There comes a moment in most debates when all the nuances and complexities disappear and the matter reduces to one simple query. For Liverpool that question became: do they stand a better chance of competing for the title next season with Arne Slot or Andoni Iraola? Framed that way the conclusion was obvious and so Slot was let go.

The verdict may appear surprising. Slot claimed the Premier League title the previous campaign while Iraola has never even taken charge of a European side. Some will view the choice and the broad agreement that it was correct as proof of the game’s short-term thinking. It may be so. Perhaps Slot could have restored squad belief and refreshed the team in calmer conditions next term. Yet such recoveries in management are uncommon.

Bela Guttmann noted that managing a football team resembles taming lions: any hint of hesitation and the manager is finished. A club owner I spoke with recently described spotting the instant when the spark fades from a coach’s gaze, when decision-making falters, suspicion sets in and complaints begin about real or perceived opponents eroding their position. Slot may not have reached that point fully, but by the closing matches it appeared his bond with supporters and players had become irreparable. The volume of squad members endorsing Mohamed Salah’s social media criticism of Slot made any recovery seem improbable.

Yet the fact Slot was no longer suitable does not automatically confirm Iraola is. Whenever a major club hires from outside the top tier a gamble exists. The pressures at Liverpool differ vastly from those at Bournemouth. Last summer many believed Thomas Frank, who had appeared calm and insightful at Brentford, would suit Tottenham well. He departed by February as Spurs slid toward a relegation battle. He started with a near victory over Paris Saint-Germain in the Super Cup but soon seemed diminished, his easy manner tested by the job’s demands and certain players questioning his leadership.

Iraola projects similar composure and authority, yet no one can predict how he will handle the far greater scrutiny. Bournemouth recorded 18 league draws in the 2025-26 season, a detail barely noticed there but one that would face heavy examination at Liverpool.

Only Newcastle surrendered more points from leading positions than Bournemouth. They led in 23 matches but drew eight and lost two. This may stem from Bournemouth’s limited resources and could improve with stronger bench options at a bigger club. Still, any early dropped leads would prompt questions about the pattern.

That uncertainty remains. At the same time many factors support hope. Iraola achieved something notable given the constraints. Bournemouth operated near profitability limits yet managed with the 17th-highest wage bill. Last summer he lost his goalkeeper, three regular defenders and a forward who had scored seven goals the prior year, then his top attacker in January, yet the side still finished sixth. That stands out as exceptional.

Iraola’s playing philosophy appears well matched to Liverpool. Bournemouth produce entertaining football that is forward-thinking and lively, avoiding the passivity that marked Slot’s Liverpool in weaker moments. The 4-2-3-1 formation Iraola prefers aligns with some of Liverpool’s recent ideas. Florian Wirtz should excel in the creative central role filled this season by Eli Junior Kroupi. The full-backs push forward as Bournemouth’s have done; for Milos Kerkez, who improved late in the campaign after a tough start, this marks a return to Iraola, a manager he valued so much that he once celebrated an assist by heading to the touchline to thank him.

Bournemouth pressed intensely during Iraola’s three years, leading the league in shots after regaining possession in the final third, evoking a Klopp-style counterpress for Liverpool following Slot’s more measured style. Slot’s emphasis on control helped in 2024-25, but after subdued recent displays any return of dynamism will be appreciated, even accounting for modern fixture loads.

Iraola suits Liverpool as both a club and a group of players. Nothing in his career so far suggests he lacks the character for the role. Liverpool nevertheless presents challenges unlike any he has faced, so success cannot be assured.