Iraola cited two excuses for Liverpool's draw with Fulham in the Premier League.
Andoni Iraola, manager of the "Reds" Liverpool, lamented that the team had little rest and faced attacking problems, resulting in only a 0-0 draw at Anfield against Fulham in the English Premier League last night.
Iraola said, "When you draw at home, you can't be happy. Today we lacked freshness and didn't perform well enough in attack to make a difference. I think what was missing is quite clear. This is the first game since I've been here where we struggled to create scoring chances. We didn't score, and that's why we only got one point."
Asked if fatigue from the midweek UEFA Champions League game affected the team's performance, Iraola replied, "Certainly. I think we lacked freshness. We can't hide it. It was less than three days, about 60 hours, since the match against Atlético Madrid. I believe that was the worst rest period between games, and many players had to adjust to these conditions."
"Games like this sometimes require winning through set pieces, shots from outside the box, or excellent moments from attacking players. Today, we couldn't do that. Our attack was clearly not as good as usual. We didn't have enough chances to score in a game where we didn't play well."
Regarding Bradley Barcola, who made his Premier League starting debut, Iraola said, "For Bradley, we're building his physical condition because he didn't play during the preseason. I think it was good that he played today. He performed better than three days ago against Atlético Madrid. He had some good opportunities. We know he has more potential, but right now, the important thing is to give him playing time, build his confidence, and he's a player who can help us more."
When asked if the pressure of playing at Anfield affected the team, Iraola answered, "I don't feel that way. I prefer playing at home. Of course, I like being at home. We can't look for reasons outside ourselves. We have to find reasons on the pitch, within ourselves. We know that if we give our all, the fans will stand by us. That is 100 percent true."