Andoni Iraola's early impact as Liverpool manager is being assessed through possession trends and player feedback from the US tour. The Spaniard has overseen an unbeaten start of three wins and three draws from his first six games in charge, with the team currently sitting 10th in the Premier League on six points.

His first match in the dugout was a pre-season friendly win over Sunderland in Nashville, attended by 25,000 fans. Players were reportedly impressed with Iraola's hands-on approach during those initial training sessions in the United States, noting he spent significant time working with them on the grass.

Early possession trends

Iraola's tactical imprint is becoming visible in the team's ball retention. In Premier League draws against Newcastle and Nottingham Forest, Liverpool maintained possession above 50%. The only game where they dropped below that mark was the 2-1 home win over Atletico Madrid in early September. This suggests a shift towards a more controlled style, a hallmark of the 44-year-old's previous work at Bournemouth and Rayo Vallecano.

The recent 3-1 victory over Tottenham showed this growing cohesion, with goals from Alexis Mac Allister, Cody Gakpo and Dominik Szoboszlai. You can review the team's upcoming schedule, including the next test against Bournemouth, on our fixtures page.

Dressing room dynamics

Building trust and authority in a squad packed with strong personalities is a known challenge for any new manager at a top club. An agent familiar with the environment referenced the delicate power balance, alluding to past situations involving senior players. Historical examples from other clubs illustrate the scale of the task.

At Chelsea, some players reportedly referred to former manager Graham Potter by the wrong name behind his back. During David Moyes' brief tenure at Manchester United, players joked that reserve Bebe had more medals than the manager and chuckled when they saw him reading a management book on a team flight. Former United defender Patrice Evra summarised the era bluntly. "The players were in charge," he said.

Moyes also faced a bizarre incident during a pre-season tour, leading a squad walk on Bondi Beach against security advice and later requiring a police escort back to the team hotel.

Iraola's immediate task is to avoid such pitfalls while implementing his philosophy. The early feedback from his squad has been positive, a key foundation as he handles the demands of the Anfield hotseat. Liverpool's current form shows promise, with the team unbeaten in their last five matches across all competitions. For a detailed look at the squad he is managing, visit our squad section.

The next examination comes this weekend with a trip to face Bournemouth, the club Iraola previously led into European competition. A positive result there would solidify the encouraging, if unspectacular, beginning to his reign.

First reported at Daily Mail Sport