Liverpool face another serious Premier League test with a visit to Crystal Palace at Selhurst Park. The Reds arrive in London following two consecutive defeats – against Arsenal and Fenerbahçe, while head coach Andoni Iraola insists that the team must quickly return to winning ways.
The manager acknowledges that his first season in charge of the team will include both strong periods and difficult moments. Nevertheless, he is convinced that his players have the necessary qualities to end the negative run in their final match before the international break in November.
“I think that is precisely the challenge, especially when you are at a club like Liverpool. Just a week ago, at the same press conference, we were on a good run, things were going positively and the mood was different.
After two defeats, the atmosphere changes. That is how it should be at a club of our stature. Now we have to respond and show character. We need a win against Palace. We have found ourselves in similar situations before – I remember the matches against Bournemouth and Brentford before international breaks. We have to go to London, do our job and win,” Iraola said.
He stressed that defeats inevitably affect the mood within the team, but called for calm to be maintained and for the situation to be assessed properly.
“In moments like these, it is not easy because we all react in the same way – when we lose, we are angry. But we have to look at things more broadly and accept that this process will include both highs and lows. We have to get through the difficult periods.
Of course, we want to play well consistently, win and achieve good results, but football is not always like that. Before the match against Arsenal, we were on an excellent run, and now, after two defeats, doubts have immediately emerged. I understand that reaction – if I were a supporter, I would probably react in the same way.
However, those of us who work at the club every day know what we are doing. We are not as weak as we currently appear, but we were not as good as we seemed a week ago either. We have to maintain our balance. That is part of my challenge, including when it comes to the mood in the dressing room.
Obviously, there are things we need to improve. It is particularly important to eliminate the mistakes from the last match, when we conceded goals from set pieces. At the same time, we continue to do many very good things,” the manager added.
Crystal Palace will also not welcome the match in the calmest of circumstances. The Eagles, led by Pierre Sage, who took charge of the team in the summer following the departure of Oliver Glasner, sit 18th in the Premier League.
On Thursday evening, the London side had a Europa League engagement against Hoffenheim. They managed to score an equaliser in stoppage time, despite playing with 10 men during the final 15 minutes of the match.
The upcoming clash at Selhurst Park will be important for both teams – Liverpool will be looking for a response after a run of failures, while Palace will try to use their home advantage in the battle to escape the relegation zone.