31 May 2026 12:44:55
I have huge reservations about Iraola. I was trying to wrack my brains to remember a Premier League manager who has made the step up from a smaller Premier League club and won the league. There are none.
Since its inception there have been 13 PL winning managers.
Ferguson - 13
Guardiola - 6
Wenger - 3
Mourinho - 3
Dalglish - 1
Ancelotti - 1
Pellegrini - 1
Mancini - 1
Ranieri - 1
Conte - 1
Klopp - 1
Slot - 1
Arteta - 1
The main common denominator seems to be a manager who has won things elsewhere before they came to the Premier League or won things with other clubs in the Premier League with the odd exception like Arteta who is in his first managerial post.
We have seen time and time again that just because you do well at Bournemouth, Brentford, Hull etc it does not translate well to stepping up to one of the biggest clubs in the world. This is pretty much 100% of the time.
Iraola will be a disaster in my opinion. I hope I’m wrong, but I think we have just stepped out of the frying pan and are about to jump straight into the fire.
{Ed001's Note - how often does a manager from a smaller team get the chance to step up in the Prem?}
31 May 2026 13:13:07
Now change your search to when football began, mate. Plenty of managers before the EPL was formed that came from so-called smaller clubs and did well. Football wasn't invented in 1993. Two of the greatest managers of all time, Shankly and Busby, started off in the lower leagues.
Daft perspective, mate, have you seen what he has done at Bournemouth? Absolutely no reason why he can't be a success at Liverpool.
31 May 2026 13:13:38
Managers have to step up at some point to win things. Unless you're an ex player for one of the big clubs, you generally don't get the chance.
31 May 2026 13:15:20
In terms of managers stepping up from a lower club in the PL to a club with reasonable prospects of winning the league, I can only think of Moyes at United, Rodgers here, and Potter at Chelsea.
And United brought in 3 managers with no previous PL experience, as well as Mourinho, and they didn't win the league cos the club is a basket case.
Likewise, since Mourinho's second spell at Chelsea, they brought in Sarri, Pochettino and Rosenior from outside the PL, all of whom failed to win the league (although Conte did win the PL and Tuchel the CL in that period).
31 May 2026 13:19:06
Writing off the guy based on generalised stats (not his own as coach) before he's even signed.
He won't be worse than Slot and has all pr most of the ingredients to do well for us.
My only concern is Edwards and Hughes.
I just hope they're able to get good signings that will work for the new coach, and they get a well balanced team, but it could be a 2-year process with the amount of work we need in the transfer department.
31 May 2026 13:21:54
I share your concerns with Iraola becoming manager, but not because I think he will be a disaster as you put it, far from it. I'm more in the frame of mind that we should be looking for a more prestigious and experienced manager such as Enrique. I also think someone like Enrique would have more pulling power when it came to attracting new and top talent to the club. Him arriving, and bringing the likes of Kvatasheialala with him, would be a dream come true.
However, the managerial options seem limited right now.
There are pros to Iraola, as he has prem experience, gets his team punching above their weight, plays decent football, and seems like a nice bloke. The only other hesitation I have with him is, will he be wanting away after a year because his wife does not like the grey skied riviera of the north?
31 May 2026 13:34:19
People have said that Iraola doesn't care to be involved in choosing players, but who dictates the style of play?
Edwards, or any non football person, should not be choosing how we play, which is reserved for those who have gone on to prove themselves as managers and coaches.
Where is the line?
31 May 2026 13:48:16
Racking my brains to think of how many times a lower Prem side manager has actually been given a chance at a club with a realistic chance, and I couldn’t come up with many; David Moyes (Everton to United), Brendan Rodgers (Swansea to Liverpool), Graham Potter (Brighton to Chelsea), Mark Hughes maybe at a push (Blackburn to Man City).
Other than that, I’m really struggling to think of another decent example. Moyes, Potter and Hughes barely got a chance (all less than 18 months), and Rodgers actually came quite close after being given about 3 seasons, but then it all fell apart.
{Ed001's Note - exactly, they don't get the chance.}
31 May 2026 14:08:00
Dalglish won the Premier League with a smaller club - Blackburn, 1st season after promotion.
Ranieri won the Premier League with a small club, 1 season after a relegation battle.
So there you go, 2 out of 13 have turned a small club into champions.
31 May 2026 14:17:42
Would Feyenoord count as a small club? Just saying. ?
31 May 2026 14:19:48
I don't think it's fair to generalise like that, as there's always a first time. Klopp was the first German manager to win the league.
When Slot arrived, we were told you'll never win the league with a Dutch manager.
Dalglish and Arteta - Liverpool and Arsenal were their first managerial experiences.
Wenger had managed Monaco, but then he left and managed in Japan, before he left for Arsenal.
Ferguson was manager of Aberdeen, which I know were a good team in the 80's, but Aberdeen to Man U.
If Moyes had taken over Man U after another manager, he probably would have stayed longer.
A manager doesn't make the step up from a small club to a bigger club and wins the league until they do. Who's to say Iraola won't be the first.
31 May 2026 14:29:08
What about Howard Wilkinson at Leeds?
31 May 2026 14:32:56
I don't care to be honest. Iraola plays really good football, I'm excited to actually want to watch us play again. It's supposed to be escapism and entertainment - Slot's brand of football had me escaping from watching us.
31 May 2026 14:38:21
Ignore my post. I misread some of the message. Also, that Dalglish won the PL with Blackburn. Blame Sunday's.
But, you do need to look past the PL, and there are a lot of managers that moved up from the lower leagues and took a team to the First Division (before the PL) title.
31 May 2026 14:56:32
I wouldn't count Mark Hughes as moving from a mistake club to a top one because City weren't a top club when he joined them. Iirc, he joined them when they were still owned by Thaksin, but continued when the current owners purchased the club.
31 May 2026 15:16:42
You're right, Ed. They never get the chance. Now if Iraola left Bmouth because he was ready to step up, compete and win things in the PL and and Europe (as you already said in another thread) then, LFC have given him that chance. We shall see what he (Iraola) does.
31 May 2026 20:40:59
There's been a few.
Esposito - Wolves to Spurs.
Frank - Brentford to Spurs.
Wilder - Shef Utd to Villa.
Howe - Bournemouth to Newcastle.
Potter - Brighton to Chelsea.
Moyes - Everton to Man Utd.
Only one still has the job in Howe, and he could go soon.
{Ed001's Note - Spurs don't win trophies, so no way you can include them and Villa were not in a good position when Wilder came in.}