Liverpool have failed to take all three points from another Premier League game, casting some suspicion on their decision to replace Arne Slot with Andoin Iraola. Liverpool’s decision to replace Slot with the former AFC Bournemouth manager was built around a clear idea, which was to bring in a coach whose teams press aggressively, attack vertically, and create chaos through intensity.
That formula worked remarkably well at Bournemouth, but four Premier League games into Iraola’s Liverpool tenure, the expected transformation has been slow. Liverpool remain unbeaten, however, but three draws in four league matches and Saturday’s 0-0 home draw with Fulham are causing murmurs to arise among the fan base and among analysts.
Is Iraola a “small-team football” manager?
It would be too easy to conclude that Iraola is a manager suited only to smaller clubs.
His successes at Rayo Vallecano and Bournemouth were not based on defending deep and hoping for counterattacks but on proactive play. His teams pressed high, attacked quickly, and tried to win the ball close to the opponent's goal.
At Bournemouth, this was particularly effective because the players understood their jobs. Iraola created an aggressive 4-2-3-1 structure in which midfielders and defenders could push forward to create turnovers. At Liverpool, however, expectations seem to be holding them back.
Bournemouth hurt bigger teams under Iraola by making matches uncomfortable, but Liverpool are expected to control those same matches. At Bournemouth, however, that coordination developed over time. Existing tactical analysis of Iraola's tenure shows that the Cherries needed time to build the pressing relationships that eventually became their greatest strength. Liverpool are still learning those movements. Against Fulham, Liverpool lacked both the freshness and attacking sharpness needed to turn possession into clear chances.
Can Iraola control games?
This is where Iraola's mettle as Liverpool manager will be tested. His football is deliberately high-risk. He wants fast recoveries rather than endless possession, which can be devastating when a team has space to attack. But Liverpool frequently faces opponents who sit deeper and remove that space.
Against Fulham, there was little room behind the defense for Liverpool to exploit. The game therefore required patience, positional play, and precise final passes, which are areas where the team looked less convincing. That does not mean Iraola is the wrong manager, but it means Liverpool may need a lot of patience to allow both Iraola and the team to grow.
Why does Liverpool still need to give Iraola time
The Bournemouth evidence suggests there is a very good coach underneath this difficult beginning. Iraola transformed Bournemouth into one of the Premier League's most aggressive pressing teams and ultimately guided them to sixth place in 2025/26.
Liverpool's challenge is different, in that Iraola must prove that his principles can produce not only exciting football but also sustained control against teams determined to deny him space. The 2-1 Champions League win over Atlético de Madrid showed that Liverpool can already produce the intensity and resilience Iraola wants. The Fulham draw showed the other side of the experiment.