Iraola gave an update on the transfer window, plus team news and looking to the threat of Thomas Frank's Tottenham.
Read every word from the broadcast section of the boss's press conference here.
**Mark McAdam (Sky Sports News): I guess there's one place to start. Transfer window. Just three days to go now. How close are you to potentially getting in some new faces ahead of the weekend and of course deadline day next Monday?**
Andoni Iraola: Yeah, I know that is the talk, but right now in my mind it's just on Spurs. I know that people are working on this, but I've not been thinking in these things as a manager. For us, we have a very important game, very demanding game tomorrow and my full focus is there. I suppose like in every club there will be movements, but they are not in my hands. So I focus in the sporting side and I hope we can play a good game tomorrow. And obviously after the game still, I think one or two days and we can try to close the market as good as we can.
**MM: One of the names that has been linked with Bournemouth over the course of the last 24 hours is AC Milan defender Alex Jimenez. Is he a player that would add to this Bournemouth squad should a deal get done?**
AI: I will answer you the same I always answer, he's not our player and I cannot talk about players that play in other clubs. You've asked me before about other players and I think the approach has to be always like this.
**MM: I guess I won't ask the same question about Axel Disasi, another player that's been linked with the club. If you were being honest with the Bournemouth fans, do you feel like they will see maybe one new face between now and Monday evening?**
AI: Yes, I think they will see I don't know how many new faces, but they will see. I think we are not finished and the club is working on adding more players, but we don't know. I don't know. I am the first one to know what's going to happen.
**MM: Obviously it is a really challenging window. We know that defensive targets are things you're looking at. Could there be a striker or a midfielder that maybe could come in or is it just purely defence that you're looking at?**
AI: I think the club is open to try to improve the team as good as we can. If a good chance appears in other positions, I think they will make the signing, but I don't know. I will have to wait. There's not a lot now. We'll have to wait two, three days. So let's see how we how we finish.
**MM: And just finally on transfers, outgoings. I know obviously there's a lot of talk about players potentially leaving. You've seen a number of players leave over the course of the last seven days or so. Are you expecting more outgoings? Do you have any updates on players that are close to leaving?**
AI: I don't think we are going to lose, I don't know if maybe one player or, I don't think we are going to lose more players because we cannot lose. We are right now, numbers wise it will depend obviously the players coming and sometimes some things are related. So if one leaves, one comes or opposite if one comes, other one leaves and I think it will be related to those things. But numbers wise I think now we cannot afford to lose players.
**MM: Looking ahead to the weekend, obviously a huge game for the club. What's the form of team news ahead of the Tottenham game? Have you got any players you're welcoming back? Anyone that you've going to be losing after the cup game in last week's Premier League game?**
AI: No, I think we are in a good place. I think we have Lewis Cook and Enes Unal out injured. Enes obviously with a long term injury and different case but Lewis I think is doing well and probably during the international break we can integrate him with the team. And then Julian suspended for the red card the other day. I think everyone else will be available. Yes.
**MM: How impressed have you been with Tottenham this season under Thomas Frank? Obviously he was exceptional at Brentford for a number of years. He's gone into a different club that will probably expect a different style of football. Have you seen that transition? Have you seen a tweak from what he was like at Brentford even in this early stage at Tottenham?**
AI: Yes, for me it's not a surprise that they are doing so well. I think Thomas Frank has shown during a lot of years that he's a very good manager and now also has a very good individual level in his team. They've also kept I think all the players they had past season and they added like Kudus that is I think a difference maker. I think Xavi Simons is very close, players that are going to make the difference for them. So I think they will be very good and we have to be very ready because they are also very physical. They can play in a high rhythm game. They are also very good in a slower game. So we will have to adapt and I think it's going to be a demanding game. Very similar probably to the game we played at Anfield and I hope we are at the level of the game because I think the requirements will be very high.
**MM: I was at the game last year where Tottenham and probably one of your best away performances last season. Would you agree?**
AI: Yes, yes. I think we played really well that game. I think it was very frustrating that we didn't win it because we were even very close to score the 3-0. And after we finished drawing 2-2 and we played really well I think. But at the end you see that they always have players that even not playing very well they can make the difference. I think you need to play very well but also be efficient, compete well. And then you need a lot of things to take something from this kind of stadiums. Yes. And I hope we can do it tomorrow.
**MM: And just finally when you look at the squad we have going into a brand new season, this is your third season now at Bournemouth, so you have a good understanding of the Premier League, the level, what it takes off the back of the record breaking campaign you had last year. Do you feel this is a squad that can maybe achieve more success than last season? Do you feel like you have the tools and the players to push the club forward again?**
AI: I think it's unfair for us to compare us against the past season's team. I wouldn't want to compare against last because there is a big, big chance we are going to lose a lot of times in this comparison. So I think it's a different process from past season. I think it's a big changes summer. We've lost a lot of very important players that have played a lot of minutes and we've also signed a lot of players. So it's a kind of a rebuild and I hope we can achieve similar things. But I think it's a different part of the process. I think it's more like have more the feeling like when I arrived that it was everything like new for me and second season it was more a continuity thing. And this summer has been about more changes. But I think changes sometimes is for good. You know, it's not only no we've lost, sometimes you sign very good players who can give you a lot also. And we have big hopes with the players we sign but we have work to do because right now we are. You can see that some players, Ben or Amine Adli, they've just trained with us two, three days. So we need not to integrate everyone whoever comes these last two, three days and to make a collective unit again. And this will take time, I think.
