected the idea that Liverpool need to sign a new specialist defensive midfielder this summer.
Anthony Elanga opened the scoring at St. James’ Park with a crisp finish at the end of a ruthlessly straightforward counterattack after just five minutes. The pace of the Sweden international and the goal’s creator, William Osula, took full advantage of a midfield which had been entirely vacated by Liverpool’s nominal midfielders, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai. Florian Wirtz was also taken out of the game by one pass.
Gravenberch and Wirtz were again caught ahead of the ball for Newcastle’s second goal of the afternoon. Szoboszlai was at least in position to get a really good look at Yoane Wissa wandering forward without actually stopping him.
Both goals highlighted a vulnerability which has existed throughout Liverpool’s first preseason under Iraola. Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher called it “madness,” lamenting: “This midfield cannot work, I said it before a competitive ball was kicked.”
Yet, for Iraola, it’s not a question of who makes up the midfield. “It’s not just personnel,” Liverpool’s new boss argued after the 2–2 draw. “There were different reasons for both the goals which happened in transition.
“... It’s not just because one person is playing there [as a holding midfielder]. It’s something we have to correct between a lot of players.”
Unfortunately, this is an issue that Iraola has inherited rather than exacerbated. Since the start of last season, only Sunderland have conceded more Premier League goals on the counterattack than Liverpool. The Reds have shipped seven—for comparison, defending champions Arsenal have allowed just one over the same period.
Most Premier League Counter Attack Goals Conceded Since Start of 2025–26
Rank | Team | Goals Conceded |
|---|---|---|
1. | Sunderland | 8 |
T-2. | Liverpool | 7 |
T-2. | Burnley | 7 |
T-2. | Man Utd | 7 |
T-5. | Brentford | 6 |
T-5. | Everton | 6 |
T-5. | Wolves | 6 |
Stats via Opta. Correct as of Aug. 24, 2026.
In the eyes of Carragher, the solution is simple: buy a designated holding midfielder. However, it should be pointed out that Carragher’s mindset has been formed after spending the most successful years of his career playing for a manager in Rafael Benítez who defended so deep the backline could have been tackling from the front row of the Kop.
Iraola made his name at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth deploying an entirely more front-footed brand of play which he has no intention of changing. With that in mind, it makes sense that the same problem will exist even with a different player given they will be asked to play in the same way.
There are, however, other ways of tightening up a leaky rearguard.
How Can Iraola Harden Liverpool’s Soft Center?
Embrace Pessimistic Mindset
The legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti likes to have a specific psychological mindset for each type of player. His best forwards were perennial optimists, always gambling on the idea that a ball will fortuitously break their way. Defenders, by contrast, had to have a pessimistic outlook, forever plotting to combat the worst-case scenario. Liverpool’s current midfield duo of Gravenberch and Szoboszlai simply aren’t cynical enough.
There is a sense of infectious zeal about the way that both players bounded into Newcastle’s box on Sunday. The game was not yet five minutes old but both had fully committed to the idea of getting in on the scoring action. This is always going to be an issue for two players with natural attacking instincts; Szoboszlai has spent much of his career as a No. 10 while Gravenberch was only converted into a defensive midfielder by Arne Slot in 2024 after the club failed to sign Martín Zubimendi.
After excelling in Liverpool’s title winning campaign with a selfless holding role, Gravenberch’s increasingly frequent forward forays have undermined the cohesion of the team for the past 12 months. Yet, it’s not entirely clear Iraola will offer that instruction.
For all the praise of Bournemouth’s industry last season, the Cherries were also vulnerable in transition, conceding more shots (rather than goals) from counterattacks than even Liverpool. It would appear that the midfield is going to remain so stubbornly high.
‘Finish’ the Action—at Whatever Cost
Rather than any tweak to his system, Iraola’s solution is to deny the chance for a counterattack entirely by “finishing the action.” Newcastle’s first goal came from Gravenberch turning down a sight of the net himself to try and play a pass which Amar Dedić cut out. “If he shoots and scores then we are saying what a play from Ryan Gravenberch,” Iraola argued.
“For the first one [goal] I think we should just finish the great chance we created,” he continued. “We were on the edge of the box with a clear situation to shoot, but we didn’t and then you have to give credit to Elanga for winning the race.”
Even if Gravenberch’s shot had gone out for a goal kick, it would have led to a break in play which could have provided Liverpool with time to reset. If you are going to gamble, at least make a bet.
The second goal also saw Liverpool turn down a cynical opportunity to “finish the action” by fouling Wissa. “It wasn’t like they caught us by surprise,” Iraola huffed. “We should compete for the first ball and probably make a foul—be a bit more aggressive against the ball carrier.”
Bournemouth ranked third in the Premier League last season for fouls, with central midfielder Alex Scott particularly adept at sneaking a foot in to break up play.
Go to the ‘Football Doctor’
Even if Iraola is adamant that no outside personnel will be called upon, he could have an in-house solution to this problem: Alexis Mac Allister.
It’s become apparent that the man Jürgen Klopp hailed as Liverpool’s “football doctor” isn’t going to any other practice this season, yet his place in Iraola’s starting XI is less clear. Mac Allister had to settle for a spot on the bench on Sunday while Wirtz lined up ahead of Gravenberch and Szoboszlai. However, within a matter of minutes of Newcastle’s second far too simple goal, Iraola hooked Wirtz for Mac Allister, rotating the triangle of his midfield to have the Argentine at its base.
This shift allowed Szoboszlai and Gravenberch to give in to their natural instincts and push up the pitch while the less mobile Mac Allister schemed from a deeper position. Liverpool were hardly watertight over those final 30 minutes, but it could be an alternative for Iraola to explore, especially if Wirtz continues to underwhelm from his perch in the No. 10 spot.
Something things have to change, even if a new midfielder on the squad list won’t be one of them.
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