Andoni Iraola Q&A: Leadership style, LFC squad, pre-season and more

What is your plan to speak to the players? It’s a difficult period when they’re away with World Cup squads, but do you plan to have conversations with them on the phone?

For me right now, I think it’s more than talk to the players. Some of them will be on deserved holidays, some of them will be with their national teams. I want to talk to the staff, to the people that were here every day, that know very well the players, to arrive as ready as possible to that first day of pre-season. I think especially with a lot of those young players that will do the pre-season with us, a lot of things about the organisation, about the staff, about how we can create the best atmosphere, the best environment so when they arrive [on] day one, everyone feels everything is in place and we can do this process of adaptation, that it will take some time as soon as possible.

We are in this process of building the best staff we can. Now for me, the most important thing is to also know and get into a rhythm with the people that were already here working. Sometimes they don’t appear on TV; with all the analysts, the performance guys, all the people that really are in touch with the players every day. I think they are going to be very, very valuable for us. It’s true that it’s going to be new staff, new people coming in, but I would like also to value a lot the ones that have been here working for the club with these players, that are really the ones that will help us more at the beginning.

Do you have an idea in your mind when the players will return for pre-season?

Yes, there was already a lot of work done even before we arrived, and we are trying to change as little as possible for the beginning. Obviously there will be different timetables, some of them depending how far they arrive with the national teams [at the World Cup], they will incorporate later or sooner. I think everything is in place so everything is quite smooth and there are no problems.

One of the first jobs you have is to take the squad on pre-season tour to the USA and three games over there. Are you really looking forward to seeing how big the club is worldwide?

Yes. I was also in pre-season with Bournemouth in the US, based also in Chicago. It’s a very good chance to see the first games of the team. And for me personally, I’m sure I will also realise – I already know but I also will realise – how big this club is, how global this club has become, that we have supporters everywhere around the world. And I hope we can give them also good games.

• Buy tickets for the Reds’ three USA pre-season matches here