Liverpool will travel to St James’ Park to take on Newcastle United tomorrow as they aim to kickstart the 2026-27 Premier League season.
The Reds will be without a handful of key players due to injuries but have three new signings to turn to in Victor Munoz, Jeremy Jacquet and Ronald Araujo.
Andoni Iraola has already made quite the impression at the club and has said all the right things to endear himself to the Anfield faithful.
And now, he feels his side are being underestimated ahead of the new season.
Andoni Iraola says Liverpool are underrated
While Arsenal head into the season as overwhelming favourites to win back-to-back Premier League titles, most pundits didn’t give Liverpool too much as a chance to win major honours this season.
“Yes, I can feel a little bit [that people underestimate us],” the 44-year-old said in his pre-match press conference when asked if his side are being written off early.
“Because of the questions you ask me. We have to value the good players we have.
“Sometimes the players are here for three or four seasons and we are not aware how good some of our players are. I know this is the situation. The market is not closed, still we have more time to add players.
“Probably we have the advantage that I am not new and I value a lot of the players I have here. I can tell you that I am very confident in terms of the quality of the players I have.
“[Pre-season] has confirmed what I expected from most of the players. You enjoy being part of the training and seeing them perform well.”
Iraola has talked the talk, but will his players walk the walk tomorrow on a tricky away ground against a side desperate to make a mark under a new manager? Time will tell.
