20 Jul 2026 12:38:55
We had a visitor at work today who just so happened to be a Liverpool legend. I won't say who it was for obvious confidentiality reasons, but there was a photographer following him around all morning, so I'd imagine photos from the visit will probably end up on social media over the next few days.
Working in the industry, it's not unusual for people from football to come in and check on their investments. Today was one of those days.
I managed to have a quick chat with him. To be honest, I was pretty star struck. I didn't want to be another person asking about transfers, specific players or stories from his playing days. Instead, I asked what the biggest differences were between the Klopp era, the current setup, and now Iraola coming in. I also asked whether the shift in culture behind the scenes was as noticeable internally as it seems from the outside.
He just looked at me for a few seconds, took a breath, and in his thick accent simply said, "Son...
you have no idea."
That was it.
The way he said it stuck with me more than the words themselves. You could almost see the enthusiasm leave him for a moment. Maybe I touched a nerve without meaning to. My colleagues have spent the last 20 minutes calling me "Joy Killer" because apparently I killed the mood.
It genuinely left me feeling a bit deflated though. Seeing someone who's given so much to the club and who clearly still cares deeply about it react like that wasn't easy. Maybe I'm reading too much into it, but it didn't feel like the answer of someone who's happy with how things are behind the scenes.
Hopefully Iraola can bring some of that joy back. For all the speculation from the outside, hearing such a simple response from someone who's been around the club carried a lot more weight than I expected.
20 Jul 2026 13:14:10
Racking my brains to think who has a thick accent and would start a sentence with the word 'Son'. I'm getting 'Scottish vibes', so I'm thinking King Kenny, Hansen or Souness.
20 Jul 2026 13:27:45
Some of the ITKs were reporting major issues driven by Michael Edwards blocking anything moving. He's now gone. Plus Richard Hughes is due to leave when this window shuts, which is a bit weird (here you are, spend a few £ hundred Million and then be on your way...) I'm hoping Iraloa and Hughes will work well to get what is needed, they have worked closely and successfully before and know each other well.
20 Jul 2026 13:30:13
Me too! Kenny first came to mind. He would also never say anything negative about the club.
20 Jul 2026 13:41:43
Was it Torben Pichnik? ??
20 Jul 2026 14:12:09
I was thinking Veggard Heggem.
20 Jul 2026 14:30:25
I know for a fact, second hand info from someone still at the club, that Klopp was not always the easiest person to work with. As all elite professionals are, he was very demanding of people, and he challenged them to constantly improve.
I expect that kind of culture behind the scenes, and I hope that Iraola brings it back. A joyful culture is a successful one, but you need to work hard to achieve it.
20 Jul 2026 14:50:10
Was it Erik Meijer?
20 Jul 2026 15:05:57
I reckon it was Bill Shankley.
20 Jul 2026 15:24:01
Sounds like Souness.
20 Jul 2026 15:34:46
My money's on Jimmy Krankie.
20 Jul 2026 15:35:36
It certainly won't be Suarez, Chewy.
20 Jul 2026 15:39:43
King Kenny 'Son' is definitely a Kenny phrase.
20 Jul 2026 16:57:28
I'm thinking Alan Hanson.