Andoni Iraola has made big calls over the past week which show the Liverpool head coach is not afraid of being ruthless after stepping up.
Iraola knew that taking the Liverpool job was a major step up from his previous roles in Cyprus, Spain and then the Premier League with Bournemouth.
“Obviously when you arrive at a place, you cannot promise everything. You cannot promise,” he said in his first interview with the club.
“But it’s true that I understand where I’m coming and what is expected. I’m ready for the challenge.”
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola (L) and first team coach Tommy Elphick during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and Sunderland AFC at the Nashville SC Stadium. Liverpool won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
NASHVILLE, USA - Saturday, July 25, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola (L) and first team coach Tommy Elphick during a friendly match between Liverpool FC and Sunderland AFC at the Nashville SC Stadium. Liverpool won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
One of the biggest challenges facing the Spaniard has been in managing a squad with an array of high-profile players already established.
It would be easy for Iraola to simply coast by and allow those key names to stay comfortable in their positions, but after three games in charge, he is already showing he is willing to be ruthless.
Back-to-back 2-2 draws almost forced him to do so.
Dropping Gravenberch and Frimpong
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola speaks with Ryan Gravenberch during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Leeds won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
CHICAGO, USA - Sunday, August 2, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola speaks with Ryan Gravenberch during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Leeds United at Soldier Field. Leeds won 4-2. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The ease with which Newcastle were able to play through his midfield of Dominik Szoboszlai and Ryan Gravenberch was the main focus after his first competitive game, and the Dutchman was the casualty a week later.
Gravenberch has now been left out of the starting lineup for the past two games with Alexis Mac Allister preferred.
There were similar calls for Iraola to drop Jeremie Frimpong from his role as starting right-back and for Szoboszlai – who has faced questions over his performances in a two-man midfield – to take his place.
Szoboszlai was duly moved to right-back to replace Frimpong late on against Nottingham Forest, while the Dutchman was left out entirely in Friday’s 2-0 victory over Ipswich.
It wasn’t Szoboszlai who took the spot, however, with Iraola instead handing Ronald Araujo his first start for Liverpool at right-back.
That decision paid off, with Araujo producing an outstanding display and allowing the head coach a tactical flexibility that simply wasn’t available with his previous two lineups.
Araujo’s flexibility and moving Szoboszlai
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - Friday, September 4, 2026: Liverpool's Ronald Araújo during the FA Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Liverpool FC at Portman Road. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - Friday, September 4, 2026: Liverpool's Ronald Araújo during the FA Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Liverpool FC at Portman Road. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
The Uruguayan is a full-blooded, aggressive defender, which was considered to a fault in Hansi Flick’s high line at Barcelona but suited the task of an away game against a newly promoted side.
Araujo won nine of his 10 duels, more than any other player, including a perfect record of six out of six aerial duels won.
No player made more clearances than his seven, he wasn’t dribbled past once and he was Liverpool’s fifth-most involved player with 63 touches.
His presence gave more assurance to the inexperienced Jeremy Jacquet and also allowed Iraola to change his setup late on, with Araujo moving central alongside Jacquet and Virgil van Dijk while Szoboszlai took over as right-back in a five-man defence.
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - Friday, September 4, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai during the FA Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Liverpool FC at Portman Road. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - Friday, September 4, 2026: Liverpool's Dominik Szoboszlai during the FA Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Liverpool FC at Portman Road. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
There have been suggestions that Szoboszlai, whose Instagram bio rather pointedly reads ‘Professional Midfielder’, would no longer be willing to cover other roles after signing a new £300,000-a-week contract over the summer.
But Iraola has shown no concern in dealing with any egos within his squad, as young winger Kieran Morrison noted during pre-season.
Iraola’s clean slate
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 29, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola on the bench before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 29, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola on the bench before the FA Premier League match between Liverpool FC and Nottingham Forest FC at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
“It’s not like a difference between him telling Dom what to do and him telling me what to do,” Morrison said while on the USA tour.
“He gives the same amount of effort. I ask him a question and he explains it to me for like 20 minutes. He’s great like that; he’s a top-man manager.”
In his pre-Ipswich press conference, it was put to him that in Bradley Barcola, Alexander Isak and Florian Wirtz, Liverpool now have three players who joined for upwards of £100 million, while Cody Gakpo was valued at £80 million, which presents a unique pressure.
“I will use the players that I think will help us to win the game,” he replied.
“I will not be looking at if they earn more money, less money, they cost us more, they cost us less. I need to win games.
“Once they’re our player, for me, they’re our player, I don’t really know what they earn. I don’t ask the club, I don’t know.”
Then, at Portman Road, there was Gakpo shifting from the left wing to the No. 9 spot and Wirtz making way late on for 20-year-old academy graduate Lewis Koumas.
Why Iraola must now prove he’s different to Slot
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola gives final instructions to substitute Lewis Koumas (L) during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - Sunday, August 16, 2026: Liverpool's head coach Andoni Iraola gives final instructions to substitute Lewis Koumas (L) during a pre-season friendly match between Liverpool FC and Como 1907 at Anfield. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Koumas may be the prime example of Iraola’s blank slate, with the Wales international set for the exit only to impress the head coach in pre-season and earn a permanent spot in the first-team squad.
Though Federico Chiesa is currently injured, it became clear over the summer that Koumas is ahead of the Italian in the pecking order.
And before the win over Ipswich it was confirmed that Chiesa and Wataru Endo had been left out of Liverpool’s Champions League squad with two slots needing to be freed up.
Of course, every manager is required to make tough decisions and it should not be forgotten that Arne Slot received similar praise for the big calls he made early on in his reign.
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 17, 2024: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot during the FA Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Liverpool FC at Portman Road. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
IPSWICH, ENGLAND - Saturday, August 17, 2024: Liverpool's head coach Arne Slot during the FA Premier League match between Ipswich Town FC and Liverpool FC at Portman Road. (Photo by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)
Slot’s decision to haul Jarell Quansah off at half-time in the same fixture at the start of his first season in charge was seen as a strong intervention from the Dutchman, who calmly explained that his defender was simply not winning enough duels.
While Slot allowed himself to coast and Liverpool grew alarmingly passive in his second campaign, the challenge for Iraola will be ensuring he stays ruthless and his players do not become comfortable in their places.
The early signs are certainly positive, and with the Reds now entering a period of two games a week and Iraola’s first experience of the Champions League, this could be a defining stage in his step up to the big time.
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