Liverpool 0-0 Fulham: Iraola’s Press Still Needs Time

Liverpool had roughly 65 hours between the Atletico game and Fulham, and Iraola admitted afterwards that the team lacked freshness. But Fulham arrived at Anfield having lost their opening three league games. If Liverpool want to challenge for the title, these are games you simply have to win.

The biggest concern for me was the press.

You can see what Liverpool are trying to do under Iraola, but at the moment it feels like individuals pressing rather than the entire team pressing as one unit.

There is very little point in Isak, Wirtz or one of the wingers aggressively jumping onto a defender if the next passing option isn't covered. Fulham regularly had an escape pass available, and once they found it Liverpool had committed players forward without actually winning possession.

That almost defeats the purpose of pressing.

Iraola essentially confirmed the problem himself afterwards. Liverpool were recovering possession too deep, and he has since stressed that the forwards need to work better defensively because it makes the job of the midfield and defence significantly easier.

When this system eventually works, the idea should be the opposite: press together, remove the easy pass, force the opposition into the ball you want them to play and then attack immediately after winning it.

At the moment Liverpool seem stuck somewhere between pressing aggressively and protecting themselves positionally.

Wirtz is having to do too much

I also think Florian Wirtz is being asked to solve too many problems.

Against Fulham he had 69 touches and attempted 54 passes, yet recorded only three touches inside the opposition box. For a player you want receiving between the lines and combining around Isak, that tells its own story.

Too often Wirtz was dropping towards Gravenberch and Szoboszlai simply to help Liverpool get the ball forward.

You obviously want your No.10 involved in build-up, but you don't want him becoming another central midfielder because the pivot cannot consistently progress the ball through pressure.

The more energy Wirtz spends coming towards his own goal to connect Liverpool’s build-up, the less often he receives facing Fulham's defence.

He is arguably Liverpool's most dangerous player between the lines. We need to find ways of getting the ball to him, rather than constantly asking him to come and find it.

There are a few positives

It isn't all doom and gloom.

Liverpool have now kept consecutive Premier League clean sheets following the 2-0 win at Ipswich, and defensively there are signs of improvement. Jérémy Jacquet was excellent again and produced a crucial goal-line clearance after Alisson's mistake. Barcola, Isak and Wirtz will hopefully build cohesion and start developing a partnership in attack. The pressing structure will hopefully improve over the next weeks - how this then looks with a consistent 2 games a week with and this current thin squad in key areas? I dont know.

There is a completely new manager attempting to install a very specific style of football. Iraola's teams rely heavily on coordinated pressing, intensity and recognising triggers together. That isn't something you perfect after four league games.

Players will have to adapt.

My concern is more about the points Liverpool are dropping while that adaptation takes place.

Last season Liverpool won only 10 of their 19 league games at Anfield, drawing six and losing three. That simply isn't strong enough home form for a team trying to win major trophies.

And the problem has potentially carried over. The Fulham result was Liverpool's seventh draw in their last 12 Premier League games at Anfield during 2026.

You can get away with frustrating draws away at difficult grounds. You cannot continually drop two points at Anfield against teams you expect to beat and still expect to challenge Arsenal and the other title contenders.

There are enough signs in my opinion to remain optimistic about Iraola. But Liverpool currently look like a collection of players learning when to press rather than a pressing team.

Until everyone moves together, opponents will always have that one escape pass.

And once that pass is available, the press is already beaten.