Andoni Iraola: Brentford won't be like LASK

On Wednesday night, Liverpool dismantled LASK 6-3 away in Linz in the Champions League, but their focus has already turned to Saturday's Premier League trip to Brentford. The Reds are playing catch-up domestically, with just two wins from their opening six fixtures leaving them on half the points tally of league leaders Manchester City. Speaking at his press conference today, manager Andoni Iraola addressed a range of topics:

Brentford
They have good players and a clear understanding of what they want to achieve. Brentford are a hard-working side who love to run, and they are a quality team.

Dealing with a demanding schedule
It’s tougher. We played last night, got back late, and didn't get as much sleep as usual. But that's the challenge when you're competing on multiple fronts. It's been almost non-stop this season, so we have to adapt. Having four days between fixtures isn't something we're accustomed to, but we must adjust. We can afford to rest a few players, while others got valuable minutes last night, so I expect everyone to be in prime condition both mentally and physically. We have to be ready for a battle.

Bouncing back from Premier League disappointment
Ultimately, whenever you lose a match, you just want to get back on the pitch as quickly as possible. We want to put in a strong performance and secure a positive result. We can't recover the points dropped against Manchester City—that game is done. But with eight matches in the Champions League phase, we have ground to make up. I'm pleased with how we've started in Europe.

Injury updates
It's still too early to give a definitive update. We have a training session scheduled for tomorrow. The injured lads weren't fit to feature, so we'll have to wait and see. It's early days, but as I said, they weren't available for the previous games either. I wouldn't rule out a return, though. Nyoni starting ahead of Gravenberch? In a period where we play every three days, having squad depth is vital, which is why we rotated yesterday. We'll need to make changes for Brentford as well, and again for Villarreal. We need everyone ready to step up.

Bradley Barcola
That's the nature of football—one week you're on top of the world, the next week you're not. Anyone who follows the game closely knows how crucial he has been for France and PSG. Right now, it's about building chemistry with his teammates, learning their tendencies, and knowing where they want the ball and when they want to attack open space. Scoring a Champions League hat-trick is fantastic for him, but the main thing is that we're able to give him game time. He is playing with real confidence on the ball, which shows in aspects beyond just his goals. He had the conviction to drive into space, and that's one of his biggest attributes.

Florian Wirtz
I think that applies across the board—it's not about foreign teams versus English sides, it's just about the unique demands of each match. In some games, you have more time on the ball; in others, far less. Both Florian and the rest of the squad have to adapt to that. We know Brentford will pose a completely different challenge to LASK.

Jeremie Frimpong
I thought Jeremie had some great moments—scoring a goal and setting up others. It's true that by the time we made it 6-1, he wasn't looking quite as sharp. He was fatigued and found it hard to sustain that level of intensity, but it was beneficial for him to get 90 minutes under his belt. He's in good physical shape. There is a noticeable difference when we deploy Frimpong compared to Araujo at right-back. Jeremie offers a massive attacking threat, as we saw yesterday, though that naturally leaves more space in behind. Ronald is more defensive-minded; he doesn't overlap or create 2-on-2 overloads in the same way, but he can still contribute going forward. It comes down to what each specific match requires. It's great to have those tactical options while Conor Bradley works his way back.

Lewis Koumas
He has earned his minutes. He's playing more frequently because Isak is sidelined, but if I didn't trust him, I'd look at other alternatives. Koumas is eager to learn and determined to become the best player he can be. Yesterday was a brilliant moment for him—having two goals disallowed before finally getting on the scoresheet with the third. It was a well-deserved reward.

Trey Nyoni
Trey is still very young, but he plays with incredible maturity. He reads the game exceptionally well and has fantastic tactical awareness. He just needs to keep heading in this direction. He's earning decent playing time and needs to keep up these standards. Whether deployed as a No. 6 or a No. 8, he keeps the pressure on the other midfielders to perform. It's great to see him deliver on the Champions League stage.

Rio Ngumoha
I think he looks more and more at ease on the right wing. He featured there for the England youth setup and showed flashes of real quality. With Jeremie behind you, you can cut inside, whereas with Ronald, you have to maintain the width. Ngumoha is dangerous with the ball at his feet, and that's something he must never lose. We want him to play with courage in possession. There are still areas he can refine, but I love his attitude because he's dedicated to his development.

Giovanni Leoni
His recovery is taking longer than we had hoped. The initial plan was for Leo to return to training during the international break, but that won't happen until the following window. That sets his progress back by about a month. It wasn't just a simple ACL tear—it was a severe injury that affected multiple structures around the knee joint. Because of that, his rehabilitation requires extreme caution. We must ensure that when he rejoins the group, he is 100% ready. So the revised target is the next international break, which is later than we originally anticipated.