Andoni Iraola will be forced into key change at Liverpool as scale of job becomes obvious
Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Echo or go back to LFC Live.
Andoni Iraola has previously found comfort in the role of the 'unsung hero' - but all that could be about change, writes Paul GorstTen years ago, Andoni Iraola stood inside the Playwright Pub in Manhattan - just a goal kick from the Empire State Building - and was presented with an 'Unsung Hero' award.The gong, which his long-time friend David Villa gave to him, recognised Iraola's contribution to New York City FC during their Major League Soccer campaign.For head coach Patrick Vieira, there was no more fitting winner of the award than Iraola and the party, on West 35th Street, was said to have gone on long into the night with the club's fans.“I think the award really reflects Andoni’s contribution to us this year," Vieira said at the time. It’s not just his team-mates who will miss him, everyone at the football club will.”Iraola made just 40 appearances for the MLS side but clearly made his mark and in many ways, that's how Liverpool's new head coach has tended to work ever since; short spells that have yielded and memorable results.Inside two years of his official retirement, Iraola was in charge of AEK Larnaca in Cyprus, where he led them to the Europa League group stages for only the second time in their history.
He was there for just one season before returning to his homeland.Iraola then took charge of Mirandes, a second division side in Spain who avoided their widely-tipped fate of relegation by comfortably surviving in midtable during the 2019-20 season, the same time Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool were Champions League and Club World Cup holders en route to the Premier League crown with 99 points.A three-year spell with Rayo Vallecano saw Iraola far outstrip what many believed to be the modest club's capabilities. But after about two, three weeks, I thought: 'This guy - he knows what he's doing.' "He has his own philosophy, his way of playing, and he's gonna stick to that, and he's gonna find people that will fit into the way that he wants to play.
He's a great guy. Richard Hughes, who appointed him to the job at Bournemouth three years ago, was particularly effusive in his own recommendations.Iraola had been tracked by AC Milan and Crystal Palace prior to Liverpool's interest and it was interesting to note how talks with the Italian giants cooled in the days leading up to Slot's sacking.The Dutch coach only learned of his sacking during an end-of-season review on Saturday morning of May 30 but given the breakdown in discussions between Iraola and Milan earlier that week - and the subsequent speed at which he was appointed - it's fair to speculate the Basque's IDUB Global agency, with whom Hughes enjoys a good relationship, had been gently sounded out.And perhaps for Liverpool it was even a case of Iraola or no-one when it came to the prospect of replacing Slot, who had been expected to be given a chance to turn things around next season.Randolph adds: "Andoni working with Richard Hughes again - who's a brilliant man, top, top man - those two working back together again at a club the size of Liverpool with the players at their disposal."It could be unbelievable.