What Andoni Iraola must now change as new Liverpool boss with Jurgen Klopp claim unhelpful

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Andoni Iraola has been confirmed as the new Liverpool head coach and will have plenty to prove in succeeding Arne SlotNobody could have expected it at the time. But the sight of Andoni Iraola dancing down the touchline while Arne Slot stood disbelieving by the dugout has proven to be something of a sliding doors moment for Liverpool.Bournemouth's winner five minutes into injury time at the Vitality Stadium in January brought an end to the unspectacular but necessary 13-game unbeaten run the Reds had put together under Slot to steady the ship after the horror run of defeats in autumn.The manner of the reverse, though, rekindled fears that had grown throughout the demoralising sequence of nine losses in 12 games that first raised the prospect of Slot being jettisoned mere months after winning the Premier League title in his debut season.Liverpool, in truth, never fully recovered, despite flickers of hope.

The Reds have turned to the 43-year-old in the hope he can oversee a front-foot, aggressive and urgent style of football that was sorely lacking in so much of their play under Slot this season and prompted the plea last month from the departing Mohamed Salah for a return to "heavy metal football".Indeed, it might only take a few power chords for Iraola to start addressing the disconnect that appeared between Slot and the Anfield fanbase during a dreary ending to the campaign in which Liverpool won only four of their last 14 games in all competitions and were far too passive and sapped almost completely of self-belief. After the pursuit of control under Slot, gegenpressing is on the way back to Anfield.Given Iraola has never before managed a leading club - his cv reads a brief spell at Cypriot side AEK Larnaca, a year at Mirandes in the Spanish second tier and a subsequent three-year stint at Rayo Vallecano before heading for Bournemouth - nor taken charge of a game in European competition, his appointment represents something of a gamble from Fenway Sports Group, who after Brendan Rodgers turned to known trophy winners Jurgen Klopp and Slot.In Iraola's favour is his Premier League experience, although the step up in expectation, scrutiny and workload at a club the size of Liverpool could be overwhelming for the uninitiated.And it will be a challenge to translate his preferred high-octane, pressing and surprisingly physical football - only Chelsea have had more top-flight bookings in the last two seasons - for a team regularly playing every three or four days.

Jeremy Jacquet of Rennes may be on his way in, but the surprise departure of Ibrahima Konate has left Liverpool a senior centre-back short.Salah's similar free transfer exit and the serious injury to Hugo Ekitike means two new attackers are likely - Liverpool are in contact with RB Leipzig over Yan Diomande while Bradley Barcola of Paris Saint-Germain is also near the top of the shortlist - and a senior right-back could also be needed with Conor Bradley sidelined and the problems in the position evident for much of the campaign.And with Iraola very much a proponent of playing at least one defensive midfielder, it could lead to a realignment in the engine room with Slot having preferred the more creative input of Mac Allister, Ryan Gravenberch, Jones and Dominik Szoboszlaii.What, too, to do with the talent already at his disposal in attack? Iraola needs to be judged on his own merits and not what has gone before, particularly the most successful Liverpool boss in the Premier League era.