Andoni Iraola Memulai Pekan Perdana Sebagai Manajer Baru Liverpool

Manajer baru Liverpool Andoni Iraola resmi memulai pekan pertamanya di AXA Training Centre menjelang keberangkatan tim ke Chicago untuk menjalani tur pramusim di Amerika Serikat pada Senin sore.

Dilansir dari BBC, mantan pelatih AFC Bournemouth berusia 44 tahun tersebut langsung memimpin sesi latihan intensif yang berfokus pada evaluasi kemampuan skuad saat ini setelah sejumlah pemain senior seperti Mohamed Salah, Andy Robertson, dan Ibrahima Konate hengkang.

Selain perombakan taktik, penunjukan wakil kapten baru menjadi agenda krusial mengingat kontrak Virgil van Dijk dan Alisson Becker akan berakhir musim depan, dengan Dominik Szoboszlai muncul sebagai kandidat kuat setelah menandatangani kontrak lima tahun.

"I'm 25. Mo left, Robbo left, so our vice-captain left and a club legend as well. Both of them are club legends. We're going to miss them for sure and now someone else has to step up and if it's me, I'm ready to do it," kata Dominik Szoboszlai, gelandang Liverpool.

Di sisi lain, Liverpool juga aktif berburu pemain di bursa transfer dengan mendatangkan bek tengah Jeremy Jacquet dari Rennes dan penyerang Victor Munoz dari Osasuna, serta masih mencari penyerang sayap kanan baru.

"We cannot expect to sign a winger that is going to replace Mo Salah because, otherwise, we are preparing him to fail almost," ujar Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool kepada Bein Sports.

Pihak manajemen klub menegaskan perlunya tambahan amunisi, namun Iraola enggan mencari pengganti langsung yang identik dengan Salah demi menghindari tekanan besar pada rekrutan baru.

"I think, obviously, we need someone in that area, but they probably will have different skills. He can maybe complement the team in another way, and we are working on that, definitely. It's one of the challenges." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Menurut laporan Bein Sports, langkah ini diambil agar pemain baru dapat melengkapi tim dengan keahlian yang berbeda tanpa harus memikul beban sejarah besar yang ditinggalkan sang bintang Mesir.

"Definitely, there are going to be changes. A lot of senior players, players who have won everything here, have left, and we need other players not to replace them, but to assume [more responsibility] in terms of inside and outside the pitch." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Iraola menambahkan bahwa ruang ganti Liverpool membutuhkan figur-figur baru yang bersedia memegang tanggung jawab lebih besar.

"Some of the players we already have here also have to step up. They will for sure find themselves in an even more important position. And also, we have to find solutions outside that can help the very good players we already have." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Kedatangan Jacquet juga disambut positif oleh sang manajer karena sang pemain dinilai telah pulih total dari cedera bahunya.

"Jeremy is a player I knew very well even before signing for Liverpool," kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Iraola memuji kapasitas bek muda tersebut yang dinilai memiliki semua aspek yang dibutuhkan untuk lini pertahanan The Reds.

"Still being young, he has all the tools that we will need for that position." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Selain Jacquet, kehadiran Victor Munoz yang fleksibel bermain di kedua sisi sayap turut menambah kedalaman skuad.

"He also comes [in the] last months of the season with a shoulder injury, but he's fully fit. He was ready to go from the beginning." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Manajer asal Spanyol itu terkesan dengan kepribadian Munoz selama proses komunikasi awal mereka.

"Victor is also a player I know very well. He can play both wings, and I think he has the tools and the mentality. When I talked to the player, he is still humble and ambitious." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Perekrutan Munoz diharapkan mampu memberikan opsi serangan yang lebih bervariasi.

"I think he is going to be a very good addition for us." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Sementara itu, berdasarkan transkrip wawancara resmi di Liverpool FC News, Iraola menyampaikan keinginannya untuk membangun ikatan emosional yang kuat dengan para pendukung Anfield melalui permainan yang agresif dan vertikal.

