but don't compare Liverpool boss to Xabi Alonso'

Former Liverpool striker Fernando Morientes says he is delighted to see Andoni Iraola given a chance as head coach at Anfield, claiming the new boss has been "turning heads for a long time". But the ex-Spain striker, who made 61 appearances for the Reds between 2005 and 2006, insists there is little point comparing Iraola with Xabi Alonso, the former Liverpool midfielder who is set to take charge of Chelsea this coming campaign. Iraola was appointed as Arne Slot's successor just days after the 2025 Premier League winner was relieved of his duties at Anfield following a disappointing fifth-place finish. After leading Bournemouth to sixth in the Premier League, the out-of-contract Iraola was appointed as the new head coach at Liverpool in early June and Morientes thinks it's the perfect time for the Basque coach to now show his credentials at a European giant. "I think [Alonso and Iraola] are two coaches who are alike in many ways," Morientes told Reviant. "It's hard to say for certain who'd perform better or worse. "They've both been footballers themselves, they know exactly how a squad's inner workings function. "Xabi Alonso has already seen both sides of the coin, he knows what it is to succeed at Bayer Leverkusen, and he already knows what it is not to deliver and get shown the door, as happened at Real Madrid. "Iraola gives me the feeling he's climbed the ladder more calmly, step by step, and he's caught the attention of the powerful clubs. In this case it seems like a very good decision by Liverpool to give an opportunity to a coach who's been turning heads for a long time. "And everyone who knows Iraola a little, his personality, his way of coaching, his way of seeing football, I think he's a coach for a big club, and I hope it goes well for him, because that would be a good sign, and it would mean the decision-maker got it right." Morientes added: "Iraola did very well at Rayo and has impressed in the Premier League. He is a football strategist. In big teams you sometimes need to free up individual talent rather than over-structure everything tactically. "Iraola is an excellent coach with a huge future." FOLLOW OUR LIVERPOOL FC FACEBOOK PAGE! All the latest news and analysis from Anfield on the Liverpool Echo's dedicated LFC Facebook page