Andoni

On the flight home from Chicago, as he reflects on the 4-2 loss to Leeds that ended Liverpool‘s United States tour, manager Andoni Iraola will have plenty to think about.

The first-half display was arguably the best since the Spaniard took charge, but the second was categorically their worst as they conceded four times without reply inside 25 minutes.

Iraola did make a raft of changes at the break and in the second half but that is no excuse for the way they capitulated against Daniel Farke’s side.

Their lack of squad depth and physicality was alarmingly exposed and Iraola will be concerned with the ease with which Leeds scored, albeit against an inexperienced backline that finished with Calvin Ramsay, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Mor Talla Ndiaye.

With Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz making their return, Liverpool were excellent in the first half and it is important not to be too critical but perhaps Iraola will be glad in the long-run that he saw this second-half display, where Liverpool‘s set-piece deficiencies were evident too.

“We conceded two goals from set-pieces. We have to fix that and make sure we deal with them better,” said midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.

The intensity Iraola demands on the training pitch was evident in the first half but seemed non-existent after the break. Senior figures like Curtis Jones and Federico Chiesa did not cover themselves in glory.

“I particularly hate this month of August because you start the competitions and you still don’t know if some of the players are going to leave and who’s going to come – there is a lot of uncertainty,” said Iraola, earlier in the week.

Iraola will meet Virgil van Dijk, Cody Gakpo, Alisson Becker and new signing Victor Munoz over the coming days at the AXA Training Centre.

By then, the only first-team player he will have yet to meet will be Alexis Mac Allister, who has been granted extra time off following Argentina’s run to the World Cup final. Munoz, who did not play a minute in Spain’s successful World Cup campaign, will return earlier to aid his integration into the squad.

However, over the course of a fortnight in America, Liverpool have had no incomings. That was in part because Iraola wanted to see the squad at his disposal before making decisions.

What he saw in this defeat will play into those decisions.

Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola wants midfielder Alexis Mac Allister and goalkeeper Alisson to remain at the club.

Argentina international Mac Allister has two years left on the five-year contract he signed at Liverpool when he joined the Reds in 2023.

The 27-year-old has yet to begin talks over a new deal, which has prompted speculation he could leave Anfield this summer.

However, Iraola told a news conference in Chicago at the beginning of Liverpool‘s pre-season tour of the United States that he wants to hang on to the player.

“I think Alexis has been one of the best players at the club for the last few years, and he has had a very good World Cup, so it is normal that other clubs want our best players,” Iraola said.

“It always happens in other markets. But I want to keep my good players. I’m looking forward more to signing new players rather than losing the ones we have here.”

Alisson has a year left on his contract at Anfield and has been linked with a move to Juventus, but Iraola is keen to bank on the 33-year-old Brazilian’s experience in the forthcoming season.

“I’m very happy with the situation we have right now in the goalkeeping area,” explained the Reds boss.

“Alisson is someone also in a changing room that has lost some references in terms of experience, I think he’s someone that definitely will help us in this process of adaptation of the new signings, of the new players, the young players.

“We need the references like Virgil [van Dijk], like Alisson, like Joe Gomez, players that have been here for a long time.”

Iraola acknowledged he has one eye on bringing in defensive reinforcements during the summer transfer window, particularly at right-back given Conor Bradley is “months” away from playing.

The Northern Ireland international sustained a knee injury in January and will not be available for the start of the season.

“At the end, if you have a fully fit, healthy Conor Bradley, we are very happy, ready to go and we would not be asking ourselves these questions,” explained the Spaniard.

“I think it’s a situation that is tricky, because we trust Conor in the long term, we know we want him to be our right-back but right now he is still, I would say, a little bit far from returning.

“So, with the centre-back, with the right-back situation, in terms of defensive depth, we are, I think, very thin right now so I think it’s a solution that we are trying to find, yes.”

Liverpool are in advanced talks with Andoni Iraola as they look to appoint a new head coach following the sacking of Arne Slot.

Iraola left Bournemouth at the end of the season and is the clear favourite for the role at Anfield.

Liverpool are keen to make an appointment at the earliest possible opportunity and want a manager who fits their preferred playing style, which is to deliver front-foot, aggressive football.

No approaches have yet been made with regard to Iraola’s potential coaching staff, but the 43-year-old Spaniard is keen on bringing his assistant at Bournemouth, Tommy Elphick, a lifelong Liverpool fan, with him.

BBC Sport understands that Elphick has had no contact yet from the Reds but would be interested in the opportunity.

The former Bournemouth centre-back, 38, turned down the opportunity to become the Bristol City manager last week in order to assess his other options.

The hiring process at Anfield is being led by Richard Hughes, Liverpool‘s sporting director, who previously worked with Iraola at the Cherries.

The Reds sacked Slot on Saturday, just a year after the Dutchman guided them to the Premier League title.