Exclusive: “He Shifted The Mindset” – Why Andoni Iraola Is ‘Perfect’ Appointment For Liverpool | OneFootball

It’s been reported that Andoni Iraola has now agreed to a deal in principle to take over Arne Slot’s role as head coach. It comes after a lot of fans were calling for Xabi Alonso to take over as Liverpool boss; however, the Liverpool hierarchy has seen Iraola as a better fit than the now-Chelsea manager. Here is why he is the top candidate for the role.

Firstly, Liverpool finds it very important to hire a good person as well as a manager, and Iraola is brilliant for that.

Senior sports journalist at the Bournemouth Daily Echo, Alexander Smith, spoke on how the players see him, which is quite telling of his character.

“They [James Hill and Alex Scott, who spoke to the journalist most this season] can’t speak highly enough of him. They clearly stepped up and wanted to give Iraola the send-off he deserved. It’s telling how much they bought into him and his football.

“I haven’t heard any whisperings about any discontent on that [players not getting enough game time].”

This shows how the players have bought into the system because they want to work for him as a good person, not just his quality as a manager. Iraola has had very high praise as a person, similar to what players under Jurgen Klopp had from the start.

Andoni Iraola’s PERFECT Mo Salah replacements 

One of the players managed by Iraola at AEK Larnaca, David Catala, also spoke about how easy it was to talk to him, saying, “All the time his door is always open, and he’s happy to speak to me, as he’s a very nice guy.” He had very good connections with the players and was a very good coach.

“These are the kind of coaches who can give you confidence with a few words to give you a good game.

“It’s not just a game, it’s more the person, and as a player, these are the things you remember about him.”

If you have a manager who is a good person, the squad is more likely to buy into him and work to meet his standards, which is a very promising start.

From a more tactical viewpoint, the biggest difference between Jurgen Klopp and Arne Slot’s successes (and lack of) was in the intensity.

Salah made that Instagram post at the end of this season, criticising the lack of ‘heavy metal football’, which is what Klopp teams are remembered for. 

Last season, Liverpool were outrun in 27 of their 31 Premier League games. 

Iraola’s foundations as a manager are similar to Klopp’s in terms of how hard he demands his team to work, and that intensity is expected to return when he is appointed Liverpool boss.

Catala described his intensity as one of the biggest parts of his system…

“He has very clear ideas from the beginning.”

“The most I remember was the intensity training. When you lose one ball, try to recover the ball as fast as possible, try to press high, and try to be aggressive to recover the ball. He wants to make a team that doesn’t let the opposition breathe. He wants to win the ball higher, have an explosive team and be comfortable on the ball.”

From what has been said, it feels as if he has the Liverpool way about him in his style, reminding me of Klopp in the intensity he demands of his squad.

Manchester City and former Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo also mentioned his intensity in a recent interview about how the side never had days off during the season, which shows how much he expects from his players. This is more than Arne Slot, who had members of the squad complaining about too many days off during the season.

That increase in intensity will lead to the heavy metal football that we fans (as well as the players) would like to see. Pressing high up, turning the ball over in the final third and outworking every opponent are all reasons as to why Bournemouth went on the longest unbeaten streak in the Premier League, with an 18-game unbeaten streak that still stands today.

Players have bought into his system and tactics, which is a big indicator that he can positively lift up the Reds for the 2026/2027 season.

As a manager, he is very hands-on, which, for Catala, was a great indicator that he had a vision for the Larnaca side he oversaw, giving lots of instructions during training matches in possession.

“He likes to be involved all the time in the training, participating in the rondos and the sessions. He wanted to be involved a lot in the game and the possession and give instructions whilst on the ball.”

That system is what aligns with Liverpool more than Xabi Alonso does with Liverpool. Xabi Alonso played a back three at Leverkusen, using full-backs Frimpong and Grimaldo as wide midfielders who created a back 5 under pressure off the ball. That isn’t how Liverpool usually set up. Iraola, however, has played a 4-3-2-1 for most of his games at Bournemouth, suiting a lot of our squad a lot better and giving a perfect opportunity for Iraola to make signings to make his mark on the team.

As well as that, he is reuniting with former Bournemouth full-back Milos Kerkez, who made his name under Iraola’s management before coming to Liverpool. He is one of many players who could thrive under Iraola. Kerkez, in particular, will understand how good Iraola is and understand the Spaniard will get the best out of him, which means we could see Kerkez maintain a good end to the season and improve under his former manager.

The Cherries’ former manager also loved to trust his younger players, with the squad being the second youngest starting XI put out in the Premier League this season. This is what we fans have been calling for Slot to do more often, with Rio Ngumoha’s minutes being a highly debated topic across the season.

WHAT CAN LIVERPOOL FANS EXPECT FROM ANDONI IRAOLA?

Smith highlighted the importance of Iraola’s trust in the squad’s youth as a big factor for bringing some of the best footballing talent to the south coast, saying: “He won’t be afraid to give young players a chance in the first team. A lot of the players have signed partly because Iraola will give them a chance.”

Ngumoha is one player who will suit this, as the leading candidate to replace Slot would be more inclined to start him with more trust in playing his youth than the Dutchman may have had in the 17-year-old.

Not to say Arne Slot’s style and trust were wrong, but Iraola’s style seems to be a better fit for Liverpool than Slot’s style from the second season.

With direct comparisons between Liverpool and Bournemouth players able to be made, such as Ryan Gravenberch thriving in a similar ball progression role to Alex Scott’s for the Cherries, it seems like a fresh face who is Premier League proven could be the key to unlocking the best out of this team once again.

Smith also spoke about the way that change came into Bournemouth, saying, “He’s shifted the mindset.” They go into games thinking they can beat anyone. He’s very much of the philosophy that you play every game to win it.”

Liverpool thrives off a manager with a mindset like Iraola’s, and that could turn into trophies in the future.

Whilst there’s plenty of excitement around Andoni Iraola, because of what he’s done at Bournemouth in what was seen as overperforming, there are always concerns for any manager coming in that you hope he will brush off.

His lack of experience in cup finals and European competition could be a weakness. With two Premier League titles under the Reds’ belt in the last six years, many fans and the club will be looking at the Champions League as a competition the club needs to focus on to try and go all the way.

With Iraola, he won’t have that experience in those big European competitions, as his former sides, Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth, haven’t featured in a European competition under the 43-year-old. Not winning a trophy is also something of concern, as Arne Slot had won titles, including the Eredivisie league title, before joining the Reds in the summer of 2024 and competing in Europe, meaning he had that prior winning experience that meant he could deal with that pressure.

Despite the experience lacking, it feels as if Salah’s final words on Instagram may have caught the attention of FSG, and the football that Iraola implements could bring back the old Liverpool that we all missed this season. Profile for profile, he seems to be the most fitting and heavy metal-like manager that can return the Liverpool way of playing football again.