In just 42 chaotic seconds after the final whistle, Andoni Iraola saw all the problems that needed to be solved at Liverpool.
After the 1-0 victory over Wrexham in a friendly match at Yankee Stadium, the Spanish strategist went to shake hands with Curtis Jones. However, the English midfielder almost ignored the new captain in anger. Immediately after that, Dominik Szoboszlai rushed to question Jones, while Kostas Tsimikas threw the captain's armband onto the field right in front of his teammates. Meanwhile, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Jeremie Frimpong could only stand and watch shyly.
That short moment exposed the atmosphere of disunity in Liverpool's dressing room. Szoboszlai clearly expressed his desire to become the team's new vice-captain, but the leadership role is not only in the captain's armband. More importantly, the ability to set standards, maintain discipline and have a positive impact on the team, which Jamie Carragher, James Milner or Andy Robertson used to do very well.
The decision to give the captain's armband to Tsimikas in the friendly match also caused much controversy. The Greek defender has just spent a season on loan at Roma and has never been considered a true leader throughout his time wearing the Liverpool shirt. The action of throwing the captain's armband onto the field after the match further negatively reflects his image.
On Curtis Jones' side, publicly expressing disappointment right on the field is also considered unprofessional. If there is dissatisfaction because of not being able to play or personnel decisions, the dressing room is the appropriate place to resolve it, instead of creating an offensive image in front of the media.
These developments further remind many people of the late stage of last season, when The Kop declined significantly and lost stability in the title race. Many opinions believe that personal interests have begun to overwhelm the collective spirit, causing the team to run out of steam in the decisive stage.
Therefore, Iraola will have to face a task similar to what Jurgen Klopp did when taking over Liverpool a decade ago. In the summer of 2016, Klopp strongly excluded Mamadou Sakho from the US tour after a series of undisciplined behaviors, from being late, missing team activities to interrupting the interview of the German coach. That tough decision contributed to building a professional culture, becoming the foundation for the later stage of success.
The case of Jones or Tsimikas is clearly not that serious, but the message about discipline and collective responsibility still retains its value. To bring Liverpool back to the top, Iraola needs a united dressing room, where no one is allowed to put their ego above the team's interests.
During the tour in the US, the Spanish strategist also emphasized that leadership ability does not depend on the title or captain's armband, but is shown through attitude, professionalism and how to maintain standards every day.
Curtis Jones's future is also becoming a noteworthy topic. The English midfielder is said to be disappointed because he is not playing regularly, while Inter Milan has approached Liverpool three times this summer for a price of about 35 million Euros. Although Liverpool still demands at least 40 million Euros for the player who only has one year left on his contract, they also understand that keeping a player who is no longer wholehearted can create negative impacts in the dressing room.
Besides strengthening the force, in which the goal of Bradley Barcola is still being pursued, Iraola's most important task at this time is to restore solidarity and rebuild the winning culture at Anfield. Only when they control the dressing room can Liverpool aim for a successful season under the new era.
