“I could not be more excited” – Andoni Iraola previews Liverpool’s clash with Nottingham Forest

“I could not be more excited” – Andoni Iraola previews Liverpool’s clash with Nottingham Forest Andoni Iraola Targets Anfield Edge as Liverpool Open at Anfield Liverpool begin their 2026-27 Premier League home campaign against Nottingham Forest with a new head coach, a familiar pressure and an obvious demand. Win early, settle quickly and make Anfield matter. That is the central point from Andoni Iraola ahead of Saturday’s first league game at L4 this season. He is not dressing it up. He knows what the ground can be, he has felt it from the away dugout and now he wants Liverpool to use it properly. Atmosphere alone achieves nothing. The team have to trigger it. Iraola writes : “I know for our supporters Saturday will be a day that you have looked forward to since the fixtures came out back in June,” and that much is straightforward. First home game, fresh season, new coach, plenty of curiosity. At a club like Liverpool, that creates noise by default. The harder bit is turning noise into pressure on the opposition and composure for the home side. Anfield atmosphere must be earned This is where Iraola is being sensible. He is not asking for blind emotion detached from what happens on the pitch. He is saying the players and staff have a duty to provide the crowd with something to attach itself to. That is the correct reading of a stadium like Anfield. He puts it clearly: “For this to happen – for the stadium and the supporters who make it what it is – I know the responsibility rests with the players and myself to give you something to respond to.” There is no mystery here. Intensity, commitment, front-foot football, clear intent. If Liverpool show that, the ground follows. If they drift, the edge softens. Photo: IMAGO Iraola adds: “It is always true that if the energy is positive on the pitch it will almost certainly be positive in the stands. Feeding off each other can give us such an advantage, so hopefully we can begin our home campaign by bringing out the best in one another.” Again, blunt and accurate. Support is strongest when it feels reciprocal. He has already sampled the place in pre-season against AS Monaco and Como 1907, but he is realistic enough to know those games barely count when compared to a league fixture. He says: “At the same time, I always knew that our shared Anfield journey would begin for real when points are at stake.” Correct. Friendlies are rehearsal. This is the start of the job. Liverpool home advantage depends on identity Iraola’s bigger point is about identity. Liverpool supporters do not just want effort, they want recognition, a side that reflects the club, the city and the mood in the stands. He knows that too. “This objective has been very much at the forefront of my mind since I took over as head coach in June. The passion of the Liverpool fans is something we do not just want to tap into, we have to.” There is substance in that line. Liverpool have changed manager after a poor 2025-26 campaign and there is little value in pretending a reset happens by itself. The bond between team and crowd has to be rebuilt through performances, through habits and through a style people can identify with. As Iraola says: “I have already said that this is a special club and one of the things that makes it so special is the passion of the people. Football is not just something you watch if you are a Liverpool supporter, it is something you participate in with incredible emotion.” He is right. Liverpool crowds respond to honesty in performance. If they see it, they commit fully. He continues: “Again, the best way for us to feel this is to drive that emotion with how we play. Identifying with the people, with the city and with the values that the club has is a big part of this.” That is not sentimental language. It is practical. Teams that connect with the place tend to get more from it. Nottingham Forest provide an immediate test The opponent matters here. Nottingham Forest are not arriving as background noise. Iraola acknowledges that: “On Saturday, the challenge will come from a Nottingham Forest team which has proved itself to be such a difficult opponent in recent seasons.” That is fair. Forest have been competitive, organised and awkward. Anyone expecting a comfortable opening home win is guessing. Liverpool’s opening weekend at Newcastle, referenced by Iraola, apparently showed both progress and unfinished business. That also sounds right for a team learning a new coach’s demands. He says: “Yes, we know that the short time we have spent together so far means we cannot expect to be the finished article – last weekend at Newcastle showed both the work that we have done and the work we still need to do – but this is part of my excitement.” That is probably the healthiest line in the lot. No grand promises, no excuses either. Liverpool are still being built. The expectation, though, remains immediate. “This does not mean I do not expect to win now, I do. This is our responsibility in every game we play. It is not about setting targets a long time from now.” Good. At Liverpool, long-term process talk only works if short-term competitiveness is visible. Andoni Iraola wants fast progress at Liverpool So Saturday is about more than three points, though the three points are the first priority. It is about whether Liverpool can start creating a proper home rhythm under Iraola, whether Anfield can become a factor early and whether the players show enough clarity to bring the crowd with them. The closing instruction from the head coach is the simplest and probably the most important: “We have to be prepared for that. Most of all, we have to be ready to make the most of Anfield.” That is the assignment. Nothing complicated, nothing abstract. Use the stadium, play with purpose, beat a tough opponent and give this new era a credible first home step.