**Paul Belverstone (Premier League Productions): Andoni, what is transfer deadline day like for you? Are you pacing around? Are you constantly on the phone? Or are you just chilled, relaxed, see what happens?**
AI: No, I'm normally at home with the family. You think sometimes you are here in the offices at 11 o' clock and we are waiting and they call me and if there is something. But no, I'm not so hands on with these things. Obviously I am in touch and they inform me about everything. But it's not like sometimes it looks like we are. There is the biggest day of the \[season\]. No. And it's not for me, the biggest day is today and tomorrow. You know, prepare for the game tomorrow and then there are other people that are in charge of those things.
**PB: You are able to just switch off and wait for things to happen or are you pestering Franno? Come on, give me some good news?**
AI: No, I think they know very well how I think and you know, it's not now we start to communicate and so I live in their hands now, the signings, the departures. Because we can help, I am an assistant here. I'm not in charge of these things. I try to help.
**PB: With Tottenham, how different are they under Thomas Frank? Are you expecting a similar sort of basketball style game?**
AI: No, I think it's going to be different. I think it's going to be different. I think the approach is different. Thomas Frank's teams are always very well organised. I loved also how ones played with them. Probably part season was difficult for them because a lot of injuries, different circumstances. But I think it's going to be different now. The approach is different and I think they've started really well. Two games, two wins, they haven't even conceded a goal. So I know it's going to be difficult, but no, I don't expect so open games. No, I think it's going to be fast paced because they are quite physical. We are also physical. So we have to be ready to run like we ran at Anfield and could be this kind of spaces and transitions, but also could be a different game because they are also ready and sometimes they make a different approach.
**PB: Thomas Frank has an excellent record against you personally. From the outside, Tottenham and Brentford look like two very different teams. Can you see things in Thomas Frank's Tottenham that have caused you particular problems?**
AI: No. Against Brentford, probably the worst game we played was the other day and it was not Thomas Frank in charge. I think even past seasons both games I finished quite happy how we played but we didn't win. But I think we were especially away. I remember that game we played well but no, I think it's completely different also how they are playing comparing to Brentford they are now dictating the games much more the first day especially at home against Burnley they were dominant and then they won 3-0, not easy. It’s never easy in the Premier League but solid performance. I think the other references City, PSG could be tricky. They've done very well but are different games. We are not City or PSG. You know, the reference will be more the game they played against Burnley but they are very good. They were very good past season and I think they are going to be for sure better this season.
**PB: In terms of your team news, have Ryan and Justin reacted well to having 30 minutes of Premier League in a start in midweek?**
AI: I think they needed the minutes. I think they still need more minutes and they haven't done a proper pre season especially. Especially Ryan. Ryan comes I think last game he played starting probably. I don't know if it's probably March or even before. I don't know. But it's good to have him with us because he gives us quality minutes and he will improve every game he plays he will be better and Justin has been a shorter period but it's an important period always preseason. I think he's a player that normally doesn't take a lot to get in form. Sometimes players need because they are more heavy or because they need more training more. I think he's quite sharp naturally and I hope because I think he was also quite good the other day that he's already at a good level to help us.
**PB: If Ryan plays it will be his hundredth Premier League appearance and I wondered if you could take us back to when you arrived because he'd been a number 10, played out on the wing a bit.**
**What did you see in him to make him this pressing monster, this number eight, was it? There was an element of injuries at the time and perhaps trying to find solutions but did you see something in particular that said no, no. He can be the general in the middle.**
AI: Yes, this was I think with us. I don't remember him playing any minute as a winger even from the beginning when we arrived, I think even preseason even I think straight away we could see that we preferred him in our system in one of the inside positions. I remember him, we started putting him more forward in the number 10 role and then after some weeks, but even in pre season we tried sometimes in the number eight and we've seen mostly in those two positions, I think. And the previous experiences, I think have shown us that he's very comfortable there in the number eight positions and our idea is good that he could in an emergency cover other positions. But I think he understands the game very well and when you understand the game, you play in the middle and I think there is a bit of advantage because you can correct not only yourself or not just your closest teammate, but overall the structure of the team. And I'm very happy now that he's returning to the team.
**PB: He was also captain on Tuesday. I don't know if that's been how often that's happened, but is that a role that he's naturally sort of gravitated towards or is that. Have you seen that element of his game?**
AI: No, I feel that I don't give so much importance that you do to this captain armband because I feel here is something very important and for me, you know, you can be a captain without the armband, you can be a leader. It's not like we have one captain and we are going behind him and he will. No, for me it doesn't work like this. I think it's a matter of he was, I think, probably one of the players with more time here. He has this also leadership role. But I'm not giving so much importance that I feel you give here to the armband.