Reflecting on a record-breaking season, looking ahead and Leicester: Every word (Image: PA)
Reflecting on a record-breaking season, looking ahead and Leicester: Every word (Image: PA)
ANDONI Iraola spoke to the media for the final time this season to preview the visit of Leicester City on Sunday.
The boss discussed the Foxes, reflected on the season as a whole and looked to the summer, as well as giving an update on the fitness of Alex Scott.
Read every word from the broadcast section of Iraola's press conference here.
Mark McAdam (Sky Sports News): For the final time this season, we're doing a press conference. When you look at the phenomenal season that you've had, you've broken so many records in the Premier League for Bournemouth. What's the one record that means the most to you?
Andoni Iraola: It's difficult. It's difficult just to choose one.
I really don't know. Probably the simple ones, like we've just won more games that we lost, we've scored more goals that we conceded. Simple things, but things that I don't think we achieved before. So just to play in the Premier League and to have positive stats, score more, we win more games than we lose, these simple ones probably are the most important.
MM: Obviously 11th at the moment. I know it's out of your hands, but how determined are you to not only win your final game this season, but hopefully finish in the top 10, which would sort of represent the symbol for how good the season's been.
AI: Yes, for me it's important. It's very important to finish in the top 10. It would be a shame, I think after the season we've done, basically we've been all the season there in those top 10 positions and to finish just behind would be a shame. It's true that we have to win, but the other teams, they don't have easy games. But at least I want to win our game, finish the season properly and I hope we can do it.
MM: How much would a top 10 finish help, we know obviously European football is not going to be possible, how much would a top 10 finish help with you attracting players to say, look, this is a really exciting project, we've just finished in the top 10.
If you come and join this club, then maybe we can look to try and better that next season. How key will that be?
AI: At the end more than to attract players, because at the end, to finish 10th or 11th or from the outside, maybe it's not so important. For us internally, after everything that has cost us this season, I think we deserve to finish there and we want to finish there, but we have to earn it and we have to be Leicester, that it's not going to be easy. They are coming also in a good run of results, seven points from nine.
So we have to take it very, very seriously and perform well and finish the season with good feelings that I think we deserved.
MM: The first transfer window opens next week, just around the corner. When you look at the players that potentially could go from the football club, you've seen Dean Huijsen move on.
Do you think there'll be more departures between now and next season?
AI: I don't know. Once the market opens, it's not in your hands a lot of times. Also now, as soon as we finish this game, we recover a lot of players that we had on loan in other clubs that from tomorrow, let's say, are going to be our players again.
And we are talking about a lot of players, more than 30, probably when we recover all the ones that we have on loan. And I suppose there could be movements before starting the pre-season, but you never know.
MM: One player we know that definitely will be going back to his club is Kepa, but obviously there is also an opportunity to potentially bring him back.
Is that something that you'd like to do?
AI: I think right now, once he finishes the season, he will not be with us because he's a Chelsea player. And then after, it would have to be a matter of negotiating. But unluckily, because I think he has been really good this season, has performed very well, he's not our player now. It's until Sunday is ours and then we will see what happens. But he's a Chelsea player.
MM: Obviously there'll be talk about players over the course of the summer and I guess the talk will inevitably be about you at some stage as well. We know that Bill Foley said he'd like to extend your contract.
Do you feel that with one year left on your current contract, you could achieve the things you want to at Bournemouth or do you think, actually, I'd like to stay for maybe two or three years and continue this exciting project that you started?
AI: Yeah, for me I'm used to this situation, like not having even for next season. So I'm really comfortable, very focused on finishing this one well first and from then, helping the club build a good squad to also have a very good season next season.
I think next season will be very demanding. We know the level of the competitions and there is more than enough time to talk about the other things.
MM: Can you see yourself staying here for longer than a year? You're settled and you're comfortable and you're enjoying the work.
AI: You need first good results. This is what all managers need. I need to do a proper job.
I need to prepare well. I need to get ready with all the players, all the staff for another good season. This is mandatory.
Otherwise probably you are not going to ask me about this if you are losing games. So the first thing is you have to do your job properly and then will be time now to talk about other things.
MM: Final game of the season against Leicester.
What's the team news? Have you got any players that you're welcoming back?
AI: I think it's going to be very similar. Obviously we lose Lewis Cook with a red card. Alex Scott and James Hill could have a chance.
Alex, with the mask, has trained today, first day. Probably not comfortable, 100% but he wants to try and we will see tomorrow if he can deal with the mask and this and be comfortable. And I think he's in a good mood and probably can give us a good hand.
Also is important because we are quite thin in those positions in the middle with the red card of Lew and some injuries we have. Yes, in the middle, in defensive positions, probably we are going to be thin for Sunday.
MM: Can you give us an insight into the mask? Is it a full facial mask?
AI: It's a full face, it's a full face mask, yes. It's a black one, I think. Looks nice.
Yes, Looks cool. I think it has to be strange.
I've never really played with a mask. It looks from the outside as bad, he has trained today looked fine.
