Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has admitted that his side lacked freshness and energy during their disappointing Premier League draw with Fulham at Anfield.
The result came just 60 hours after Liverpool’s Champions League victory over Atlético Madrid, and Iraola believes the short turnaround had a major impact on his players.
Liverpool kept a clean sheet but struggled to create clear-cut opportunities, producing a much less convincing attacking display than the one seen in their midweek European win.
Iraola admitted that he was unhappy with the result, particularly because Liverpool were playing at home. He felt the team started slowly, lacked energy and failed to do enough offensively to secure all three points.
The Spanish coach explained that the congested schedule forced him to make changes, with several players needing a rest because of fatigue. However, he stressed that this is part of the demands of competing in multiple competitions and that Liverpool must find ways to cope.
Iraola also addressed Bradley Barcola’s physical condition, explaining that the new signing is still being built up through regular matches. However, he made it clear that the lack of freshness wasn’t limited to Barcola — the whole squad was affected.
Despite the frustrating result, Liverpool remain unbeaten under Iraola. However, the growing number of dropped points in the Premier League is becoming a concern, especially with another important fixture against Tottenham coming up in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday.
Iraola will now have to find a way to refresh his squad quickly and improve Liverpool’s attacking sharpness if they are to avoid more dropped points.
