Andoni Iraola has taken charge of Liverpool after a hectic week of introductions, and the new head coach is now getting down to business stamping his authority on the club. The Spaniard has been confirmed as Liverpool's new permanent manager following the dismissal of Arne Slot. Iraola's three impressive campaigns at Bournemouth, combined with his links to sporting director Richard Hughes, who previously hired him for the Cherries, have positioned him perfectly to take the reins at Anfield.
Iraola's Approach to Pre-Season
As with any managerial change, major transformations are looming at Liverpool. The club's summer transfer business is also anticipated to be significant under their new gaffer. However, Iraola has revealed his thinking on what he aims to alter and what he intends to keep unchanged regarding the Reds' pre-season preparations.
Iraola disclosed that he will make modifications to certain plans Slot had established for the team this summer. He indicated that Liverpool players featuring at the World Cup will have their return to training closely monitored. Nevertheless, the former Bournemouth manager made it clear he has no desire to completely overhaul the foundation work completed prior to his arrival.
"Yes, there was already a lot of work done even before we arrived, and we are trying to change as little as possible for the beginning," he said. "Obviously there will be different timetables, some of them depending how far they arrive with the national teams [at the World Cup], they will incorporate later or sooner. I think everything is in place so everything is quite smooth and there are no problems."
Focus on Staff and Young Players
The Reds will have eight current first-team players at the World Cup. Iraola recognises that those operating behind the scenes are best positioned to provide him with the most valuable insight while the tournament takes place. "For me right now, I think it's more than talk to the players. Some of them will be on deserved holidays, some of them will be with their national teams," he continued.
"I want to talk to the staff, to the people that were here every day, that know very well the players, to arrive as ready as possible to that first day of pre-season. I think especially with a lot of those young players that will do the pre-season with us, a lot of things about the organisation, about the staff, about how we can create the best atmosphere, the best environment so when they arrive [on] day one, everyone feels everything is in place and we can do this process of adaptation, that it will take some time as soon as possible."
He added: "It's true that it's going to be new staff, new people coming in, but I would like also to value a lot the ones that have been here working for the club with these players, that are really the ones that will help us more at the beginning."
Senior Players Embrace Fresh Start
A source close to the Liverpool dressing room has informed The Athletic that there is a tangible sense of expectation regarding Iraola's appointment. The report discloses that the gloom of last season "dragged down the mood in the Liverpool dressing room towards the end of Slot's reign." However, it suggests that the players are now ready to "embrace the prospect of a fresh start" and "an injection of positivity and new ideas," affirming that some players view the managerial switch as a "clean slate."
These reports have corroborated Robbie Fowler's prediction that the players would welcome the news of Slot's exit. The Liverpool icon told the Echo before Iraola secured the Anfield position that this is a time for optimism. Speaking via BetMGM, the former Liverpool forward said: "I think there will be a little bit of excitement [at a new manager coming in]. Don't get me wrong, it's not excitement about getting rid of the manager, it is excitement about the new plans, the new ideas, the training methods, the new everything."
Fowler continued: "I think from a player's point of view, that's one of the first things you think of. 'Well, how are we going to play? How is the system going to be? Are we all going to fit into this system?' And then obviously the training regime, 'What do we do in training?' For me, football is about creating an environment and a training environment where players want to come in and train all the time and want to be the very best version of themselves. So I think you look forward to it."
