A bigger job doesn’t mean a better job for Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola (Picture: Getty)
AFC Bournemouth have got to be the biggest overachievers in English football, proving time and time again they’re a club with no glass ceiling.
When Eddie Howe guided Bournemouth from the pits of League Two to the Premier League for the first time ever in 2015, everyone tipped them for immediate relegation. This is a team who’d spent most their history in the third tier, and with a 11,307-seater stadium, no-one gave them a chance.
Howe kept Bournemouth in the billionaire’s playground of English football for five seasons. They finished ninth, and beat plenty of the so-called ‘Big Six’ in that time. But relegation always felt like an inevitability for a side punching well above its weight, and it eventually came in 2020.
Bournemouth, though, made their return just two years later under Scott Parker, and after a spell with Gary O’Neil, they turned to Andoni Iraola, who has managed to transform them back into Premier League giant slayers.
It hasn’t been easy or straightforward. Bournemouth were humiliated 9-0 by Liverpool under Parker’s management and O’Neil was tasked with avoiding relegation. It goes to show just how talented head coach Iraola is that Bournemouth are now looking at Europe rather than the bottom three.
It’s insulting to see Iraola linked to the Tottenham job in recent weeks, a side who’ve become almost synonymous with failure and disappointment. Iraola only needs to take a look at Dominic Solanke, who joined Spurs from Bournemouth in the summer, to know the grass isn’t always greener.
The Spaniard surely knows he’ll able to land a more attractive role if he sticks around with Cherries a little longer after working miracles on the south coast. Just because it’s a bigger job doesn’t mean it’s a better job.
Ange Postecoglou is under huge pressure as Tottenham boss (Picture: Getty)
Tottenham spiralling downwards as Bournemouth rise to uncharted territory
Considered to be a part of the ‘Big Six’, and one of the teams who tried to break away and form a European Super League, let’s not forget, Spurs are 15th in the Premier League table in what has been another dismal season.
Ange Postecoglou can blame injuries as much as he likes but little old Bournemouth are also in the middle of a crisis – and unlike Spurs – they have a shot of qualifying for Europe after climbing to seventh, with the Cherries one point off the top four ahead of their clash with Liverpool.
Bournemouth smashed fellow Champions League hopefuls Nottingham Forest 5-0 in their last match. The did that without their main striker Evanilson and back-up forward Enes Unal, who are both ruled out.
AFC Bournemouth are currently dealing with an injury crisis (Picture: Getty)
The Cherries were also missing key defenders Marcos Senesi and Adam Smith, and that certainly isn’t the end of their ongoing injury problems, which has seen Iraola stack his bench with youngsters and academy stars.
It goes to show that there is no excuse for Postecoglou, with Iraola teaching him a lesson into how to get the best out of the players you have available, and how you can adapt your team and tactics in an injury crisis.
Andoni Iraola’s tactics have led to Bournemouth’s incredible results
It is no coincidence that Bournemouth have managed to pull off some incredible results this season. They have beaten Arsenal, Manchester City, Tottenham, Manchester United and Newcastle United so far and will be hoping to add Liverpool to the list when they visit Dean Court on Saturday.
Bournemouth smashed Nottingham Forest 5-0 last time out (Picture: Getty)
Iraola is, of course, a massive part of Bournemouth’s success. His in-game management, and how he sets up his team for each opponent, has been remarkable. He used Dango Ouattara – who normally plays as a winger or wing-back – as a striker against Forest. He ending up scoring a hat-trick.
Lewis Cook, a central midfield player, operated as a right-back in the stunning 4-1 away win at Newcastle earlier this month and shined.
Iraola’s style of football was hugely influenced by former Leeds United boss Marcelo Bielsa, who he played under at Athletic Bilbao in Spain, but he’s put his own spin on things and his philosophy is largely unique.
Bournemouth thrive in chaotic game states – which is opposite to the likes of Pep Guardiola and Mikel Arteta – who are more about minimising risk. Iraola’s teams look to apply both zonal marking and man-to-man pressing and try to win the ball back as high up the pitch as they possibly can.
Andoni Iraola is working miracles down on the south coast (Picture: Getty)
Bournemouth are committed to destabilising teams and neutralising their build-up. They are an incredibly fit side, covering more distance per game than most opponents, which has seen them score a number of late goals.
Andoni Iraola built Bournemouth super team with smart transfers
Moreover, with help from Bournemouth’s ambitious American owners and Tiago Pinto, president of football operations, Iraola has built a super team with smart recruitment in recent transfer windows.
Milos Kerkez has shined this season under Andoni Iraola (Picture: Getty)
In the past five seasons, Bournemouth have signed Milos Kerkez, Ilya Zabarnyi, Dean Huijsen, Antoine Semenyo and Justin Kluivert for a combined fee of just £64.3m.
Who are the main stars of Bournemouth’s super team?
Antoine Semenyo – Ghanaian international striker or winger
Ilya Zabarnyi – Ukrainian international centre-back
Milos Kerkez – Hungarian international left-back
Dean Huijsen – Spanish U21 international centre-back
Justin Kluivert – Dutch international winger or forward
Those players are now absolutely thriving under Iraola, which has led to plenty of transfer interest, with Real Madrid thought to be among the teams currently taking a look at their 19-year-old star defender Huijsen.
But Iraola knows that the Bournemouth hierarchy will continue to back him going forward, just as they did when Solanke was sold. It would be a huge gamble to swap his fine work under chairman Bill Foley to go join Daniel Levy, who has had endured turbulent relationships with several managers.
There is a toxic atmosphere at Spurs on and off the pitch. You only need to load up Antonio Conte’s famous rant about the club in 2023 to learn about that. It would be nothing short of foolish for Iraola to move there right now.
It’d be much better for his career to stick around where he is clearly settled and write the latest chapter of the Cherries fairytale, as they look to qualify for European football for the first time in their 126-year history.