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Joined August 2024
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Andoni Iraola's cultured eye for talent has built a balanced squad capable of comfortably finishing in the top half of the table.
Semenyo, Hujisen, Kluivert, etc, were bargain buys that have proven to be integral to the functionality of Iraola's system.
Iraola is one of the most promising managers in the Premier League.
His adaptability, unique style of play & ability to work with a budget put him in the same category as coaches like Marco Silva, Thomas Frank and Kieran McKenna.
If the opportunity presents itself, Bournemouth aren't afraid to go long to exploit gaps in the opposition press.
When defending deeper, Iraola mainly focuses on getting numbers in the box to block shots rather than enforcing a rigid, compact block.
The wingers will drop to defend and the main aim is limiting the opposition to low xG shots that Kepa can save.
In the sequence below, the press is triggered when Kovacic returns the ball to Ederson.
Evanilson and Kluivert close Ederson down, which forces him wide to Walker where Bournemouth recover possession.
Off the ball, Bournemouth are a unique pressing team. They press M2M and aim to pin the opposition back while blocking passing lanes into the center; they mainly force teams wide before triggering the press.
The high press is also triggered when the opposition pass to the GK.
Evanilson, in particular, has a big role in this attack as he constantly rotates with Kluivert and Semenyo to put his teammates in goalscoring positions.
intelligent movement off the ball & combination play with teammates justifies his £40.2 million fee
In the opposition half, Bournemouth are very fluid in attack with five/six players constantly rotating to drag defenders & create space.
They are the most direct side in the Premier League, an identity imbued upon them by Iraola. Masterclass.
If the opposition have sufficient cover out wide, the center backs will look to draw the press before playing a line-breaking pass into the vacant space.
The double pivot will shift wide/push further up in anticipation of the pass as decoys by dragging defenders.
The Magic of Andoni Iraola.
An analytical thread exploring how AFC Bournemouth are surprisingly competing for a European place this season, and why Iraola is a managerial prospect that the top clubs should be looking at. #BOU
[✍️ @CongestTheBox]
In build-up, Bournemouth aim to progress with a 3-1/3-2 with both CBs (Hujisen, Zabarnyi) moving wide to allow Kepa to step up if the opposition press is passive.
One of the pivot players (Adams) occasionally drops in as the third center back to allow Christie to push up.
Bournemouth are doing the unthinkable this season, and it's all down to Iraola's impressive adaptation to the Premier League.
The main things that we'll go over are:
- In-possession play
- Pressing & defensive shape
- Player recruitment
The dominate force in England during this time, winning 8 premier league titles out of 11 possible (including a 3 peat between 1998-2001), 3 Fa Cups, 4 Community Shields and a Champions league, which was part of the famous treble in the 1998-99 season.
Hopefully you enjoy part 1, we’ve got a couple more teams to show you. Part 2 out soon.
any interactions appreciated, follow @Fawaz287 & @NothingBN_ for more! ♥️