Iraola's Liverpool attack: why Isak and Wirtz could thrive

When I started looking properly at Andoni Iraola, the thing that stood out was not simply that his teams attack. Plenty of managers say they want to attack. Plenty of teams press. Plenty of teams want to play in the opposition half. The difference with Iraola is that the numbers begin to show a very clear attacking model, one built on purpose, territory and the creation of chaos in areas where opponents do not want chaos.

That phrase, possession with intent, matters. Iraola’s football is not possession for possession's sake. It is not keeping the ball because keeping the ball looks controlled. It is vertical football, played with the intention of getting into the final third quickly, winning it high when possible and then using short, short sharp passing, as seen in the graphic below, to turn that moment into a chance.