Liverpool wants to play aggressive soccer and Iraola could be the perfect fit

The search is on for the next Liverpool coach after Arne Slot was fired a year after winning the Premier League.

Liverpool is looking for someone who can implement an “aggressive and urgent” style of soccer, a person with knowledge of the situation told the Associated Press on Saturday.

The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because the club has not publicly stated the details of its selection process.

It is clear Liverpool is looking for someone who can bring back the high energy of former manager Jürgen Klopp, who won a full set of trophies during his time at Anfield, including the Premier League and Champions League.

Slot also delivered a title but not the thrills of Klopp’s so-called heavy metal soccer.

The frontrunner to replace Slot is Andoni Iraola, the Spanish coach who led Bournemouth to European qualification this season and then walked away.

Iraola’s Bournemouth established itself as one of the most entertaining teams in the Premier League and punched above its weight to regularly upset high profile opponents with significantly more spending power.

Iraola was responsible for honing talents like Antoine Semenyo, Dean Huijsen and Milos Kerkez, who all left for bigger teams. Despite that, he still secured a sixth-place finish this season, just one place and three points below Liverpool in the fight for the last Champions League qualifying position.

Liverpool has not revealed any names of potential candidates but the process of drawing up a shortlist has already begun.

It is looking for a coach who fits its preferred playing style of front foot, attacking soccer to suit the forwards it signed last year and its targets in the upcoming transfer window.

Players like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong and injury-hit striker Alexander Isak all underwhelmed in their debut seasons at the club.

Liverpool’s hierarchy hopes to bring in a new coach quickly in order to give them as much time as possible to prepare for next season.

The appointment of Slot came after an extensive search that proved successful. Slot led the club to a record-equalling 20th English league title in his first year. Now Liverpool says it has “come to the conclusion that change is necessary in order for the club to keep moving forward.”

It said it needed a “change of direction” and a “different approach.”

In a summer of high-profile coaching changes, another potential candidate in former Liverpool midfielder Xabi Alonso has already been hired by Premier League rival Chelsea.

Former Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca is favorite to take over at Manchester City after Pep Guardiola stepped down.

Oliver Glasner, who won back-to-back trophies with Crystal Palace over the past two seasons, is available, but his playing style might not be the right fit.

Bookmakers have also included Stuttgart’s Sebastien Hoeness and Germany coach Julian Nagelsmann as potential candidates.

___

James Robson is at https://x.com/jamesalanrobson

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer