Wirtz will love him: Liverpool could hire "the best coach in the Premier League"

Liverpool are firing on all cylinders this season, said not one member of the Anfield persuasion.

In truth, this has been as tough a campaign as any in modern times at Liverpool, whose Premier League title triumph last season has become a long and distant memory, replaced by miserable fortunes that have left Arne Slot fighting to secure a place in next season's Champions League.

The hopes of making it a title-winning season ride on overturning a two-goal deficit in their Champions League quarter-final tie against Paris Saint-Germain. Should the Reds achieve that feat on Tuesday evening, they will then have to beat one of Real Madrid or Bayern Munich for a place in the final. It's probably not going to happen.

Slot is under fire all right, and if the Dutch coach is fired at the end of the season, FSG will need identify the perfect replacement to catapult the club back into the ascendancy.

Arne Slot at risk of being fired by Liverpool

Liverpool beat Fulham at the weekend, and Chelsea's defeat to Manchester City a day later means that Slot has tightened his grip on Champions League qualification.

Still, there's a lot of uncertainty, and if the Reds scrape a top-five finish, it still may not be enough to save the job of Liverpool's title-winning head coach.

The unemployed Xabi Alonso is the obvious choice to replace Slot in the dugout, but whether Liverpool make that call remains to be seen. After all, Alonso isn't the only coach who could make a difference.

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola demonstrated his quality as one of Europe's most talented young coaches with a confident Premier League win over title favourites Arsenal on Saturday, and given that Liverpool are interested in the Spaniard, a deal may well be done this summer.

Iraola, 43, is out of contract at the Vitality at the end of the season, and he will have no shortage of suitors. Athletic Bilbao in his homeland are among the favourites, and Crystal Palace are pushing too.

Though Iraola is a relatively inexperienced coach, especially for a top-performing club like Liverpool, he has so much potential and would bring a more recognisable system to the club than Alonso would employ at the helm.

How Iraola would prove an upgrade on Alonso and Slot

Alonso achieved greatness with Bayer Leverkusen in Germany, but he didn't last long at the Real Madrid helm and has left FSG with something of a conundrum as they weigh up the risk factor involved in sacking Slot and bringing him in.

It's a tough one, but appointing Iraola at the end of his Cherries contract might actually be the better move for the Anfield side, with Alonso's countryman hailed as the "best coach in the Premier League" by The Athletic's James Horncastle.

That might seem a bit too much, but there is substance to the bold claim. Iraola, who typically lines up with a 4-2-3-1 formation, would help the likes of Florian Wirtz click into gear while providing a smooth structure for one such as Alexander Isak to fire home the goals.

Wirtz has had a tough first year in the Premier League, unable to maintain the world-class level that he produced under Alonso's wing at Leverkusen. Many feel that he will still come good, but the 22-year-old joined for £115m and he hasn't been good enough.

Isak hasn't played much football for Liverpool, truth be told, but Wirtz has now completed over 2000 minutes of Premier League football, and he has little success to show for it.

With Iraola at the helm, Liverpool could click into gear, playing with the kind of intensity and focus that has been missing for so much of the season.

Alonso's three-man backline and emphasis on control could see him split opinion as Slot's replacement. Indeed, Iraola would give rise to a Jurgen Klopp-esque style, whereas Alonso's way of playing is closer to the current boss's tactical implementation.

And perhaps more importantly, Iraola has build up a reputation in the Premier League over the past several years, redefining Bournemouth and drawing attention from those like Horncastle, who have made their arguments after watching his team grow.

Most would concur that Liverpool stand a decent chance of improving on this season's form next year, even if FSG keep the faith in their under-fire manager. However, Iraola's fresh and front-footed ideas could allow the squad to pivot back to their former playing style, in turn allowing Isak and Wirtz to find their feet and start playing like the superstars that they were billed as when signed for such gargantuan transfer fees.

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