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Andoni Iraola explains his honest plan to connect with Liverpool supporters

NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Andoni Iraola has spoken honestly about how he plans to build a team with which Liverpool supporters can identify.

For several reasons, on and off the pitch, the mood of Liverpool’s fanbase became increasingly apathetic towards the end of last season.

Iraola was subsequently brought in to replace Arne Slot and spark zeal into the club, which had lost some sense of enthusiasm after the death of Diogo Jota and the poor campaign that followed.

These are still early days, but the new head coach appears to be reigniting an excitement in the squad ahead of the new season.

NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola after a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. Liverpool won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Key to encouraging the connection between fans and the players will be the style of play Iraola employs.

His high-intensity form of football will hopefully provide a platform for Anfield to become a fortress again, but Liverpool won’t be perfect from the off.

Iraola was asked by The Anfield Wrap about how he plans to connect with supporters. He replied:

“I haven’t been here a lot, but I feel the people are very respectful, respectful with us.

“They are very passionate, very passionate, but I think they need to feel identified for what they see and sometimes we need to show our weaknesses sometimes.

“I say because sometimes we live in our bubble, we like to protect ourselves a little bit, we tend to show that we don’t care about what people say.

“But honestly, everyone cares. Even big players that we think they don’t care. No, they care inside and you protect yourself sometimes trying to, ‘No, I don’t care because I am so big’.

“Honestly, big players are not thinking this, but sometimes it looks like they are so sometimes we need to see their weaknesses.

“They are not perfect; they will make mistakes.

“[We need to] show to the players that are not at the top level, the youngsters, the new signings, the support from the big personalities that we have.

“There has to be a process where we need to understand that this is not going to be perfect.

“We are going to go through ups and downs, but if we do it together and everyone assumes that we have strengths, we have weaknesses, but the aim of everyone is to arrive there.

“I think we will have the people behind us, I’m sure.”

NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai celebrates with team-mate Federico Chiesa (R) after scoring the second and equalising goal during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

Supporters will, of course, accept that Liverpool won’t complete a clean sweep of major honours this season, but they will want to see progress.

While we all want the Reds to dominate at home and in Europe, they can’t win everything every year. Maintaining a sense of optimism during these drier periods is something at which Iraola will have to ensure he is better than Slot.

The fact that Iraola has even done an interview with fan media outlet The Anfield Wrap suggests that people inside the club are acknowledging where things went wrong for his predecessor.

The Dutchman didn’t engage with fan media. This wasn’t in itself a massive issue, but when it was combined with other factors, like poor results and an increased tendency to say the wrong things in press conferences, his relationship with fans deteriorated quickly.

How Andoni Iraola will ‘raise Liverpool’s floor’

While the manager’s bond with supporters is important, performances on the pitch are still king in deciding his and the club’s future.

Liverpool lost 12 matches in the Premier League across the 2025/26 campaign. The last time they lost more was in the 2011/12 season.

Iraola has a plan to improve results, though, even when the Reds aren’t playing at their best.

He said: “I think we need a collective idea in terms of some organisation, some structure, some clear things, so after you can express yourself as a football player.

“I think this is a collective sport and everything has to be like, we have to have a system that gives us a floor, let us say.

NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's players line-up for a team group photograph before a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. Back row (L-R): goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili, James McConnell, Will Wright, Mor Talla Ndiaye, captain Joe Gomez, Curtis Jones. Front row (L-R) Harvey Elliott, Jeremie Frimpong, Kieran Morrison, Rio Ngumoha, Kostas Tsimikas. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“Like even if we don’t play incredibly well, we are not having our best day as football players, there is a system behind us, there is a collective that will give us a high floor.

“I will say let’s raise our floor and then when we are playing amazingly and we are having the [good] day, it looks incredible.

“But I think that the coaching side is like, OK, let’s put the structure there, let’s put the organisation there and after you have to trust your players.

“In this case, for me it is easy because I have very good players.”

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Football – Pre-Season – Liverpool USA Tour Day 6 – Liverpool FC v AFC Sunderland

NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's Federico Chiesa applauds the supporters during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and AFC Sunderland at the Nashville SC Stadium. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

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