Andoni Iraola to Rely on Dominic Szoboszlai's Versatility at Right-Back

Andoni Iraola is ready to lean on Dominic Szoboszlai’s versatility again this season – even if it means redeploying Liverpool’s reigning player of the year at right-back.

The Hungarian lit up Anfield last term with 25 goal contributions in 53 games, a surge in influence that came despite him often being shunted away from his preferred midfield role and asked to plug gaps on the flank and in defence. It might not be a one-off experiment.

With Liverpool light in the full-back areas and an early-season reshuffle already exposing vulnerabilities, Iraola has opened the door to Szoboszlai once more stepping into the back line when required.

Szoboszlai on standby at right-back

Liverpool’s attempts to reinforce the position hit a wall on deadline day. Jeremie Frimpong, used there in the opening two games, struggled under pressure, and a late move to prise a solution from Chelsea was quickly shut down by the London club.

That leaves Iraola facing the same question as last season: when the injuries mount and the fixtures pile up, who covers right-back?

In his press conference on Thursday, the answer sounded increasingly familiar.

“I haven’t found any situation where a player has said he doesn’t want to play in a position,” Iraola said, careful but clear about the conversations held with Szoboszlai.

“We have discussions, but everyone wants to help. If we have to play Dom as a right winger, as a right-back or a midfielder, he wants to help the team first.

“We have some injuries now, and we need the versatility of the players, players like Dom. Even in the game, they have to change positions.”

The message is blunt: roles are fluid, reputations don’t guarantee a fixed spot, and Liverpool’s No. 8 might again find himself defending his own corner flag as often as he attacks the opposition’s.

No late scramble, no complaints

Despite criticism over Liverpool’s failure to add more senior depth after the £123m signing of Bradley Barcola, Iraola is not publicly agitating for what he didn’t get.

“I’m very happy with the signings we made,” he said. “Do I want more signings? At the end, the club has decided those signings we have done are the ones that will improve our team.

“There were other options we decided not to take for different reasons, sometimes sporting or economic; the deal didn’t make sense in the market. But I’m happy now.

“We have a lot of quality in the team. The moment is for the players to give it all they have.”

So the solution, at least in the short term, won’t come from outside. It will come from within the dressing room, from players asked to stretch their skill sets and their comfort zones.

Covering cracks with versatility

The right side of defence is the obvious concern. Conor Bradley’s absence has stripped away a natural option and pushed Iraola towards more improvisation.

“The challenge in the squad now is we don’t have Conor there at right-back. That’s why I value Dom at right-back, as he can play there,” he explained.

“Versatility in the player helps us go through the moments when we have injuries.

“In midfield we have good numbers. Now it’s a matter of getting the right calls from myself.

“I’m finding now the best combinations, and we are going through a period now where we will play a lot of games, and we’ll have a chance to see the options we have and the combinations we have. It’s a matter of coaching.”

It is a manager’s puzzle: a crowded midfield, a thin defensive line, and a star player capable of shining in three roles. For Szoboszlai, that flexibility is both a compliment and a burden.

Injuries biting early

The need for makeshift solutions is already clear. Liverpool are only at the start of a demanding run, yet the treatment room is busy and the calendar unforgiving.

“The closest one [to playing again] is Joe [Gomez]. He will start training with us next week,” Iraola confirmed.

“Next one is [Giovanni] Leoni; he could be training during the break with the group. Conor [Bradley] is next, and, especially Hugo, longer.”

Until those names are back in the matchday squad, Liverpool will continue to lean on adaptability, on players sliding across the pitch to cover gaps. For Iraola, that means trusting Szoboszlai not just as a creator and runner, but as an emergency full-back in a side with ambitions far higher than merely coping.

The question now is simple: how long can a team chasing major honours afford to rely on square pegs before the market – and not just versatility – has to provide the answer?