Iraola spoke about how they used that break, gave a team news update and looked ahead to the Gunners game.
Read every word from the broadcast section of Iraola's press conference here.
Mark McAdam (Sky Sports News): Good to see you again. It's been a few weeks, obviously international break, no FA Cup match. It's been a long time since Bournemouth played a competitive game. What have you done in this period of time to work with the players, to build up to the Arsenal match? How have you been able to utilise this extended break which you never get during a football season?
Andoni Iraola: Yes, it has been a strange break. Normally during the season, I think it's the first time I've had like three weeks without a game. An international break plus the extra week because we were not in the quarterfinals of the FA Cup. It has given us the chance to work with some of the players because Half of them were with their national teams, but I think it's been especially, has been good for some players we had kind of injured. Julio Soler, Tyler Adams, Ben Doak, players that were in the last part of the rehab process and have finished this period training with the team. And I think they’re in a good place to be available again and also I suppose for some of them some days off. But it's always risky, it's always risky. We did a friendly in-house, because you don't want a lot of time between games and we try to simulate a little bit kind of a game but we'll see if we are ready. We should be fresh, we should be definitely motivated because we are facing Arsenal away in a big game. So I hope we are ready for tomorrow.
MM: Are you fresh? Did you have the opportunity to get back to Spain, to switch off, to relax? Something you probably never do.
AI: Yes, I agree. I think it's the first time I've gone mid-season home. I've been three or four days at home that normally during the season I never go because I don't have enough time. But at least you see your family and it's nice. But it happened already a couple of weeks ago, so now we are fully focused and ready for tomorrow. That is the important thing.
MM: Did you get the opportunity over the three weeks to speak to the club about your future, about your contract, about next season?
AI: Yes, obviously we spoke, but I'm sorry, I don't have news for you today. There is no changes on that side, but obviously we spoke, yes.
MM: You're unbeaten in 11 Premier League games. The problem is you've drawn five in a row. How frustrating is that for you when if you add a few points to Bournemouth's tally, you could be in a really healthy position looking at European football? What can you do to turn things around between now and the end of the season? Because it just feels like that frustration of drawing games is not enabling you to get over the line.
AI: Yes, I agree. It's a strange feeling because it's true that we've been 11 games unbeaten. We can break the record of this club tomorrow. Obviously it's going to be difficult, but we have the chance to do it tomorrow. But the feeling is, especially I think when we finished the game against United, we were quite happy because it was a good game, draw against United. But after the game, I think we were like kind of 10th or something like this. And then you see the games, Everton wins, Fulham wins, Sunderland wins, Brighton wins. And then you find yourself, now we see ourselves 13th and you think, okay, it's not as good as other things look, it's a strange situation. But I think it's a matter of things are so close, so tight that one goal, two points, it makes a huge difference now in the table. And the same way now we look at like we've lost a chance with the last draws, you just need a spark to get again above some teams and then you find yourself in a better position. Obviously, we know that we have, especially next two games, Arsenal and Newcastle away are really demanding and it's difficult. But I think we also have to value that it's not easy to be 11 games without a loss in the Premier League. It costs us a lot. And I think the last time we lost also is against Arsenal when we faced them in the first round. And I hope we can improve a little bit that performance. We lost 3-2. I think we were good but probably not good enough to get points against Arsenal.
MM: You touched upon some of the players that are coming back. Can you just confirm that the team used ahead of the game and those bodies that you're going to be welcoming back into the squad that perhaps haven't been there for some time?
AI: Yes, I think the only injured players we right now have are Justin Kluivert and Lewis Cook. Lewis Cook is taking maybe more time than we expected and he's not there yet, but I think everyone else is available. There are some cases, especially Julio Soler. Julio Soler is not ready to play a lot of minutes, but he's training at least with the group and I think he's kind of recovered. And everyone else I think is ready. I think cases of Tyler, of Ben Doak, they've used this break to put themselves again in contention and I think we are in a good place. And I will even have to make difficult decisions, but because probably we will be more than 20 ready to travel.
MM: Up next in the Premier League, Arsenal. And you've actually done something that perhaps you don't see in modern football. You've been to watch Arsenal live. You went down to St. Mary's. Is that the first time you've been able to go and watch a team live before you play them for some time?
AI: Yes, it's something that I like to do a lot. I used to do it a lot when I was living in Madrid because obviously you have so many teams there that it was quite easy. Here is a lot more difficult. Sometimes I've gone to London, but basically you lose all the day because it's almost three hours. You see the game, it's three hours back, so it's not worth it. So this was a good chance because it's just less than an hour away. You see the game. It was also a very good game. And I think the feeling you have is different from the one you have on TV. In this case, I think Arsenal, they are going to change a lot the team from the one they used against Southampton, but still it gives you, I think, more information than when you just watch it on TV.
MM: Were you welcomed as a Bournemouth manager going into Southampton?
AI: I didn't have any incident, nothing happened. Everyone was respectful and we were there just neutrals analysing the game, yes.
MM: Obviously Arsenal are in the middle of the Premier League title race, they played Champions League football this week, they play Champions League football next week, they’ve suffered defeats to Manchester City in the cup final and to Southampton in the FA Cup, as you saw. Is now a good moment to face them? Do you feel there’s a fragility there, maybe?
