Liverpool's Szoboszlai: Versatile Solution for Right-Back Crisis
Andoni Iraola is preparing to lean on Dominic Szoboszlai’s versatility once again, with the Liverpool manager openly admitting the Hungarian could be asked to reprise his emergency right-back role as injuries and a quiet summer reshape his plans.
Szoboszlai, Liverpool’s reigning player of the year, produced the best season of his Anfield career last term, with 13 goals and 12 assists across 53 games. Those numbers came while he was shuttling between midfield, the right flank and, at times, an improvised stint at right-back. It was a solution born of necessity. It might become a theme.
Szoboszlai the stop-gap – again
Liverpool’s failure to bring in a specialist full-back has already been exposed. Jeremie Frimpong, asked to hold the fort on the right in the opening two games, struggled under pressure, and the club’s late attempt to patch the problem was quickly shut down. A deadline-day move for a Chelsea defender was blocked, leaving Iraola to look inward rather than outward.
So attention has turned back to Szoboszlai, the all-action midfielder who rarely says no.
“I haven’t found any situation where a player has said he doesn’t want to play in a position,” Iraola said on Thursday, keeping his cards close but his options open.
“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 clear. Until Liverpool get bodies back, Szoboszlai is more than just a creative hub; he is a tactical safety net.
No late splurge, no complaints
Liverpool’s summer window effectively closed with the £123m signing of Bradley Barcola. Beyond that headline arrival, there were no late fireworks, no extra full-back, no extra midfielder. Iraola, though, is in no mood to grumble publicly.
“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.”
That stance puts the responsibility squarely on the dressing room and the dugout. No excuses. No transfer alibis. Just solutions.
Right-back headache, midfield puzzle
The most obvious headache sits at right-back. Conor Bradley’s absence has stripped away the natural cover in that area and forced Iraola to think creatively.
“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.”
That last line is telling. Iraola knows the squad is not thin everywhere. Central areas are stacked; the task now is to find the right blend and live with the compromises that come when one of your best midfielders is dragged into the back line.
“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.”
The schedule will not wait. Nor will the scrutiny if Liverpool’s makeshift right side continues to creak.
Injuries bite, returns in sight
Injuries have already pushed Liverpool into “square pegs in round holes” territory, and Iraola expects that to continue in the short term. The hope lies in a staggered return of key players.
“The closest one [to playing again] is Joe [Gomez]. He will start training with us next week,” he revealed.
“Next one is [Giovanni] Leoni; he could be training during the break with the group. Conor [Bradley] is next, and, especially Hugo, longer.”
Gomez back in full training will ease some pressure across the back line. Bradley’s eventual return should finally restore balance on the right. Until then, Iraola will lean on adaptability, on coaching, and on a player of the year who might once again find himself charging down the touchline from right-back instead of dictating from midfield.
For Liverpool, the question is simple: can a squad built on quality and versatility survive this early stretch of improvisation without dropping ground that proves costly later in the season?
