Andoni Iraola has the exact same amount of points as Arne Slot did last season after 10 games as Liverpool manager.
Slot has the right to be angry with Liverpool as Iraola sits on 18 points after 10 games, and the atmosphere around Anfield seems to be a lot more positive than this time last year.While the points tally has suggested that there has been no improvement, supporters seem to think there has been progress.
READ MORE: Virgil van Dijk could soon be replaced by a midfielder at LiverpoolTalkingPointsAndoni Iraola has the same number of points after 10 games as Arne Slot did last season (18). Have Liverpool improved or still not performing?
Give us your thoughts…jameslloyd14.jlFeatured commentThere are clear flaws with Liverpool but I actually think they’re ahead of schedule under Iraola. I expected a slower startjonathan.gorrieFeatured commentSlot’s haul was higher than it should have been last season though, right?
Those opening five or so games masked a lot of issues before it caught up with them. Iraola’s team look to be building towards something, rather than just getting the rub of the green before a decline!daviescallum42Featured commentIt took him a while to get going with Bournemouth too tbf.
I rememebr his side came to Goodison and thy were the worst id seen in a long time, a few months later they were flying18 commentsHave your say →Liverpool fans praise Andoni Iraola for having an identityYes, the Reds may have the same points tally as last year, but there is more than meets the eye.
Many complained of the lack of vision under Slot and his inability to get the best out of his side. Meanwhile, his replacement seems to have a much clearer identity and, as one TalkingPoints user pointed out, there has been noticeable improvement from members of the first-team.Featured commentkilham.maxDefinitely improved.
There is an actual identity this season and a number of players have come on leaps and bounds (Nyoni, Macca etc.Join the conversation →The emergence of Trey Nyoni has been a real standout while Florian Wirtz and Alexander Isak are finally beginning to look like the players that Liverpool paid the big bucks for.
Others have also argued that Iraola is in fact ‘ahead of schedule’ and because he is still working with a squad largely assembled by Slot, and his previous slow starts when in charge of Bournemouth, that the Spaniard is doing a much better job than others would suggest.Featured commentjameslloyd14.jl
There are clear flaws with Liverpool but I actually think they’re ahead of schedule under Iraola. I expected a slower startJoin the conversation →Liverpool have improved under Andoni IraolaAs well as the development of players on the pitch, there is also the underlying numbers to prove that Liverpool look much better.Their only defeats of the season have come against Arsenal and Manchester City whereas Slot lost to Crystal Palace, Chelsea, Manchester United and Brentford.
Furthermore, Iraola’s side are creating more chances per game and have conceded fewer goals than they did at this stage, all while having less of the ball.Statistic Arne Slot (2025/26) Andoni Iraola (2026/27)Points 18 18Wins 6 5Draws 0 3Defeats 4 2Goals scored 18 14Goals conceded 14 10Goal difference +4 +4Expected goals (xG) 12.9 15.8Expected goals against (xGA) 16.8 13.2Shots per game 15.6 16.0Clean sheets 3 4Average possession 61.7% 52.8%
Is it a case of bad luck or, despite the form of Isak, are the Reds just not clinical enough?Iraola has clearly gone for a more direct approach, as shown by the drop in possession stats, and that is helping them to spend more time in the attacking third, as well as piling pressure on the opposition.
All of the data suggests that the Liverpool boss is performing better than his predecessor did 12 months ago and the longer this goes on, the more they will improve
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