Three Bold Moves Andoni Iraola Could Use to Expose and Crush Liverpool's Glaring Weakness

Despite watching Newcastle United repeatedly exploit the vulnerable heart of his team on Sunday, Andoni Iraola flatly dismissed the notion that Liverpool need to recruit a specialist defensive midfielder this summer.

Anthony Elanga broke the deadlock at St. James' Park with a composed finish at the end of a devastatingly simple counterattack after just five minutes. The pace of the Swedish international and the goal's architect, William Osula, ruthlessly exposed a midfield that had been completely abandoned by Liverpool's supposed midfielders, Ryan Gravenberch and Dominik Szoboszlai. Florian Wirtz was also bypassed by a single pass.

Gravenberch and Wirtz were once again caught upfield for Newcastle's second goal of the afternoon. Szoboszlai was at least well-positioned to watch Yoane Wissa advance freely without actually managing to halt him.

Both goals exposed a weakness that has persisted throughout Liverpool's first preseason under Iraola. Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher branded it "madness," declaring: "This midfield cannot work, I said it before a competitive ball was kicked."

Yet for Iraola, the issue isn't about personnel. "It's not just personnel," Liverpool's new manager insisted following the 2–2 draw. "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."

Crucially, this is a problem Iraola has inherited rather than created. Since the beginning of last season, only Sunderland have conceded more Premier League goals on the counter than Liverpool. The Reds have let in seven—for context, defending champions Arsenal have surrendered just one over the same stretch.

Most Premier League Counter Attack Goals Conceded Since Start of 2025–26

Stats via Opta. Correct as of Aug. 24, 2026.

In Carragher's view, the remedy is straightforward: sign a dedicated holding midfielder. It's worth noting, however, that Carragher's perspective was shaped during the most successful years of his career under Rafael Benítez, a manager who defended so deep his backline might as well have been operating from the Kop's front row.

Iraola built his reputation at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth through a far more aggressive, attack-minded philosophy that he has no plans to abandon. With that in mind, it stands to reason that the same vulnerability would persist even with a different player, given they would be required to operate within the same system.

There are, however, other avenues through which a porous backline can be tightened.

How Can Iraola Harden Liverpool's Soft Center?

Embrace Pessimistic Mindset

Legendary manager Carlo Ancelotti is known for assigning a distinct psychological mindset to each type of player. His finest forwards were eternal optimists, always betting on a ball breaking their way. Defenders, by contrast, were required to think pessimistically, constantly preparing for the worst-case scenario. Liverpool's current midfield pairing of Gravenberch and Szoboszlai simply lack that cynical edge.

There was an almost contagious enthusiasm in the way both players charged into Newcastle's box on Sunday. The match was barely five minutes old, yet both had fully committed to joining the attack. This will always be a concern for two players with inherently attacking tendencies; Szoboszlai has spent much of his career as a No. 10, while Gravenberch was only converted into a defensive midfielder by Arne Slot in 2024 after the club missed out on signing Martín Zubimendi.

After thriving in Liverpool's title-winning campaign with a disciplined holding role, Gravenberch's increasingly frequent forward runs have disrupted the team's defensive shape over the past 12 months. Yet it remains unclear whether Iraola will instruct him to rein that in.

For all the admiration Bournemouth earned for their work rate last season, the Cherries were also susceptible in transition, conceding more shots—if not goals—from counterattacks than even Liverpool. It appears the midfield will remain stubbornly advanced.

'Finish' the Action—at Whatever Cost

Rather than overhauling his system, Iraola's preferred solution is to eliminate the counterattack opportunity altogether by "finishing the action." Newcastle's opener stemmed from Gravenberch opting against shooting himself in favour of a pass that Amar Dedić intercepted. "If he shoots and scores then we are saying what a play from Ryan Gravenberch," Iraola argued.

"For the first one [goal] I think we should just finish the great chance we created," he continued. "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."

Even had Gravenberch's effort resulted in a goal kick, it would have halted play and given Liverpool the opportunity to reorganise. If you're going to take a risk, at least commit to it fully.

The second goal also saw Liverpool pass up a cynical chance to "finish the action" by fouling Wissa. "It wasn't like they caught us by surprise," Iraola said bluntly. "We should compete for the first ball and probably make a foul—be a bit more aggressive against the ball carrier."

Bournemouth ranked third in the Premier League last season for fouls, with central midfielder Alex Scott particularly skilled at timing a challenge to disrupt opposition attacks.

Go to the 'Football Doctor'

Even if Iraola is insistent that no external signings are required, he may have an in-house answer to the problem: Alexis Mac Allister.

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It has become clear that the player Jürgen Klopp once dubbed Liverpool's "football doctor" isn't heading elsewhere this season, yet his role in Iraola's starting lineup remains uncertain. Mac Allister had to make do with a place on the bench on Sunday as Wirtz started ahead of Gravenberch and Szoboszlai. However, within minutes of Newcastle's second embarrassingly straightforward goal, Iraola withdrew Wirtz in favour of Mac Allister, reshaping his midfield triangle with the Argentine at its base.

That adjustment freed Szoboszlai and Gravenberch to follow their natural instincts and push higher up the pitch, while the less mobile Mac Allister orchestrated from a deeper position. Liverpool were far from impenetrable over those final 30 minutes, but it could be an option worth exploring for Iraola—particularly if Wirtz continues to struggle to make an impact from the No. 10 role.

Something has to change, even if a new midfielder on the squad sheet won't be part of the solution.