Liverpool have appointed former Bournemouth manager on a two-year deal as the Premier League side look for a replacement for Slott

Analysis: Why Bournemouth named Andoni Iraola

Perhaps worse, Liverpool Technical Director Richard Hughes worked with Iraola during his time at Bournemouth before joining the Reds ahead of the 2024/25 season.

Hughes has seen the 43-year-old develop his reputation as one of the Premier League’s most impressive managers in an impressive second season at Bournemouth, ending the campaign with an 18-game league unbeaten run which was the longest of any team in the division in 2025/26 by three games.

Iraola’s success came despite the loss of on-loan goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, who helped Bournemouth finish with their second record defense outside the top four in 2024/25, before the start of the season and three top-class defenders who had played in front of him: Dean Huijsen joined Real Madrid and Liverpool for £50 million. Zabarnyi left Paris Saint-Germain for £54.5m.

Striker Dango Ouattara, who scored seven goals and provided four assists in the 2024/25 Premier League, then made Brentford’s record signing for £42m, while Antoine Semenyo was the top-flight’s third-highest scorer when the striker joined Manchester City for around £65m in January.

That sale and the signings Iraola brought in later, including the outstanding defender Adrien Truffert, who cost Rennes £14.4m, highlighted Iraola’s ability to develop players and make shrewd deals.

Junior Kroupi, Rayan and Veljko Milosavljevic were all named in last week’s 2026 Top 100 list of the best under-21 players across Europe.

Only Premier League top scorer Erling Haaland averaged more league goals per game last season than Kroupi, who finished with 13 in the division, while Rayan is in Brazil’s World Cup squad after his debut this year and Milosavljevic has just reached the final in Serbia.

Andoni Iraola’s tactics: What Liverpool fans can expect

Liverpool were not expected to sack Slott – the Premier League champions in his first season in charge in 2024/25 – out of the blue, but fans’ anger at the perceived conservative tactics has long been palpable.

Bournemouth are known for their front-foot style which is sure to please the Anfield fans if Iraola can bring it together with a title-challenging side expected to progress in the Champions League.

Commentator Adrian Clarke called Bournemouth “smartly coached with a clear identity” who used “high-tempo, high-risk tactics with equal enthusiasm against teams at the top or bottom of the table”.

“They play direct, good football,” said Clarke of the Premier League. “It’s from consistently unsatisfactory performance in every game.

“Aggressive and brutal in the way they press, Bournemouth are masters of turning the ball around before attacking.”

Iraola preferred a consistent 4-2-3-1, which Lola Katz-Roberts, of the Goal Difference Podcast, supported to suit Liverpool’s squad and his commitment to attack.

“Milos Kerkez, who flourished under Iraola’s leadership, looks out of place in Liverpool’s chaotic system,” Katz-Roberts told BBC Sport, adding that Slot’s “pedestrian football” is a “strange and limiting idea” for players.

“Jeremie Frimpong, on the other hand, may find himself benefiting greatly from the appointment of Iraola, who has been freed to attack at will on the right.

“Dominik Szoboszlai, who has lost a sad figure leading a one-man newspaper at times this season, will certainly qualify due to high fitness.

“And perhaps most importantly, Liverpool’s second most expensive signing [last] summer – who never looked like a midfield or attacking player last season – Iraola’s impressive build should give Florian Wirtz the platform he needs to prove himself as one of the league’s leading lights. “

Andoni Iraola maths

Seven-capped Spain defender Iraola made over 500 appearances for Athletic Club and also represented New York City FC in their first two seasons in Major League Soccer during their senior career between 2000 and 2016.

In his first managerial role, Iraola took Cypriot club AEK Larnaca to the Europa League in 2018/19. He then took Spanish second-tier side Mirandes to the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey for the first time in their history, repeating the trick with Rayo Vallecano, with whom he won promotion to La Liga in his first three seasons in charge in 2020/21.

Liverpool supporters may have to put up with Iraola’s style to deliver results and prepare for bouts of poor form if his seasons at Bournemouth are any measure.

Bournemouth won two of their first eight games in all competitions, went on a 12-game unbeaten run and endured one win from eight league games in 2024/25.

After losing the opening game at Anfield last season, Bournemouth won five times in an eight-game unbeaten league run but then went 11 games and more than two months without a win to sit in 15th place before that incredible run from January 7.

Andoni Iraola: Why the Liverpool manager is ‘amazing’

Semenyo said his Bournemouth success with Iraola “allowed me to be myself”. “We made the game plan and what we have to do clear and, in that framework, he allowed me to express my feelings and be creative,” explained the Ghanaian player on the Bournemouth website.

“That’s why my game is booming. Running is very important to him as well, and it all comes together very well.”

USMNT international Tyler Adams praised Iraola for being “a huge influence on me and the team” and called his departure “sad”.

“I think he’s going to go on to do amazing things… it’s very special to be able to leave the club in a situation like this, so we wish him all the best,” said Adams.

Iraola Bournemouth’s record (source: Transfermarkt)