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Andoni Iraola has explained why he took a hard-line call with Jeremy Jacquet during Liverpool’s hard-earned win over Ipswich Town. Even though the young defender came close to being sent off, the Reds manager said the Frenchman needed to go through that pressure for the sake of his long-term development at Anfield.

A calculated gamble at Portman Road

Iraola has spoken about his decision to leave Jacquet on the field during the club’s first Premier League win of the season, a 2-0 victory over Ipswich Town. Jacquet was shown a yellow card in the 52nd minute after a high-footed challenge on Emersonn, and the pressure rose almost immediately afterwards. The French defender may have been fortunate not to receive a second booking after pulling the Brazilian forward to the ground as Ipswich tried to break through Liverpool’s back line.

While plenty of managers might have chosen the safer option of taking off a young defender already on a booking, Iraola went another way. The 21-year-old Frenchman, who arrived at the Reds from Rennes this summer, was right in the middle of a physical second-half contest that tested both his stamina and his discipline.

Building fitness the hard way

Iraola was open about what he was thinking during the match, admitting he did consider making a change when Jacquet began to tire. But the Spaniard feels the only way for the defender to reach the necessary standard is by battling through fatigue and difficult moments. Jacquet started Liverpool’s opening two league matches as well, but was not physically able to complete either one, lasting 69 minutes against Newcastle United and 76 minutes in the draw with Nottingham Forest.

“For any centre-back to play alongside Virgil is a lesson and a masterclass. Jeremy played his first full game. Physically, he could not finish the first two games,” Iraola told Sky Sports. “Today, there was a moment in the second half when I had a doubt, but I think he has to suffer and go through those periods. He finished the game well and will slowly keep building the fitness.”

Defensive grit and attacking signs

Aside from the disciplinary concern, Jacquet also showed why Liverpool were so eager to bring him to Anfield this summer. He read the game superbly to block an Emersonn effort after Leif Davis had headed an Abdul Fatawu cross back into a dangerous area. His combination with Virgil van Dijk, Ronald Araujo and Milos Kerkez looked more and more assured as the match went on, laying the platform for Alexander Isak to seal the win at the other end.

Jacquet also gave a glimpse of the technical quality Iraola expects from a modern ball-playing defender. In one second-half move, he played an accurate vertical pass through the Ipswich lines to find Florian Wirtz. Although the German midfielder’s volley was saved, the passage underlined Jacquet’s ability to help shift the team quickly from defence into attack.

Looking ahead to European tests

Getting through the Ipswich challenge successfully will be a major lift for Jacquet’s confidence as Liverpool’s schedule starts to get busier. The clean sheet at Portman Road showed Iraola that his young defender could ride out a difficult spell without the match slipping away, something that will matter greatly as the club juggles domestic commitments and European competition. With a Champions League clash against Atletico Madrid coming up on Wednesday, the fitness of the entire defensive unit will come under scrutiny. Jacquet’s ability to last the full 90 minutes now gives Iraola greater tactical freedom when it comes to rotating his squad against top-level opposition.