Well, nobody saw that one coming quite so fast. Liverpool have reportedly reached a verbal agreement with Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola to take over at Anfield following the sacking of Arne Slot. For a club that spent the better part of last season looking like they had their house in perfect order, this is quite the dramatic turn of events.
Slot arrived at Liverpool with enormous expectations after the near-impossible task of following Jurgen Klopp, and it sounds like things simply did not work out the way the club had hoped. Whether that is down to results, dressing room dynamics, or something else entirely, Liverpool have clearly decided they need a change and they need it quickly.
Now, Iraola is a genuinely interesting appointment if it goes through. The Spaniard has done a terrific job at Bournemouth, turning a squad with limited resources into a team that is genuinely hard to beat and always looks organised and full of energy. He presses high, he demands intensity, and his players generally look like they actually want to run through walls for him. That kind of buy-in matters enormously at a place like Liverpool.
The obvious question is whether managing a top four club with Champions League ambitions and a fanbase that expects to win things is a different beast entirely compared to keeping Bournemouth punching above their weight in mid-table. It probably is. But then again, people said similar things before Klopp arrived and that worked out fairly well for them, as much as it pains a United fan to admit.
Iraola will walk into a squad with plenty of quality, and if he can get them firing consistently, Liverpool will be right back in the title conversation. The Premier League is better when Liverpool are competitive, even if the rest of us do not particularly enjoy watching them win.
It is an exciting appointment on paper, and one that suggests Liverpool are not content to simply tread water while they figure things out. Whether Iraola can deliver at that level remains to be seen, but the early signs of ambition are there.
Let me know your thoughts.