Why Liverpool should be 'excited' by Andoni Iraola appointment

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Evening Standard

·3 June 2026

Why Liverpool should be 'excited' by Andoni Iraola appointment

Spaniard is set to take over from Arne Slot at Anfield

Danny Murphy has said that Liverpool fans should be “excited” by the appointment of Andoni Iraola.

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The Spaniard is set to take over as the Reds’ new manager from Arne Slot, who was sacked last week.

The Dutchman had been in charge at Anfield for two years, winning the Premier League title in his first season before leading the Merseysiders to fifth place and Champions League qualification in his second.

That, however, was not enough for the Liverpool hierarchy, who had shelled out a record £446million summer transfer spend after they had won the league.

Now, the Reds have turned to Bournemouth boss Iraola to transform their fortunes, with the former Athletic Bilbao player to depart the Dorset coast upon the expiration of his contract.

Former Liverpool midfielder Murphy believes that Iraola’s style of play will be enough to get frustrated Reds off their seats once more, after fans - and players, in Mohamed Salah’s case - took issue with Slot’s possession-based playstyle.

Sought after: Andoni Iraola

"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."

He had been highly coveted, particularly by Chelsea, with Standard Sport understanding that the Spaniard had been one of two preferred candidates to replace Liam Rosenior at Stamford Bridge.

Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool midfielder, ultimately took over in west London, leaving Iraola in limbo as he held talks with Crystal Palace, Bayer Leverkusen and AC Milan.

Jamie Carragher, the ex-Liverpool defender, voiced his own concerns about Iraola’s pending appointment, while Murphy himself also had reservations.

"He's never managed a club of this size before and he will be a little bit surprised at how intrusive it will be on his life, when you manage Liverpool," Murphy continued.

"Even as a player, that changes overnight because it's one of the biggest clubs in the world and everything you do will be scrutinised and talked about, locally and globally.

"The only other reservation is whether he will be able to play high-intensity football every few days because that will require a certain level of fitness - which we saw with Jurgen Klopp's teams with the flying full-backs, the midfield dynamism and the work-rate of the attackers.

"It's difficult to see how to create that with what he's got at the moment so the summer transfer window is huge for Liverpool in that respect. The current squad lacks legs and dynamism and isn't filled with brilliant players off the ball."