Liverpool were held to a frustrating 0-0 draw by Fulham at Anfield, and manager Andoni Iraola was reportedly becoming increasingly annoyed by one particular aspect of Fulham’s approach.
According to BBC Sport reporter Aadam Patel, who was watching the action from the touchline, Iraola was visibly frustrated by the amount of time Fulham were taking over restarts and throw-ins.
The Fulham players appeared to be slowing the game down whenever the ball went out of play, taking their time before getting the ball back into action. This disrupted Liverpool’s rhythm and made it difficult for Iraola’s side to build the kind of momentum they wanted.
For Liverpool, the frustration was made worse by the fact that they were unable to turn their possession and pressure into goals.
The Reds had recently produced impressive performances against Ipswich Town and Atlético Madrid, but they struggled to reproduce that attacking sharpness against Fulham.
Iraola made changes as he tried to unlock the visitors. Cody Gakpo and Alexis Mac Allister were introduced in the second half, while Milos Kerkez also came on to provide more attacking width.
However, Liverpool continued to struggle to find a breakthrough.
Fulham, meanwhile, grew in confidence as the game progressed and created opportunities of their own. Alisson was required to make important interventions as the visitors showed that they were not simply going to sit back and defend.
The result means Liverpool dropped more points at home, with the team still searching for greater consistency under Iraola in the Premier League.
The manager will undoubtedly be disappointed because Liverpool were expected to take advantage of Fulham’s difficult start to the campaign.
Instead, Fulham left Anfield with a valuable point, while Iraola and his players were left wondering what could have been.
The biggest concern for Liverpool is not simply the result but the lack of attacking intensity and the difficulty they had in breaking down a well-organised Fulham side.
Iraola now has plenty to think about as Liverpool prepare for their next fixtures.
Was Fulham’s slow approach to restarts good game management, or should the referee have done more to speed things up? 👀
👇 Liverpool fans, what is your verdict on Iraola’s performance and the team’s display?
