Former Everton manager Sean Dyche says Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola will be bringing 'lower league football' to Anfield, but his approach will prove successful. Iraola managed Bournemouth for three seasons prior to his move to Merseyside, and having lost 3-0 on his first meeting with the Blues in October 2023, he then beat Dyche's Everton three times before the former Burnley boss was sacked in January last year.
Dyche's assessment
One of those wins saw Iraola's Cherries come from two goals down in the 87th minute to win 3-2 at Goodison Park in August 2024. Dyche says the Basque's style of football can end up overwhelming the opposition.
“Iraola basically plays lower league football, but at a high level,” Dyche told The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast, in partnership with Midnite. “They turn you and turn you, and force you into submission. We ran all over them at Everton, when he was at Bournemouth. The next time we played them, they looked a different outfit.”
First game at Liverpool
Iraola oversaw his first game as Liverpool boss in Saturday night's friendly clash against Sunderland in Nashville, where his side ran out 4-2 winners. Speaking after the match, Iraola said: “[There are] a lot of things to correct, obviously, it's the first day. You could feel the heavy legs, the players have been training. So, we lacked some freshness. But it will give us a good starting point to improve things.”
Liverpool are next in action against Wrexham in New York on Saturday evening.
