Andoni Iraola already has ideal player waiting to help him implement new style at Liverpool
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Liverpool is expected to confirm the appointment of Andoni Iraola as its new head coach after it parted ways with Arne Slot last weekend following a difficult seasonAndoni Iraola during a Bournemouth training session.(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)It doesn't take that much of a leap to work out how Liverpool will line up under Andoni Iraola, assuming there are no last-minute hitches in the hiring process of the Spaniard.He was, after all, the manager who had been at his Premier League club longer than anyone, aside from Mikel Arteta, Eddie Howe and Unai Emery, when he departed Bournemouth (excluding Pep Guardiola, who has also left Manchester City).It is understood that Liverpool, in part, decided to part ways with Arne Slot because club officials want to ensure there is a more intense and aggressive style of play being implemented, and Iraola's Bournemouth had that in spades.Alisson Becker is a high-level goalkeeper, while Iraola will work with Milos Kerkez, who he had on the south coast for two seasons, and the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Jeremie Frimpong.Up top, Alexander Isak will hope to show why Liverpool spent $169 million (£125 million) on signing him from Newcastle, with Florian Wirtz another key element of the attacking puzzle alongside some new signings out wide.In midfield, though, there may need to be a refresh. Lining up mostly with Alex Scott and Tyler Adams behind Junior Kroupi, it is easy enough to compare the England talent with Ryan Gravenberch and the Frenchman to Wirtz.Liverpool midfielder Dominik Szoboszlai.(Image: James Gill - Danehouse/Getty Images)Though there might need to be an addition of a more natural enforcer like USMNT star Adams, it isn't that much of a stretch to compare Ryan Christie, the Scottish midfielder, with Dominik Szoboszlai.Liverpool's best player last term, there is a bit of a question mark about where Szoboszlai's best role should be, not least if Iraola implements a more defined 4-2-3-1 system.As the No.10, big-money signing Wirtz is likely to have that spot nailed down in the main.
Out wide, Szoboszlai is wasted, leaving one of the deeper positions as perhaps his best position.Given he was one of very few Liverpool players to impress in the season just gone, finding a route to minutes should not be difficult for Szoboszlai, but the question is exactly where.Get LFC's 2025/26 season home and away kitsThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn moreFrom $100LFC.comSee the dealLiverpool's home and away strips for the 2025/26 season are the first in their new partnership with adidas.Fans can order jerseys in the US at Fanatics.com or via the LFC Online Store in both the US and across the world.The Hungary captain, though, is perfectly suited to the kind of intensity that Iraola demands.
Unlike someone like Alexis Mac Allister, there will be no doubts over whether Szoboszlai can stand up to the physical pressures.Only four players ran more than 400 kilometers in the Premier League last season, with one of those being Bournemouth left-back Adrien Truffert. Only Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) and James Garner (Everton) covered more ground.If Liverpool is to return to a high-energy game and freshen things up ahead of next season, Iraola is a good fit, even if there are some question marks — such as his lack of Champions League experience — that he will need to knock back.Szoboszlai, more than anyone, should be relishing the chance to show what he can do in a more high-intensity environment, having been one of the few to look like doing it under Slot.