Inside Liverpool’s pre-season plans as Iraola starts workImage source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Andoni Iraola at Liverpool’s training ground todayPublished1 hour agoNew Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola has arrived at the club’s AXA Training Centre, with most of the first-team players and staff due to report back to Merseyside next week on July 14.
That will give the Spaniard just over a month with his squad before Liverpool’s first Premier League game, which is away at Newcastle on August 23.
So what does the next month or so look like for Iraola and Liverpool?
After the in-person introductions, one of the first things that will happen will be the individual assessments for the players on their return before the hard work begins.
The key focus will be playing a front-foot and aggressive style of football and there will inevitably be changes, with a revamped backroom staff, in terms of how things work. Iraola will be joined by Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper – who were with him at Bournemouth – as his first-team coaches.
If their time at Bournemouth is anything to go by, there will be intense running in the early days and the Spaniard is known to play an active part in drills.
He often referees in mini-training games and for any Liverpool fans wanting to get an early taste, there is an insightful clip on Bournemouth’s YouTube channel, external in which Iraola is wearing a microphone during a training session in Marbella.
“Get really aggressive. Get used to this, because we will do this every week…” is one of many lines that stands out, in a clip where his enthusiasm and passion is clear to see.
“Andoni likes to take all of the sessions and be in the thick of it as opposed to leaving it to others,” a Bournemouth source told BBC Sport last month.
Pablo de la Torre, who will join Iraola as an assistant coach, has worked with him previously in Cyprus, at Rayo Vallecano and at Bournemouth. The Spaniard is trusted by Iraola and will play a major role in ensuring that the Liverpool players are physically ready for playing the brand of football for which he is known.
Last month, De La Torre told Spanish publication AS, external: “He (Iraola) is incredibly intelligent, leads by example, and has a rare emotional stability in such a visceral sport. From day one, you sense he’s different – his ability to read the game and its needs is almost unique. He filters information so players can digest it easily and apply it every week.”
New to both of them, though, will be the challenge of dealing with midweek Champions League matches alongside Premier League games.
“The key is building a game model and team identity where players truly believe in the coach’s idea,” added De La Torre.
That much is imperative. Mohamed Salah’s public comments calling out Liverpool’s style of play under Arne Slot at the end of last season were damning – even if they did not play a direct role in Slot’s sacking.
A simple eye test was enough to gauge that Liverpool lacked identity and the regularity of boos at Anfield were all factors that led to the end for Slot.
Key to Liverpool’s revival will be bringing excitement back to Anfield and the signing of Victor Munoz, who mentioned that his directness was a big part of what Iraola liked, suggests that there is already an awareness that his side will need to take risks in order to break down low blocks.
