Carragher reverses Liverpool title scepticism as Man City charges loom over Premier League

Jamie Carragher has publicly reversed his scepticism about Liverpool’s Premier League title prospects under Andoni Iraola, arguing in his column for The Telegraph that Manchester City’s 115 financial rule breach charges make a substantial punishment — and its impact on the title race — all but inevitable.

Carragher, who initially questioned whether Iraola had the credentials to manage one of England’s elite clubs, admitted he was among those who viewed the appointment as a gamble. “My fear at the start of the season was that Liverpool employed a manager who had never won a trophy, nor managed in European competition,” he wrote. “These did not strike me as solid credentials for a job of such stature.”

The former Liverpool and England defender also pointed to the circumstances surrounding the hire, noting that the executives who selected Iraola — chief executive Michael Edwards and sporting director Richard Hughes — subsequently announced their own departures from the club.

Iraola, 44, joined Anfield in the summer following a three-year spell at Bournemouth that earned widespread praise. His Premier League experience, however, had been confined to a club outside the traditional top six, leaving questions about how his methods would translate at a higher level.

Four wins from his first eight Premier League fixtures, combined with a perfect record across three Champions League group-stage matches — enough to place Liverpool third in the competition table — appear to have shifted Carragher’s assessment. He now describes his position as one of “cautious optimism” having seen Iraola’s vision begin to take shape.

Central to Carragher’s revised title outlook is the ongoing uncertainty around Manchester City. He described it as “inconceivable” that a meaningful punishment stemming from the financial charges would not affect City’s ability to compete for the title, potentially removing one of the division’s dominant forces from contention.

Liverpool won the Premier League title under Arne Slot in the 2024/25 season, and Carragher now believes Iraola’s side could mount a credible challenge — a view he was not prepared to hold when the campaign began.