Liverpool
Iraola sets standards for Isak and Wirtz ahead of new campaign
Iraola demands more from Isak and Wirtz, with fitness and patience key in 2026/27.
Andoni Iraola has wasted little time in laying down a marker for Liverpool’s headline arrivals, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, as he looks to raise the level of both players in his first season in the Anfield dugout.
Wirtz produced the stronger return of the two last season, ending the campaign with 15 goal involvements in all competitions. Even so, the 23-year-old did not fully meet the expectations that followed him to the club. Isak’s year was far more difficult. A broken leg kept him out for several months and he managed only four goals in 22 appearances.
With a full season now behind them, Iraola wants more from both players in 2026/27, but his view on Isak is clear: fitness comes first. He believes the striker’s best route to better performances is to stay available.
“I think it is a massive season for Alexander,” said the Spaniard. “He knows at the end it is [about] two things: the first is availability, and without availability we cannot have the second thing, which is the performance level.
“But I think this has to be the first aim for us, to keep him in a good place in terms of being available. I’m sure if we manage to do this he will perform well because he has been very good during the preseason.
“If we can keep him at a good level he will score his goals and he will be a threat. I have no doubts about his level.”
Isak now has the chance to respond on Sunday, when he makes his first return to St James’ Park in the Premier League opener. The trip brings an awkward reunion with Newcastle United and, given the nature of his departure, a hostile reception is expected.
Iraola was equally positive about Wirtz before that game, but also pointed to an area for improvement. He wants the Germany international to show more patience and allow the game to come to him, rather than constantly seeking the ball.
“Florian understands the game very well, on the ball and without the ball,” Iraola told Men in Blazers . “He understands the spaces that he has to take, who is covering him, how he has to move, how to damage the opposition.
“Sometimes, he gets too attracted to the ball because he wants to be involved and touch the ball all the time. Sometimes, I have to tell him to leave some distance, wait, be a little bit more patient so the game arrives to you, and then you can hurt the opposition.”
Liverpool
How Iraola Could Address Liverpool’s Midfield Exposure
Iraola sees Liverpool’s midfield issue as collective, not one player’s fault, and may turn to Mac Allister.
Andoni Iraola has dismissed the idea that Liverpool’s problem can be solved simply by signing a specialist defensive midfielder. After Newcastle United repeatedly exposed the space through the middle on Sunday, the new boss insisted the issue runs deeper than one position.
The warning signs were plain in the 2-2 draw. Ryan Gravenberch and Florian Wirtz were both caught ahead of the ball before Newcastle’s second goal, while Dominik Szoboszlai was in place but unable to prevent Yoane Wissa moving forward. Former defender Jamie Carragher called the situation “madness,” saying: “This midfield cannot work, I said it before a competitive ball was kicked.”
Iraola took a different view. “It’s not just personnel,” he said after the match. “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.”
The concern is not new. Since the start of last season, only Sunderland have conceded more Premier League goals on the counterattack than Liverpool, who have shipped seven. By comparison, defending champions Arsenal have allowed just one over the same period.
One route is behavioural rather than structural. As Carlo Ancelotti has argued, defenders need a more pessimistic mindset than forwards. In Liverpool’s case, Gravenberch and Szoboszlai have too much attacking instinct for a midfield shield, and both rushed into Newcastle’s box early on Sunday. Gravenberch, in particular, has increasingly ventured forward over the past year after excelling in a deeper role during Liverpool’s title-winning campaign.
Iraola’s own Bournemouth side showed industry last season but were also exposed in transition, so a positional tweak may not be his instinct. Instead, he appears to want the team to “finish the action” before counterattacks begin. On Newcastle’s first goal, he felt Liverpool should have taken the chance themselves rather than allow the move to break down. “For the first one [goal] I think we should just finish the great chance we created,” he said. “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.”
The second goal pointed to another missed chance to stop the break earlier. “It wasn’t like they caught us by surprise,” he said. “We should compete for the first ball and probably make a foul–be a bit more aggressive against the ball carrier.”
