It was somewhat of a baptism of fire when it came to Richard Hughes’ first summer at Liverpool.
Arriving as the Reds’ sporting director was never going to be an easy task. Joining against the backdrop of an iconic manager departing made it markedly more challenging.
Had Jurgen Klopp remained in the Anfield hot seat, it might have made the transition period easier. But that was the scenario Hughes was dealt. In fairness, it was no secret that Klopp was leaving, having announced the bombshell news four months before last season was over. While Hughes himself did not officially arrive until June 1 from AFC Bournemouth, he played a part in identifying Klopp’s successor along with Fenway Sports Group’s CEO of football Michael Edwards.
Arne Slot was the man who Hughes and Edwards agreed on. “That philosophy, that playing style that attracted us to Arne is based on subjective footballing opinion and data as well, as you’d expect,” said Hughes during Slot’s first press conference as Liverpool’s head coach.
“In all the metrics, Arne’s Feyenoord team came out really well. The way they played with real front-foot, attacking football, played with intelligence, played with passion, and I think those are all attributes that we would welcome here at Liverpool. I think they lend really well with the current squad that we have, our supporters and the football club as a whole.”
It was an intriguing first summer for Hughes in his role. He had to take some flak from sections of supporters at times, especially with Martin Zubimendi being unable to be secured. That’s despite personal terms agreed and Liverpool willing to pay the midfielder’s £52 million in his Real Sociedad release clause. Zubimendi simply did not want to leave his boyhood club having been raised in the Basque region where they are proud of their heritage.
But securing Federico Chiesa for an initial fee of just £10 million was very well received, along with recruiting Giorgi Mamardashvili from Valencia for up to £29 million. Securing a combined total of up to £62 million for the sales of Fabio Carvalho, Sepp van den Berg and Bobby Clark also earned plenty of plaudits.
Hughes will next get judged on whether he can indeed secure Trent Alexander-Arnold, Mo Salah and Virgil van Dijk to new contracts. However, so far, it’s been a solid start. The appointment of Slot has indeed proven a savvy one so far after four wins in five matches. The transition from Klopp to the latest incumbent has been as seamless as anyone could have hoped for.
And when his former club Bournemouth make the trip to Anfield, there will be more evidence on display of Hughes’ prowess. The ex-Portsmouth midfield spent eight years as the Cherries’ technical director where he forged himself a stellar reputation. During his tenure, he signed the likes of Aaron Ramsdale, Milos Kerkez, Alex Scott and Antoine Semenyo, as well as netting large fees for Ramsdale, Callum Wilson and Nathan Ake.
But perhaps the decision he will be most remembered for was the appointment of Andoni Iraola. When Bournemouth opted to sack Gary O’Neil in June 2023, there was a furore. O’Neil landed the job after Scott Parker’s axing and successfully ensured the Cherries secured survival in their first season back in the Premier League. Initially taking charge in a caretaker capacity, Hughes’ former Pompey team-mate earned the role permanently and secured a 15th-place finish. That was regarded as an overachievement by man.
Yet the bold decision between Hughes and owner Bill Foley was made – they believed an upgrade was required. And the man they opted for was largely unheralded. Not too many on these shores had been aware of Iraola’s name. The Spaniard spent the majority of his playing career at Athletic Bilbao and won seven caps for his country. As a manager, he was prised from Rayo Vallecano, having secured 12th and 11th-place finishes in La Liga in the previous two seasons.
It was understandable why some were nonplussed. And Iraola’s start as Bournemouth boss led to immediate scrutiny and people questioning why O’Neil – subsequently appointed Wolves manager – was axed. Iraola didn’t win any of his nine games as Cherries chief, while Wolves made a blistering opening under O’Neil. When the two faced off last October, O’Neil – almost inevitably – engineered a 2-1 triumph.
“Leading up to the game this week, he would have been hoping and praying to come away from Bournemouth with three points,” all-time Premier League top scorer Alan Shearer told The Rest Is Football Podcast. “He would have loved to stand there with his middle finger like that up to the directors’ box. He will never admit it, but secretly inside he will be absolutely thinking, f*** you. That is exactly what he is thinking.
“They are sat in 12th position on 11 points, looking down at Bournemouth – the team that sacked him. We all thought it was a stupid and harsh decision and if Bournemouth don’t get results soon, I think they play Burnley at home next week and if they don’t get a result, you would fear for them.”
Undoubtedly, there would have been Bournemouth supporters growing increasingly worried the wrong decision was made. But Hughes stuck to his original decision and afforded Iraola time to impart his message and knowledge. It paid dividends. The south-coast club soon rocketed up the table and finished 12th on 48 points. That was a record points total in the top flight for the Cherries – and were two points above Wolves.
And this campaign, Bournemouth’s momentum has continued. They have five points from their opening four games, coming from two goals behind in the 87th minute to beat Everton 3-2 at Goodison Park while they missed a penalty in a 1-0 defeat by Chelsea last weekend. It’s been an encouraging start and the Cherries could well be aspiring towards a top-half finish.
Hughes will no doubt look forward to seeing a few old faces when his previous employers visit his new place of work. Exchanges with Iraola will be likely. He can be proud of recruiting the 42-year-old, who signed a contract extension after just one year at the Vitality Stadium helm. And as Hughes surveys Slot’s early work, it appears he may have got another appointment correct.
