Andoni Iraola has challenged Liverpool to “get ready” for a demanding schedule after the international break.
The Reds scraped a 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Sunday to remain unbeaten and claim their second Premier League victory under the former Cherries boss.
Liverpool return to league action at home to Manchester City before travelling to LASK in the Champions League.
“I think overall we’ve improved, definitely since the first games,” Andoni Iraola said.
“Some of the things we still need to improve, more things. I am happy it is the third clean sheet in a row in the league.
“[It was] a kind of difficult game. I know you never play comfortably [at Bournemouth]. Bournemouth don’t allow you to play comfortably normally, they put you under pressure and you have to adapt and you have to win this kind of game.
“But we still have to get ready because the schedule that we have now, it’s very difficult. I think we are playing against top-four teams and then in between Champions League and then in between Chelsea in the Carabao Cup and everything in two, three days.
“So we have to get ready because this next month, after this break, it’s going be very demanding for us.”
Iraola will give the “four or five” players not called up for international duty a few days off before resuming training. He expects to have only around three days to properly prepare for City once his players return.
Jeremy Jacquet, who was named Player of the Match on Sunday, will be among those returning from international duty after earning his first senior France call-up under Zinedine Zidane.
The 21-year-old has known Zidane for some time, having played alongside his son Elyaz at youth level.
“He’s going with France and that is a big national team and I know that he is happy,” said Iraola.
“He’s still very young, he is adapting really well to the Premier League. I think in the first games, physically he was feeling the change of rhythm, he was finishing with cramps, finishing really tired and we had to sub him.
“[Sunday] has been a step forward. He looked solid until the end and I think he’s finished physically also in a good place. I hope he can continue this development.”
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