Yes, we'll see.
MM: But he could potentially be available.
AI: Yes. It's a matter of being, I suppose, comfortable with the mask and we'll see. I cannot guarantee you because obviously today was the first day he has had it and he has trained with us, but I think he wants to give it a go and obviously much better if he's available.
MM: And just a couple of final points. Obviously you've seen so many young players involved in squads. You've had so many injury problems to contend with.
You've had a lot of players that featured on the bench and gone on loans throughout the course of the season. Will you be selecting your strongest side against Leicester or will you be looking maybe to give one or two opportunities to players that maybe can play in the Premier League next season?
AI: No, I will be selecting the team that I think will help us to win the game. This will be my focus.
I still don't know which starting 11 will be more or less. Obviously I have my ideas. We have two more days to think, but I will choose the one that I think is better to win the game.
MM: And then your analysis on Leicester City. Obviously the team we know that have been relegated from the Premier League, but they have dangerous players. There'll be players that want to show they're still enough to play in the Premier League and they want to show that they should be a part of things for next season.
How have you assessed them? What have you learned from them? How different and maybe do you think they'll set up this weekend?
AI: I think it's a different situation because it's not the classical team that has gone down and then they start losing games and it has been opposite. They are coming from two wins and a draw in the last three games playing well. Some players finishing the season really strong.
El Khannouss has been playing really well, McAteer with confidence. I think they have obviously like everyone in the Premier League, a good team.
Our two last references against them are two losses, away and past season in the cup and most of them are the same players. So I think we will have to be better definitely at those games if we want to win on Sunday.
Roger Clarke (Premier League Productions): Looking back on some of the stats from the season that you were impressed by and pleased with.
Was there one particular performance that you look back on and think that's where it came together where the team implemented all the plans that I had and the ideas that I had for this team.
AI: Yeah. If you choose me our best games this season I have quite clear.
I think it's City at home. The game we won against City at home I think in that moment was the first loss of City in almost one year. And also Newcastle away we won 4-1 playing very well in a situation where we were basically 11, 12 players of the first team and are the two best performances that I feel. Probably another key moment is Everton, first win.
Everton was losing 2-0 in the 86/87th minute and winning that game was for me key in the season. Not a good game from us but moments that are important during the season and that's the first ones that come to my mind.
RC: We come to the end of the season now, over the last couple of months, I think it's only a couple of wins in the last 12 matches in the league, it’s sort of petered out a little bit. Are you thinking I don't want the season to end now, I want a chance to turn results around now, or are you thinking I'm actually ready for a break and we'll come back and have a look at all this.
AI: No, we cannot change the schedule and when it finishes and I think probably we've lost our chances in the period where we had there in February, March.
Those are the games, I remember Brentford at home, Ipswich at home, even Brighton away.
Those points that you lose in games that are going to be key. And after, I think the last part, last six, seven games in the season, eight games, we've been better, we've got better results, but probably we lost the advantage that we had. And this period between February, March has been for me, key not to get the reward at the end of the season.
RC: Are you ready for a break?
AI: Yeah, we are going to have it. I'm going to have it. And definitely something that we need.
As a player, as a coach. It's not going to be a full break because we will be on the phone. They will ask me about other players, about situations that are going with contracts with these things, some of the injured players who are recovering.
But I think personally you need to get away somewhere, go with your family, think on other things. And I hope also for the players, they have a good break, good holidays and they come full of energy for the next one.
RC: But you sort of manager, when you say that people will be on the phone, will you give yourself a week or two just to say, actually, the phone is off for now?
AI: No, the phone is never off. Phone is always on. And they can call you in every moment because apart from the sporting side, now you are in another moment helping, especially the scouting department and doing other things that you normally don't pay too much attention and try to disconnect.
But it's going to be very difficult.
RC: One more game to go? What are you asking from your team for this one final match in front of a home crowd?
AI: I'm asking to finish with a win. If we play well, much better.
But I want to win this game. I want to finish with good feelings in the best position we can. But for me, the key are the three points.
RC: Do you feel the players are seeing it that way too? They're not already thinking about their holidays? Do you need to remind them?
AI: I hope they are not. We are trying, definitely. I'm trying everything to make them aware that the holidays are, yes, Sunday, but Sunday 6:30pm.
When we finish, you have the shower and then you can start your holidays. But not before. Not before.
I think we deserve also, as a group, as a club, to finish this season with a win.
RC: Talking about going all the way to the end of the last game. How impressed have you been by the fact, as you mentioned before, Leicester, the last three games and their fates have already been sealed.
They've managed to take seven points.
AI: Yes, I think it's remarkable because normally when you go down, traditionally there is a sensation of giving up a little bit normally in the teams and it hasn't happened with Leicester. It's seven points from nine before this game and also having good performances. But it's the team we have to face.
We have to focus on ourselves, give our level, everyone helping, because we are going to be quite short, I think, for Sunday and we will need the help from everyone to try to win the game.