Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey has reacted the possibility of Andoni Iraola replacing Arne Slot as Reds boss
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and ex-Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola
Former Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp and ex-Bournemouth head coach Andoni Iraola(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth/AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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Former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey believes Andoni Iraola is the right man to replace Arne Slot and take his club forwards by going back to the days of Jurgen Klopp.
Slot was sacked on Saturday following a disappointing campaign barely a year after winning the Premier League title in his debut season having replaced Klopp in the dugout.
Iraola, who ensured a first-ever European qualification for Bournemouth before leaving at the end of the season, has emerged as the leading candidate to be the next Reds boss.
And Heskey regards the Spaniard as a "gung-ho" manager the like of which Liverpool require after a season of regression under Slot.
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"Andoni Iraola has shown he has the capabilities," said Heskey. "He's shown that he's a very, very intelligent coach. He’s played a back three. He’s played a back four. He knows how to change it up.
"One thing I will say, Bournemouth is not Liverpool, and we've seen this so many times. Liverpool is just a little bit different to some other clubs where you're given plenty of time.
"So for me, yes, Iraola would be a great option because of the style of playing, and at end of the day, we just want entertaining football as Liverpool fans.
"That's what we got with Jurgen Klopp. That's what we got in the first season under Arne Slot but it just kind of tailed off to become a bit more possession-based. But we want that entertainment. We want our teams to be gung-ho. That’s Iraola."
Liverpool splashed out £450million on new players last summer and are expected to again be busy in the transfer market this summer regardless of the manager.
But speaking to Hajper, Heskey has warned against another extensive outlay and said: "I think Liverpool need to be a little bit more conservative in their spending after what happened last summer.
"Iraola could come in, spend so much money and he could still end up under pressure.
"Clubs like Liverpool don’t buy players for the manager. They buy them for the club. You could look at it the same way. Liverpool can go again and buy players for the club but you’ve still got to answer the question of what formation will they play in?
"Before Liverpool spend any more money, there needs to be a decision on the style of play we see from the team next season."