Jamie Redknapp has prompt participant energy had a job in Arne Slot’s sacking by Liverpool, however has backed Andoni Iraola to deal with the stress of changing the Dutchman.
Slot was axed solely a yr after main the Reds to their twentieth league title, following a disappointing fifth-placed end in his second season in cost.
Former Bournemouth boss Iraola, who led the Cherries to sixth within the Premier League and their first European marketing campaign, is the frontunner to exchange Slot, Sky Sports activities Information understands.
Iraola introduced in Could he could be leaving the Vitality Stadium, and has been linked with Crystal Palace, AC Milan and Bayer Leverkusen.
Nevertheless, the 43-year-old now seems to be the favorite to take over within the Anfield hotseat and Redknapp has backed the Spaniard to deal with the transition of transferring to a membership the scale of Liverpool.
“I love the man [Iraola]. I never thought what Eddie Howe did [at Bournemouth] could be eclipsed, but he’s done that,” Redknapp advised Sky Sports activities.
“The fashion of soccer is superb – they play excessive stress, they get after groups, which is strictly what Liverpool followers need.
“They want to see people with high energy, whether that fits the Liverpool mould, because they’ll play man for man a lot. That style of play in midfield is really high energy – whether (Alexander) Wirtz fits into that, it’ll be fascinating to see. Everybody is going to have to run in that team.
“There’s discuss that he does not like to speak to his gamers an excessive amount of – should you’re not within the workforce, he does not need to discuss to you.
“That won’t appeal to a lot of the players, but, in this day and age, a lot of players go straight to the chairman or the director of football anyway.
“However he units his stall out early – should you’re within the workforce, he tells you a few hours beforehand.
“What will be the question now, going from Bournemouth to Liverpool, is how do you handle that transition? I don’t see it as a problem for him.
“So long as he will get the best gamers he wants… you may see he is made so many gamers at Bournemouth go from okay gamers to implausible gamers, that look match for the invoice.
“I’ve got no problems with if he can handle it. He was a great player and is now an elite manager. If it is to be him, I have no doubt.”
‘Gamers have performed an enormous half in Slot sacking’
The second half of Slot’s tenure was marred by hypothesis concerning his relationship with star man Mohamed Salah, who claimed the Dutchman “threw him under the bus” throughout Liverpool’s poor run of type at the beginning of the 2025/26 season.
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Mohamed Salah gave a fiery interview concerning his state of affairs at Liverpool and the way his relationship with Slot had deteriorated again in December. Instagram Credit score: @viaplaypremiersunday
Redknapp, who admitted to being dissatisfied for the outgoing Liverpool boss, claimed different members of the Liverpool squad could have had a component to play within the resolution to take away the 47-year-old from his submit.
“I feel disappointed for Arne Slot, he’s done a great job. The fact he won the Premier League was an incredible achievement,” mentioned Redknapp.
“This year, there were a lot of circumstances that made it difficult to coach that team.
“He’ll really feel laborious executed by, however that is soccer – that is the worth on the ticket.
How Liverpool fared in Slot’s two seasons in cost
“I hope Liverpool don’t go down that route of hiring and firing – we’ve seen that at Man Utd, and it hasn’t always had the desired effect. Sometimes you have to stay with what you’ve got.
“Gamers could have performed an enormous half on this as properly. A little bit of participant energy, talking to the house owners, talking to the individuals in cost and they’re going to have mentioned their piece – they’re probably not having fun with the soccer, perhaps feeling Slot is not the man to take them ahead.
“You have to be very careful listening to the players too much because a lot of them have their own motives at heart and they’re not thinking about what’s best for the team.
“However we have thus far now and it is a case of ‘okay, what occurs subsequent?’.”
