Can Iraola Repeat Slot’s First-Season Magic at Liverpool?

The dust has settled on the 2026 World Cup, and fans’ attention has now turned to the domestic season. It promises to be a truly fascinating one in the English top flight. Arsenal have the pressure of being defending champions. Moreover, they have been quiet in the transfer window so far.

How High Can Liverpool Aim This Term?

The other “Big Six” teams all have issues of their own. Chelsea, Manchester City, and Liverpool all have new managers. At Spurs, Roberto De Zerbi has been in charge for just seven games. Finally, Michael Carrick is no stranger to Manchester United. He is, however, technically a new permanent boss, with his previous contract an interim one until the end of last term.

Our focus in this article is Liverpool and, more specifically, their new boss Andoni Iraola. The last time they had a new manager was when Arne Slot replaced Jurgen Klopp for the start of the 2024/25 season. The Dutch boss surprised many by leading the Reds to the title at the first attempt. They lost just one of their first 30 Premier League games and went on to win the title with real ease. Can Iraola somehow weave his own magic at Anfield and deliver another title for the Reds?

Iraola Will Excite Fans and Players Alike

It was amazing how quickly things went wrong for Slot and Liverpool. They won their first five league games in 2025/26 but then lost six of the seven that followed. That left them 12th after 12 games. Although they recovered to finish fifth and thus qualified for the Champions League, many Liverpool supporters were desperate to see Slot go.

This was as much down to their stodgy football as it was to the results. The heavy-metal, front-foot football of Klopp had been replaced with something slow, plodding, predictable and inefficient. As well as being poor going forward, the Reds conceded 53 goals – more than eight of the clubs that finished beneath them.

Fans will be delighted that Iraola agreed to join them. The former Bournemouth man is known for his quick attacking play and high press. He has a clear idea of how he wants his teams to play. His style involves a lot of risk, quick passing and a varied system of attacking, with a mix of short and long passes. In other words, Iraola’s Liverpool will excite fans. At Bournemouth, the players also seemed to enjoy playing under Iraola.

Iraola’s Background

Iraola was born on the 22nd of June 1982. That means he was just 43 when he joined the Reds. He was born in Usurbil in northern Spain, not far from San Sebastian and close to the French border. That makes him one of a huge number of young Basque managers who are among the game’s elite.

In 2026/27, Iraola will go up against fellow Basques Alonso and Mikel Arteta. While those two played for Real Sociedad, Iraola came through the ranks at the region’s other main club, Athletic Bilbao. A right back, he played over 500 times for Bilbao. Additionally, he represented Spain on seven occasions.

First Steps into Management

He retired as a player in November 2016, leaving New York City FC. He was not out of the game for long. In June 2018, AEK Larnaca appointed him as their manager but sacked him the following February. He then took charge of Mirandes, who had just been promoted to the Segunda División in Spain. Iraola led them to the semis of the Copa del Rey, defeating three La Liga clubs along the way.

Next, Liverpool’s new man moved to Rayo Vallecano, guiding them to promotion into the Spanish top flight. The season after that, he led them to the Copa del Rey semi-finals. This attracted interest from the Premier League. Leeds approached him, but he joined Bournemouth in June 2023.

He performed magnificently with the Cherries. Throughout his tenure, financial realities forced him to sell many of his best players – often for huge sums. Despite this, he helped the club earn 48 points in 2023/24. That was their highest Premier League tally ever. 12 months later, they finished higher up the table and won 56 points. However, yet more was to come. In 2025/26, Bournemouth earned 57 points, finished sixth and qualified for European football for the first time in their history.

New Boss Faces Clear Issues

Iraola proved at Bournemouth that he can work wonders with whatever squad he has. In 2025/26, they sold over €310m of players. A season earlier, their main striker, Dominic Solanke, moved to Spurs for around £60m. With Liverpool, he will not have to sell, but buying power is a little limited. The club spent a massive £450m last season and may not have much to spare this time around.

The club has spent almost £100m on two young players in the current transfer window. However, they have lost Andy Robertson, Ibrahima Konate and Mo Salah, receiving no fees in return. They also let Trent Alexander-Arnold leave on a free transfer last term (although they did get around £9m from the deal in the end).

Virgil van Dijk is clearly not the player he used to be, and with Konate gone and Joe Gomez injured in pre-season, the Reds have an issue at the back. Liverpool have two other very young, very expensive central defenders. They signed Jeremy Jacquet, 20, this season for almost £60m. They also paid over £25m last term for Giovanni Leoni, who was 18 at the time. At the time of writing, both players are injured.

As well as the problem at centre back, the new boss has problems at full back. He signed Milos Kerkez at Bournemouth, so fans will hope he can get the Hungarian back to his best. Iraola also has to work out how to get the best out of his attacking options. Salah has not been carrying the club of late. However, he was one of the best in the world for several years. Liverpool need to replace his goals, assists and the havoc he was capable of causing.

Where Will Liverpool Finish?

There is no doubt that Iraola is capable of making a team that is more than the sum of its parts. His football philosophy and attacking style will be a welcome relief to fans. However, he will need more time to bring in the necessary players and to get his ideas across.

There are big concerns about whether Van Dijk has the pace needed to play Iraola’s preferred high line. The Reds have promising youngsters, but are they ready? And if not, does Liverpool’s old guard have the energy to press with the intensity the new manager will require? He favours very aggressive transitions and mobile midfielders who can resist the press. His current squad could struggle with this.

In time, we expect Liverpool’s new man to be a success. He is obviously a brilliant manager. But we do not expect him to guide the Reds to the title in 2026/27. It is early days in terms of the transfer window. Much can change. But right now, third place in the table and a cup triumph are realistic targets for Liverpool and would represent a bright start for Iraola.