Andoni Iraola's Anfield Debut Against Nottingham Forest
Andoni Iraola walks into Anfield this weekend with a point to prove, a transfer saga swirling around him and a stubborn opponent looming into view.
Liverpool’s new head coach saw his Premier League reign begin with chaos and late drama at Newcastle, Dominik Szoboszlai rescuing a point in stoppage time. Now comes the real introduction: a first league game at Anfield, a 12.30pm kick-off against Nottingham Forest, a club that turned his predecessor’s home into a hunting ground.
Under Arne Slot, Liverpool lost both league meetings with Forest at Anfield, 1-0 and 3-0, outscored 4-0 across two seasons. Forest arrive under Oliver Glasner with that recent history in their back pocket and a reputation for being awkward, organised and ruthless on the break.
Iraola knows exactly what he’s walking into.
Barcola deal looms over Anfield debut
Hovering over everything is Bradley Barcola.
Liverpool have reached an outline agreement with Paris Saint-Germain for the France international winger, with a guaranteed fee just over £100m and an overall package potentially rising to around £120m with add-ons based on individual and team success. He has been Liverpool’s top attacking target all summer as they reshape their forward line after Mohamed Salah’s departure.
The structure of the deal was agreed on Thursday morning after lengthy talks with the Champions League winners, but there is still work to do before it’s completed. Iraola, though, stayed firmly on script.
“As you know, we are trying to sign in that position,” he said. “We can’t talk about players who right now aren’t ours. But we are trying to improve and fill that position as we don’t have the numbers. I hope we have good news soon but we are still not there.”
The need is obvious. Liverpool want wingers. They want depth. They want goals.
Former Liverpool defender Stephen Warnock has already called for more, arguing that Barcola alone won’t be enough and that a right-back and a midfielder should follow. Inside the club, Iraola’s message is slightly different: he knows what he wants, but he also knows the clock is ticking.
“I don’t know what’s going to happen,” he admitted. “Even myself I have to be patient. Then we get to September 2, this is who we have and the options we have, then we can start thinking. For now we don’t know. I have in my head what I want, we’ve been talking since the beginning with the club, they know what we want. It’s about closing the deals.”
He is clear on priorities. Wide players are at the top of the list.
“There are certain things we can, but it’s true we need players in the wide areas. I’m sure if we can improve other areas we will but I don’t know how the market is going to finish. I have to be patient as well as you. It’s very uncomfortable for me as you are dealing with uncertainties all the time. In four or five days we will know what we have and then we can make proper plans.”
Midfield debate and defensive balance
If transfers dominate the noise, the midfield dominates the analysis.
The draw at Newcastle sparked fierce debate over Liverpool’s defensive transitions, but Iraola was neither shocked nor rattled by the reaction.
“Not surprised, I expected when I came here that everything would be magnified,” he said. “I’m starting to understand. But it’s just one game where we did a lot of very good things, even the players in midfield did, but there are definitely things we need to improve.
“Now it’s a matter of myself and coaching staff and players. It’s football. You go to the goals always. If you make exactly the same mistake then it’s normal and I understand we have to talk about the defensive transitions.”
He felt Liverpool grew into the game, especially without the ball.
“I thought we improved during the game in that aspect, were much much better getting the numbers. I think the first goal is more to blame than the second in terms of how we positioned when we lost the ball.”
The bigger theme is balance. Iraola wants his side to attack in numbers, but not at any cost.
“We can’t attack with everyone,” he said. “I don’t want to tell Ryan Gravenberch don’t carry the ball as he scored against Monaco, it came from his pass to Alex. But there is a balance, recognising the situation how we can balance those numbers in those positions.
“Sometimes you have to accept the players go forward, it isn’t always one stays back and one goes forward. If the opposition are defending deep maybe both can go forward.”
He expanded on that idea when asked about the overall shape of his team.
“We don’t want to lose the offensive side, the fluidity, the arrival of numbers, but we were punished the other day. We have been intently working on it. It’s nothing new, we always want to control that. But there is a balance, we can’t go from one way where we send a lot of people forward to putting everyone back and it looks stale.
“It’s a matter of identifying the situation. The players who are very good, they smell whether they can take the risk of going or staying, it’s the quality of the player who takes those decisions.”
Forest, Glasner and a stubborn test
The opponent on Saturday is no soft launch.
Glasner’s Forest are compact, drilled and dangerous when the pitch opens up. Iraola has seen enough already to know this will be a grind.
“He has been very successful,” the Liverpool boss said of Glasner. “You can see straight away the shape. They don’t concede many chances, against Leeds it was a very tight game which was won with a free-kick in the last minute.
“We will have to earn every chance, win our duels, nothing is for free. We have to be good on the ball and patient because defensively they are very solid and good and have very good players. In transitions they are good threats on the counter.”
Forest’s recent record at Anfield backs that up: a 1-0 win in September 2024 in Slot’s second home league game, then a 3-0 victory last November as the Dutchman’s tenure began to unravel. Anfield, so often a fortress, was anything but against the Tricky Trees.
Iraola’s task is to change that story.
Squad calls and early impressions
Team selection will be under the microscope again.
Federico Chiesa will not feature after feeling an issue in his back during the game against Como. Harvey Elliott again faces the frustration of a place outside the matchday squad, a decision Iraola framed as a matter of balance rather than form.
“Fede is not available, in the game against Como he felt something in his back,” Iraola explained. “With Harvey and some of the players I can only choose 20. Harvey is trying and improving every week but I still prefer other options, about the balance on the bench. That’s why James McConnell was in the squad, but it’s now another new week and new chances for everyone. They have to keep that mentality.”
One player who has already made a strong impression is Jacquet, who started at Newcastle.
“He played very well considering it was his first game,” Iraola said. “It’s true he was tired, we had to sub him as you could feel he was tired in the last five minutes. He is very confident on the ball and good without the ball. Very young, we have to accept he will make mistakes.”
Cody Gakpo is another early positive, both in form and attitude, though his future cannot be guaranteed in such a volatile window.
“After performance he had in first game I say the same, he’s playing very well for us,” Iraola said. “He’s been very good since he’s been back from World Cup. The right attitude and I hope we can keep him at that level. He can be very influential on us.
“When the market is open and we bring in expensive players I cannot guarantee anything. But I don’t know. Our players, I cannot guarantee anything about how many we are going to sign or whatever. Experience tells us that if there’s an opportunity the last day you can do something.”
An emotional first league step at Anfield
Beneath the transfer noise and tactical talk, there is a human moment waiting for Iraola on Saturday.
“It’s going to be a special moment for me to have first PL game at Anfield,” he said. “I already felt it in pre-season. I will be thinking of the game but it’s also going to be emotional, it has to be like this as it’s a special place. I hope everything goes well and I enjoy the game.”
He insists he liked much of what he saw at Newcastle.
“I thought we controlled the game quite well, I felt we had meaningful possession, were quite direct in attack. I was feeling good in the game, I felt we were closer to scoring than Newcastle in most part of the game. I felt good things in the first game.”
Now he needs more than good feelings. He needs a statement.
With Barcola edging closer, Forest rolling into town and the transfer window about to slam shut, Iraola’s Anfield debut already carries weight. The question is simple: does this new Liverpool bend to Forest again, or does it finally slam the door in their face?
