When legendary Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp ushered in the reign of Arne Slot at the end of the 2024/25 season, nobody expected the Dutchman to lift a title in his first campaign. However, not only did he lift the Premier League trophy, he finished 10 points clear.
What went wrong with Slot?
Fans were over the moon, praising not only Slot but Klopp for backing such a worthy manager to take over the side and continue the success the German had injected into the club since he arrived in 2015.
That summer Liverpool spent big, with the headlines reading £400M, but their net spend being roughly £117–£120M after the sales of Luis Diaz, Jarell Quansah, Caoimhín Kelleher and Trent Alexander-Arnold.
The likes of Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak, Hugo Ekitike, Milos Kerkez and Jeremie Frimpong arrived, and the club looked more than likely to defend their league title.
However, Liverpool collapsed as if the weight of expectation crushed the side into a shell of their old self. The Reds finished 5th, narrowly grabbing a Champions League spot as they looked up to champions Arsenal who grabbed 25 more points.
Liverpool conceded 78 goals in all competitions, including 48 in the Premier League, their highest total in a 38-game season for over a decade. The side also had scored 1.67 league goals per game, Liverpool's lowest scoring rate since 2015-16, when Klopp arrived.
Slot’s side won possession in the final third just 4.1 times per game, the club's lowest figure since 2014-15. Liverpool also faced 11.4 shots per game, Liverpool's highest figure since 2013-14. Finally, the side had 23 goals conceded from set pieces, among the four worst records in the Premier League.
The stats could go on, but the fact is Slot had lost his magic and fans were calling for his head to be on the chopping block several months before the board finally cut the cord.
Why Iraola is the perfect replacement
Slot's sacking came after his side suffered 20 defeats across all competitions, their most since 1992–93. One year after lifting the Premier League trophy the Dutchman was gone in what was a brutal blow for him and for Klopp who will still wonder what went horribly wrong.
The bad news for Liverpool was that their ideal replacement Xabi Alonso had already accepted the Chelsea job in May 2026, before Liverpool sacked Slot at the end of that month.
However, the good news was that Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola accepted the job almost immediately after being contacted by Liverpool, a move which pleased supporters immensely.
Iraola focuses on aggressive pressing and high energy football which isn’t afraid to take risks. It is comparable with Klopp’s ‘rock and roll’ tactical style which instantly found success on the pitch but also off the pitch with supporters and neutral fans who were in awe of the pace and directness of the squad.
Supporters felt Slot’s Liverpool were too cautious, too slow, were lacking intensity and were emotionally flat throughout the campaign. Halfway through the season it looked as if the squad had given up on Slot and his tactical plan that they seemed desperate to tear up.
This feeling peaked when club leader Mohamed Salah stated he missed the “heavy metal attacking team that opponents fear". A statement which summed up fan opinion at the club as Salah’s comments went viral when Liverpool were 5th in the Premier League, after losing 4-2 at Aston Villa.
Liverpool should be back to their old selves
The Liverpool board knew exactly what they wanted when Slot departed and Iraola was the ideal candidate to revive the club and to hopefully launch them back into playing entertaining football once again.
Iraola brings quicker, straightforward, more chaotic and more entertaining football. The board believe he will bring a front-foot identity back to the side, similar to Klopp’s style which would please Salah if he didn't depart this summer.
Iraola did not sign elite players at Bournemouth, he made them. The likes of Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, Milos Kerkez, Dean Huijsen, Illia Zabarnyi, Ryan Christie, Marcus Tavernier, Dango Ouattara, Alex Scott, Lewis Cook, David Brooks are all examples of him creating world-class talents.
Discussions are already been made over how Iraola could transform the likes of Curtis Jones, Harvey Elliott, Conor Bradley, Florian Wirtz, Alexander Isak and Jeremie Frimpong next season as each player gets a huge individual boost from the Spaniard.
Liverpool are set to change on and off the pitch. Iraola's Liverpool are poised to control games through sheer intensity. The club has been crying out for electric football and Iraola is set to flip the switch ahead of a new season where the side will aim to become fearless once again.