Why Andoni Iraola replacing Arne Slot at Liverpool would make perfect sense
The Basque coach might be the ideal candidate to provide the missing spark as the Reds are in search of Slot’s successor after a poor campaign in which they looked largely unconvincing
A year after leading Liverpool to their second league title in the modern Premier League history, Arne Slot parted ways with the Reds following a below-par campaign at Anfield. Amid reports that the Dutchman would stay put ahead of next season, some may have been taken by surprise when Liverpool announced his dismissal.
Yet, after taking the league by storm in 2024/25, the Reds looks disjointed, passive, and unexpectedly flat throughout last term, missing that spark that turned them into one of the finest teams in Europe under Jürgen Klopp.
That heavy-metal, high-pressing style of play was fading, giving its place to a more static, low-risk football in Slot’s second campaign at the club.
A team lacking structure, struggling to retrieve the identity that made them fun-to-watch during the German tactician’s tenure, Liverpool didn’t manage to compete for a single trophy in 2025/26. But more importantly, there was a growing sense that the team had slowly drifted away from their fanbase.
Reinstating the connection between this group of players and fans might be more crucial than spending big to beef up the squad this summer and to do so, Liverpool need a coach to provide that missing spark through his football philosophy. Enter Andoni Iraola.
Reigniting the spark
Having ended the season on a 19-game unbeaten run, Bournemouth saw Iraola depart the team after securing European football for the first time in club history. Recalling the objectives set by the club once he took over at the Cherries back in 2023, the Basque coach stressed last month that their main focus was to build an identity that would set that team apart.
“I had no idea [about reaching Europe when joining],” said Iraola.
“The first thing from the club was more than the results, changing the style, changing the approach, being more offensive and proactive – that’s why they signed me.
“The club was focused on this and this is why I was attracted to the idea. The way of playing took some time but it has given us some incredible results.”
Reading those comments, one thing immediately comes to mind: this is actually what Liverpool Football Club need right now, a shift in strategy that would allow them to reap the benefits in the long run.
“I think potentially, yes [Iraola could be the right choice]. I think he’s done a fabulous job at Bournemouth. I think his style would suit Liverpool,” club legend Steven Gerrard told TNT Sports.
With the vast majority of the central characters during the Klopp era gone, the Reds are going through a transition period in their bid to re-establish themselves as Premier League contenders.
Unlike other wealthy clubs, though, the team’s DNA dictates that this cannot be done solely through record-breaking signings or by luring Europe’s most decorated coach. Klopp did show the way by bringing fans and team closer and establishing a style of play that not only attracted the Anfield audience but even urged them to turn the stadium into a fortress again.
That chemistry has been somewhat lost, and understandably so, after his departure a couple of years ago. In should come a coach that inspires fans and players, a tactician who plays to Liverpool strengths – one who can reinstate that high-octane football that made Anfield roar on numerous occasions over the last years. And the more you look at it, the more Iraola taking the reins at Liverpool makes sense.
