Should Liverpool fans be worried about Iraola's fitness comments?

What the report says

BBC Sport Football reports that Liverpool manager Andoni Iraola has raised concerns about the squad’s fitness and ability to maintain the intensity he wants during matches, after the team again lost a pre-season friendly from a two-goal lead. Liverpool were beaten 3-2 by Monaco at Anfield on Sunday, two weeks before their Premier League opener at Newcastle on 23 August, following a similar collapse against Leeds in Chicago earlier in the month.

According to BBC Sport, Iraola said Liverpool were strong for about the first half-hour but then lacked the physical level needed to keep playing at that pace. The article says the manager believes the team still has work to do, especially with several players either short of full fitness after time away or sidelined by injury. It also notes that summer signings and new staff are still settling in, while the squad has been rotated heavily in friendlies.

The report places these comments in the context of Iraola’s wider tactical approach, which asks for high pressing, quick ball movement and constant front-foot defending. BBC Sport also points out that such a style can take time to embed, citing Iraola’s earlier record at Bournemouth and his own warning that a team will not be perfect from day one. The piece suggests the issue is not necessarily alarm, but the need for patience as Liverpool build towards the new season.