Florian Wirtz reality becomes clear as four Liverpool players give Andoni Iraola big concern

01:00, 25 Sep 2026Updated 07:02, 25 Sep 2026

So far, so steady. While Liverpool remain unbeaten under new head coach Andoni Iraola, there is clear room for improvement given dropped points in three of their five Premier League games so far this campaign.

Some new signings have adapted quicker than others, and while certain squad players have benefited from the arrival of the Basque, there are those who are struggling to adapt to the new methods and tactical approach in pursuit of a return to front-footed, aggressive, urgent football.

The ECHO has rated Liverpool's squad throughout the seven games they have played in all competitions this season, marking them out of 10 for every appearance in which they played for at least 15 minutes.

And while the sample size is only small, it provides a telling guide on who is performing well for Iraola - and who needs to do a lot better.

It will come as a surprise to absolutely nobody to discover Cody Gakpo (average score 7.33) is leading the way by some distance following his hugely impressive response to almost leaving the club in the summer, already notching two goals and four assists in six outings.

Less expected, though, has been the impact of Jeremy Jacquet (6.71) since his arrival from Rennes, his form rewarded with a first call-up to the France senior national team.

The excellent performance of Alisson Becker (6.67) at Bournemouth was, in trademark non-flashy fashion, evidence of how important he remains when fully fit.

And Alexis Mac Allister (6.57) might be unhappy at not yet being offered a new contract, but is channelling that into a series of much-improved performances on last season.

Ronald Araujo (6.33) stepped in from the bench at centre-back in the opening weeks, but it's as a right-back that the on-loan defender has demonstrated the value of his transfer.

Alexander Isak (6.33) had a tough opening weekend at former club Newcastle United but has since blossomed with four goals and an assist to start delivering on his British record transfer fee.

Given the ongoing debate over his usefulness for Liverpool, that Florian Wirtz (6.33) ranks among the better players highlights, while inconsistent, he merits his place in the team.

Virgil van Dijk (6.17) has been quietly effective at the heart of defence in cajoling Jacquet through his first Liverpool steps and has benefited when there has been extra security in midfield, evidenced by three successive Premier League clean sheets.

Victor Munoz (6.17) shone during the opening few games but it still to properly settle, while fellow new wing signing Bradley Barcola (6.00) has been the epitome of steady as he also adjusts to the English game.

It seems a little harsh that Rio Ngumoha (5.80) is ranked quite so low given his fine showing last time out against Tottenham Hotspur in the Carabao Cup, but his mark is affected by some ineffective showings from the bench.

Milos Kerkez (5.71) started the season poorly but has gradually improved, while fellow Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai (5.71) has struggled to get close to last season's form.

Ryan Gravenberch (5.33) has been the one midfielder struggling to initially grasp the Iraola approach, but no player has underperformed as much as Jeremie Frimpong (5.20) although, in fairness, the Dutchman has shown more encouraging signs in his last two outings.