Andoni Iraola is everything you’d want in a manager… after horror start Spaniard has Cherries on fast-track to Europe
WHEN Andoni Iraola failed to win any of his first nine Premier League games as Bournemouth boss, some critics claimed he was on the verge of the sack.
But Cherries chiefs believed in Iraola so much that they considered giving him a new contract to shut the doubters up – and their faith has been justified in spades.
Since Bournemouth lost 2-1 at home to former boss Gary O’Neil and Wolves on October 21, 2023 – with 10 men and to an 88th-minute goal, by the way – their form has been excellent.
Across 39 games, in other words just over a season, they have won 60 points – the sixth-highest total.
Only Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal, Chelsea and Aston Villa are ahead of them in that table, which means Newcastle, Manchester United and Tottenham are all behind.
The Cherries’ success is a vindication of their early trust in Iraola and the way he and they have transformed the team into one of the most exciting in the Premier League.
And they are continuing to evolve this season.
Statistics show that Bournemouth are developing as an attacking force.
They have generated the fourth most shots, crosses and overall passes into the box, and are joint top for high turnovers leading to shots.
Their goal tally of 13 is a bit off their xG of 16.42.
But the finish by club record signing Evanilson to put them 2-0 up against champions City last weekend suggests Bournemouth are capable of putting the cherry on top of their attacking intensity more often.
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And having failed to beat any of last season’s top six in 2023/4, they have won against City and Arsenal, and drawn with Aston Villa, in their last three games.
How has Iraola done it? By all accounts, through the winning combination of being a top coach and a top bloke.
To stop afternoon team meetings and video analysis sessions becoming too intense, he breaks them up with outbreaks of fun.
Players enjoy games of football bingo in which a website generates a card with categories like “played under Jose Mourinho” or “won the top flight in England”, and then produces names of players which have to be matched.
Iraola seems to have the full house of qualities you would want in a manager and coach.
On the training ground, ably assisted by coaches Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper, he is hands-on and full-on.
He helps lay out the cones and boxes for drills and then takes charge, with balls under his arms and a whistle to his lips.
It’s fair to say Iraola’s methods and style of play were a culture shock in the pre-season of summer 2023.
At least one player confessed he was finding it all too different and too difficult.
But now that same player is one of the top performers.
Although you would expect the mood to be good in the current situation, Iraola’s squad seem genuinely to enjoy the high-intensity, risk-and-reward football he preaches.
The head coach himself also acknowledges the stability and quality of his environment.
Iraola has been given the support he needs, both to weather the early storm and to recruit the kind of players he wants.
The loss of technical director Richard Hughes to Liverpool this year was not a surprise to the club and former captain Simon Francis stepped up to implement successfully a summer spree that had been well planned.
Owner Bill Foley and the board have sanctioned more than £200m of spending since Iraola’s arrival.
This year’s signings were offset in large part by the sale of Dominic Solanke to Tottenham for an initial £55m.
Yet even without their top scorer from last season, the Cherries continue their rise towards the top.
Beating the record top-flight points tally of 48 set in May already looks like a realistic aspiration.
But no-one at Bournemouth is getting carried away, least of all Iraola.
His first statement win as Cherries boss was a 3-0 victory at Manchester United in December last year – the club had never triumphed at Old Trafford before.
Iraola knew how big it was because when he got home, his wife and two children, who didn’t usually get too caught up in football, were well aware of what had happened.
But last weekend after the victory over City, he went back to an empty house because the family were back in Spain for half term.
Family man Iraola is in many ways a very normal guy.
But what he has done in the last year at Bournemouth feels special.