AI: There is never a good moment to face these teams. They are so good that they are always very difficult to beat. I think the two defeats in the cup are a little bit different, because they changed a little bit the team. They recovered their starting XI against Sporting and they had a massive win there, a last minute winner. And I expect the best Arsenal. They’ve lost I think one game at home. They’ve lost against Manchester United only all of the season. So it means you need something special to beat them. If we are good, it’s not enough. We have to be really good. Very good, very focused, don’t give them any cheap goals, very disciplined, no penalties, no red cards. Make them earn everything and I hope we are at that level.
MM: They’ve won their last seven at home. They’ve also scored 21 goals from set pieces which is more than any other side. Do you have to take that into consideration, do you need to look at anything specific on doing things to counteract what they do, or is it something they’re just so strong at and you have to accept that it’s going to be a challenge?
AI: Both things. We spend time, but sometimes they are so strong and powerful that sometimes just the time and preparation is not enough. After you have to win duels, you have to win your headers, your matchups, and we are going to mark players that are taller than us and you have to deal with this. They are the best team at set plays, you cannot argue this. They’ve scored a lot of goals. I think offensively we have also been very good, weve scored a lot of goals, probably we’ve struggled defensively. We’ve been working, but every team has been working on set plays against Arsenal and they’ve scored 20-something goals. I think it's a matter of the moment of the truth. You have to be there. I think we've scored against them last games. I think last season we scored three, at least three set plays. So we've also damaged them. But sometimes it's a matter of volume. They score a lot of set plays, but because they put so much pressure on the opposition that in some games they take, I don't know, 15, 17, 18 corners. And yes, it's a matter of volume. And against is the opposite. You will have 2, 3 corners against them, or the average is something like this. So no, they are the best in set plays, but a lot of this is because they are good in open play and they keep you under pressure and then they have all the volume for them. And it's not just, okay, we are going to— no, you have to defend 20 corners. It's going to be very difficult. Let's try to play well, so instead of 20, we have to defend 6 or 5, and then our chances of not conceding are much bigger.
Paul Belverstone (Premier League Productions): You won there in May. I think that was from a couple of set plays. How fondly do you remember that day?
AI: Big win, obviously. When you win away in the Emirates, it's because you've done a lot of very good things. I think we stayed in the game. I think first half probably they were better than us. I remember that game, we were playing well, but they were better than us. And after, after in the second half, we stayed on the game, we made some subs, we improved, we scored the 2 set plays, and we had a big win. I think probably the double against them is one of the most difficult things I've done here, like in a, in a single season, no, to win, beat them twice. But You need special moments. You need— because they don't give you a lot of chances. Defensively, probably are the best team and you need, when you have the chance to punish them, you have to be very efficient. Very efficient. Know that you have to win duels against the best players in the world. But it's a challenge and if you are a player and everyone is going to look at us tomorrow, they are playing to to win the Premier League and you are not motivated, this is— you have a big problem. No, I think it's the kind of games that as a player you, you want to play.
PB: Before the game at Vitality in January, you said they were in such a good moment, they, they control games so well the opposition sometimes don't even arrive. Yeah, they don't seem to have that same level of control at the moment. Is that because of— from what you see, is that because of the way opponents are going at them or something within Arsenal?
AI: No, I think they are still controlling the games. I think they are very well coached, their structure is quite clear and you need something special. I think probably in the cup competition has been a little bit different because also they've changed a little bit the team. And there are some players that are like in other teams are key and are decisive. And when they put more or less what is their starting 11, I think they've been as good as they've been all this season.
PB: The fact they've had 2 competitive games since this long break, is that an advantage for them?
AI: You never know. We cannot change it. It's true that probably 3 weeks without playing is too much. But probably you could argue also that they will be a little bit more tired, or they've had some niggles. So there is a part of advantage and part of disadvantage, but we cannot change it, so we are not going to discuss a lot.
PB: Is Junior Kroupi okay? Because he pulled out of international duty. And, um, Justin Kluivert picked up his injury against Arsenal. I think at the time we sort of said 3 or 4 months. How is his recovery going?
AI: Yes, yes, I would add Junior Kroupi and Alex Jiménez came from the national team with some niggles and like it was more precautionary and they've had some rest also with us, but they are fully recovered and are ready to go for, for tomorrow. And Justin, I think, is doing a very good recovery, but he had surgery. He's on the time margins that we expected. Everything is going fine, but he's on a rush because he wants to play before the season ends. He also wants to keep his options for the World Cup alive, and he's doing really well, but we cannot make stupid things also. We have to give the time that the injury needs. And I hope he can play before the season ends, but he's there. It's not going to be easy. He will have to progress as well as he is doing, because he's doing very well.
PB: With that, on a general point, footballers do seem very good at focusing in the moment and, you know, just the next game. But when something as big as a World Cup is so close, do you have to put it into your thinking, talk to the players about ignore that, don't be thinking about that, that is only a few weeks away, concentrate on now?
AI: I don't think it's possible. I don't think it's possible because it's massive for them. And even now, no, we've had a little bit of everything. We've had, probably Brooksy, you know, played really well with Wales and then they lost at the end against Bosnia. And then you see yourself out of the World Cup and, and probably he needs a boost because I think he actually played very well. Other situations, they played with the national teams, they had good performances, but I try not to talk too much about that with them. It's like, we are here, we have a job to do. The better performance you give with us, the most chances for you to be involved in the World Cup and to arrive to the World Cup in a great place. And I think it's the mentality of everyone.