A turning point, or another false dawn at Liverpool?
The relief was palpable when Cody Gakpo swept home at the London Stadium on Sunday, confirming in the late stages Liverpool’s 2-0 victory over West Ham United, arresting a landslide in form that had seen nine defeats dished out across 12 matches in all competitions.
Arne Slot is still a man under pressure, and no mistake. But it’s important to remember the Dutchman has FSG’s backing at this stage. That could change, however, if the Reds sink back into negative habits over the coming weeks, and that win over the Hammers stands as a lonely winter outlier.
The latest on Arne Slot's future at Liverpool
Slot definitely has credit in the bank after his incredible Premier League triumph last season, taking Jurgen Klopp’s squad and fashioning them into champions once again.
However, the owners’ leniency will only stretch so far, and forthcoming Premier League fixtures against Sunderland (H) and Leeds United (A) feel significant. Liverpool won at West Ham, but they must prove that they have stopped the rot.
And if this doesn’t prove the case, Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been earmarked as the perfect successor.
As per Spanish reports, the 43-year-old Spaniard is very much on FSG’s radar, and, moreover, he would consider an approach from the English champions.
Bournemouth would require compensation for Iraola’s departure, but if push does come to shove, he might be the perfect option for Richard Hughes, formerly sporting director at the Vitality Stadium, to lure to Anfield.
Why Liverpool are considering Andoni Iraola
Iraola’s Bournemouth system is built on high-energy, aggressive principles. These are key tenets of his philosophy.
This bespeaks his players’ elite physicality, and that is a product of his schooling.
This young manager is the real deal, and if Liverpool were to complete his signing, they would land themselves the next version of Mikel Arteta, who is working wonders with Arsenal in north London.
Praised as “the best coach in the Premier League” by journalist James Horncastle, Iraola might not have the same calibre of players as teams like Arsenal and Liverpool, but he’s whipped his Cherries into shape, alright, creating a front-footed and aggressive outfit that rival the Gunners for actions in the offensive third.
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Indeed, Iraola may hail from the same Basque region as Arteta, but there is also a likeness in regard to the managers’ respective tactical visions and the way they tackle obstacles in the Premier League.
There’s also Iraola’s ability to craft a special, close-knit feeling at his club, something Arteta has masterfully achieved at the Emirates, so miserable were Arsenal at the end of Unai Emery’s tenure.
Liverpool are already known admirers of Bournemouth talisman Antoine Semenyo, and Milos Kerkez was purchased from the south coast side this summer.
Whether the Redmen manage to string together a run of consistency under Slot’s wing remains to be seen. Fans will reserve judgement until the win over West Ham is followed by a series of wins that propel the Merseysiders back into something resembling the ascendancy.
But Iraola could be the perfect fallback, if things don’t improve. He is young and hungry, and the tactical similarities with his Basque peer Arteta suggest he could be the long-term solution at Liverpool, a club looking to cement their position at the very top.
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