Bournemouth boss bemoans Carabao Cup draw as midfield overhaul hailed
Liverpool are back in action as their attention turns to the Carabao Cup when they travel to Bournemouth on Wednesday evening.
The Reds have racked up three successive victories in all competitions since the international break and eased past Nottingham Forest in the Premier League on Sunday. Goals from Diogo Jota, Darwin Nunez and Mohamed Salah sealed all three points for Jurgen Klopp's men as they moved on to 23 points from their opening 10 matches.
Now, Klopp's men face Bournemouth for the second time this season after they beat the Cherries 3-1 in the league back in August. Liverpool will be looking to seal a similar outcome against a side who secured their first Premier League win of the campaign on Saturday by beating Burnley.
Here is the latest news from Anfield.
Iraola bemoans Liverpool draw
Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has admitted he hoped his team did not draw Liverpool in the Carabao Cup, ahead of the two teams' meeting on the south coast.
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"If we could choose, I guarantee we wouldn’t have chosen Liverpool," Iraola said. "Even the weakest teams left wouldn’t have been easy because we are already in the advanced rounds but we still haven’t been lucky.
"We are talking about a team that almost hasn’t lost this season. The only good thing about the draw is that we play at home and that is an advantage we’ll have to use.
"If you are playing in the lower divisions it is maybe quite good to play Liverpool but being a Premier League team we get the chance to play them anyway. For us, it was different because we weren’t playing in LaLiga, so we weren’t playing those teams week to week.
"Those players didn’t have the chance to play against those teams normally but we are facing them each week. I like cup competitions because they give you chances that most teams do get in the season… but you have to beat some very good teams."
(Getty Images)Lijnders on midfield balance
Pep Lijnders has explained the difference Liverpool's new midfield has made to the balance of the side, after completing a major overhaul in the summer.
The Reds lost several midfielders, including Fabinho and Jordan Henderson to the Saudi Pro League, but replaced them with Dominik Szoboszlai, Alexis Mac Allister, Waturo Endo and Ryan Gravenberch.
He told the club's website : "You cannot get a new Fabinho. You cannot get a new Roberto Firmino. They are unique. You don't get a new [Jordan] Henderson. They are unique. You have to go.
"And as staff, you have to see what the qualities [are]. Just take Ryan, what are his qualities? Then we create spaces and dynamics for his qualities to shine. But always in the end that they can make the difference. And that they can play free, that they can just go, that they can enjoy football. Because a happy guy plays better than a guy who just has to do what the coach tells him.
"I feel that this mixture we found this season and that's just nice. We have to prove each day to continue, but with the values and with the principles and with the ideas of the past, that will never change."
Ryan Gravenberch celebrates after scoring his first Liverpool goal (Getty Images)Hargreaves on Gravenberch
Former Bayern Munich and Manchester United midfielder Owen Hargreaves believes that Liverpool's Gravenberch reminds him of Paul Pogba.
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Hargreaves told The Kelly & Wrighty Show : "He has played amazing (in the Europa League ) and because he has played well there, then he gets the opportunity to play in the Premier League."
''He reminds me, Liverpool fans won’t like this, but he is Pogba-esque. He can do a lot of good stuff. He can play in a lot of positions. He has a great size. Great athleticism.
"But I think he is one of those players you will need to specialise in a position, but so far, I love watching him. I am amazed he didn’t play more for Bayern because I think he is going to be a good addition to their midfield."
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