Online Reporter
Andoni Iraola said it was obvious Liverpool suffered from fatigue in a 0-0 draw at home to Fulham on Saturday, but insisted his players have to adapt to a gruelling schedule.
Less than three days on from beating Atletico Madrid 2-1 in their Champions League opener, the Reds were comfortably held at bay by a Fulham side that had lost each of their first three Premier League games under Alvaro Arbeloa.
“Our players were tired,” said Iraola. “We cannot hide it. I think it’s the worst turnaround in terms of 60 something hours between the games, after a very big game the other day.
“This is going to happen more times, maybe with one more day, but sometimes it’s going to happen the same way during the season. We have to adapt to these circumstances. “It’s these kinds of games that you need to win; sometimes with a set play, sometimes with a shot from the edge (of the box), sometimes from a moment of brilliance from the offensive players. We haven’t had that today.”
Bradley Barcola failed to shine on his full Premier League debut on an off day for Liverpool’s near £500 million forward line also featuring Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Victor Munoz.
Iraola remains unbeaten since taking charge of the 20-time English champions, but three of his first four Premier League games have now ended in disappointing draws.
“It’s the first game since I’m here I think we’ve had problems to create chances, to score goals, to make the difference offensively,” added Iraola.
“That’s the main reason that we couldn’t create as many chances as we wanted.”
Meanwhile, Roberto De Zerbi said sorry to Tottenham’s furious fans after his winless side were booed off following their 0-0 draw against Everton on Saturday.
De Zerbi’s side have yet to score a single goal in four Premier League matches this season and Tottenham supporters showed their frustration at the final whistle. After the jeers had rained down from the stands, Tottenham boss De Zerbi said he understood the abuse.
“I’m sorry for the fans. They were fantastic today. It is normal, the reaction of the fans,” he said.
Asked how he felt about the bleak start to the season after Tottenham splashed out more than £300 million ($406 million) on 10 signings, De Zerbi said: “It is not a tough moment. A tough moment was last season in Sunderland when we were close to relegation. “Now is one of the moments in football when you are rebuilding a team.
“We played very well in the first 30 minutes then we lost energy because our physical condition is not the best. We are working for that.”
Tottenham’s miserable form has left them languishing just above the relegation zone after two draws and two defeats from their first four games.
Their only win and goals this season came in a League Cup victory over second tier Charlton.
Tottenham’s lack of attacking firepower is a major concern and De Zerbi conceded they lacked composure in the Everton penalty area.
“We didn’t shoot enough for the quality of the play we showed. We had to shoot more times. We went inside the area 74 times, but we didn’t create enough for the quality of the play,” he said.– SuperSport
