Iraola sends Liverpool rallying cry after Atletico Madrid comeback

Andoni Iraola believes Liverpool are developing a habit that could define their season: refusing to stay down.

The Reds have already been forced to fight their way back from difficult situations several times this campaign. Newcastle United, Nottingham Forest and, most recently, Atletico Madrid have all tested Liverpool’s character.

And each time, they have responded.

Liverpool fell behind against Atletico in their Champions League opener on Wednesday night, but goals from Dominik Szoboszlai and Alexis Mac Allister turned the game around and secured a 2-1 victory at Anfield.

Now, there is no time to celebrate.

Fulham arrive at Anfield for another Premier League test, with Liverpool having less than three days between their European battle and their next league assignment.

Iraola admits the demanding schedule requires his players to recover quickly while maintaining the focus needed to perform again.

“It has been a quick turnaround since our last fixture, which was less than three days ago, and our focus since the final whistle was blown against Atletico Madrid has been on being ready for this one,” head coach Iraola writes in his matchday programme notes.

“This has meant we have had to strike a balance between recovery – because anyone who was at Anfield on Wednesday night will have seen the physical effort that the players put in – and preparation.

Liverpool’s hectic schedule, however, is something Iraola welcomes. The more competitions the club remains involved in, the more often these challenges will arrive.

“Obviously, this is why there is always a lot of focus on teams who play two or three games per week and while it is a challenge, it is one I hope we can face right through this season as that would mean we are involved in more than one competition.”

The immediate priority is Fulham.

Liverpool will be looking to build on last week’s Premier League victory over Ipswich Town, but Iraola expects a difficult contest against a Fulham side whose results have not reflected their performances.

“Today is all about the Premier League of course and we have the chance to build on our win over Ipswich Town last week. This time we face Fulham, who we know will be ready to fight as they look for their opening victory after a start to the season in which their performances have not been matched by results.”

The Liverpool boss believes the visitors are a dangerous opponent precisely because their league position does not tell the full story.

“This makes them a dangerous opponent. Sometimes you can come up against a team whose form does not match how they are playing and this is one of them.”

Fulham’s three defeats by a single goal further underline how fine the margins have been.

“The fact that Fulham have lost three games by one goal shows how tight the margins are in the Premier League, not just for them but for everyone, and it would not have taken much for them to be higher in the table than they are.”

But Liverpool will enter the contest with something equally important: momentum from another memorable European night.

Iraola was particularly impressed by the Anfield crowd and the way supporters responded whenever Liverpool needed another push against Atletico.

“There was so much focus on the atmosphere for a European night at Anfield and having experienced it for the first time I definitely understand why. I always think night games are different anyway – they just have a different feel – but what I enjoyed most about the energy our fans created was how they really sensed the moments to drive the team on.”

The manager believes that connection between players and supporters can become a major weapon.

“It is totally normal for supporters to react in a big way to goals and other big moments but I also felt that they recognised that the team was fighting. Whether we were behind, level or in front, they kept pushing us and this made a real difference to the outcome of the game.”

For Iraola, that fighting spirit is becoming a defining feature of this Liverpool side.

The team is still developing its identity, but repeated comebacks against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Atletico have already given the squad valuable shared experiences.

“I always think this is a big, underrated quality when people discuss atmosphere at football matches and I expect we will need it again today after what was – as I have already said – such a quick turnaround between games.”

“As Wednesday night showed, the more we can be together on and off the pitch, the better chance we will have of getting the results that we are looking for.”

The message from Iraola is simple.

Liverpool may not be able to prevent every setback, but they must always be ready to respond.

“The truth is we are still at the stage of our development as a team where we have to create our own shared experiences. We do not have two or three years of being together that would allow us to look back to reference points and moments we have learned from together so we are doing it ‘live’, which is why I have been so pleased with the number of times already that we have shown we can react to difficult situations.”

He would obviously prefer Liverpool to stop giving themselves mountains to climb. But when those moments arrive, the response matters.

“Of course I would prefer us not to go behind in games but when it does happen, we have to be able to react and this has now happened against Newcastle, Nottingham Forest and Atletico. This is a big compliment to the players and we need to build on the spirit that they have shown.”

And that leaves Liverpool with a clear challenge against Fulham.

“As a team, we are showing character and we are showing fight. This, for me, has to be our aim in every single game that we play. That is what our supporters expect and we have to do everything in our power to deliver it.”