Andoni Iraola rejected squad rotation as an excuse for Liverpool’s 3-2 loss to Fenerbahçe, focusing instead on “preventable” set-piece failures ahead of the trip to Crystal Palace
European away nights in Istanbul rarely offer room for procedural error. At the Şükrü Saracoğlu Stadium on Wednesday evening, Andoni Iraola watched his Liverpool side deliver an offensive display worthy of three points, only to dismantle their own hard work through a series of elementary defensive lapses.
The 3-2 defeat against Dirk Kuyt’s Fenerbahçe marked Liverpool’s first European loss of the campaign, following a flawless run of three consecutive Champions League victories. Yet, having already surrendered three goals against both LASK and Villarreal in previous outings, the Reds completed a deeply frustrating hat-trick of defensive concessions in Turkey.
Coming just few days after a damaging domestic 1-0 loss to Arsenal, this latest setback represents perhaps the most sobering evening of Iraola’s tenure so far. In the immediate aftermath, the Spanish coach held no back-page ambiguity about why his side returned to Merseyside empty-handed.
Iraola identifies root cause of Turkish collapse
Speaking in his post-match press conference, Iraola singled out Liverpool’s sudden vulnerability from dead-ball scenarios as the primary catalyst for their downfall.
“The main reason that I can find for why we lost this game is we conceded from three set pieces. It’s something that we were doing very well in the league, we were doing quite well until today.”
“We knew it was one of the strengths of Fenerbahce. We concede from a free-kick, a corner and even from the long throw at the end. They’re goals that have hurt us because we’ve gone twice in front after having good moments, controlling the game, arriving, we’ve found the goals but after we’ve conceded in situations we should definitely defend better.”
“It’s frustration because it’s a difficult place to come here and play. In most parts of the game we were thinking we could win this one but obviously it hasn’t happened.”
“Especially the first goal and the third goal – the second one is a rebound – but the first one, I don’t think we set the wall properly and the last one, Muriqi wins the ball against three defenders, it’s definitely something we need to defend better.”
Rotations defended as Iraola stands by five squad changes
With a saps-draining schedule piling up ahead of the upcoming international break, Iraola opted to make five changes to the starting XI that fell to Arsenal three days earlier. Key figures Alexander Isak, Cody Gakpo, and Florian Wirtz all started on the bench, giving 19-year-old Trey Nyoni another opportunity to impress.
Nyoni rewarded that faith on 25 minutes, writing another chapter in his breakthrough season by volleying home a deflected strike to open his senior goalscoring account. But after Greenwood’s equalizer wiped out that lead four minutes later, Iraola deployed his heavy artillery mid-way through the second half.
Isak scored with his very first touch on 69 minutes, heading home Gakpo’s precise cross to make it 2-1. Yet just as they had in the first half, Liverpool held their advantage for barely four minutes before Archie Brown tapped home following a defensive mix-up, paving the way for Vedat Muriqi’s dramatic late winner.
Despite suggestions that heavy rotation disrupted team chemistry, Iraola firmly rejected the notion that selection choices caused the defeat.
“We’ve done this not just today. We’ve been doing it all season and all the games we’ve played midweek. I think we’ve been changing at least four, five, six, seven players. Because of the schedule that we have, it’s impossible to maintain with always the [same] starting XI. I think we have been dealing well with these rotations. I trust the squad to sustain the level.”
“I don’t think it was the main reason why we lost, I think some of the players that didn’t play on the weekend have played a good game. We have to look more at how we conceded the goals [and] the reason why we didn’t win because after I think we had good moments, especially on the ball where we could score our two goals.”
What irked the Liverpool manager most was not merely the nature of the goals, but the sheer speed at which his side surrendered hard-earned momentum.
“I think we had, before scoring the goals, some very good moments on the ball. I think we’re having very good offensive situations. The thing is we concede almost straight away. We don’t have a lot of time after the goal. Also, it’s the way we conceded goals. It’s a long free-kick. I don’t even think it was a foul, but it doesn’t matter. It’s situations that we’ve been dealing [with] well until today.”
“It’s something that we were very aware of in pre-season. We’ve reinforced a lot the defensive set-play situation. We are doing very well in the league but today it has cost us. We know they are strong there, especially with Muriqi, with [Romelu] Lukaku, with the centre-backs, but maybe the last goal is the only one that is because they are strong in there, they are tall. The others are situations that we have to control better.”
What it means: Selhurst Park demands immediate defensive reset
Liverpool’s sudden regression at dead-ball scenarios brings back uncomfortable memories of the defensive fragility that plagued Arne Slot’s tenure during difficult away stretches last season. While Iraola’s coaching staff invested heavy tactical hours during pre-season to solidify defensive set-pieces, Istanbul proved that bad habits can resurface rapidly under high-pressure conditions.
The timing could hardly be more delicate. The Reds fly directly back from Turkey to prepare for Sunday’s grueling Premier League trip to face Pierre Sage’s Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park.
If Liverpool hope to enter the international break on a positive trajectory, Iraola must eradicate these “cheap” and “messy” concessions immediately. Selhurst Park rarely offers second chances to teams that cannot clear their own box, making Sunday’s fixture an early test of Iraola’s structural discipline.
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