Iraola admits Liverpool must manage demands of three-games-a-week schedule

Andoni Iraola says he understands Liverpool supporters’ frustration after their side’s draw with Fulham, admitting that maintaining performance levels while playing every three days presents a major challenge.

Speaking at his pre-match news conference before Liverpool’s League Cup meeting with Tottenham, Iraola said the disappointment was shared by the players and coaching staff.

“I understand the fans’ frustration after the last match because we were frustrated too,” he said.

Liverpool had appeared to be making progress in their previous two games against Ipswich and Atletico Madrid, but Iraola felt the performance against Fulham represented a setback.

“I think we were coming off two good matches and felt they represented a step forward,” he added. “The Ipswich game was a step forward, and so was Atletico Madrid. We wanted the next match to be another step forward. But no, it was a step backwards.”

Iraola acknowledged that Liverpool’s display did not reach the level shown in those earlier fixtures, although he said such fluctuations were part of football.

“The performance level was not like it was in the previous two matches. But that happens in football,” he said.

He believes the team must accept periods of improvement and decline while continuing to work towards a clearly defined style.

“I think we have to accept that there will be ups and downs during this process, but we know clearly where we want to go,” Iraola said. “That is the direction we were taking against Atletico Madrid and Ipswich. That is the style we want to see more often.”

For Iraola, the immediate priority is to produce that level consistently.

“I think the most important thing now is to maintain consistency and deliver that level of performance,” he said.

The Liverpool manager also discussed the physical demands of a congested schedule, explaining that players respond differently to matches played every two or three days.

“There are players who play every three days and do not have any problems because they have great physical capacity,” he said.

“They can deal with it and their performance levels do not change very much. There are other players who face a greater risk of fatigue, and their performance levels vary.”

Iraola said he must identify which members of the squad can start three or four consecutive matches in such a short period and which need time to recover.

“I have to learn who is ready to play three or four matches in a row every two or three days, and who needs rest so their performance level is not affected,” he added.

He said he already had a fairly clear understanding of some players, but that the demands were new for others who had not previously faced such a heavy run of fixtures.

“I have a fairly clear picture of some of them, but it is new for other players as well because they have not played this number of matches before, and we are learning,” Iraola said.

“If you ask me how Jeremy Jacquet will deal with playing every three days for two months, I do not know, because he has never been through that experience before.”