Iraola says delayed substitutions contributed to Liverpool’s 2-2 draw

Andoni Iraola admitted his side produced a poor first-half performance and said a technical problem delayed his substitutions by about three minutes during Liverpool’s 2-2 draw with Bournemouth at Anfield.

Liverpool twice had to come from behind in the second round of the Premier League, but Iraola felt the damage caused by their first-half display ultimately prevented them from claiming victory.

“We were bad in the first half, our performance improved a lot in the second half, and we came back in the game twice, but I think the performance in the first half did not allow us to win in the end,” Iraola told BBC.

He said his team had been too passive without the ball and had given their opponents too much time to build attacks.

“We were largely passive without the ball and allowed them to pass the ball. The two goals we conceded came from throw-ins, and we did not defend them properly. The overall impression is that we were passive defensively,” he added.

Iraola said the improvement after the interval was linked to a more aggressive approach, which also helped his team become more effective in attack.

“In the second half, when we became more aggressive and played with greater intensity, our attack improved as well. I hope this will be a lesson for us in the future,” he said.

The manager also praised Victor Munoz, who was involved in Liverpool’s response and was described as a constant threat to the opposition.

“Victor Munoz had a very good game. He gave an excellent performance defensively and offensively, and he was always a danger to the opponent,” said Iraola.

The Spanish coach reserved his strongest criticism for the delay to his changes late in the match. He said his team had been ready to make substitutions during one of the final stoppages before the decisive goal, but the electronic board caused complications.

“The thing we complained about most was the substitutions. We had to wait about three minutes. There was a problem with the electronic board, and I do not know if it was not working, but we definitely wanted to make the substitutions during the last two or three stoppages before the goal. It was not the only reason, but everything makes a difference,” Iraola said.

Dan Ndoye and Morgan Gibbs-White scored twice for Forest, while Alexander Isak and Victor Munoz were on target for Liverpool.

The result means Liverpool have begun the season with two successive 2-2 draws, having also shared four goals with Newcastle United. They now have two points from their opening two games.

Liverpool became only the second Premier League side to start a season with two 2-2 draws, after Everton achieved the same feat in the 2014-15 campaign.

The last time Liverpool opened a league season with two draws was in 2022-23, when they eventually finished fifth.

For Forest, the match brought a first point under new manager Oliver Glasner.