Liverpool decided to wait until after the 2025/26 season to sack Arne Slot despite it being what many may argue was their worst campaign since 2014/15.
The Reds lost a staggering 12 Premier League matches last term, but results were not the only concern mooted by fans.
It felt like Slot had completely ripped up the Liverpool way of playing we had seen under Jurgen Klopp for so many years, but Nicky Butt thinks that will come back under Andoni Iraola.
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Andoni Iraola’s style is perfect for Liverpool
Speaking on The Good, The Bad & The Football podcast this week, the former player explained: “The club [Liverpool] has its own philosophy.
“He’s [Iraola] going into that club and they’re looking at him and going, this manager might work because he plays a style that we want to play, whereas with Slot, that wasn’t the case.
“With Manchester United and Amorim, that wasn’t the case.
“So you see these great managers who are all unbelievable at what they do, but certain managers fit clubs better than others, and I think he will do that.”
It is hard to argue with that assessment, given that Slot was in no way similar to Klopp and how he had previously set up the Reds.
Longing for the return of a former manager is not always positive, just look at Sir Alex Ferguson and Manchester United.
But the difference at Liverpool is that fans don’t put huge importance on results, not really anyway, as long as the football they are watching each week is good.
In Slot’s case, even during the second half of 2024/25, the style of play was tough to watch, and as soon as things started to go badly, it was much easier for supporters to turn on the Dutchman.
Had Liverpool experienced the exact same 2025/26 campaign in terms of league position and no trophies, but the football had been positive, it probably isn’t a stretch to say that Slot would still be in a job right now.
Regardless, Iraola feels like a complete shift back to the Reds’ way of playing, and even if he starts slowly, supporters should be firmly behind his brand of football.
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