Liverpool suffers double setbacks after friendly loss to Leeds; Iraola responds immediately to the challenges.
On 3 Aug 2026 GMT+7, Andoni Iraola, Liverpool's new manager, spoke after the final pre-season friendly in the United States, where Liverpool lost 2-4 to fellow Premier League side Leeds United despite leading 2-0 at halftime.
Although they lost this match, Iraola remained positive about Liverpool, saying, "I think we learned a lot. Of course, the result wasn’t what we wanted, but I believe this was one of the most useful pre-season games we have played."
"This game had positives in the first half and negatives in the second. I think we learned a great deal today and can use these lessons to make improvements in some areas."
Iraola also commented on Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, and Ryan Gravenberch, who played their first matches for Liverpool in the pre-season after returning from the 2026 World Cup, stating, "I think they performed very well."
"All three played the first 45 minutes. Certainly, for Florian and Alex, who played in the first half, their games might have looked easier or better, while for Ryan, it was quite a tough challenge."
Regarding Jeremy Frimpong, the right-back substituted in the 77th minute due to what appeared to be an injury, the Liverpool manager clarified, "We decided to substitute Jeremy, but I don’t think it’s a serious injury."
"It’s likely just fatigue from overexertion, and I hope it’s not a major injury. I don’t think we will lose any players from this game."
Previously, Joe Gomez was injured and expected to be out for about a month, and Conor Bradley is still recovering from a long-term injury. If Jeremy Frimpong also faces a lengthy absence, Liverpool would be left with only Calvin Ramsay as a right-back.
