Liverpool Backed to Challenge Under Andoni Iraola
Jamie Carragher has made clear that Liverpool cannot afford to treat Andoni Iraola’s arrival as the start of some long, patient rebuild.
After finishing fifth last season, 25 points behind champions Arsenal, Liverpool enter 2026/27 with plenty to prove. Arne Slot’s first campaign brought the Premier League title, but the collapse that followed was sharp enough to cost him his job on May 30 2026.
Now Iraola has arrived, and Carragher believes expectations must rise immediately.
“Them days are gone from when I played when managers came in and it was like a four or five year project to try and win the league or come close to winning the league,” the pundit told Sky Sports when asked if he expects Liverpool to challenge for the Premier League title.
Iraola Must Deliver Quickly
Carragher’s point is rooted in modern football reality. Elite clubs no longer get four seasons to find themselves. Liverpool have resources, pedigree and enough quality in the squad to demand a rapid response.
“Them days are gone and I said that when Arne Slot came in, you know, Jurgen Klopp’s team finished third, you’ve got to go for the league and he won the league, and it’s the same with Iraola.
“Liverpool finished fifth last season, nowhere near good enough,” Carragher added.
That is the key phrase. Nowhere near good enough. Not unlucky. Not transitional. Not merely underwhelming. Liverpool’s drop-off was too severe for soft excuses, especially after winning the league the year before.
Summer Spending Could Shape Title Hopes
Carragher is not tipping Liverpool to win the Premier League immediately, but he does expect them to be in the conversation.
“So, I’m not expecting Liverpool to win the league next season, but we are Liverpool, we’re going to spend big in the summer, we’ve got a lot of great players and yeah, we’re gonna challenge.”
That feels like the sensible middle ground. Iraola is walking into a squad that needs work, particularly in defence, with right-back and centre-back obvious areas to address. Yet Liverpool are not starting from scratch.
There are still elite-level players at Anfield. There is still a strong recruitment department. There is still a fanbase that expects ambition, not managed decline.
Newcastle Opener Will Test Liverpool
The fixture list gives Iraola no gentle introduction, with Newcastle away on the opening weekend. That will be an early measure of whether Liverpool have rediscovered structure, intensity and belief.
Iraola’s Bournemouth sides were aggressive, energetic and brave. At Liverpool, those qualities will need to be allied with control, consistency and the ability to manage expectation.
Carragher’s message is blunt because it has to be. Liverpool cannot spend a year admiring the idea of a project. The Premier League moves too quickly for that.
The title may be a stretch in Iraola’s first season, but a serious challenge should be the baseline.
