The former Bournemouth boss was handed the reins this summer following the decision to sack Arne Slot. The Dutchman lifted the Premier League crown in his debut season at Anfield, but Liverpool slipped to fifth in the table last term, just about squeezing into the Champions League.
Since then, the club have lost Mohamed Salah and Andy Robertson, while Ibrahima Konate quit for Real Madrid. Liverpool have invested in Jeremy Jacquet and Victor Munoz, and are chasing Paris Saint-Germain winger Bradley Barcola.
Fitness key for title challenge
Giving his verdict on his former side, Thompson believes another push for the title could be on the cards if Iraola has his star players available all season.
"Iraola will need all of his players fully fit, but if we have a fully fit squad, we have a chance of winning the league this year, without question," Thompson told the BBC.
Thompson: Fans want aggression
"The fans want to see a bit more aggression, but I could see, just from watching (pre-season) from the stands, the demands of the manager," he added. "Andoni wants the ball to go forward and that's what we want to see. Go forward, quicker, more precise."
Strong voices needed
Thompson also believes vocal leaders in the dressing room will be useful under their new boss. "When you have a difficult time — a difficult couple of games or something — you need some strong voices in there, and you just feel like there is only Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker who remain at the club," he said.
"I know people go, 'Oh, Dominik Szoboszlai'. But he has only been there a couple of years. He has to step up and I think he will do. But there are others around the team who you look to who will have to step up, to lay down some player rules."
Pre-season schedule
Liverpool have three more pre-season friendlies against Leeds, Monaco and Como before kicking off their 2026/27 Premier League campaign at Newcastle United, followed by their first home match against Nottingham Forest.
