Jamie Carragher shares if he thinks Andoni Iraola’s Liverpool can challenge for the Premier League title in 26/27
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Jamie Carragher believes Liverpool will not need ‘four or five years’ to reaffirm their status as Premier League title challengers under Andoni Iraola.The Reds were expected to retain the trophy they won in 2025 under Arne Slot last term, but fell away alarmingly to finish fifth.The drop in standards cost Slot his job, and though it left Liverpool in poor shape, Carragher has claimed that the hiring of Iraola, and the money the Reds are likely to spend in the transfer window, means they should return as challengers in 2026/27. Now the fixtures have been revealed, do you think Liverpool will win the Premier League in 26/27?
Credit: Nikki Dyer/LFC/Liverpool FC/Getty Images Carragher backs Liverpool to bounce backHaving finished fifth – 25 points behind champions Arsenal – in May, it would take a big swing for Liverpool to return to their position at the top of the Premier League.But although Carragher has admitted that he is not expecting to see Iraola’s team win the trophy again, the Scouser has claimed that they should be up there as challengers at the very least.“Them days are gone from when I played when managers came in and it was like a four or five year project to try and win the league or come close to winning the league,” the pundit told Sky Sports when asked if he expects Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title.READ MORE: Liverpool fixtures 2026/27: Andoni Iraola’s most difficult period is clear as November games look scaryPhoto by James Gill – Danehouse/Getty Images“Them days are gone and I said that when Arne Slot came in, you know, Jurgen Klopp’s team finished third, you’ve got to go for the league and he won the league, and it’s the same with Iraola. “Liverpool finished fifth last season, nowhere near good enough,” Carragher added.
“So, I’m not expecting Liverpool to win the league next season, but we are Liverpool, we’re going to spend big in the summer, we’ve got a lot of great players and yeah, we’re gonna challenge.”Much may depend on whether Iraola can hit the ground running and get some early points on the board. With Newcastle away on the opening round of the Premier League season, that is going to be difficult.Nevertheless, with plenty of business still to be done in the transfer market, and the hope that those who toiled under Slot will be revitalised with a new manager in charge, it would not be a surprise to see Liverpool improve drastically on last season’s showing.