Liverpool legend Sammy Lee reacts to the appointment of Andoni Iraola, explaining why replacing Arne Slot is exactly what the Reds need to regain their identity.
Toward the end of Arne Slot’s tenure on Merseyside, the atmosphere at Anfield had grown suffocatingly tense. A chorus of boos, once a foreign sound in the modern era of the club, was fast becoming a regular, grim soundtrack to home match-days.
For the former Dutch head coach, the shadow of Jürgen Klopp proved impossible to outrun Slot’s cold, detached demeanour failed to resonate with the fiercely passionate Kopites, creating a growing chasm between the dugout and the stands.
When the Reds crawled over the finish line to secure a fifth-place finish, it wasn’t just points they had lost on the final day of the 2025/26 campaign it was faith in the entire project.
A sudden changing of the guard
As the curtain fell on a grueling campaign, the general consensus was that Slot would be given the summer to course-correct. Instead, FSG pulled the trigger on a dramatic, swift coup. Within days of the club announcing Slot’s departure, former Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola was officially confirmed as the new man at the helm.
The transformation in the club’s energy has been nothing short of whiplash-inducing. The heavy cloud of apathy that defined the end of the previous era has completely evaporated. In it’s place is a familiar, electric sense of anticipation the Anfield optimism is officially back.
Former Liverpool player and assistant manager, Sammy Lee, spoke exclusively with Redmen TV about the decision to sack Slot and decide to go ahead with the Spaniard as the new head coach at the club. Lee believes that getting back on side with the fans is the best thing the club could have done. With the summer break in full effect, it’s time for Kopites to invest themselves in the teams plan.
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Watch in Full Here: Liverpool Legend Sammy Lee On Andoni Iraola Appointment
Sammy Lee on Arne Slot sacking
Throughout the season, fans were giving the head coach the benefit of the doubt for the circumstances. A side not truly equipped to fight towards the top of the table, whilst dealing with the tragic loss of Diogo Jota. However, as the campaign advanced, the signs of a team improving weren’t there to see.
Speaking with Redmen TV, Lee was trying to support Slot, but it was becoming increasingly tough.
He said, “I was not a fan, but again, I repeat I was arguing for him to stay and be given another chance. I was losing the argument with every performance because let’s be perfectly frank, it got worse.
“It wasn’t Liverpool-esque, it was’t Liverpool type of football. I don’t like talking about styles of play and types of football cause that can be used against me. I wasn’t a fan, and again, I repeat, it became inevitable.”
The final day’s 1-1 draw against Brentford perfectly summarised a lifeless season. On the pitch, the players showed zero belief, while the fans matched that apathy in the stands.
The team completely abandoned the relentless, attacking approach that supporters now demand as a birthright. Historically, Liverpool’s true identity forced them to rise up to any challenge and leave everything on the pitch; under the 47-year-old manager, the Reds simply lacked that fight.
The Basque lifestyle compared to Liverpool
That style has been embedded in the fabric of the club from the culture of the city. Bill Shankly became a legendary figure at Anfield for understanding the culture and allowing the football to follow. On the other hand, this was used as a counterpoint for Slot, as his style of football didn’t connect.
Liverpool will be hoping that the new boss, Andoni Iraola, can meet the requirements of managing the Reds. His high-intensity football already has fans chomping at the bit to see what is in store in the preseason. Iraola grew up in Usurbil, a region in the Basque Country. After spending time in Spain, Lee claims that the area is similar to his new home.
“The lifestyle’s great over there, you know, the food and the wine. But the people, and honestly, I was very, very fortunate.
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“I really liken the city of Bilbao to our great city here. It’s built around shipbuilding, it’s industrial, the river runs through it. It’s a fantastic place to be now, you know, as it was then. They’re a fantastic people. Very proud people. They’re proud in everything that they do.”
Andoni Iraola relationship with the fans
Bournemouth seemed like an impossible task when the Spaniard took the reins on the south coast. Fans and pundits questioned him following Gary O’Neil’s sacking and a tough first few months. However, he transformed the former Championship side, guiding them up the Premier League table to clinch European football. A dream for the club, the 43-year-old made it a reality.
He now faces one of the largest tasks in football, as the Reds demand immediate success. Liverpool cannot relive the failures of the past year as they look to push back toward the top of the table. However, his even bigger challenge involves getting the fans on his side—something Slot failed to do toward the end of his tenure. Lee claims the new manager has already started well to build bridges with the Kopites.
“What I feel in his initial comments, conferences, is that basically, he gets the people as well. Because we are unique as a fan base, we’ll give him the chance, and I think already he’s engaged with the people, and that’s, that’s part of the job, mate. My next question was, how important is that? It’s crucial.
“One thing’s for sure, Jürgen did. I’m hoping because he understands the area, because he understands the city, and he understands the wants of the people. How he understands the passion of the football club, then I think, I think there’ll be a great, great little synergy there.”
A fresh Liverpool look
In just over a month, Liverpool will kick off their pre-season campaign under their new head coach. Slot dazzled in the United States during his first summer, guiding the team to victories over Arsenal and Manchester United. While the manager does not view pre-season results as the primary objective, the way the side functions remains critical, and the new coaching staff will play a significant role.
The Reds are currently negotiating deals with the Cherries to bring key personnel to the AXA Training Centre, with assistant manager Tommy Elphick serving as a crucial piece of Iraola’s plan. Lee believes that if Iraola secures his chosen men to support him, everyone must push forward together to achieve their dreams.
“It’s gonna be crucial. So all that team behind the team, the backroom team, are gonna be huge for Andoni. And the big thing is he trusts them, they trust him, they know what they’re about, and it’s just a case of now getting the players on board, getting the fans on board, and letting them believe, this is our way forward.
“We’ve made the decision. Now, now we’ll go with it, and there’s nothing better than this football club than sticking behind somebody.”
Time will tell whether he has the full backing from everyone that represents Liverpool, though there is a belief that the Merseyside outfit can return to the precipice of football, whether that comes in England or Europe, under the exciting setup Iraola has in store.