Andoni Iraola Set to Take Liverpool Reins

It has been just over 72 hours since Arne Slot's sacking by Liverpool, but it took barely a few minutes for a favourite to emerge in the race to replace him. Andoni Iraola is the front-runner to become the club's 23rd permanent manager/head coach, having left his post at Bournemouth at the end of the season, with talks between him and the club already under way.

Iraola would be a calculated gamble — at 43, he would not be the youngest Liverpool manager in the Premier League era (Brendan Rodgers was 39 when he was appointed in 2012) but he would be among the least experienced, certainly in terms of managing at the elite level.

Tactical Approach: High Press and Aggressive Play

Iraola's stint at Bournemouth was transformational, helping to instil an aggressive, front-footed style of play that lifted the club to two record points tallies in the Premier League along the way. His ideas hinge on the out-of-possession, looking to disrupt the opposition build-up and relying on physicality and athleticism in midfield, where players are encouraged to take risks to steal the ball and back each other up in the press.

It took a while for Iraola's ideas to sink in — Bournemouth were winless in the first nine games under the Spaniard — but pressing patterns soon became "second nature" and "natural" according to then striker Dominic Solanke, and results quickly began to improve.

As per analysis, no team have taken more shots after turning over possession in the attacking third since his arrival, a sign of their adventure to chase the ball up the pitch and the speed with which they attack.

Part of the reason why Bournemouth originally struggled to get to grips with Iraola's philosophy — and precisely why it is so effective — is that his high press does not just involve hard running and defensive tenacity. The manager demands split-second decision-making from his players, switching from zonal to man-to-man marking systems when they sense an opportunity to close in.

It relies on collective cohesion from back to front, and team-mates on high alert to jump forward in support once the first player commits to the press.

Man Management Style

Iraola might generally look calm and relaxed, but he demands a lot from his players every single day. His playing style is highly aggressive, physically taxing and means players have to be at the right level of physicality and tactical understanding. If they are not, they simply do not make the cut.

Yet there is no doubting the bond he generates with players who buy into his methods. Midfielder Alex Scott credits Iraola for what he was able to achieve last season as he missed just one league game for Bournemouth, was nominated for Premier League Young Player of the Season and earned a call-up to train with England's World Cup squad.

Scott said he felt he was not initially at the level required to play in Iraola's exciting yet relentless system, but the manager kept the faith and helped him get there.

Liverpool defender Milos Kerkez played a season under Iraola and famously celebrated getting an assist against Tottenham Hotspur by running over to his head coach, who had told Kerkez pre-match that Spurs' high line meant he should play his crosses in early.

"He is helping everyone to improve as a player and as a person. I'm really thankful he has trusted me," Kerkez said at the time.

Scott described Iraola's main strength as being someone who instils confidence in those around him.

"At times, I didn't know when to go (and press), I was worried about what's behind me and he gives you that confidence just to go flat out, and the defenders behind you will know to come as well," Scott told The Athletic in April. "That's probably his main strength as a coach. It's a brilliant way of football."

Adapting to Club Hierarchy

Working at a club such as Bournemouth, with a young and talented team, Iraola has had to prove how adaptable to change he really is. In the past three seasons, he has had to stand by and watch some of his best players leave, often being handpicked away by Europe's biggest teams.

Last summer, he watched three of his starting back line sign for Real Madrid (Dean Huijsen), Paris Saint-Germain (Illia Zabarnyi) and Liverpool (Kerkez). Starting goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's loan deal was also up.

Knowing Bournemouth's business model, Iraola just got on with it. Even seeing Semenyo, one of the best attackers in the Premier League, move to Manchester City mid-season was never going to be easy to deal with.

"When we sign players, I'm an assistant to them… I give my opinion, especially the kind of player we need and the demands that will be needed for that position, but I don't control the market as well as they do," Iraola told The Athletic last summer.

Touchline Temperament

Iraola is as intense as they come on a match day. Like his compatriot Mikel Arteta, he paces pitch-side incessantly, apparently possesses limitless reserves of physical and emotional energy and is always convinced that every decision against his team is preposterous.

No technical area is big enough to contain his enthusiasm, let alone the minimalist version at Bournemouth, which is the smallest in the Premier League. He'll increase his step count still further at Anfield.

Ultimately, while he frequently overstepped the dashed line that was supposed to contain him, he rarely overstepped the mark in relation to his behaviour.

Away from the field he cuts a calmer, more charming figure. He was described as intelligent, measured and constructive in pre-season conversations.

Media Presence and Public Relations

Iraola is no stranger to dealing with the media, but the level of scrutiny he can expect at Anfield will eclipse anything he has experienced before. Given how many PR missteps Slot made towards the end of his Liverpool reign, Iraola will need to get it right if he does take the job.

At Bournemouth, Iraola always found positives to speak about after a game even in the most trying moments. He is not the kind of manager who will go on a rant that will make headline news, but he is also not afraid to give a long, passionate answer to a question or crack a little joke.

Iraola clearly loves working in football and if he has the chance to talk about it analytically, he will. He is realistic, too, and will accept when things didn't go to plan: there is an acknowledgement that having his side play front-foot football brings risk.

On the touchline, Iraola is a mix of calm and occasional chaos. Most of the time, he is a patient orchestrator, watching them put his plan into motion. But when he wants his players to press, he lets them know by calling on them to "go". And when one of his team wins the ball back high up the pitch, he will excitedly applaud them (a trait he shares with Jurgen Klopp).

As a former player, he absolutely loves a goal celebration. He was often seen running, jumping and throwing his arms into the air when Bournemouth scored and enjoys those moments with the fans.