Who is on Andoni Iraola backroom team? The 4 coaches who could join Liverpool
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Andoni Iraola looks set to become the new Liverpool head coach, but which members of his staff could he look to bring with him from Bournemouth, and who are they?Andoni Iraola during a Bournemouth training session.(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)After firing Arne Slot last weekend, Liverpool is pressing ahead with a move to hire Andoni Iraola as his successor. But with gaps to fill on the coaching staff, there will be other appointments needed too.Iraola works alongside some other highly rated coaches who he could look to bring with him, though given they are not out of contract like he is, the Reds would have to come to an agreement with Bournemouth over bringing them in.The Spaniard took the Cherries into Europe last season — and he was only three points off the Champions League places — but he didn't do it alone.
Who else played a key part and could also move to Liverpool?Tommy ElphickIraola said Tommy Elphick was ready to become a manager in his own right recently, but he turned down the chance to become Bristol City head coach last week as he weighed up other options.Michael Skubala eventually joined the Robins from Lincoln City, becoming the permanent appointment after the interim job done by Roy Hodgson, and Elphick is said to be a Liverpool fan.A former player with Brighton, Bournemouth, and Aston Villa, Elphick appears to be very likely to join Iraola as his assistant at Anfield, having worked so successfully under him previously.Shaun CooperAnother of Iraola's trusted assistants, 42-year-old Shaun Cooper came through the Portsmouth academy, where he got to know Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes.He signed for Bournemouth in 2005 and went on to make 240 appearances for the Cherries. He retired from playing in 2017 and moved into coaching, first with their youth teams and then with the senior set-up.Andoni Iraola on the Bournemouth bench.(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)Credited with being a set-piece specialist, that is something that Liverpool struggled with for much of the final season under Arne Slot, with Aaron Briggs getting fired midway through the campaign.Senior first team analyst Tom Webber is another who could join, according to Sky Sports, though there is less public information about him.
He is another of Iraola's trusted team, often focusing on the out-of-possession side of the game.Pablo de la TorreFitness and conditioning coach Pablo de la Torre will have a big job on his hands to get the Liverpool squad fit enough to cope with the demands that Iraola will place on them.Pre-season was disrupted last year and Liverpool seemed unable to get back on track from there, while key men like Alexander Isak need to look much sharper than they have in recent months.De la Torre is renowned for working players hard, and like Iraola, he too will have to get used to a schedule that includes midweek fixtures three or four times a month.Liverpool is entering a new era — and it won't solely be the job of Iraola to get across the more intense and aggressive style of play that it is understood the Reds want to ensure is implemented.