"It's a great question for the first one! I would like to give them a team that they can feel proud of. I think football, and especially Liverpool, for me is about connecting, connecting with the people, connecting with our supporters.

I've been in the other side at Anfield. I've experienced, I always say, the goal that [Federico] Chiesa scored in the first game of the past season, where you can feel this stadium – and I would love to have this every game we play. And it has to come from us from inside the pitch and we have to be a team that works hard, [is] intense, aggressive, vertical so everyone can be identified, everyone can feel comfortable supporting this team." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Terkait jendela transfer yang masih terbuka, manajemen klub terus bergerak aktif untuk merampungkan beberapa kesepakatan pemain baru.

"Obviously we've signed two players already but we need more players – we know this. The club is working on this. Me as a coach, selfishly, you want the players here [on] day one, ready to train from the pre-season, but we understand that football doesn't work like this. I know the club is working hard to get those signings and I'm trying obviously to help also." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Iraola memanfaatkan waktu pramusim ini untuk berdiskusi dengan para staf internal guna menciptakan atmosfer kerja yang optimal bagi seluruh skuad.

"Yes, I've spoken especially with all the players that have been in the World Cup, especially the ones that have already been eliminated and are enjoying their holidays. I didn't want to disturb them or bother them while the World Cup was ongoing, but I think I've [had] very good conversations. I'm also using these couple of weeks I've had, before we start properly the first-team trainings, to talk with a lot of people that work every day here, and those are the ones that are helping me create, I think, a good environment so our players can perform and, let's say, we can maximise their abilities." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Ia juga menyatakan kesiapannya menghadapi tekanan media dan publik yang melekat pada posisi manajer di klub sebesar Liverpool.

"Yeah, I want to think I understand. Probably until you are not here and until I don't go through certain experiences, I will not fully know. But I'm here to experience those situations.

I'm ready for it. I understand this is a massive club. Everything that I'm going to say now, it's going to go to big scrutiny.

You have to be very aware of the mistakes but I wouldn't like also to be too careful. I would like to act quite normal. I'm not going to live in my bubble – just training ground, home.

I would also like to go to the city, experience the city. I know some places I will have to take some pictures. But it's part also of the magic of being the Liverpool manager and I would not like to change too much." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Proses adaptasi taktik akan terus berjalan seiring dengan bergulirnya laga-laga uji coba pramusim mendatang.

"Yes. Obviously I talked to the players, I talked to the staff, I talked about the things that were working very well, things that we think we can do differently – I wouldn't say better, differently. I think it's different.

I have the advantage that probably players already know what we are going to demand in terms of style of play. But we will have time to know each other. One thing is to know a player, to talk to a player to ask him, 'OK, where do you feel more comfortable – in this position, in this other one?

Where do you see yourself?' Because I'm [asking] the players this question so I can understand them. But after I will see them train, I will make some tests during pre-season, I will feel things and then I will take decisions from there." kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Keterbatasan jumlah pemain akibat libur Piala Dunia disiasatinya dengan memantau langsung perkembangan tim junior U-21.

"I think it is what it is, we cannot change it. I think players deserve a break. The ones that have been in the World Cup deserve at least three weeks so they can enjoy their time with friends, family, thinking other things.

Even physically, some of them need a rest after a very busy season. I'm looking at the positives almost, because I've had now one week to see every training of the U21s. We've had some of the players from the first team willing to come a little bit before so they are already in a better shape to start.

Already today, that they didn't have to come, I've seen two or three that I haven't seen before, that they are" kata Andoni Iraola, Manajer Liverpool.

Di luar aktivitas lapangan, Footy Headlines membocorkan bahwa Adidas bakal merilis jersi tandang versi ekonomis seharga 60 euro pada 28 Juli untuk menyiasati harga jersi premium yang mahal.