Andoni Iraola made one statement during his first Liverpool interview which fans will love him for
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Andoni Iraola has been confirmed as Liverpool’s head coach, with fans intrigued to hear his first words since replacing Arne Slot.The Reds have moved quickly after firing Slot on Saturday, with Iraola already completing media duties at Anfield on Thursday.It can be a strange and slightly awkward time as fans get used to a new man leading their beloved club. But after hearing Iraola outline his plans for the Liverpool academy players this pre-season, supporters will be fast getting onboard with the Basque.
What should Iraola’s first job be as Liverpool boss? 🤔 Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty Images Iraola planning to give chances to young playersOne of Liverpool supporters’ biggest gripes with Slot during his two years at the helm was his perceived reluctance to utilise the club’s young players.Rarely did the Dutchman dip into the academy, and there were reportedly frustrations behind the scenes that he appeared to take little interest in attending youth team matches .Iraola can score an easy win with fans by taking more of an active role, and given his statements during his first interview with LFCTV, the 43-year-old he plans to do that right from the off, taking a look at Liverpool’s young talents during the early days of pre-season.“The World Cup being there, we will have a chance to work especially with some of the young players, because a lot of the senior players being out and arriving later because of the World Cup,” Iraola said.Photo by Nikki Dyer – LFC/Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesREAD MORE: The three reasons Michael Edwards and Richard Hughes wanted Andoni Iraola at Liverpool“I think it gives us the chance to know better some of the players from the academy, some of the players who have been on loan. “I think in that way it works well for us because it will give us a lot of the information before we take decisions before we start the season.”Asked if that is something which excites him about starting work at Liverpool, Iraola admitted that it is both good news for he and his coaching staff, but also for the senior players who need a rest after a long season.
Rate Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool appointment! Credit: AFC Bournemouth/Getty Images “I think it’s important both ways, the senior players who have played in the World Cup, feeling the pressure, playing for their countries, they need and deserve a rest and also this allows us to give those important minutes to train more closely with the young players who probably we don’t know as well, because we’ve been here already three seasons, playing a lot against Liverpool and there are players who we already know,” he said.“But there are other players probably who haven’t had the minutes, have played for the development squad, have been on loan somewhere and I think those trainings, those minutes will be for us to make decisions very valuable.”Liverpool youngsters have golden chance under IraolaWith Slot running things at Liverpool, it felt like some of the young players’ chances of making a breakthrough were next to hopeless.But while Iraola’s appointment gives a chance to under-used first-team stars such as Federico Chiesa, it also represents a big opportunity for the club’s talented youngsters.The likes of Josh Abe, Ifeanyi Ndukwe and Kieran Morrison will be ones to watch in pre-season, and they should have confidence that catching the eye of Iraola during his very first days with Liverpool could lead to a lasting impression.Slot ultimately never truly seemed to understand the part the Liverpool academy can play in first-team plans at Anfield.