What Would Be A Successful Season For Liverpool? | w/ Michael Reid
Liverpool have endured a mixed start to the 2026/27 Premier League season with a new look and plenty of questions to answer. There's no doubt Andoni Iraola is one of European football's most innovative young coaches but managing Liverpool is a different beast - can the Reds become Premier League title contenders, or will a top-four finish be the more realistic goal? Check out the Opta Analyst website: https://theanalyst.com/ 📬 Sign up for the Opta Analyst Newsletter here for free: https://theanalyst.com/sign-up Follow Opta Analyst: Twitter: https://x.com/OptaAnalyst Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theoptaanalyst Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/optaanalyst/ Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@optaanalyst QUESTION - Have a question about a player or data? Drop it in the comments! andoniiraola liverpool liverpoolfc
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Liverpool's start to the season has divided opinion, but does the data show they're actually improving? We're joined by Opta data editor Michael Reid to discuss the numbers further. Michael, thank you for joining us. How are you? >> Yeah, very well. Thank you. >> Obviously, we're super early into the season, but it has been a bit hit and miss. How would you rate Liverpool's start to the season so far? >> Yeah, a mixed a mixed bag is fair to say. Only one win in four, but unbeaten. In fact, this you've got to sort of contextualize it that not many Liverpool managers tend to start so well. I think Iraola is actually the first Liverpool manager to go unbeaten in his first four league games in sole charge since Joe Fagan in '83-'84. So, it's rare to see he has one more point after four games than Jurgen Klopp did. So, there's this context and things like that to say where he is a new manager. He's having to implement a style that was different to what we saw last season, which we'll we'll show some of the stats later on on that, but he's having to uh basically re- re-coach the way that this squad plays. You'd have to say it's certainly been an indifferent start, but unbeaten, so there's a platform to build on. And you'd that's what you expect to see under Iraola, that improvement as the months and weeks progress. >> You mentioned the data there. Looking at the numbers, what's kind of standing out and improving, and can we finally see Iraola putting his mark on this team? >> Yeah, the the basic underlying numbers are very similar in terms of points per game and goals per game. Previously in last season, 1.58, now it's at 1.5, but obviously only four games in. XG is very similar, 1.61 per game last season, 1.67 this season. XGA, 1.26 last season, 1.33 this season. They're very small differences. So, the the very basic numbers are very similar. But, one thing that is increased is the amount of line-breaking passes this team is making, which I think is notable. That's up from 104 per game to 111 per game. And defensive line-breaking passes, 15.6 to 16.3. They're small differences. You hope that these differences will increase as the season comes on and the players begin to to build under in under the new manager. Even the pressing is sort of similar, high turnovers at 7.5 last season, 7.8 this season. So, there's a similarity there in terms of press. But, the number that really stands out to me that has changed is the passes per defensive action. Liverpool were 11.5 last season, they were 8.6 this season. So, that's three fewer passes that they're allowing the opponents before they're intervening in some way. So, yeah, the stats not huge differences so far. And we hope that these differences will become more and more progressive as the season goes on. Uh but, just little bit of little few signs that we're starting to see the Iraola system that we saw at Bournemouth come into this Liverpool side. >> There was obviously a lot of talk about the squad this summer. Do you think it's now in a good position, or are there still some weaknesses? >> Yeah, so when we sort of look at the um areas where Liverpool didn't sign in the summer, I think that's where people get a bit worried. And the the main one there is right right wing, where Liverpool have had the best right winger in the world for the best part of a decade. Uh and then didn't sign a right a natural right winger to replace him. And so far, we have literally seen Bakayoko, uh Gakpo, Núñez, and Ungamawa all play minutes at right wing this season. So, they're having to play players who are more naturally left-sided in this unorthodox for them right wing position. Some have done it quite well. I think Núñez has impressed certain Liverpool fans. Gakpo's done very well when he's come on on that right. Um Bakayoko's only just started, so it's probably too soon to judge. And I think they'd probably prefer to play him on the left anyway. Um but yeah, he's having to rotate a few options there. And the other position that they didn't sign was fullback, either fullback, left-back, or right-back. And we've seen Ronald Araújo uh deputize over Jeremie Frimpong in the last couple of games as a right-back, so a couple of Premier League games anyway. >> [snorts] >> Um so, Conor Bradley is out injured. Uh and that's where if he comes back and comes back fit, then maybe that's less of a problem position for Liverpool. And maybe they're sort of banking on that this Bradley coming back. Um Gomez has returned to the squad also bolsters their options at both center back and right back cuz he can do both of those positions. So again, they can probably argue um if he can stay fit, but that's a big if we've as we've seen over many years with Joe Gomez's career. But there's certainly areas of strength in the squad as well. You look at left wing is obviously very stacked. Center half Javi is coming done very well. Araujo is coming done very well. So there's certainly areas of strength in the squad as well. But maybe compared to the likes of Arsenal and City who are running away at the top of the league already. It's those areas they didn't sign that could mean they they just fall behind those top sides. >> I'm looking at everything as a whole and and taking everything into consideration. What would be a good first season for Iraola? >> I think the bare minimum the league's your bread and butter and I think the bare minimum is this Liverpool side has to qualify for the Champions League. Now last season they did that by the fifth place. I don't think fifth place is where Liverpool will be aiming for and you certainly don't want to be relying on England getting that extra Champions League spot as as they did last season. Um so I think certainly the bare minimum league is you want top four from this Liverpool team. Again, they're already six points behind Arsenal and Man City and that's after four games and those two do look much stronger squad-wise. So maybe it's a tall order in Iraola's very first season to ask him to push those two teams for for a title chase. Um but certainly third or fourth would be considered a strong league season. And the Champions League thing you'd expect Liverpool to get through the league phase. Um whether that's in the top eight or the playoffs, that's the question mark. They would hope for the top avoid the two-legged playoffs. Um last season they reached the quarterfinals. And I think a similar run again this season and bear in mind it's Iraola's first season um would would be more than palatable for Liverpool fans. So I'd say that's that's your your bare minimum um is is is third or fourth in the Premier League really. And then depending on cup draws as deep as you can get in the cup cuz if if if if you offered him fourth place in the League Cup victory this season, I think he'd absolutely take that Iraola. And I think most Liverpool fans would take that as well.