Andoni Iraola has made an unbeaten start as Liverpool boss – but will he get lift-off at Anfield in the huge clash with Manchester City on Sunday? The impact of the new Reds boss is assessed in the latest Sky Sports Premier League podcast. Peter Smith is joined by reporters Vinny O'Connor and Mark McAdam, and writer Dan Morgan to pick over the standout tactical ideas Iraola has brought to Liverpool so far and weigh up the impact of summer signings on the balance of the squad.
They also preview the hotly-anticipated showdown with City, which could prove to be a decisive moment at the start of Iraola's reign… "What I've seen from Andoni Iraola is that he's happy to make big decisions - and it was a big decision to leave out Jeremie Frimpong and bring in Ronald Araujo at right-back and it's worked. Liverpool needed to be more solid; they've done that "Leaving Ryan Gravenberch out, for instance, as well. Iraola has taken that decision.
When he's decided to use the youngsters - Lewis Koumas, playing him up front; when he's brought in Trey Nyoni. It seems he's given the trust to the youngsters and that's a real big plus. "It's not all been perfect but we're gradually beginning to see Iraola's influence with the press.
Teams aren't able to settle on the ball as much as they would like to against Liverpool, they're not allowing teams as many passes. "Yes, at times they've still been caught on the break and that's an area for improvement and I think he's still trying to strive for that ideal balance in midfield. "But with those three clean sheets in the Premier League in the last three games we're seeing a team that defends the box a lot better, and when they've got the ball, they're getting the ball forward quicker and creating chances, which bodes well for the future.
"We're seeing the signs that it's going to get that little bit more exciting and I don't think we're too far away from seeing more regular high octane football under him." "The key thing is they're unbeaten. When you go into a new football club, don't lose games! But that big win in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid is a massive plus because not only does that show that they can win games but they can do it against the big teams, the big hitters, those sides that are going to challenge them.
"I've been really impressed so far. There's been a transition period and the key thing that Andoni will need - and what he had at Bournemouth - was time. Time on the training pitch, time to work with the players, time to understand the players.
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