Emile Heskey has warned Andoni Iraola that he faces an 'immense' step up in pressure and expectations as the new head coach of Liverpool. The former Reds striker believes Iraola must earn the trust of his squad this summer, claiming the players had stopped believing in Arne Slot's methods at Anfield.
Iraola's Appointment
Iraola was appointed Liverpool boss earlier this month on a two-year contract after guiding Bournemouth to a sixth-place finish in the Premier League. The Basque coach impressed Liverpool's hierarchy with his front-footed, aggressive style of football on the south coast. He was quickly identified as the preferred candidate after Slot was sacked on May 30.
Heskey's Warning
Heskey, who made 223 appearances for Liverpool between 2000 and 2004, says the demands at Merseyside will be huge for the new man. 'I think at the end of the day, the manager will always be blamed,' Heskey told Grosvenor Sport. 'Regardless of what's said and done, the manager takes the fall when it comes to results. It is his job to try and get the players playing the way that he wants to play, to be entertaining for the fans, and to win games. So inevitably Slot will be blamed for that.'
Heskey added: 'With Iraola, we've seen at Bournemouth that he knows how to win games, he knows how to set up structurally, and he knows how to change it structurally if he needs to. The only thing is he hasn't done it at a club like Liverpool, where the pressure is immense. There's no win, lose, or draw; you just have to win.'
Winning the Dressing Room
Heskey emphasized the importance of getting the players on side: 'It's going to be very tough for Iraola. What I will say is that what I've heard him talk about sounds great. It's aggressive football. It's on the front foot. It's what Liverpool fans have been so used to over the years - rock and roll football. He's spoken about that, but I'm hoping he can be tactical and get the players on his side. One thing you have to do is get the dressing room on your side. If you haven't got the players backing you, it's very tough, as we saw with Slot.'
Iraola will take charge of his first match as Reds boss when they face Sunderland in Nashville on July 25.
