Liverpool's Tactical Shift Without Salah: Iraola's New Blueprint
Just over two months after Mohamed Salah walked away from Anfield, Liverpool are still learning how to breathe without him. The Egyptian’s numbers, his gravity on the pitch, his sheer inevitability in front of goal – you don’t replace that with a like-for-like signing.
And Andoni Iraola hasn’t even tried. He’s torn up the old map instead.
Barcola Flips the Script
Rather than hunting the market for another left-footed assassin to hug the right touchline and cut inside, Liverpool have shifted the entire weight of their attack. The club pushed hard and paid big to bring in Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain, one of the most expensive signings in their history, and handed him the attacking mantle.
Barcola arrives with numbers that justify the outlay: 13 goals and seven assists last season. But his profile changes everything. He’s right-footed, happiest when driving infield from the left, effectively flipping Salah’s long-standing role on its head.
So the left side now belongs to Barcola. The problem? The right flank.
A Vacancy on the Right
The early experiments have been bumpy.
Teenager Rio Ngumoha was thrown in on the right against Newcastle and looked like what he is: a gifted left-sided player learning a new language on the opposite wing. Cody Gakpo fared only slightly better when asked to patrol that side against Nottingham Forest, drifting infield, never quite stretching the pitch the way a true wide man would.
Iraola, though, sees a different solution emerging.
Víctor Munoz, a new arrival, has quickly caught his eye as the man who could unlock that flank.
“Víctor has played more games on the left in his career but has maybe been even better on the right,” Iraola said ahead of Liverpool’s Premier League trip to Ipswich Town.
It’s a telling line. Liverpool signed another player most comfortable off the left, but their head coach clearly believes Munoz can invert his own habits and give the team the width and directness they’re missing on the right.
Patience With Ngumoha
Even with Munoz ready-made for the role, Iraola is not prepared to abandon his younger options. He wants Ngumoha to grow into the position, not retreat from it.
“We know Rio can play on the left and showed his qualities,” he said. “He needs to develop on the right so it gives him more options to play. He is so young. [But] because he wasn't incredible in the first game on the right, we can't say he will never play on the right anymore.”
That is the balancing act. Short-term needs versus long-term development. Liverpool need production now, but Iraola is clearly determined to expand Ngumoha’s toolbox rather than pigeonhole him early.
Isak Waiting in the Middle
All of this tinkering on the flanks has one clear target: Alexander Isak.
The Swedish striker is built for the penalty area. He thrives on crosses, cut-backs and quick, direct service into dangerous spaces. When the ball arrives early and often, he looks like a pure No 9. When it doesn’t, he can drift out of games.
A more traditional right winger – someone who can beat a man on the outside, hit the byline, and deliver with tempo – would feed straight into Isak’s strengths. With Barcola already tasked with cutting in from the left, the right side now carries a different responsibility: supply the striker, stretch the defence, keep the box loaded.
If Munoz nails that brief, Liverpool’s attack suddenly looks coherent again. If not, the search for balance continues.
Gakpo’s Role in the New Order
Amid all this reshaping, Cody Gakpo’s future briefly flickered under the spotlight. Manchester City and Tottenham both tested Liverpool’s resolve late in the window, sensing an opportunity as Iraola reshuffled his front line.
Liverpool held firm. Gakpo remains a key part of the squad, and his versatility still matters. He can operate off the left, drop into central pockets, or provide cover across the front line as Iraola refines his system. He may no longer be the first name on the team sheet, but in a season of tactical experimentation, his ability to adapt keeps him firmly in the manager’s plans.
Ipswich as the First Real Checkpoint
Ipswich Town on Friday is more than just another early-season fixture. It’s the first real checkpoint of Liverpool’s post-Salah era under Iraola.
Barcola on the left, Munoz or Ngumoha on the right, Isak in the middle, Gakpo fighting for his minutes – this is the new attacking puzzle. The pieces are there. The question now is how quickly Iraola can click them into place before the season’s demands turn this tactical project into a test of nerve.
