Most Liverpool supporters believe the Premier League title will be out of reach in Andoni Iraola's first season as manager, according to a poll by the ECHO. However, the new head coach is being backed to secure Champions League football as a new era begins at Anfield.
Major changes at Anfield
Much is changing at Liverpool. Curtis Jones is set to end his 20-year stay at the club by signing for Inter in a £30m deal. He will follow Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate out of the door, with that trio having departed on free transfers.
The Reds have signed Jeremy Jacquet for £60m, Victor Munoz for £34.5m and Ronald Araujo on a season-long loan from Barcelona. But with Hugo Ekitike and Conor Bradley out long term and Giovanni Leoni and Joe Gomez still sidelined by injury, Iraola's squad looks thin as they prepare for their Premier League opener at Newcastle United on Sunday.
Transfer business intensifies
The search for new recruits is intensifying, with Liverpool attempting to thrash out a deal with Paris Saint-Germain for France star Bradley Barcola and having had a £50m bid for another forward, Brighton's Yankuba Minteh, turned down.
It is clear that supporters are not sure Iraola has the firepower to follow in Arne Slot's footsteps and finish top in his debut campaign in the hotseat.
Fan poll results
In the lead up to the opening weekend of the 2026-27 Premier League campaign, the ECHO asked readers: Where do you think Liverpool will finish this season? More than 21,000 readers voted in the poll. The results show that 18% believe the Reds will be crowned champions for a record 21st time, while the majority — 61% — think they will finish inside the Champions League places. 12% say Liverpool will drop outside the Champions League places, while 6% say Iraola's side will have to settle for a top-10 finish. Just 3% say the Reds will finish in the bottom half for the first time in the Premier League.
