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Andoni Iraola wants to see reaction from Liverpool against Crystal Palace

Liverpool head to Selhurst Park on the back of successive defeats to Arsenal and Fenerbahce

Andoni Iraola wants Liverpool to respond positively against Crystal Palace on Sunday.

The Reds head to Selhurst Park on the back of successive defeats to Arsenal and Fenerbahce.

While acknowledging that there will be ups and downs during his first season in charge, Iraola is confident his side can get back to winning ways in their final fixture before the November international break.

Speaking to reporters on Friday, the head coach said: “I think that’s the challenge, especially in a club like Liverpool.

“One week ago in this same press conference, we were on a run, everything was in a good place and we were in a better mood.

“And now, two defeats, it changes. It has to change and it has to be like this in a club like ours. Now we have to react after two defeats.

“We need the win against Palace away and we’ve been, I think, in similar situations – I remember Bournemouth before the international break, even the Brentford game.

“So, we have to go there and do the job and win the game.”

Andoni Iraola continued: “It’s not easy in the moment because we react the same way. When we lose a game, everyone is angry.

“But we have to have some perspective and we know in the process we’ll go up and down.

“We have to get through these moments. We would love to have good performances, wins, good results, but normally it doesn’t happen.

“There are moments where you are in a good run, like we were before Arsenal. Now you lose two games, there are always doubts. I understand. As a supporter, I would do the same – it’s normal.

“But the ones that are here and we work every day and we know what we are doing. We are not as bad as we look today, we were not as good as we looked one week ago.

“We have to have some perspective and this is part of my challenge also in terms of mood for the group.

“Obviously we need to correct things, especially the other day that cost us the goals on set-plays, but we still are doing good things.”

Crystal Palace, now managed by Pierre Sage following Oliver Glasner’s departure last summer, enter this round of fixtures sitting 18th in the Premier League table.

They were in Europa League action against Hoffenheim on Thursday evening, scoring a stoppage-time equaliser despite being reduced to 10 men for the final 15 minutes.

Assessing Sunday’s opponents, Iraola said: “I think, even if they change the manager, there is a continuity in terms of more or less the system is the same, the players are very familiarised with the things that they are trying to do.

“I was obviously watching the game yesterday. They fight until the end. Even with 10 players, they managed to get a result in the last second.

“I think it’s a team that has good quality players inside. They put in their box in the middle [Adam] Wharton, [Daichi] Kamada, Yeremy Pino, [Quinten] Timber – all the players that can play there are good on the ball.

“And also, it’s a pitch that is not the biggest pitch, so you feel quickly under pressure in terms of one throw-in, one long ball, straight away it goes into the boxes.

“So, there is a lot of situations inside the boxes that you have to be very good offensively and defensively.”

Read more: Andoni Iraola opens up on Alexander Isak’s goalscoring form

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Virgil van Dijk warns Liverpool players ahead of Crystal Palace tie

Joseph Agbobli

Joseph Agbobli specializes in exclusive and original stories, including in-depth interviews. Over the years, he has had the privilege of interviewing some of football’s biggest names, including Glen Johnson, Emile Heskey, Chris Sutton, Tim Sherwood, and more.

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