Andoni Iraola says Liverpool will sign more players before the transfer window closes and admits his side may not yet be “100 per cent” ready when they begin their Premier League campaign at Newcastle United on Sunday.
The 44-year-old has been in charge at Anfield for just over two months after replacing Arne Slot, who left following Liverpool’s disappointing title defence last season. The Reds lost 12 league matches and finished fifth, only a year after being crowned champions.
Iraola arrived from Bournemouth with a strong reputation after guiding the south-coast club to sixth place last season, their highest-ever finish in the Premier League. He discussed his playing career, recruitment plans and coaching methods in an interview with former Liverpool captain Jamie Carragher for the new series Boss with Jamie Carragher.
Liverpool supporters have expressed concern about the club’s limited transfer activity so far, but Iraola offered reassurance.
“We’ll definitely sign players, yes. I hope more than one.”
He acknowledged that, as a manager, he would have preferred to have his full squad available from the beginning of pre-season, while accepting that major deals often take time to complete.
“The important picture is the one we have on September 1 and I hope, because it’s true that we are still quite thin, that we can have more help from here until the end of the market.”
Iraola said negotiations at Liverpool were different mainly because the club were operating at a higher financial level and targeting a different calibre of player. However, he added that the challenges involved in completing transfers were broadly similar to those he had encountered at Bournemouth.
“Some deals you cannot do in the beginning, you have to wait and you have your hopes of ‘let’s think that this is possible. It’s not possible today, maybe it’s going to be possible later’ and you have to be patient as a manager.”
He also reflected on the pressure of taking over at a club of Liverpool’s size. Iraola believes his teams should remain recognisable but accepts he may need to adapt his approach to ensure they have greater control of matches at Anfield.
“I will need to adapt to be in Liverpool and to sometimes control a little bit more the games,” he said.
Even so, Iraola would rather initially make mistakes by being too aggressive than move too quickly towards a more cautious style.
“I prefer to make mistakes, probably going more towards the other side than to more control situations, because I know that it’s easier to fix than opposite.”
The Spaniard became well known at Bournemouth for an energetic pressing game, combining man-to-man defending with zonal coverage. He explained that the balance depends on the opposition and on whether his players can protect themselves against long passes and second balls.
“If they go long, to have one more than them” is the principle Iraola wants to preserve, while still allowing his players to press aggressively when the opportunity is right.
He described the defensive battle as “a cat and mouse game”, with players required to judge when to hold their position, when to jump onto an opponent and when to accept the risk of leaving space.
That understanding, he said, will improve through matches and training. Iraola pointed to the advantage enjoyed by teams who have worked under the same manager for several seasons, because their basic structure is already established and experienced players can help new arrivals learn the system.
His recent projects at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth each lasted three years, allowing him to build gradually. Liverpool, however, will not have the same patience.
“I know also this is Liverpool, they are not going to wait 10 games until this gets going,” he said.
“I want to think we are going to be probably not 100 per cent on Sunday, but good enough to get results.”
Iraola also spoke candidly about his playing days at Athletic Club, saying he had placed too much pressure on himself because he felt responsible for everything that happened at his boyhood club.
“When you play for your club, you feel responsible of everything and you think everyone is looking at you in every second, every moment.”
He believes that experience has helped him as a manager, because he no longer feels the same fear of making mistakes. Iraola said he now appreciates his playing career more than he did at the time and does not want to repeat that regret in management.
The Liverpool head coach rejected the idea that his attacking approach was simply designed to provide entertainment. His priority, he said, was effectiveness rather than risk for its own sake.
“I don’t want also to be riskier. Riskier sounds like you are not effective – our approach is because we think it’s the best way to win.”
Although his teams are sometimes described as chaotic, Iraola insists there is a clear structure behind their intensity. Every player must understand not only their own role but also what their team-mates are expected to do.
His ambition is to create a side capable of solving problems without needing constant instructions from the touchline. One sign that his ideas are taking hold, he said, is when players approach him during a match with their own tactical observations.
“That’s the moment where you think ‘OK, now we are getting it, we are there’.”
Iraola does not believe there is a fixed point at which his work will be complete. Football continually changes, he said, meaning teams must keep improving and responding to new challenges. He wants Liverpool to be able to alter their approach during matches rather than waiting for half-time.
Possession alone will not be the measure of success. Iraola’s priority is for Liverpool to create more chances than their opponents, even if the amount of time each team spends with the ball is similar.
He cited a 3-2 defeat by Monaco as an example. Bournemouth had 15 shots and dominated the first half, but Monaco controlled the second despite the possession figures remaining almost identical at 51% to 52%.
“It’s not a matter of if we spend more time on the ball, it’s a matter of arriving and having the chances and you feel it straight away.”
Liverpool’s first competitive test under Iraola will come at a packed St James’ Park. Newcastle United have also changed manager, but Iraola expects them to retain their attacking strengths and ability to exploit space.
“With xG, I think they’ve been very good attacking the spaces, they have one of the quickest forward lines, so they will still be very good in transition like they’ve been the last year.”
He said Liverpool would need to match the intensity of the occasion from the opening whistle before attempting to impose their own style.
“I love the atmosphere at St James’ Park, so you have to be ready for a strong start, be at the level of the game and I hope we can impose our game and control the game as long as it goes.”
Newcastle United v Liverpool is live on Sky Sports Premier League and Main Event from 16:00 BST on Sunday, with kick-off at 16:30.
