Andoni Iraola to Liverpool is an exciting appointment

After a very underwhelming title defence which saw them limp home in fifth, Liverpool finally made the decision to part ways with Arne Slot. Even as recently as a few weeks ago, it seemed to everyone that the Dutch tactician would stay at the club for another season as his contract stipulated. In the meantime, other top Premier League sides made their moves, with Chelsea hiring ex-Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso and Manchester City lining up Enzo Maresca as a Pep Guardiola replacement.

However, as the mood around Anfield continued to worsen with the team failing to show any signs of encouragement out on the pitch, Liverpool’s hand was rather forced. The team’s performances deteriorated to a dismal degree, culminating in a four-match winless run to end the season that took Champions League qualification right down to the final day — and that too only because the Premier League once again received an extra European Performance Spot.

This decline certainly didn’t come entirely out of the blue, so the Reds will have been keeping a close eye on the coaching market of late. Between that and their general track record, it would be safe to assume that they consciously chose to pass on the likes of Alonso rather than miss them entirely. Indeed, their interest in Andoni Iraola was reported simultaneously with the news of Slot’s departure, so they may have already settled on their choice of successor.

Iraola, of course, is a free agent on the back of a hugely successful three-year contract at Bournemouth. Although he didn’t get off to the best of starts — losing six and drawing the other three of his first nine Premier League fixtures — the former right back was given the time and trust to turn things around. As the squad gradually got increasingly familiar with his tactics, results followed.

Iraola led Bournemouth to a then-club-record Premier League points tally of 56 in 2024/25, before going one better en route to a first-ever continental qualification this term. While he was ably supported by some excellent player recruitment, what makes these achievements all the more impressive is the fact that he lost the majority of his first-choice back line last summer as well as the team’s standout attacker mid-season.

It would be safe to say that Iraola has made a name for himself by leading teams to punch well above their weight so far. Besides Bournemouth, his most impressive work came at Rayo Vallecano, whom he led from the second tier to the brink of La Liga’s top half on a very limited budget. However, he has never had the chance to take a serious title aspirant to the top of the table in prior stints at Spanish second-tier side CD Mirandés or Cypriot club AEK Larnaca either. So, as Moe eloquently outlined last month, the big question for coaches like Iraola is whether they can scale up to a club that sits at the same table as Europe’s elite.

In fact, I would say that every other club in this tier should still have some fair reservations and questions for Iraola, but Liverpool might just be as close to a perfect fit as possible.

How might Iraola’s Liverpool shape up?

On yesterday’s podcast, Ted and Patrick discussed a few reasons why Iraola is such a great fit for Liverpool. Among their points was the fact that he has experience working with a very influential recruitment department at Bournemouth, as well as his excellent track record of adapting to different challenges and circumstances.

Additionally, the Reds might well also have been drawn to the specific style of play he has produced at his last two jobs. His direct tactics were instrumental to Rayo Vallecano’s ability to outperform the sum of their parts, and he further refined them at Bournemouth. The core principles have remained unchanged, with the heaviest emphasis placed on transitions and threatening in broken play.

Both in and out of possession, Iraola’s sides look to create chaotic conditions on their own terms. With the ball, this involves a good deal of fast forward play, including after some press-baiting. Stringing together clean moves and retaining the ball aren’t paramount, since they can also thrive in counterpressing situations and by winning second balls. Out of possession, hybrid pressing is a cornerstone of Iraola’s teams as they invite opponents to play out from the back and look to trap them to generate dangerous turnovers. Lately, Bournemouth also became more comfortable at restricting opponents in their own half rather than always looking to chase down and win the ball, while counterattacking from deeper turnovers has also always been an important aspect.

For the Cherries, all of this resulted in their matches being some of the most eventful fixtures in the league. Their engagement in a fair share of end-to-end track meets contributed to their games having the second-highest cumulative xG tallies in the league this season, with their average of 2.60 only outshone by Manchester City’s 2.74. While the title chasers naturally saw most of the quality chances fall to their attack (with their own xG average reading 1.70), Bournemouth’s split was almost equal at 1.32-1.28.