That leaves Alexis Mac Allister as a possible internal answer. He began on the bench, with Wirtz alongside Gravenberch and Szoboszlai, but soon after Newcastle’s second goal Iraola introduced Mac Allister and adjusted the midfield triangle with the Argentine at its base.
Liverpool
Four lessons from Liverpool’s uneven start under Andoni Iraola
Iraola’s first Liverpool outing exposed risk, frustration and unanswered questions across the pitch.
Andoni Iraola began his Liverpool reign with the honesty expected of a manager who knew perfection was never likely on day one. “I would like to say on the first day we are going to be perfect, everyone will be in place,” he said with a strained smile, “but probably it is not going to be like this.” It was a line that quickly matched the evidence on the pitch.
With transfer business still unresolved, Liverpool’s current group offered no easy lift to the mood. Iraola’s football is built on controlled risk, and he has been clear about his preference. “I prefer to make mistakes,” he told Jamie Carragher before his debut. That approach was laid bare early at St James’ Park, where Liverpool’s midfield shape left them exposed in the fifth minute.
Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai were both caught ahead of the ball after Amar Dedić won possession back for Newcastle inside his own penalty area. Florian Wirtz was skipped past by the slide, and the home side were suddenly running into open space. It was a problem that returned later, with Gravenberch again advanced for Newcastle’s second goal after losing the ball near the opposition box. Szoboszlai, meanwhile, was too weak in his attempt to stop Yoane Wissa or eventual scorer Joe Willock.
There were also signs that Liverpool remain in the market for width. Bradley Barcola is viewed as the priority on the left, while Yankuba Minteh is being closely monitored for the other side. Either move would affect Rio Ngumoha, who has already built his reputation from the left. He has made 30 senior appearances for Liverpool, and only one has come on the right. A move for Barcola would push him, and Víctor Muñoz, over there more often.
Ngumoha’s 60-minute spell offered little comfort. Lewis Hall kept him on the touchline and forced him into narrower, weaker positions whenever he tried to come inside. Alexander Isak faced a hostile reception throughout, and when Liverpool were awarded a stoppage-time penalty, he did not take it. Szoboszlai did instead and scored. Wirtz also struggled to influence the game behind him, and Iraola’s warning about Liverpool’s “overplaying” in the final third felt justified. After an expensive first season, the pressure on Wirtz remains considerable.
Liverpool
Real Salt Lake Linked With Georginio Wijnaldum as MLS Interest Grows
Real Salt Lake are in talks over Georginio Wijnaldum, with the former Liverpool midfielder now a free agent.
Real Salt Lake are being linked with a move for Georginio Wijnaldum, one of the standout figures from Liverpool’s recent peak years. The former Premier League midfielder is now 35 and available on a free transfer after his spell with Al-Ettifaq ended this summer.
Wijnaldum’s name remains closely tied to Liverpool’s most successful modern era. Across 237 appearances for the club, he delivered 22 goals and 16 assists, helping drive the side to major achievements under manager Jurgen Klopp, including the 2019 UEFA Champions League title and the 2020 English Premier League victory.
Before arriving at Anfield, he built his career with Feyenoord and PSV, then moved on to Newcastle United, which paved the way for his switch to Liverpool. After leaving Merseyside, he continued his career with Paris Saint-Germain and AS Roma before moving to Saudi Arabia in the summer of 2023.
His international record is equally notable. Wijnaldum has scored 28 goals in 96 appearances for the Netherlands and played an important role in the team’s third-place finish at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. He scored in the 3–0 third-place win over the hosts after the Netherlands had lost to Argentina in the semifinal. He was not included in the 2026 World Cup squad.
A move to Real Salt Lake would place him among a growing list of former European names arriving in MLS. The article also points to Thomas Müller of the Vancouver Whitecaps, Son Heung-min and Hugo Lloris of LAFC, and Marco Reus and Sergi Roberto of the L.A. Galaxy.
Real Salt Lake have already been active this summer, and a Wijnaldum arrival would help offset some of the departures and keep the club competitive in a stronger Western Conference. Among those losses was winger Zavier Gozo, who joined Crystal Palace for nearly $15 million. There is also continued interest in Diego Luna, despite his dip in form and absence from the U.S. men’s national team’s World Cup roster.
