While new head coach Andoni Iraloa ticks a lot of boxes for Liverpool and a fanbase left deflated not just by last season’s poor results but also the increasingly negative tactical approach and lack of energy in performances, the Basque trainer does arrive at Anfield with a few question marks.
The biggest might be a lack of experience playing in Europe and having to manage a squad facing two games a week just about every week. Iraola never had to deal with that Bournemouth or Rayo Vallecano, and given
just how aggressive his sides tend to play there are concerns over how it might pan out.
“I think it’s a big challenge for me,” Iraola admitted at his first press conference as Liverpool’s new head coach today. “I think it is a big change because here most of the weeks are not going to be clean, in terms of we will have a midweek game, but I think it is also a great opportunity for the players.
“I always loved to have those kinds of season as a player. You basically don’t train a lot—you play, recover, play, recover. I think there is a chance to use more players also because it is impossible to deal with this kind of season with just the 13, 14, 15 players, so you need the whole squad.”
Dealing with this kind of season will also require more transfer business, with a squad that was already thin and unbalanced looking weaker even than at the end of 2025-6 after a few key veteran departures. Until new signings arrive, though, it will be a chance for the players already on hand to impress.
“There are positives but we have to get ready,” Iraola added. “In this kind of season with a lot of games injuries will happen, situations will happen. So we have to get ready in terms of squad depth so we can deal with the demands of competing, especially in December, January, February.”
