Andoni Iraola must unleash two world-class players at Liverpool | OneFootball

Can Liverpool Finally Unlock Their Record Signings Under Andoni Iraola?

Liverpool’s move for Andoni Iraola is not only about restoring energy, pressing and directness. As Dave Davis and Michael Reid discussed on Anfield Index, it may also be about solving one of the biggest questions left behind by Arne Slot, how to get the best from Liverpool’s elite attacking talent, especially Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak.

Davis framed it clearly when he spoke about “£200 million plus signings” that “have got to be unlocked.” He also referenced the idea that Iraola “platforms attackers properly,” adding that attackers are “the difference makers and the game changers.” For Liverpool, that point feels central. If Wirtz and Isak are to become the players Liverpool paid record fees to sign, the structure around them has to help, not hinder.

Iraola’s Attacking Platform

Reid was careful to add context. Iraola has not previously worked with this level of talent. “He’s never had this much money in the club,” Reid said, pointing out that at Rayo Vallecano, Mirandés and Bournemouth, he was operating in a different market and at a different scale.

That makes Liverpool a new test. Reid said Iraola has “never had that experience of European calibre, Champions League calibre players.” Then came the key line on Wirtz and Isak, “in Isak converts, we’re talking about two, who certainly are that.”

The implication was not complicated. Iraola’s system has already worked at Bournemouth. At Liverpool, he should have more quality to execute it.

Alexander Isak Needs Freedom

Reid spoke directly about Isak’s difficult start, saying he had “a very soft start season with his injuries and fitness issues,” while also noting that he had not “settled in perhaps as much as you’d want a 100 million pound player to settle in.”

That is where Iraola’s structure could matter. Reid suggested that, in Iraola’s system, Liverpool may use “two midfielders behind” to “sit deep and protect it.” That could allow full backs such as Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong to push forward, creating better conditions for the attackers.

Reid’s phrasing was important. He said this could open up “the chance for the attacking players,” including “your Wirtz and your Gakpos and your Isaks,” to play “with freedom” and “with that creativity.”

For Isak, that may be the difference between being isolated and being supplied. The conversation suggested that Iraola’s Liverpool would not ask him simply to wait for moments. It would aim to give him a platform.

Photo: IMAGO

Florian Wirtz And Creative Responsibility

Wirtz was discussed as one of the players who could benefit from a more direct, attacking Liverpool. Reid said Liverpool’s squad already has “the technical quality to play the way Iraola plays,” and named Wirtz as someone who could “blossom in this sort of direct style.”

The reason was clear. Reid contrasted this with facing “the low block all the time,” saying a quicker approach could give Wirtz “more ability to move quickly with the ball.”

That is a significant point. Wirtz was not discussed as a luxury player who needs the game slowed down for him. He was presented as someone who could thrive if Liverpool attack with speed, risk and purpose.

Liverpool’s Record Signings Need A Clearer System

Davis described the challenge in blunt terms, saying the discussion with Richard Hughes could be viewed as, “we’ve got you a couple of hundred million pound attackers there like do the business with them.”

Reid’s answer was not about individual magic alone. It was about structure. He said Iraola could “give them the impetus to do what they do rather than having to build in a certain way and play a certain style.”