The surprise dismissal of Arne Slot was swiftly followed by reports billing Andoni Iraola as the front-runner to take over Liverpool. Yet, in the face of widespread acclaim from large sections of the fanbase, the club’s greatest ever player was not entirely sold.
Steven Gerrard never criticized Slot as fiercely as some other pundits. The retired midfielder’s penchant for caution extended towards his potential successor, who is widely considered to be the only possible candidate to arrive in the Anfield dugout this summer. The relationship between Iraola and Liverpool’s sporting director Richard Hughes, who used to hold the same role at Bournemouth, has underpinned this presumed certainty.
