In Andoni Iraola, Liverpool have hired a head coach with an ‘almost unique’ reading of the game and ability to process information to communicate to his players.
That’s according to Pablo de la Torre, the fitness coach who’s since followed the 44-year-old from Bournemouth to Anfield along with coaches Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper and analyst Tom Webber, with the quartet’s appointments confirmed in a singular announcement in recent days.
The arrival of the new head coach a month ago was said to have been warmly received by numerous senior players in L4, and his long-time aide has now shared a compelling insight into what Reds fans can expect from the ex-Cherries boss.
In an interview with Spanish outlet AS, De la Torre said of Iraola: “He’s incredibly intelligent, leads by example, and has a rare emotional stability in such a visceral sport.
“From day one, you sense he’s different – his ability to read the game and its needs is almost unique. He filters information so players can digest it easily and apply it every week.”
The 44-year-old led Bournemouth to an 18-match unbeaten run in the Premier League last season, last tasting a top-flight defeat to Arsenal on 3 January, and De la Torre said of his boss: “He builds brave teams, capable of believing they can beat anyone – even going a full round [sic: near half-season] unbeaten, something only Arsenal, Manchester City, and Chelsea had ever done.”
Want more Empire of the Kop coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google to your favourites list for news you can trust
The real judgement of Iraola will only be formed once the 2026/27 season is in progress, with Liverpool’s results ultimately determinining whether his reign is a success or failure, but this testimony from the Reds’ new fitness coach is quite encouraging.
There’s arguably no-one better placed than De la Torre to speak of the head coach’s qualities, having also worked with him at AEK Larnaca and Rayo Vallecano along with Bournemouth, so his insight is well worth noting.
The 44-year-old has typically come across as a genial, level-headed figure in the dugout and in media dealings, and his players tend to buy into his methodology, as highlighted by Antoine Semenyo from his time working under him at the Vitality Stadium.
De la Torre’s comment about Iraola’s ‘almost unique’ ability to read the game is striking, hinting that the Spaniard is able to think on his feet and make effective changes in tactics and personnel during a match in order to swing the result his team’s way.
Success at Bournemouth won’t automatically translate over to Liverpool, but there’s a sufficient body of work to indicate that Anfield bosses have made a very astute appointment in the former Cherries head coach.
Welcome to our Live Comments section, where new comments will appear automatically
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
Notify me of follow-up comments by email.
Notify me of new posts by email.
