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Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola has acknowledged that supporters have every right to feel dissatisfied with the inconsistent nature of his early tenure at Anfield.
Recruited from Bournemouth to succeed Arne Slot, Iraola remains unbeaten as Liverpool manager through his opening five fixtures but has secured only two wins, with Saturday's underwhelming 0–0 stalemate against relegation-threatened Fulham drawing widespread criticism from the fanbase.
"I understand the frustration from the other day because we were frustrated too," Iraola said in response.
"I think we were coming off two solid performances and we viewed it as progress, then we took a step back. The level of performance wasn't what it had been in those two previous games. That's just part of football.
"We have to accept that there will be highs and lows throughout this process, but we're clear about the direction we want to go — more in line with how we performed against Atlético Madrid and Ipswich. That's the style and the football we're after. The challenge now is delivering that kind of performance consistently."
Why Can Liverpool Not Find Consistency Under Iraola?
With only five matches played to date, it would be unfair to demand flawless performances from a Liverpool squad still adapting to a new manager's philosophy while also operating without key figure Mohamed Salah. Adjustments of that magnitude naturally take time.
Nevertheless, one recurring theme has emerged in Liverpool's struggles: fatigue.
As far back as preseason, Iraola flagged concerns that his squad lacked the fitness levels required to sustain the high-intensity pressing his system demands. Those worries have persisted, with left back Milos Kerkez revealing earlier this month that the players can only maintain the required intensity for "30 or 35 minutes."
Following the flat display against Fulham, Iraola cited a lack of "freshness" in his squad, suggesting physical limitations were the primary factor behind the poor showing rather than tactical or technical failings.
Some degree of fatigue is simply unavoidable. As Iraola noted, Liverpool had just navigated their first week featuring multiple matches under his management, grinding out a win over Atlético Madrid on Wednesday before facing Fulham on Saturday. Keeping players at peak condition under such a schedule is a challenge that managers worldwide acknowledge is virtually impossible to solve.