Andoni Iraola is perfect coach to unlock exciting Liverpool duo and $87M transfer proves it
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Liverpool.com or go back to LFC Live.
Andoni Iraola is a good fit for the talented attacking players that Liverpool spent so much money on last summer, despite some questions emerging in the last few daysAndoni Iraola applauds Bournemouth fans at the Vitality Stadium.(Image: MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)Having appointed a new head coach this week, there remains plenty for Liverpool to do this summer to get back on track ahead of the next campaign, which is now only 77 days away.Andoni Iraola's arrival has injected some fresh excitement into the Liverpool fanbase, certainly, and his style of play will be appealing on the eye, but there has been one question persistently asked by Jamie Carragher: is his brand of football suitable for the big names that the Reds signed a year ago?"Can Iraola turn Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Hugo Ekitike into a £310M ($415M) pressing machine? Iraola is a risk precisely because of his lack of experience at the top level of the game, having never, for instance, managed in the Champions League before.There are more fans in Anfield's Main Stand — the section in which the dugouts sit in L4 — than in the entirety of Bournemouth's Vitality Stadium, and the Cherries are clearly a much smaller club.Moving to Liverpool is big leap.
After all, there is a story that David Moyes was unable to comprehend just how big Manchester United was when he went on the first pre-season tour after leaving Everton in 2013.New Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola.(Image: Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Although Iraola has experience of playing for Athletic Club, the step from Bournemouth to Liverpool is bigger than Goodison Park to Old Trafford, and so to some extent, the question of whether he can successfully step up is a fair one.Specifically in terms of Isak and Wirtz, though, there should be no concerns about how either player will work under Iraola. 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.In terms of Wirtz, though he struggled with the intensity of the Premier League at times in his debut campaign, it is far too early to judge him on that front.When he was in the Bundesliga, Wirtz was one of the top pressers, and he has no shortage of work ethic.
He needs to get fitter and stronger, but the German is perfectly suited to the number 10 role under Iraola.With some proper wingers on either flank and a more stable system in which to operate, Isak and Wirtz will both be able to thrive. In the case of the former, just being fit and available will make him like a new signing given he played so little last term.There are legitimate questions to ask of Iraola, but getting the most out of Isak and Wirtz (plus Ekitike, too, once he returns from injury) is not something to worry about.