Liverpool praised for not taking 'romantic' option before appointing Andoni Iraola

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SportFootballLiverpool FCDavid James says Liverpool made the right choice to shun the "romantic" option of Xabi Alonso in favour of Andoni IraolaDavid James says Liverpool made the right choice to shun the "romantic" option of Xabi Alonso in favour of appointing Andoni Iraola as the new head coach.And the former Reds goalkeeper admits he was disappointed to see Arne Slot sacked last month but accepted the reasoning behind relieving the 2025 Premier League winner of his duties.Iraola signed a two-year deal earlier this month after Slot was removed from his position on May 30 following an end-of-season review with sporting director Richard Hughes.lonso, who won the 2005 Champions League at Anfield, was appointed as the new Chelsea manager less than a fortnight before the Dutchman was fired.But James, who made 277 appearances for Liverpool, between 1992 and 1999, thinks Iraola's brand of football will be more suited at Liverpool."As a Liverpool supporter, there's always a romantic side to wanting a former player, who admittedly has been successful, to return and succeed as manager," the ex-England No.1 told Bet Victor about the prospect of Alonso as Liverpool boss."But ultimately, you want the best manager, not necessarily the most popular one."There was certainly an opportunity to go with the popular choice in Xabi Alonso, and while time will tell, it seems to me that Iraola appears to be the better option."Initially, I was disappointed they parted ways with Arne Slot. I felt the season had been difficult for anyone to manage, given everything that was going on."Liverpool isn't, traditionally, a club that sacks managers after one poor season."That said, the club obviously felt they needed to make a change, and when someone like Andoni Iraola becomes available, there may have been a window of opportunity they simply felt that they couldn’t ignore."James added: "Had Slot stayed, there would have been enormous pressure next season to return Liverpool to their previous standards and that could have been too much for him."That pressure won't be there for Iraola.

So yes, I was initially disappointed, but I understand the reasoning."FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook pageChoose Liverpool Echo as a 'Preferred Source' on Google News for quick access to the news you value.Liverpool FCAndoni IraolaXabi AlonsoArne Slot