Paul Merson has doubts over Liverpool hiring Andoni Iraola to replace Arne Slot, ‘I do find it strange’

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I’m a big fan of his, don’t get me wrong, but he was managing at Bournemouth. It’s difficult.“We see so many managers, don’t we, that come from no disrespect to them, from a lesser team and then go and try and manage one of the big boys.

The expectation is difficult.“And I know he went 19 games unbeaten, which is unbelievable what he’d done, but a lot of them were draws and draws won’t be good enough at Liverpool next season. And he’s a quiet sort of manager, doesn’t really do loads and loads of interviews.“And that will all change now.

So if he gets, you know, I hope he does well because I do like him and I like Liverpool, but it’s going to be a big ask.”Merson does have a point to some extent, as managers who perform at ‘smaller’ clubs can often struggle when stepping up to a big six team.David Moyes to Manchester United is a great historical example, while in more recent times, we saw how badly Thomas Frank’s stint with Tottenham Hotspur went after he spent many years doing well with Brentford.Iraola, especially after how badly Liverpool ended 2025/26 under Slot, needs to hit the ground running at Anfield to ensure fans do not turn on him within the first few months.Jamie Carragher has already raised concerns about a few Reds players performing under their new manager, suggesting the likes of Alexander Isak won’t suit his high pressing style.He said: “My thing is now Isak, Wirtz, Ekitike, I’m not sure they are those type of players. That’s my worry.“When we said the football was slow, the press wasn’t there.