Andoni Iraola makes Bournemouth return still learning on the job at Liverpool

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Guardian or go back to LFC Live.

Big decisions appear unavoidable.When Iraola faces his former club Bournemouth on Sunday for the first time since ending his impressive three-year reign there last season, he is likely to know more about the opposition players than his own. Hughes had a seven-month break between those two jobs, however, making Iraola the first Premier League coach to draw 21 of 38 matches in a continuous sequence.Graphic showing Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth set a record for draws in a 38‑game Premier League seasonThe sample size at Liverpool is too small for conclusions, admittedly.

The audible groans that greeted the home draws against Nottingham Forest and Fulham confirmed Anfield’s patience has not recovered from last season’s travails.“That’s totally fair,” Iraola said of the contrasting reactions to a draw at Liverpool and Bournemouth. With Liverpool’s midfield balance also under scrutiny and Wirtz following a good Champions League performance with an indifferent Premier League display, as was often the case last season, Iraola may spend the extended international break wrestling with some big calls depending on how his Bournemouth return unfolds.

But I also have to adjust to the things that some players can do and others cannot do.“The strengths and weaknesses of players are different, so we have to always adapt the team to try and maximise the collective side of this. But sometimes I need to adapt too to the players that we have.”Iraola was asked if he would love 11 players with the mentality of Koumas.