Liverpool move on from Slot after poor season
Jamie Carragher has raised concerns about Liverpool’s decision to appoint Andoni Iraola and the idea of finding another manager with some of the same traits that made Jurgen Klopp so successful at Anfield.
Liverpool dismissed Arne Slot at the end of last season, only a year after the Dutchman had won the Premier League. The club moved quickly to bring in Iraola, who impressed during his time at Bournemouth.
The Basque coach guided the Cherries to sixth place, securing European football and ending his spell at the club on a strong note. Even so, Carragher believes the full picture needs to be looked at carefully.
The former Liverpool defender pointed out that Bournemouth finished high in the table but still won only 13 league matches. That was the same number as Everton, who ended the season seven places lower in 13th.
Carragher doubts how quickly Iraola can reshape Liverpool
Carragher believes Iraola faces a major challenge in getting Liverpool’s expensive squad to fully accept his pressing style and tactical demands.
Writing in his Telegraph column, Carragher questioned whether players such as Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike can become part of a pressing unit worth around £310 million. He also wondered if they naturally suit that type of football.
Carragher noted that Iraola has often used a 4-4-2 system, while Slot and Klopp were more associated with a 4-3-3 shape at Liverpool. He added that managing big money signings with strong expectations is very different from working with young players at Bournemouth who may see the club as a route to a bigger move.
The Liverpool legend did not dismiss Iraola’s talent, but described him as a coach still developing. He compared the appointment to hiring Klopp straight from Mainz, without the years of experience he later gained at Borussia Dortmund before arriving at Liverpool in 2015.
Iraola wants to keep his main principles
Iraola has argued that his time in English football should help him settle at Liverpool. He said he already knows the Premier League and believes people have seen enough of Bournemouth to understand his ideas.
Speaking to Liverpool’s website, Iraola admitted that some things will need to change now that he is coaching a different club with different players. At the same time, he does not want to lose the basic identity that shaped his Bournemouth team.
The new Liverpool coach highlighted intensity, aggression and organisation as key parts of how he wants his side to play. He said he will adapt to the players available, but believes some of his main principles match what Liverpool have shown for many years.
Anfield may bring a different kind of test
Carragher also warned that Liverpool will not always be able to rely on counter attacking football at Anfield. Opponents may sit deeper against Iraola’s side, which could make the job different from his work at Bournemouth.
He also pointed out that Bournemouth managed only one more win against the bottom three than they did against the top three last season. For Carragher, that raises questions about how easily Iraola’s approach will transfer to a team expected to dominate many matches.
Carragher ended by saying that, with no obvious elite manager available, Liverpool could have kept Slot. In his view, changes to the squad may have had just as much chance of improving the team as changing the manager.
