Andoni Iraola is expected to have more similarities with former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp than Arne Slot who struggled to connect with fans at Anfield
Andoni Iraola smiles
Liverpool fans will hope to see their team play Jurgen Klopp-style football under Andoni Iraola(Image: Anadolu via Getty Images)
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Charlie Adam has backed Liverpool to return to the high-intensity football of the Jurgen Klopp era under Andoni Iraola. Reds fans have been crying out for the Gegenpressing style at Anfield, as seen under Klopp from his arrival in 2017 until his departure in 2024.
The former Liverpool manager will forever be seen as an iconic figure on Merseyside, with previous calls for him to return before Iraola's appointment. Klopp helped to deliver the Premier League title, Champions League, FA Cup, two League Cups, and a Club World Cup during nearly nine years at the club.
And despite winning a record-equalling 20th English top-flight title under Arne Slot, fans at Anfield were never able to fully connect with Klopp's successor. The ex-Feyenoord boss was subsequently sacked after a disappointing 2025/26 campaign, which saw Liverpool finish fifth and fail to win a trophy.
Now, Adam, who made 37 appearances for the Reds, has spoken to the Clutch 9 podcast, via Betway, on what will be expected of former Bournemouth boss Iraola.
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He said: "There's pressure every single day you walk into that building at the AXA, wearing that Liverpool shirt, that badge, there's pressure. So it doesn't matter if it was 15 years ago or today - there's pressure.
"There's pressure on Iraola now to become a manager that's going to be successful and win trophies because that's what they demand. Finishing fifth, it's very difficult. You need to be competing on all fronts for every trophy.
"That's now the demand of Iraola as the coach. I think now they will go back to a lesser sort of Jürgen Klopp way, in terms of the high pressing, high speed running.
"He [Iraola] had that at Bournemouth, he'll bring that to Liverpool, and it'll be interesting to see how he gets the best out of this group and ultimately what he adds to the group as well."
Former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp and Pepijn Lijnders
Jurgen Klopp set high standards during his time at Liverpool (Image: Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images)
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In his introductory news conference last week, Iraola said he wanted to give Liverpool fans "a team to be proud of".
The former Spain international, who spent 12 seasons of his playing career at Athletic Club, sees some similarities between his hometown club and his new home. Athletic Club's Basque-only policy means they can only use players who are born or developed in the Basque Country.
The 44-year-old said: "It is a very special club. You have to maximise every player you have in the squad. You cannot sell him and choose another one a lot of times.
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"As a player, you have to give extra. The only way that policy can be successful is if you give 100%. This creates a connection and you see they win things. They have never been relegated.
"I see a lot of things [similar to Liverpool]. This sense of belonging, of being a little bit different. This connection also, with players from the academy. The atmosphere of Anfield.
"This is one of the biggest clubs in the world and in some way the comparison probably isn't fair. But in a lot of ways I see a lot of things similar."