Ian Rush says Liverpool fans have every right to be optimistic this season and that he has been "very impressed" by Andoni Iraola so far.

Liverpool are currently fourth in the Premier League, have won three out of their four games in the Champions League and are still in the Carabao Cup.

"It's not been an easy (start). You can see that slowly but surely it will come good," Rush told BBC Sport.

"We've had a few injuries and know that a couple of things need changing but we're fourth in the league and still in the cups so can't complain.

"Come January, if everyone's fit enough we can be optimistic. We've grinded some results out already against teams like Brentford and Bournemouth and that's a good sign."

Rush, 65, is Liverpool's all-time record goalscorer with 346 goals and has met Iraola on a few occasions

"I met him (Iraola) on the pre-season tour in America and at the AXA Training Centre a few weeks ago. He's very focused on what he wants to do and he knows it's different to Bournemouth but he has all the right ideas," he said.

"The chat we had was very positive and I came away very impressed with what he said. He wasn't over the top and he knew what work had to be done and he's getting on with it."

Rush was was speaking at the launch of Nine - a nine-year-old Welsh single malt whisky selected by Rush himself and named after his shirt number at Liverpool.

Asked about the venture, he explained: "You have to keep going. You're never retired. There's always something different to aim for. When I retired from football, the first five years I really missed it. But doing things like this makes life special too."

The Reds legendary striker also discussed the current centre-forward options open to Iraola, praising both Alexander Isak and Lewis Koumas for their respective starts to the season. Isak has scored eight goals for Liverpool this season while Koumas has established himself as part of Iraola's plans.

"People say that Isak isn't getting involved much but he's scoring goals and that's all that matters. The hardest thing in football is to score a goal and he's only second to (Erling) Haaland," Rush added.

"He (Koumas) is not guaranteed a start at Liverpool but his attitude as a squad player is incredible. When I spoke to him about his favourite position, he said he doesn't care and that he'll play right-back if Liverpool or Wales told him to. That's the sort of attitude you can't buy."