Analysis of Liverpool under Andoni Iraola: Is the team beginning to take shape? Meanwhile, Newcastle United faces internal division, parting ways with Eddie Howe.
On 31 Jul 2026 GMT+7, an analysis of Liverpool under new Spanish manager Andoni Iraola shows the team beginning to find its form. At the same time, Newcastle United is fractured after parting ways with English manager Eddie Howe over disagreements regarding selling key players and the club's direction. This was discussed on the "Clear Along the Sidelines" program on Thairath Sport, hosted by "Jay" Worapat Arunphakdi, with football experts "Tangui" Natthapol Damrongrojwattana and "Meng Summerhill" Chumpot Songsaisakul providing insights.
"Tangui" Natthapol Damrongrojwattana commented on Newcastle's management approach: "Newcastle has changed its policy and management. They now buy affordable players and are ready to sell for profit to increase margins. They can't invest unlimited funds like in Roman Abramovich's era when he took over Chelsea. Nowadays, owners can't freely spend financially as before because of spending caps. Even if they accept losses, they must comply with limits. They can't invest hundreds or a thousand million pounds like before."
"They have money but can't spend much because spending must match their income. Unlike clubs like Manchester United or Liverpool, their other revenue streams aren't as large. So, we must see where the team is headed, especially as they have sold key players like Alexander Isak, Sandro Tonali, Anthony Gordon, and Bruno Guimarães, who is linked with Arsenal. Most key players are sold, even though the first wasn't willing to be sold."
Meanwhile, "Meng Summerhill" Chumpot Songsaisakul spoke about Liverpool's new era: "The difference from before is that in the first year when Arne Slot arrived, there was no World Cup, allowing the core team to install the system during pre-season. The team started strong and went on to win the Premier League. But Andoni Iraola's situation is different because of the World Cup, with many key players away. This means some youth players must fill in. Every big team faces this problem. The focus now is on establishing a playing system until the main players return. We'll have to see how effective the team is when the full squad is back."