At the most simplistic level, Liverpool’s idea may well be to replicate something similar at Anfield and use their superior player quality to weigh the attacking output in their favour. In fact, they might have even wanted to try this after last summer’s transfer splurge, which heralded an attacking revamp. However, their lack of depth in defence and defensive midfield likely dissuaded them from going gung-ho in too many games (particularly with a packed fixture schedule featuring various domestic and continental commitments), and they ultimately ended up with something in between that neither maximised their attacking firepower nor managed to help them control games to a sufficient extent.

For Iraola, some of the numbers might yet make for encouraging reading. Going back to eventfulness, Bournemouth’s matches this season saw the third-most total shots at an average of 26.3, bettered only by Manchester United and Liverpool (both 27.1). Further, per Opta Analyst, the Reds closely trailed the Cherries in terms of high turnovers (298 and 285; 3rd and 4th in the league), shots from such situations (57 and 52; 3rd and 5th), and direct attacks (83 and 81; 1st and 2nd).

In the Premier League’s current tactical meta which features a lot of player-orientation out of possession, Iraola’s approach clearly has the potential to reap rich rewards. Bournemouth finished with the fifth-most goals in the division despite underperforming their xG, so Liverpool have good reason to believe that their attacking output can go stratospheric under him. However, a key challenge will be finding the right balance, not just in terms of how a rather lop-sided squad is set up on the pitch but also in enabling his team to control matches when needed. While he has shown promising signs at Bournemouth this year, the 43-year-old tactician will need to further develop tools both in and out of possession in this regard.

This also ties into the issue of load management, which poses one of the biggest question marks for the scalability of Iraola’s tactics. While his demands are intense enough for a schedule that includes one game a week, doubling that with added UEFA Champions League fixtures (and likely more domestic cup ties) almost makes it a different ball game. Add to that the fact that Liverpool are extremely unlikely to have the same level of depth as some of their main rivals next season, and it is easy to see why this could be the defining challenge for Iraola next season.

What additions does the squad need?

It is no secret that Liverpool have quite a few needs for the summer transfer window, including in defence and on the right wing, but bringing in Iraola early will be important in helping steer their decision-making.

Before getting into positions of clear need, it is worth noting that bringing Iraola in may peg defensive midfield lower down the list of priorities. Liverpool’s current squad does not have the sort of player a more control-oriented coach would like, but the Ryan Gravenberch-Alexis Mac Allister pairing might be able to do the job for the ex-Bournemouth tactician, at least for the time being.

Liverpool will have to look for a new left back following the departure of Andy Robertson, but they might be able to make do with a back-up if Milos Kerkez can return to the levels he showed at Bournemouth under his previous coach. That would let them focus on other key areas of need, including right back and right winger, with more funds.

A top priority in defence has to be centre back since Ibrahima Konaté is on his way out. The incoming Jérémy Jacquet is a front-footed defender whose style could suit Iraola’s pressing, but he will need to show more on the ball to be a nailed-on starter. With depth in the position certainly necessary anyway, the Reds might well end up looking for a more experienced campaigner to come in and partner Virgil van Dijk in the immediate term.

As Ted suggested on the podcast, Marcos Senesi would be a fantastic option as long as he hasn’t already signed the paperwork to join Tottenham Hotspur. The Argentine centre-back was a genuine attacking weapon for Iraola’s Bournemouth thanks to his exceptional forward passing, which thrived in broken play and helped pick the lock of many a player-oriented midfield setup.

Although left-footed, Senesi looks good enough with his right to be able to play on either side. At 29, he should have a few more good years in him but likely won’t get in the way of Liverpool’s young centre back contingent in the long term. If he is unavailable, though, the Reds could explore some alternative options such as Nico Schlotterbeck or Jan Paul van Hecke.

The attack is going to be the most interesting part of Iraola’s Liverpool. The likes of Hugo Ekitike and Alexander Isak have similar profiles to many of the forwards he worked with at Bournemouth, but Florian Wirtz is more of a ball-to-feet player who thrives in tighter central spaces. While the Basque tactician did not use such a number 10 at Bournemouth, he has worked with a vast array of different forwards over the last few years and knows how to get the best out of a creative technician, as he did with Isi Palazón at Rayo. Dominik Szoboszlai’s role will also be interesting to follow as he could play in a front four or be pushed into a freer midfield role.

Liverpool’s business last summer undoubtedly pushed them into a tough spot in terms of finding a cohesive formula for the team to shape up in, so taking over their squad at present is no easy task. Yet, Iraola’s track record suggests that he might be better suited than anyone else to get the most out of this side.

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