If it was Andoni Iraola’s excellence that took him to Liverpool, he and they almost had cause to rue it. Bournemouth ended the season on the charge, unbeaten in 18 league games. Liverpool finished it on the slide, taking just two points from their last four matches, winning only three in 10.
Had the campaign gone on for another couple of weeks, Bournemouth would probably have leapfrogged Liverpool. And if that would have rendered Arne Slot’s dismissal more of a formality, it would have denied Iraola Champions League football at Anfield next season, after he was officially confirmed as Reds boss on Thursday evening.
