Bournemouth: Andoni Iraola strengthens bid for European place with unique management style and appreciation for fundamentals | Football News

How does the club with the smallest ground in the Premier League beat Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle in the same quarter? It’s simple: Put in the basics.

Bournemouth have been schooling opponents in the art of the basics all season. They run harder and farther than most opponents. They chase and press more aggressively. And most importantly, they all work together.

This is a side that thrives on synchronicity, linked to a perfect understanding of how risk and reward work on a football pitch. No bulls, no big name stars with ridiculous salaries grabbing the limelight, just a team full of workhorses.

And in no way is this meant to sound reductive, quite the opposite. Bournemouth are not blessed with riches, nor with a particularly large squad, but they are led by a manager who knows how to maximize every inch of his squad’s strengths and has a refreshing appreciation for football with and no statistics.

Antoni Iraola knows only one way. His transitioning style, constantly chasing high turnovers, is exciting to watch when it clicks and his demolition of Newcastle on Saturday was just the latest in a long line of mesmerizing examples.

Bournemouth did what very few teams have, or will do, to Eddie Howe’s side at St James’ Park. To have the courage to go toe-to-toe with a team that has won nine in a row in all competitions is either brave or stupid.

In recent weeks Man United, Tottenham and Arsenal (in the Carabao Cup) have proven that they are second. But not Bournemouth. The Cherries know themselves very well and are all committed to the same ‘vertical’ game plan every week. Iraola’s way.

“If we’re going to lose then let’s lose doing what we’ve been doing all season,” the boss told reporters after scrapping a thrilling 2-2 draw with Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a fortnight ago. “Be more aggressive in the press, more vertical, more pace,” he added, as if a point away from Chelsea was less than satisfying.

Against Newcastle recently, the Spaniard congratulated his players for a superbly “complete” performance. They made their hosts look ordinary.

There was man-marking throughout the stadium. Unheralded Ryan Christie typified the approach, making nine tackles at the weekend (the most of any midfielder in the Premier League this season), keying Bournemouth’s ability to quickly regain possession.

They also forced Newcastle into 38 unsuccessful passes in their own half of the season.

Jamie Carragher has considered Bournemouth’s success in the Monday night football: “You’re coming up against a Newcastle midfield that I think has been the best in the Premier League in recent months with Sandro Tonali, Bruno Guimaraes and Joelinton.

“Bournemouth wanted to press the 4-4-2 and it matched Newcastle, they were combative, but it’s not just about energy, it’s about precise timing and organisation.”

Bournemouth move like puppets on a string – one player jumps to tap and close, triggering the next player’s move to fall in line, which signals to the next and ripples through the team.

And they were progressive on the ball too, playing 80 passes across the offside line – more than any other team in matchday 22 – and completing 16 dribbles, also a league-high.

All this from a team suffering from the all-too-common mid-season injuries.

For perspective, Iraola is disappointed with nine first-team players on the sidelines. But that doesn’t change his demand for high-tempo aggression. The identity is consistent from game to game and has been a feature of each of their 10 Premier League wins, regardless of the line-up.

This is the real exhibitor here. While Mikel Arteta and Ange Postecoglou (and they’re not the only ones to blame) complain about their injury-hit squads, sending distress signals at most press conferences, Iraola just gets on with it.

If anything, Bournemouth look stronger than ever – only once in their last six games have they outscored (against Everton) and only by a fraction (0.6k).

In 16 of their 22 league outings this season, Bournemouth have outscored their opponents’ Expected Goals (xG) total, including games against Manchester City, Arsenal and Chelsea. Their 45 turnovers ending in shots is a number not even Premier League leaders and press masters Liverpool can match.

The impact of in-game changes has also made a difference, with Bournemouth picking up 17 points thanks to goals (13) from the bench. And it may be due to the growing buzz surrounding Iraola’s place in the elite coaching pool, reportedly attracting attention from struggling Tottenham and others.

Bournemouth’s rise will, for many, be one of the most unlikely underdog stories of recent months, but there is no doubting their authenticity. Work hard, work smart and punching above your weight becomes much less demanding.

Hype is certainly building and will continue to do so if Iraola can create more of the same in this thrilling chase for European football.