A Record-Breaking Start

Liverpool are preparing for a unique start to the Premier League season, facing six clubs with newly appointed managers in their first six top-flight matches. The schedule, set for the opening week of the 2024-25 campaign, means Liverpool will confront the new bosses of Nottingham Forest, Ipswich, Manchester City, Newcastle, Fulham and Bournemouth.

Andoni Iraola, who took over at Anfield in June after leaving Bournemouth, said the extra workload of preparing for a succession of fresh tactics would be a new part of his job. "We are facing a lot of new managers so there is an extra part of the job to do," he told reporters. "Analysing how they played in previous clubs, certain situations they can use against us, things they have been doing."

Liverpool’s analysis team is set to be the backbone of the preparation. Head of first-team analysis Jansen Moreno, first-team tactical analyst Tom Webber (who joined from Bournemouth), post-match analyst Joel Bonner and set-piece analyst Lewis Mahoney will map out opponent strategies. Set-piece duties will be handled by first-team coaches Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, working alongside Mahoney.

Anticipating Surprise Tactics

The six opponents bring a mix of experience and novelty. Nottingham Forest’s Oliver Glasner, Ipswich’s Gary O’Neil and Manchester City’s Enzo Maresca have all faced Liverpool before with other Premier League clubs. Newcastle’s Matthias Jaissle, Fulham’s Alvaro Arbeloa and Bournemouth’s Marco Rose are the other managers who will face Liverpool, each having had pre-season games at their new clubs to acclimatise.

Analysts will focus on the new managers’ previous styles, looking at formations, game-state changes and risk patterns. The Hudl Wyscout platform will provide extensive video footage, while shared Premier League tracking data will help fine-tune tactical tweaks. "The first thing I want to do is get the basic principles so I look at their formation and how that changes when they are winning or losing," a current international manager said.

The Anfield Edge

Iraola’s own unbeaten run at Bournemouth-18 games without defeat last season-remains the longest in the Premier League. He has also not lost any of his six top-flight meetings with Newcastle. "I cannot show my cards at the moment," Jaissle said to reporters last Saturday, hinting at the mystery each new manager will bring.

Liverpool’s pre-season focus on fitness and intensity, with fewer meetings than under Arne Slot, will be balanced by the analytical depth that the club has built. As the season progresses and games pile up, the element of surprise will naturally diminish, but the first week will see all nine new managers reveal their hands as the Premier League returns.