Ex-Liverpool star lists five managers the club should have considered before Andoni Iraola

Liverpool should have looked to appoint a ‘proven winner’ after sacking Arne Slot.

That is the view of former Reds striker Dean Saunders ahead of Andoni Iraola’s arrival as manager.

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The Spaniard is set to be appointed on a two-year deal after verbally agreeing terms with the Reds.

It comes after Slot was sacked on Saturday following two seasons in charge at Anfield.

However, Saunders believes his old club should have looked at candidates who know how to win football matches before turning to Iraola.

The former Bournemouth boss will arrive fresh from achieving the club’s highest-ever finish and securing a debut season in Europe.

Liverpool need a ‘winner’

Saunders reacted to the news of Iraola’s impending appointment on The Sports Bar alongside Jason Cundy on Tuesday.

The talkSPORT co-host admitted: “Only certain people can manage Liverpool.

“If I’m the recruitment team at Liverpool and I sack Slot, before I’ve sacked him, I’ve got to think to myself, ‘this bloke doesn’t know how to win games every week for Liverpool’.

“I went to Galatasaray and I played for Benfica. You can’t just win, you’ve got to win 4-0, you’ve got to win with a bit of style and every week. There’s no such thing as a draw, you can’t draw.

“I played for Derby, I played for Oxford, you’re allowed to have a bad run of results. A draw away from home is not bad, that’s a point.

“But at Liverpool, it’s a disaster if you draw. So you’ve got to have a manager (who is a winner).”

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Saunders’ Liverpool shortlist

Saunders spent a year with Liverpool between 1991 and 1992, winning the FA Cup during that time.

The Welshman argued that the Reds should have looked to the likes of Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola and Jose Mourinho after dismissing Slot.

He even put forward Paris Saint-Germain’s Luis Enrique and Brazil manager Carlo Ancelotti as potential candidates.

Revealing his preferred shortlist, Saunders added: “You think of people who know how to win football matches and they know how to take the game to the opposition. They know how to break parking the bus down every week. They know how to do it.

“Liverpool can pay the manager whatever they want. They’re the richest club, not the richest club, but they’ve got the biggest wage.

“So I would think if we’re going to sack Slot, who can we get? Do you think we can get Jurgen Klopp back? Let’s try him.

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“We can’t get Jurgen Klopp, what about Pep Guardiola? Can we get Pep? This is what I’d start thinking. If we got any of them two, we’re going to win. We’re going to win games and leagues.

“Can’t get them, they’ve said no. Pep says, ‘no, I’m having a couple of years off.’ What about Enrique? No, doesn’t want to leave PSG.

“What about Mourinho? What about Mourinho? Proven winner. Would you take Mourinho? Proven winner, not the manager of Bournemouth. He would never manage Bournemouth.

“None of those managers would manage clubs halfway up the league. So I would go through the list. Ancelotti, would he leave Brazil at the end of the World Cup and come manage us?

“I would go through that list before I started going into (Xabi) Alonso, (Steven) Gerrard, Iraola, young managers. I would start at the people who know how to win football matches.”

Klopp remains away from the dugout after leaving Liverpool in 2024 following just under nine years in charge.

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Meanwhile, Guardiola is fresh from stepping down as Manchester City boss.

Mourinho is also unavailable, with the Portuguese set to be named as the new Real Madrid manager.

Iraola latest

Liverpool have verbally agreed terms with Iraola to replace Slot on a two-year deal, talkSPORT understands.

Formal talks are now set to begin with Bournemouth regarding his backroom team.

Iraola is keen to bring Tommy Elphick, Shaun Cooper and analyst Tom Webber with him to Anfield.

Out of contract coach Pablo de La Torre is also free to complete a switch to Liverpool as part of his staff.

An agreement between the two clubs is expected to be made this week.