Liverpool are not currently a team and Andoni Iraola has failed to turn them into one so far this season.
That’s the opinion of former Liverpool midfielder Didi Hamann. It seems he’s less than impressed by the work that Iraola has done at Anfield so far.
The Reds return to Champions League action this week as they travel to Austrian side LASK in matchday two.
The Reds head into that game looking to bounce back after a disappointing weekend. They were beaten 3-0 by Manchester City at Anfield.
They had been looking to lay down a marker in that game after City’s charges during the international break but instead a Ryan Gravenberch red turned the game against them.
No team cohesion
A collapse followed from there, and it seems Hamann was left less than impressed by what he saw.
“When I look at Liverpool, they aren’t a team. They’re a collection of individual players,” he told Sky.
His focus is on Iraola. The Spanish coach arrived from Bournemouth in the summer to replace Arne Slot following the Dutchman’s departure.
But he is yet to enjoy the new manager bounce that many would have been hoping for, with four wins, three draws and one defeat to his name so far in eight games. Those aren’t terrible numbers by any means, but Hamann thinks he’s spotted a major problem.
“The manager hasn’t managed to instil any real sense of cohesion,” he added.
Hamann criticism nothing new
Of course, this is all just likely to be Hamman being his usual self. He’s never afraid to share a controversial opinion about Liverpool these days.
Indeed, just last week he joined the growing list of pundits criticising Florian Wirtz.
“I don’t know if he still believes he can make it,” he told Sky Germany.
“When I see him for Liverpool, I often get the impression that he’s not happy. That’s a player who has joy; you see that with every action and say he’s just doing it. He plays like a child used to on the field, he just enjoys playing football.
“And I haven’t seen that in him for months, and I don’t know if he still has this belief to say, I will prevail. Because of course, with every game, with every week, the criticism gets bigger, and the belief or this thinking that he says, no, I’ll get my way, might be a little less.
“I don’t know if he still has that. For me, he doesn’t make that impression at the moment.”
Now it seems it’s Iraola in his sights. A disappointing result at LASK, and we’re sure there’ll be something else for him to criticise too.
Andoni Iraola
Managerial stats and achievements
| Club | Games | W | D | L | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AEK Larnaca 2018–2019 |
29 | 12 | 9 | 8 | 41.4% |
| Mirandés 2019–2020 |
49 | 18 | 17 | 14 | 36.7% |
| Rayo Vallecano 2020–2023 |
136 | 54 | 32 | 50 | 39.7% |
| Bournemouth 2023–2026 |
127 | 47 | 40 | 40 | 37.0% |
| Liverpool 2026–present |
8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 50.0% |
| Career total | 349 | 135 | 101 | 113 | 38.7% |
| Club | Achievement | Year / season |
|---|---|---|
| AEK Larnaca | Cypriot Super Cup winner | 2018 |
| Mirandés | Copa del Rey semi-finalist while competing in Spain’s second division | 2019/20 |
| Rayo Vallecano | Promotion to La Liga via the play-offs | 2020/21 |
| Bournemouth | Premier League Manager of the Month | March 2024; January 2025 |
| Bournemouth | Sixth in the Premier League — the club’s highest finish — and first-ever European qualification | 2025/26 |
| Bournemouth | Club-record 18-match unbeaten league run within a single season | 2025/26 |
Sources: Wikipedia managerial record, LFChistory, Liverpool FC, AFC Bournemouth and Premier League.
Updated: 14 October 2026. Latest completed match: 11 October 2026.
