Andoni Iraola, the Liverpool manager, has called on the Reds' players to start Saturday's clash against Fulham in the Premier League with intensity and pace, in order to avoid playing another match in which the side is forced to come back from behind.
Iraola has made an unbeaten start with Liverpool. He has also watched his team concede the first goal in three of his opening four matches in charge, fighting back to draw against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest before beating Ipswich 2-0, then overturning a deficit to win 2-1 against Atletico Madrid.
Blanks in the first half of their opening two league matches told the story, before Alexander Isak struck twice to fire the side ahead against Ipswich inside 10 minutes last Friday. Iraola wants that to become the norm.
Iraola said, in a press conference: "I think the team has goals within it. In all the matches we were dangerous, we created chances, and we scored two goals in every match, and we could have scored more in some of these matches, but now it is about being more efficient."
He added: "Not conceding the two goals against Newcastle, and not conceding the goals against Forest, as well as the timing of conceding the goals, because I think we do not start matches well enough. We had a positive precedent against Ipswich, and matches become much more comfortable when you start this way."
He continued: "In the other matches, we started while behind, and after that you have to put in a lot of effort to come back. Obviously I want to score the first goal, and then everything becomes easier, but we have to have the right mentality."
He went on: "Against Atletico, I think we got a chance after about 15 seconds, and Alex Mac Allister had a very clear chance to score, and then everyone says: an amazing start, you score and everything changes, but I think the start of matches is perhaps one of the aspects in which we can improve a little."
He added: "In the second half we were usually better, but I want us to try to impose our style from the beginning, because everything becomes easier."
Waiting for them are a Fulham side yet to pick up a single point under former Real Madrid coach Alvaro Arbeloa, who is already feeling the heat after a slow start.
Iraola continued: "We have only played 3 matches in the Premier League, and it is far too early to draw big conclusions about any team, and I think Fulham is a great example of that."
He went on: "I think they played well in the three matches, honestly. They lost the three matches by a single goal. I think if you look at a lot of the statistics they have without knowing the number of points they have gained, you would think they have at least 5 points, because they were dominating the matches."
The touchline meeting carries a personal edge, too. Facing Arbeloa will be a different kind of contest for Iraola.
Both men once played together for the Spain national team, though Iraola admitted the Fulham coach tended to get the better of the former Liverpool defender back then.
Iraola concluded: "I think we played together very few times for the national team. We were competing in one way or another for the same position, but he was more successful, because he played more matches than me!".
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