Fans urge Andoni Iraola to make brutal decision after Liverpool star had 'worst' game vs Newcastle

Liverpool fans have urged Andoni Iraola to drop one of his key players after he produced one of his "worst" performances for the club.

The Reds opened their Premier League campaign with a last-gasp 2-2 draw against Newcastle United in Iraola's first competitive game in charge.

Anthony Elanga opened the scoring inside five minutes at St James' Park, destroying the visitors' back line with his electric pace before slotting the ball calmly past Alisson Becker.

An exciting, end-to-end game continued to produce plenty of chances, and Liverpool eventually equalised 10 minutes after half-time through Cody Gakpo, with the Dutchman curling the ball superbly past Lukas Hornicek.

Unfortunately for the Reds, their lead was short-lived, as they were caught out by another fast break as substitute Joe Willock finessed his shot into the corner after a powerful Yoane Wissa run.

It appeared as though Iraola was slipping to defeat in his opening game, but after new signing Victor Munoz was hacked down in the box by Lewis Hall, Dominik Szoboszlai had a chance to equalise from the penalty spot in the final minute of added time.

The Hungarian smashed the ball into the top left corner to rescue a point for his side; however, despite being Iraola's hero, his performance before that goal left much to be desired.

Liverpool fans say Dominik Szoboszlai should be dropped despite scoring vs Newcastle

Szoboszlai was one of Liverpool's most influential players last term, scoring 13 goals in all competitions, while showcasing his versatility to fill in superbly at right back when needed.

READ NEXT: Alexander Isak hit by brutal chant from Newcastle fans upon return with Liverpool

The 25-year-old is expected to get even better under Iraola, but in a subpar performance alongside Ryan Gravenberch in a double pivot, some fans criticised his display and even questioned his role in the team.

"Szoboszlai horror show without set pieces again," one person wrote.

"Szoboszlai and Gravenberch hate to tackle, especially Szobo... They're allergic to it almost; hopefully nyoni plays next week," another wrote, referencing how easy it was for Newcastle to tear through the centre of Liverpool's midfield on the counter while urging Iraola to start youngster Trey Nyoni ahead of him.

"Drop Szoboszlai next week," someone else agreed, admittedly before he netted the equaliser.

Normally incredibly consistent in the middle of the park, Liverpool's No.8 was anything but at St James' Park, with some even saying it was his "worst" game for the Reds since joining three years ago.

"This gotta be Szoboszlai worst game in a Liverpool shirt ever," a fourth commented, while another exclaimed: "Szoboszlai should be off this pitch. Worst player on the pitch. Needs to be moved from the middle, and if he doesn’t like it, then he’s a sub!"

Iraola's system requires defensive rigidity and discipline in the centre of the pitch, and that is something the former RB Leipzig man lacks, which is one reason why they were so open on the break.

Should this problem persist in the coming weeks, the Spaniard may have a decision to make over his seemingly undroppable playmaker.

Everyone knows that Szoboszlai is so much better when he plays further forward instead of deep, but Liverpool will need to sign a more defensive-minded midfielder to strike that balance.

That has to happen in the eyes of many before the September 1 deadline, especially following the departure of Curtis Jones to Inter Milan.