Andoni Iraola is the overwhelming favourite to replace sacked Arne Slot at Liverpool and is expected to bring in one stark policy change that will please many fans
Head Coaches Arne Slot of Liverpool with Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth during the Premier League match between Liverpool FC and AFC Bournemouth at Anfield
Andoni Iraola looks set to introduce a completely different set of rules on one key issue at Liverpool if he's picked to replace Arne Slot(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth, AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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Andoni Iraola looks set to significantly crank up the intensity at Liverpool should he take over from Arne Slot as manager. That would mean fewer rest days between fixtures for players, a shift that is likely to be warmly received by supporters.
Granting players and staff generous amounts of downtime whenever possible was a defining feature of sacked Slot's tenure a Liverpool. Iraola, however, appears to hold a contrasting philosophy when it comes to dedication throughout the season and has been known to go weeks on end without giving players a day off.
During an appearance on In The Mixer back in April, former Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo lifted the lid on the changes Iraola introduced following his arrival in 2023. It ultimately proved to be a winning formula, though players were initially shocked by the lack of time off under his watch.
"The way he structured the weeks, we didn't really have any days off, nothing," said the Ghana international. "It's very hard going from having Wednesday and Sunday off to having no days off.
"We would play on the Saturday, train on Sunday. The players that were in the starting XI would do like the first maybe 30, 40 minutes of the session, so you're hanging, your legs have gone. You're doing the possession, you have to run around, you're thinking, 'Oh, dear!'
"Even now, it hasn't changed, some of the boys are like, 'No day off this week again' in the group chat. It still hasn't changed!"
Intensity was a term frequently linked with Jurgen Klopp's approach during his silverware-filled reign at Anfield. That changed dramatically, though, following Slot's appointment at the club in April.
This evidently wasn't viewed as a significant worry after he secured the Premier League and came close to winning the quadruple in his debut season in charge. Yet excessive downtime was suggested as a problem during his second campaign as standards declined.
Head Coach Andoni Iraola of Bournemouth during a training session at Canford Performance Centre
Iraola's attitude towards days off is likely to be the polar opposite of Slot(Image: Robin Jones - AFC Bournemouth, AFC Bournemouth via Getty Images)
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By contrast, Iraola endured a difficult start at the Vitality Stadium and came perilously close to losing his job early in his tenure. That commitment to training ground work eventually paid dividends, though, as Bournemouth rose up the table.
Liverpool players were frequently spotted jetting off for holidays when given short breaks throughout this past season. Even Slot faced criticism from some supporters for taking trips to Ibiza and Dubai too regularly when Liverpool had time off.
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Plenty of fans will welcome more demanding methods returning to the club if he's named the next manager. The Basque boss is the overwhelming frontrunner to be handed the reins at Liverpool after departing Bournemouth this summer.
A brighter conclusion to the campaign saw Liverpool rediscover their form to secure Champions League qualification despite finishing fifth in the league. However, supporters will be hoping Iraola can make the leap to genuine title contention in what would comfortably represent the most significant managerial appointment of his career so far.