Andoni Iraola cut a frustrated figure after Liverpool were held to a 0-0 draw by Fulham at Anfield on Saturday, conceding that his side struggled to create chances or make any real impact in the final third.

The result keeps Liverpool unbeaten but without a Premier League home win under the new manager — a record that will concern supporters as the season gathers pace.

A rare creative low for Liverpool

Iraola was candid in his assessment, pointing to an offensive performance that fell well short of expectations. "I think what was lacking, I think it was quite clear," he said.

"It's the first game since I'm here where I think we've had problems to create chances, to score goals, to make the difference offensively. That's the main reason. We couldn't create as many chances as we wanted and we haven't scored a goal. And that's why we go just with one point."

Fulham arrived at Anfield having lost their opening three league fixtures, yet Liverpool could not find a way through — a reflection, Iraola admitted, of his side's shortcomings on the day.

Fatigue played a role, but no excuses

The Reds had beaten Atletico Madrid in the UEFA Champions League in midweek, and Iraola acknowledged the brutal turnaround took a visible toll on his players' sharpness.

"Our players were tired," he said. "There is a lack of freshness, definitely. We cannot hide it. It's the worst turnaround in terms of 60-something hours between the games, after a very big game the other day."

However, Iraola refused to shelter behind the schedule. "This is going to happen more times during the season. We have to adapt to these circumstances. It's this kind of game that you need to win — sometimes with a set play, sometimes with a shot from the edge, sometimes from a moment of brilliance from the offensive players — and we haven't had that today."

Barcola's positioning and building process

Bradley Barcola made his first full Premier League start and was fielded on the left side of a 4-2-3-1 formation, with Victor Munoz starting on the right.

Iraola explained his approach to deploying his wingers with flexibility. "I think we have four wingers. All of them will play on the right and will play on the left — depending on the match-up, depending on where we think they are going to be more dangerous, depending on the defensive demand. The four of them have already played both sides and it's going to be a whole season like this."

On Barcola specifically, the manager emphasised patience. "With Bradley, we are building his physical condition because he hasn't had any pre-season. Today he played a little bit more than three days ago against Atletico Madrid. He had a good chance in the second half — they blocked the shot but he arrived well. We know he has more, but now it's about giving him the minutes, keeping building his confidence. He's a player that is worthy of our support."