Sean Dyche has described new Liverpool head coach Andoni Iraola’s style as “lower-league football, but at a high level,” in an unusual compliment to the Spaniard’s tactical approach.
Speaking on the Good, the Bad and the Football podcast, the former Everton manager said Iraola had impressed him by adapting his philosophy.
“The irony of it is [he] basically plays lower-league football, but at a high level,” Dyche said. “They turn you and turn you, and almost force you into submission. High quality and high energy version. And that’s a big compliment.”
Dyche said Bournemouth initially tried to build in a more traditional possession-based style before Iraola adjusted.
“I marvelled at it because we ran all over them at Everton when he was trying to play what you would imagine is the Spanish way,” he said. “I think he is brilliant at managing, as you could tell he went, ‘this ain’t going to work.'”
“The next time we played them, he is bombing it down our throats, getting us turned, full backs keep turning and having to run back towards their own goal, centre halves thinking that they never get a break.
“They looked a different outfit and he’s done a brilliant job.”
Iraola left Bournemouth to replace Arne Slot as Liverpool head coach earlier this summer after guiding the south-coast club to European qualification last season.
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On the podcast, Dyche also hit out at Everton’s transfer strategy while he was at the club.
“When you are at somewhere a longer period like I was at Burnley, after year three or four we have got it up and running, it is working, everyone knows their roles,” he said.
“You can delegate better, once that trust builds and you are onto something, the CEO, data analysts and sports science knows what you are thinking, then it is really easy.
‘It is not so easy going to Everton, where it is like a f—ing s—show and it is constant putting out fires.”
Dyche left Everton in 2025 before a brief spell at Nottingham Forest.
