Mac Allister reveals something 'wasn't right' at Liverpool before Iraola transformed the dressing room

Alexis Mac Allister has lifted the lid on a troubled Liverpool dressing room under Arne Slot, crediting new head coach Andoni Iraola with turning the mood around after just a few months in charge. The Argentine scored twice in Liverpool’s Champions League comeback win over Villarreal on Tuesday, taking his tally to four goals across all competitions this season.

Speaking after the match, Mac Allister told presenter Gabby Logan: “Last season something wasn’t right in the group and this manager changed it, and that’s really important. The way we play is quite different, I don’t like to compare but I am really enjoying it. From the first day, I started seeing something. He’s a nice guy and the coaching staff is too. We are going in the right direction but we need to work and put in everything. Hopefully we can win some trophies.”

Slot guided Liverpool to the Premier League title in 2024/25, but the Reds’ defence of their crown faltered badly. Iraola, who took over from the Dutchman in June, has quickly made his presence felt — and not just in results. Liverpool have won all three of their Champions League group-stage fixtures under the former Bournemouth manager.

According to reports from The Athletic, one of Iraola’s most significant early changes has been the format of team meetings. Where Slot favoured classroom-style tactical briefings, the 44-year-old Basque coach prefers to deliver instructions on the training pitch. Liverpool’s U21 head coach Rob Page noted that Iraola had put his “stamp on it straight away”, pointing to a marked increase in the physical intensity of sessions.

Beyond the tactical shift, Iraola is said to keep conversations with players focused and concise, rarely straying into extended discussions away from sporting matters — a contrast in style that appears to have resonated with the squad.

For Mac Allister personally, the change in management has coincided with a return to form. The midfielder often struggled to impose himself during Slot’s second season in charge, but has looked a different player under Iraola — influential, energetic, and now among the team’s leading scorers.