From 'a work in progress' to 'he will get us playing': Experts react as Liverpool appoint Andoni Iraola | OneFootball

Former Liverpool defender Jamie Carragher remains unconvinced

Liverpool’s appointment of Andoni Iraola has garnered a strong reaction from supporters and media alike.

Iraola has swapped Dorset for Liverpool, signing a two-year deal at Anfield on the back of a hugely impressive season with Bournemouth.

Under the Spaniard’s watch, the Cherries finished the Premier League season unbeaten in 18 games to secure record-high sixth-placed finish and Europa League qualification for the first time in the club’s history.

Iraola is now set to make a considerable step up, managing a team with far greater ambitions, respectfully, than Bournemouth as a title challenge will be the minimum expectation during his first season in charge.

That said, the reaction to Iraola’s Liverpool appointment has been mixed, to say the least.

Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher, in his column for the Telegraph, has doubled down on his doubts, sounding out an early warning.

“Can Iraola turn Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike into a £310m pressing machine? Are they really that type of player?” Carragher asked.

“Iraola may prove to be one of the great coaches of his era in Europe, whom Liverpool are recruiting at the perfect time, but he is a work in progress.

“This is rather like headhunting Klopp direct from Mainz, bypassing all the invaluable experience he gained at Borussia Dortmund, which meant by the time he landed in Liverpool in 2015 he was the finished product, and his presence was felt in the first press conference.”

Jamie Carragher has issued his verdict on Andoni Iraola as Liverpool head coach

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Meanwhile, Danny Murphy - who made 249 appearances for Liverpool from 1997 to 2024 - offered a far more positive verdict.

"I'm quite excited because after watching Bournemouth play, there's no reason to think he's not going to try and play the same way - in terms of being courageous and on the front foot and trying to press teams with high energy and play attacking football," Murphy said.

"When a fanbase becomes disillusioned with a manager and his style of play - and then start turning on him - you're delaying the inevitable. I do believe Liverpool are better placed now and that's not all down to Slot.

"Bringing in Iraola was the best option because the fans go into a new campaign with hope and excitement, rather than fear.

“You do not want to start the season where the players are feeling the anxiety from the outset, and this was the best way for Liverpool to do it."

Iraola will make his Anfield debut as Liverpool head coach in a friendly against Monaco on August 9, with the final pre-season fixture at home to Cesc Fabregas’ Como the following weekend.

Prior to that, the Reds face Sunderland, Wrexham and Leeds as part of their summer tour of the United States.