The honeymoon period is already over for Andoni Iraola at Liverpool, and he hasn't even taken charge of his first training session yet.

Three Reds legends have come out swinging with concerns about the Basque manager's appointment, creating an uncomfortable backdrop to what should be an exciting new chapter at Anfield. Jamie Carragher, Glen Johnson and Danny Murphy have all voiced serious reservations about whether the former Bournemouth boss is the right fit for Liverpool.

Their collective unease will give Richard Hughes and FSG considerable pause for thought about a decision that was supposed to signal fresh ambition following Arne Slot's weekend dismissal.

Carragher's intervention carries particular weight given his standing amongst supporters. The former defender believes Liverpool have made a fundamental error in not pursuing Xabi Alonso, who recently joined Chelsea instead.

"I would have changed him (Slot) for Xabi Alonso," Carragher said on The Overlap. "As soon as he went to Chelsea, I was thinking that I would keep Slot. When I was thinking about Alonso, it was also because he got the best out of Florian Wirtz."

The Bootle-born pundit's concerns run deeper than just missing out on Alonso though. He questioned the very logic behind the appointment: "If Liverpool chose Iraola over Alonso, it is very worrying for Liverpool. If it is because Alonso wants to play a back three, or his style of play, fair enough. But I am not sure Liverpool has the players to play Iraola's high-pressing game."

That final point about squad suitability strikes at the heart of modern football's biggest challenge. It's one thing appointing a manager with an attractive philosophy, quite another ensuring you have the personnel to execute it.

Glen Johnson echoed those concerns whilst drawing uncomfortable parallels with another appointment that promised much but delivered heartbreak. The former England full-back sees worrying similarities with Brendan Rodgers' ultimately unsuccessful tenure.

"There are similarities in the two situations," Johnson told the ECHO via LiveFootballTickets. "But I hope it's not the same process. Brendan Rodgers came into Liverpool and tried to mimic Jose Mourinho in terms of his training style and mentality, and I don't think Iraola will be going into Liverpool trying to copy a blueprint for success."

Johnson's concerns centre on the step up in expectations and pressure. "No disrespect to Bournemouth, but he is now managing at one of the biggest clubs in world football with some of the best players in the world at his disposal," he continued. "It is going to be a challenge for him to adapt to the pressures, but the club must believe in him, or they wouldn't have appointed him."

Danny Murphy completed the trio of dissenting voices with perhaps the most pointed criticism of all. The former midfielder questioned both Iraola's readiness for Liverpool's global scrutiny and whether the current squad can handle his demanding tactical approach.

"He's never managed a club of this size before, and he will be a little bit surprised at how intrusive it will be on his life when you manage Liverpool," Murphy warned. "Even as a player, that changes overnight because it's one of the biggest clubs in the world and everything you do will be scrutinised and talked about, locally and globally."

Murphy's tactical concerns mirror Carragher's squad-based worries. "The only other reservation is whether he will be able to play high-intensity football every few days because that will require a certain level of fitness, which we saw with Jurgen Klopp's teams with the flying full-backs, the midfield dynamism and the work-rate of the attackers," he explained.

His assessment of the current squad makes for uncomfortable reading: "It's difficult to see how to create that with what he's got at the moment so the summer transfer window is huge for Liverpool in that respect. The current squad lacks legs and dynamism and isn't filled with brilliant players off the ball."

These aren't casual observers throwing stones from the sidelines. These are three men who understand what it takes to succeed at Liverpool, who know the pressure that comes with representing this club, and who recognise the gap between promise and delivery.

For Richard Hughes, this represents his first major test as sporting director. The decision to bring in Iraola was his call, backed by FSG's ownership group. Having three club legends publicly questioning that judgement creates an unwelcome narrative before the new manager has even walked through Kirkby's doors.

The 43-year-old Iraola worked miracles at Bournemouth and has long been tipped for a role at one of Europe's top clubs. His more direct approach is anticipated to be closer in style to Jurgen Klopp than the recently dismissed Slot. But good intentions and past achievements at a smaller club don't guarantee success at Anfield.

What's particularly striking is how all three legends seem to agree on the fundamental challenges: the pressure of managing Liverpool, the tactical demands of implementing high-intensity football, and serious questions about squad suitability.

These concerns won't disappear overnight, and Iraola will need to address them quickly once he takes charge. The summer transfer window suddenly looks even more crucial than anyone imagined.