Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool Appointment Comes With Old Warning From Arne Slot

The comparisons between Iraola and Jürgen Klopp ignore the nuances of the legendary Liverpool manager’s evolution and willfully ignore the concerning aspects of the incoming coach’s style.

Andoni Iraola is the new man in the dugout at Anfield. | Andrew Powell/Liverpool FC/Getty Images

Jürgen Klopp’s last words on the microphone as Liverpool manager were famously used to start the first Anfield chant for his successor, Arne Slot. Rather than return the favor, Slot’s past comments can be used as a grave warning of the struggles that Andoni Iraola may face on Merseyside.

Rarely are soccer fans accused of being overly optimistic. Yet, it has been interesting to see quite how universally positive the reaction to news of Iraola’s impending arrival has been since it became clear that he was the club’s leading contender to replace Slot. Steering a team with one of the smallest budgets in the Premier League to Europa League qualification (and just one win away from Liverpool) will do that.

However, the lowly status Bournemouth at which operate in the financial landscape of England’s elite raises plenty of questions as to how Iraola will react to being in charge of a grand behemoth. There will be plenty of intangible challenges for the former Rayo Vallecano to navigate, but one of the most glaring is the nitty-gritty question of how his style of soccer will suit his new squad.

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Arne Slot Has Already Told Everyone How to Beat Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool

Arne Slot couldn’t solve a problem which Andoni Iraola will face. | Robbie Jay Barratt-AMA/Getty Images

Much has been made about how Iraola’s high-pressing tactics are just what Liverpool are looking for. Much like Mohamed Salah, the club’s executives are supposedly keen on bringing back the “heavy metal” approach which was so synonymous with Klopp. Yet, Liverpool stopped playing heavy metal soccer years before the German coach departed.

Klopp’s mantra was simple: win the ball back quickly after losing it so that you can attack a disorganized opponent. However, as his Liverpool roster evolved, i.e. buying better players, the German coach accepted that they could marry up the best of Pep Guardiola’s positional play with his signature counter-pressing.

“The high individual quality of our players allows us to control games in possession now,” Klopp’s assistant Peter Krawietz told The Athletic after Liverpool won the Premier League title in 2020, “and to take up positions close to the ball—to be able to win it back again quickly if we do lose it.”

Slot inherited a side last season that was adept in possession and quick to close down the opponent. A new face and a much calmer persona after almost a decade of Klopp’s wild-eyed energy paved the way for Liverpool to take advantage of Arsenal and Manchester City both enduring their own dips to win the Premier League.

Jürgen Klopp’s philosophy was more nuanced than it was given credit for. | Visionhaus/Getty Images

As Slot would humbly admit, he didn’t change much. Unfortunately, he still hadn’t tweaked anything over the summer—but Liverpool’s opponents had. Rather than fall into the trap of trying to play out against the Reds, Premier League teams wised up to the struggles Slot’s side would have if they simply removed the opportunity for Liverpool to press.

“I don’t think we do things different, I do see teams doing a lot of different things against us,” Slot explained in an enlightening press conference last October after three straight defeats.

“Jürgen gave me a lot of gifts, but one of the gifts he also gave me was ending up fourth the year before and fifth the year before [that] and him being so well known. [So] when a new manager came in, everyone thought, ‘Oh, let’s start to play against Liverpool.’

“Teams played in a completely different way against us in the first half of last season than they did when we were top of the league and the Champions League after half the season. And I can see this going now into this part of this season.”

Slot’s forecast was correct. Liverpool were bombarded by long balls throughout the campaign, so had no opportunity to pounce and strike in transition—the very method which is fundamental to Iraola’s success.

Bournemouth have been transformed into one of the Premier League’s most potent pressing teams under the Basque boss. Few sides win the ball back as often as the tireless Cherries, who are as adept as anyone at turning those high turnovers into shots and goals.

Yet, much like Slot’s Liverpool, when they are robbed of the chance to press by having possession foisted upon them, their threat plummets.

Bournemouth 2025–26 Premier League	55+% Possession	Less Than 55% Possession
Games	13	25
Average League Position of Opponents	13.8	9.1
Wins	1	12
Draws	10	8
Losses	2	5
Goals For	14	44
Goals Against	15	39
Goal Difference	-1	+5
Points	13	44

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“Playing against elite sides gives you opportunities other teams don’t,” Iraola has admitted. “What you have to do is stay on top of them as they bring the ball out and make them so uncomfortable that you can maneuver them into losing the ball.” But what do you do when they don’t bring the ball out?

Iraola never really found the answer to that problem at Bournemouth—the Cherries won just one of their 13 matches last season when they were afforded at least 55% possession. That wasn’t that much of an issue on the south coast—or during Iraola’s time at the similarly modest Rayo Vallecano—as most teams were foolhardy enough to take on the territorial initiative. However, a lot more sides are willing to cede possession to Liverpool.

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Iraola Could Be Capable of Finding the Answers

Iraola’s tactics extend beyond open play. | Robin Jones/AFC Bournemouth/Getty Images, Victor Metelskiy/Getty Images

Just because Iraola has never shown any inclination to dominate possession during his time in the Premier League doesn’t necessarily mean that he can’t—the former Athletic Club fullback was a key cog in possession for the Basque side during his long playing career. Yet, his appointment does represent a gamble.

Even managers who have openly sought out possession play have struggled to find a way of breaking down the myriad of organized backlines which are littered across the Premier League’s incredibly well-drilled rosters. Just look at Arsenal’s compromises under Mikel Arteta.

Slot also had the solution to penetrating those rearguards. “We have to find answers to that,” he explained. “Last season, one of the answers was set pieces—like many teams unlock low blocks with set pieces—and this season we haven't done that, yet.”

Liverpool would eventually rediscover their attacking threat from dead balls, rattling in 18. However, they were also wildly exposed from these positions in their own box, shipping a league-high 20 set-piece goals. Concerningly, Iraola’s Bournemouth conceded 18 from those scenarios last season and recorded the highest set-piece xG faced across the entire division.

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Iraola’s Set-Piece Solutions

Statistic (2025–26 Premier League)	Arne Slot’s Liverpool	Andoni Iraola’s Bournemouth
Set Pieces Goals For	18 (T-4th)	14 (T-8th)
Set Piece xG For	12.05 (16th)	15.82 (6th)
Set Pieces Goals Conceded	20 (20th)	18 (T-18th)
Set Piece xG Against	12.05 (7th)	18.33 (20th)
Set Piece Goal Difference	-2 (T-11th)	+2 (8th)
Set Piece xG Difference	-2.04 (12th)	+5.36 (2nd)

Stats via Opta.

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For all the excitement surrounding Iraola’s appointment, it may be a sound idea to apply some caution as well. Yet, if there is a character capable of taking on the weight of expectation (or doubt), it’s Iraola.

“In the end, it’s a game, football,” the amiable coach told The Independent last year. “I think I’ve learned now to take things with less urgency or less dramatics. I think it’s the only way to enjoy this profession, otherwise you go crazy.”

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