The boss discussed the time off, he gave a team news update and talked about his suspension, as well as the threat of the Hammers.
Read every word from the broadcast section of Iraola’s pre-West Ham press conference here.
Paul Belverstone (Premier League Productions): How productive has your time between Premier League matches been?
Andoni Iraola: It has been, I think, a nice break. I think after a busy schedule, I think this is the first weekend we've had off. We would love to have played, but we lost the penalties against Newcastle. So at least we've used the break a little bit to keep the energy levels in a good place. Sometimes you need a couple of days of rest so you can go again.
PB: And what's your team news? Have you got good news? Is Tav back?
AI: Tav has started training with us. And it's very good news. But I don't know if he's going to be ready for tomorrow or not. We will train today and see how he feels and take a decision from there. But if it's not for tomorrow, it's going to be for the next one. So it means it's good news and also some more training for the last ones we recovered, Tyler Adams, Brooksy. That they are ready for tomorrow. So overall, no new injuries. So it's overall good news, I would say. Yes.
PB: The bad news is that you'll be missing from the touchline. You've been through this before. What's that experience like?
AI: Yes, I think every season, if you are in the season once, it's going to happen because three yellow cards in 38 games, normally there is a moment it arrives. This season I was doing really well. I had some hopes that maybe I can last all the season, but it's very difficult. It's very difficult. Also, I think it's strange because the official that suspended me is going to be the ref of the game. Because he was the fourth official, he showed me yellow card, and now they put him to ref our game. I think it's a little bit strange. In Spain, for example, we don't— the fourth official is not the referee. Like, they are referees but not like Premier League level referees. It's different. Here, you cannot argue too much because then next week they are going to put you this referee in your game, so probably he will remember what you were telling him one week before. But these situations that for me are strange.
PB: If you get cross with him this weekend, he won't hear you because you'll be miles away. Is this the first time you've been up in the stands for an away game? Will that be different and difficult?
AI: Yes, yes. I really don't know where I'm going to watch the game. I suppose they are going to put me somewhere there, quite far, but I don't think it's going to make a massive difference. We will have Tommy, Sean, Pablo there shouting even more than me. And right now we will be for sure connected with the analyst, and I think we will be fine. And the other two games that I was out the previous two seasons, we won them. Probably this does show that probably not as, you know, they don't need me as much!
PB: Did you get a lot of yellow cards as a player? Were you a bad boy?
AI: No, I was really good as a player, really good. I played a lot of games I had only one red card in my career. One red card, I think, in almost, I don't know, more than 500 games. For a defender, it's quite nice. But as a manager, I think 3 yellow cards in a season is a little bit harsh to miss a game.
PB: Fair enough. West Ham next. Why do you always draw against West Ham?
AI: I don't really know because it's true that the five Premier League games we played against have been five draws. I feel normally we play quite well against West Ham but they always find the way of punishing us. They have very good players offensively and now we are facing them in probably their best moment of the season. They are coming from really great results, great performances, playing really well and you know the threats they have. Summerville, Bowen, Soucek arriving, the strikers they've signed now in the winter market. I know Taty Castellanos from La Liga very well. He's a very, very good number 9. I think he has given a lot of energy to that team and I think you can feel the difference.
PB: Is the difference in form from what you've analysed, is it because of the new arrivals in the winter that they've had or have they changed their style at all?
AI: No, I think the new arrivals obviously for sure helped. Also Disasi at the back, the strikers. I think it makes them a better team, but I think they are playing really well lately. I've been watching last games and even I think the only game they've lost in the last seven or something like this, including the cup, is Stamford Bridge, and they had really, really good moments and they lost it on the stoppage time, but they were really good. So I think it's going to be a difficult one considering this situation also. For sure, the atmosphere will be lively in the stadium, so we have to be ready because it's a team that has started really strong last games. I think almost all the last games they've scored first. So we have to be very ready and we have to improve our starts, because we also conceded the first goal against Villa, first goal against Everton. So I think we need to start strong again.
PB: You mentioned some of their players. Can I ask you about Matheus Fernandes? He was decent at Southampton. He seems to have kicked on a level. How influential is he?
AI: I think he was very good even in Southampton. The thing is, when the team is not working, you don't get the points. It's a bad overall season, it's difficult to stand out. But he was already playing very well and now he's probably even assuming more responsibility. He covers a lot of ground, very good on the ball, very young and he's there is a reason, no, they paid also a lot of money for him because he's a player that everyone knows that he's a very good player.
PB: This is probably more of a club question, but 12 months ago I think West Ham made it known that they looked at Junior Kroupi. I wondered if their interest sort of sped up the process of him becoming on your radar, part of your plans.
AI: I don't really know how the negotiation went. I think it was quite clear from our side, that is a player that the club obviously had very well controlled. They were following with the relations with Lorient, and I think there was little doubt from our side that we wanted Junior.
PB: And with Evanilson, we've often asked you about his goal scoring, and you've said it's most important is his overall work. With Junior at the moment, is it almost the opposite, that his goals are becoming crucial, but you he could be involved in games more?
AI: I think with Junior, with Evanilson, I don't judge them by the goals. I think goals is just— it's important, but it doesn't give you like a guarantee. It doesn't give me like, no, he’s not going to do anything, but he will score a goal. Normally it doesn't happen, you know. I prefer he does everything and then if he scores a goal, amazing. But it gives me the guarantee of, okay, we are not going to lose the game because I put this player, the other player. I think I'm really pleased because we score goals overall. It's not about number 9, number 7, the team scores goals. Okay, you are playing, team scores goals, perfect. You are going to continue playing. I don't care if you are the one putting the ball on the net or it’s the one next to you. And it's the approach. I think the most important thing I always tell them is when you play, we play well, we get results, you are closer to playing, even if you haven't scored. Or if we lose every time you play and you score goals, you are closer not to play than the opposite.
PB: So with Junior specifically, he's getting a lot of attention because of his goals. How happy, impressed are you? How much more room— he's still so very young, but his all-round game, how much more is there to come? How much more can he do?
AI: This is the focus for us. I'm not telling Junior how you finish, how you put the feet so you can score. He's amazing doing this, you know. I'm not going to show him anything on that department. I need to tell him what the team needs so he can be on the pitch, so he can score his goals, he can do his plays. And I think he's improving a lot. He's improving a lot because it’s kind of a new position for him is not so different. Basically, when we play with Eva and Junior, we are playing with two strikers, but there is some demands on the ball, off the ball, that both need to do, and I think they are doing well. The other day also with Enes, they played 30-something minutes together, so it's good he has more relationships and I'm happy with Junior, even if he starts or if he comes from the bench like the other day.