Aug 14 (Reuters) - New Liverpool boss Andoni Iraola will hope his brand of high-octane attacking football can banish memories of an expensive squad that underperformed in failing to retain the title last term and are seeking to return to the Premier League summit.
The new campaign gets under way on August 21 when champions Arsenal host promoted Coventry City, with Liverpool’s first game at Newcastle United two days later giving their fans the first chance to see what their Spanish boss can do at the helm.
"We have to be a team that works hard, intense, aggressive, vertical so everyone can be identified, everyone can feel comfortable supporting this team,” former Bournemouth manager Iraola told a press conference in June when he was appointed.
The style of football preferred by the 44-year-old, where the ball is passed forward as quickly as possible, is likely to appeal to Liverpool fans brought up on swashbuckling sides that have seen plenty of league success in recent years, winning the title in 2020 and 2025 after decades in the doldrums.
His predecessor Arne Slot replaced Juergen Klopp in 2024 and Liverpool were crowned champions in the Dutchman's first season in charge but a splurge of around £400 million ($539.88 million) prior to last season did little to improve the team.
After a shocking run of six defeats in seven league games between September and November 2025, Liverpool eventually finished a disappointing fifth in the table, a whopping 25 points behind champions Arsenal.
That was enough to see Slot shown the door on May 30 with Iraola appointed a few days after the Dutchman's dismissal, but there is still plenty of turbulence for the Spaniard to deal with.
The Merseysiders will be without talismanic Egypt forward Mohamed Salah and defenders Andy Robertson and Ibrahima Konate, who all left the club when their contracts expired after last season.
NEW ADDITIONS
French defender Jeremy Jacquet and Spanish forward Victor Munoz have been added to the first-team squad, which will also be boosted by Alexander Isak taking a full part in pre-season after missing last year’s preparations during his drawn-out transfer from Newcastle United.
The 26-year-old striker's season was further derailed by an ankle fracture suffered last December but his performances for Sweden at the World Cup would suggest that he is nearing a return to the peak of his powers and it comes just in time.
The change in how Liverpool play will place huge demands on the team, as Iraola’s style requires high levels of stamina and a willingness to run in defence and attack.
He has acknowledged in pre-season that the players could not yet sustain the level he wanted for the duration of a game.
Iraola will also have to fix a leaky defence that often looked lost in transition last season, conceding 53 league goals compared to Arsenal’s 27, and a midfield that is packed with talent but often looked disjointed last term.
Perhaps his greatest problem will be getting the most out of attacking midfielder Florian Wirtz, who has shown little of the promise that encouraged Liverpool to pay £120 million to Bayer Leverkusen for him a year ago. However, Iraola’s style of play may mean a new start for the 23-year-old Germany international.
“I'm looking forward to spending as much time as we can in the opposition half, with the ball, without the ball, because I feel we are closer to scoring than the opposition if that is the situation,” Iraola said.
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(Reporting by Philip O'Connor; Editing by Ken Ferris)
