Liverpool warned of "only concern" with Andoni Iraola appointment amid Thomas Frank repeat fear

Former Liverpool midfielder Danny Murphy has revealed his "only concern" over the appointment of Andoni Iraola as the Reds' new head coach, in an exclusive interview with Sports Mole.

Iraola was headhunted by Liverpool even before the Reds confirmed Slot's sacking, and the Spaniard was swiftly instilled as the Dutchman's successor just a few days later.

Pierre Sage and Sebastian Hoeness were also linked with the Anfield position, but Iraola was the number one candidate after leading Bournemouth to their highest-ever Premier League points total and first-ever European qualification last season.

The 43-year-old had supposedly earned admiring glances from Real Madrid, Manchester United, Chelsea and Bayer Leverkusen as well, having introduced a high-octane, aggressive style of play at the Vitality Stadium, which bore fruit.

Murphy has no concerns over whether Liverpool's players will need time to adapt to Iraola's demands, but he is slightly apprehensive about how the new coach manages the intensity of his practice sessions as he juggles European and domestic football.

Danny Murphy reveals "only concern" over Andoni Iraola Liverpool appointment

"I believe fans can be patient with a new manager if they see there’s progression and evidence of what he’s trying to do," Murphy said. "We saw that with Jurgen Klopp during his early days as manager.

"There will obviously be pressure on winning games, because you’re the manager of Liverpool Football Club and they’ve just had a poor season, but I think the players will adapt quicker because he’s joined the club before pre-season, so they’ll have more time.

"I also think they’ll adapt quickly because they’ll enjoy Iraola’s style of play. Players generally enjoy playing braver football where you have to be on the front foot.

"The only concern I have is how well he manages the intensity of training, because Liverpool play a lot more games than Bournemouth throughout the course of the season.

"There might be a small period at the start of the season where they’re trying to get things right, but I don’t think it will take took long."

Liverpool warned of possible Thomas Frank repeat with Andoni Iraola

Not every manager can waltz into a Big Six club from a less revered team and make the desired impact, and Tottenham Hotspur swiftly found that out last season.

Thomas Frank had earned numerous plaudits for his work at Brentford, but the Dane never had to work around Premier League and Champions League commitments at the Gtech Community Stadium, which all changed in North London.

After taking 1.51 points per game at Brentford, Frank's ratio dropped to 1.29 during his short-lived Tottenham spell, during which he won just 13 of a possible 38 matches and left on an eight-game Premier League winless streak.

A slew of injuries did not help the Scandinavian, but as Murphy alluded to, failure to adapt to an unrelenting schedule could potentially be to blame for some players' bodies breaking down.

Support in the transfer window could be crucial to Iraola's chances of success, and Murphy has also urged Liverpool to "break the bank" for a £120.9m Mohamed Salah replacement, whose name is not Yan Diomande.

Danny Murphy was speaking to Sports Mole on behalf of NetBet Sports Betting.