Merson: Slot deserved one other yr; Iraola must regulate
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Paul Merson reacts to Slot’s sacking and thinks he ought to have been given extra time to show round their fortunes, whereas additionally revealing how he thinks Iraola would get on if he’s given the job
Sky Sports activities’ Paul Merson on Liverpool’s resolution to sack Slot:
“I’m quite shocked, especially because Xabi Alonso has gone to Chelsea, which made me think that Arne Slot was staying for another six months at least.
“However now he is out and I discover that unusual.
“I thought he should have got another year for what he did in his first season. Not too many teams have gone back to back in the Premier League and he’s got them back into the Champions League.
“I believed it was a little bit bit harsh however the followers up there weren’t blissful and it’s important to preserve them blissful.
“I’m a massive fan of Andoni Iroala. But he was the manager of Bournemouth, where if you lose a game it doesn’t matter.
“I do not imply that disrespectfully, however at Liverpool it’s win, win, win. He must get used to that. However to take Bournemouth on a 19-game unbeaten run within the Premier League is superb. Liverpool can be hoping he can convey that magic to Anfield.”
Iraola on a two-man shortlist, but is Enrique the other target?
Sky Sports News’ Mark McAdam:
“The model of soccer clearly is without doubt one of the large components. The shortlist to exchange Arne Slot I imagine has two names. One is Iraola.
“If you speak to any Bournemouth fan about the style of football after the last three seasons under Andoni Iraola, they will wax lyrical about the way Bournemouth go about their business. High intensity, front-footed. They play with a real zest and an ability to get the ball forward.
“They use width, are very dynamic on the ball and win it excessive up the pitch. They actually take the sport to the opposition. It is that sort of heavy-metal model of soccer. Precisely the identical fashion underneath Jurgen Klopp. It wasn’t about holding the ball, it was about being thrilling.
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Sky Sports activities Information’ Vinny O’Connor discusses whether or not bookies’ favorite Iraola could be match at Liverpool as head coach
“At this stage, we know Liverpool haven’t officially spoken to any candidates, but we know Andoni Iraola is one of those that the players would like to speak to.
“Champions League day. Luis Enrique at PSG. Three league titles on the spin, may win back-to-back Champions Leagues. Would that be the right alternative to say goodbye to Paris? We do know he has one yr left on his contract.
“I do find it fascinating that Liverpool have sacked Arne Slot today. In the next 24 hours there could be some significant changes at PSG. Who knows? We know there are two names on Liverpool’s shortlist. Andoni Iraola’s one. Who is the other one? I just find it really intriguing that the announcement comes on a day like today.”
Evaluation: Iraola’s fashion would enchantment to followers
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Sky Sports activities Information’ Vinny O’Connor discusses whether or not bookies’ favorite Iraola could be match at Liverpool as head coach
Sky Sports activities Information’ Vinny O’Connor on curiosity in Andoni Iraola:
“It seems to be a decision taken on footballing reasons in terms of the style of play.
“We heard from Mohamed Salah not so way back in a social media submit that he put out. Nicely, evidently that may be a feeling inside Liverpool, that it is a fashion of play difficulty.
“The belief is that a different profile of head coach is needed to bring out what Liverpool fans would appreciate more as their style of play, the kind of football that we saw under Jurgen Klopp.
“There are every kind of tie-ins with Richard Hughes being at Liverpool.
“We broke the news the other day that Iraola would like to hold out for the Liverpool job. He’s been linked with numerous jobs already since that announcement that he was leaving Bournemouth.
“It is a identify that Liverpool followers point out. I might argue it is a large soar going from supervisor of Bournemouth to Liverpool, actually even greater than going from Feyenoord to Liverpool, however on the identical time, the fashion of play is one thing that Liverpool followers would undoubtedly relate to.
“I think everyone’s been impressed by what he’s done at Bournemouth and the style of play that he’s been able to implement there.
“When it comes to that and emotionally as properly, I feel he would get Liverpool followers, Liverpool followers would get him.
“I think it’s pretty easy to put him at the top of the list at the moment but I would imagine as well that Liverpool are going through a pretty thorough process at the same time.”
