Liverpool legend makes title prediction and names one concern Andoni Iraola must address
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Liverpool legend Phil Thompson has made a Premier League title prediction for next season and named the concern Andoni Iraola must address ahead of the next campaign kicking offLiverpool head coach Andoni Iraola during a press conference.(Image: Nikki Dyer/Liverpool FC via Getty Images)Liverpool legend Phil Thompson says the Reds can win the Premier League title again this season after Andoni Iraola took over from Arne Slot at the start of the summer.But for that to happen, Liverpool will have to be more fortunate with injuries than it has been of late, with Slot's second year in charge seeing a big uptick in players being sidelined.Alexander Isak missed the majority of the campaign, for instance, while defensive duo Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley are still recovering from their long-term issues. When they are back fit again, that will make a substantial difference."Iraola will need all of his players fully fit, but if we have a fully fit squad, we have a chance of winning the league this year, without question," Thompson told the BBC."The fans want to see a bit more aggression, but I could see, just from watching (pre-season) from the stands, the demands of the manager."Andoni wants the ball to go forward and that's what we want to see.
With Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate have exited, Liverpool has lost a significant amount of experience."When you have a difficult time — a difficult couple of games or something — you need some strong voices in there, and you just feel like there is only Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker who remain at the club," Thompson added."I know people go, 'Oh, Dominik Szoboszlai'. But he has only been there a couple of years.
He has to step up and I think he will do."But there are others around the team who you look to who will have to step up, to lay down some player rules."Get Liverpool's new 2026/27 home kitThis article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Iraola should have Isak, Florian Wirtz and Ryan Gravenberch to call upon there, but there are doubts over the involvement of Jeremy Jacquet.Liverpool.com says: Winning the title again shouldn't be out of the question for a team that did it only a little more than a year ago, but much has changed since then.That doesn't just involve Liverpool, either.