The boss spoke about international call ups, Michael B Jordan's Oscar and United's evolution under Michael Carrick.
Read every word from the broadcast section of Iraola's press conference here.
Mark McAdam (Sky Sports News): We'll start with the big story, and I'm not quite sure which is the big story. Is it Rayan being called up to the Brazil national side, or Michael B. Jordan winning an Oscar?
Andoni Iraola: Two big stories, definitely very different, but two big stories. I think from the football side, I will start with Rayan. I think it's big, it's very good for him personally, definitely, and also for the club to have one in your squad, one international player for Brazil. Because sometimes we have a lot of international players, but in certain countries, I don't know, England, Brazil, Spain, France, It's very expensive to be a national team player and I hope he uses his time to learn a lot because also he has Ancelotti, a top manager, very good teammates. So the more things he can learn in these two weeks, the better for him and also for us as a club. And on the other side, I have to congratulate Michael B. Jordan. I’ve met him sometimes that he comes here to visit and when we travelled to the US and I'm happy also for him. I have to recognise I haven't seen the film so I cannot judge him but I have it there to watch and I suppose that has been a very, very good thing for him, yes.
MM: What does it say about Rayan, the fact that he's been in the country for just a matter of months, had an impact on the Premier League, scored goals, got assists and then suddenly called up to the Brazil national side. It's a huge deal. This is a team that will be expected to challenge for the World Cup and have a history of doing so. The fact that Carlo Ancelotti believes he's good enough to be in that squad tells you a lot about Bournemouth and the way he's had an impact in the early stages of his Bournemouth career.
AI: Yes, I think it's remarkable because it's, I would say, strange, you know, to be in the national team at 19 years old with Brazil. There is a part where he has done very good things in the Brazilian league before arriving to Bournemouth. And I think this step is kind of a confirmation of, okay, everything that he was doing there, he can replicate it in the Premier League at the highest level. And I think it's an opportunity for him, obviously. It's going to be much more difficult to be in the squad for the World Cup, but he has a chance. And when Carlo has called him, it's because he wants to see him more. He wants to know him. And I hope he does really well for them these two weeks, but especially for us in the last part of the season. And he can achieve something that probably wasn't in his head some time ago, and now it could be a real possibility.
MM: And the fact that so many of your players are being called up to national sides and being linked with call-ups— I know Adrien Truffert hasn't been called up to the France side, which is a shame, but hopefully keeps him hungry to keep improving and developing performance to maybe get that call-up. James Hill, Alex Scott, you know, again spoken about with regards to England, we don't know yet, but are these players that should be called up? Are these players that that you want to see them called up because of it reflecting how well Bournemouth are doing?
AI: Yes, definitely. Personally, I want them to have this reward. I think our players, as you said, Adrien hasn't been called up, but he's for sure has been in the conversation, has been there pushing for his spot. I don't know, the same we could argue with Alex Scott was in the last one. Let's see tomorrow what happens. Even talks about James Hill, a lot of different situations. Amine Adli, trying to recover his spot in the Moroccan national team. Some players that with their performances maybe they earn spots in the national teams. And I think for us it's good in the sense that, okay, they have something to achieve personally. And I hope we can use this motivation for the benefit of the team.
MM: Premier League football here at the Vitality, Friday night against Manchester United. What's the Bournemouth team news? Have you got any players that you're welcoming back?
Andoni Iraola: No, I think it's going to be— I said the same past week and then we lost Tyler Adams in the last day. I hope we don't lose anyone else, but I think it's going to be very similar in terms of Tyler is not going to be available, as you suppose, because he hasn't been in the squad for the US. And Lewis Cook is not still ready. And also now we have almost three weeks now without a game. So we want to use this space now for him to recover properly and be ready for the next one. And the rest, I think, no fresh injuries, and I hope everyone else is available for tomorrow.
MM: When you played Manchester United earlier in the season in December, one of the standout games at Old Trafford, it finished 4-4. People say, well, hopefully there'll be a replication of that game, that energy, those goals. But you've, you've drawn three of your last four matches 0-0, which is very uncharacteristic for one of your teams. Can you put your finger on perhaps why you've not been as, as free-scoring as you have?
AI: It's true, I think last games have been a little bit different, I would say, even from the, from what has been the whole season, I would say. I think considering the game against United, I think I haven't checked right now, but I know some weeks ago we were, I think, the two teams with more goal involvements in our games. Probably City was there and I don't know, probably we've lost something because we've drawn last two games 0-0. But there has been a lot of goals in our games, not only in that 4-4. And I expect quite an open game. I think it's true that they've changed a lot. Change manager, change tactics, system, a lot of things. Probably we've changed a little bit, not as much. It's going to be a different game. They obviously come in an incredible run of games. They've been the best team in the Premier League in the last months. But we are also coming in a good run and I hope we can give them a good game.
MM: Yes, unbeaten in 11 matches in all competitions. Obviously quite a few draws in there, unfortunately. When you look at Manchester United, Michael Carrick, the impact he's had, seven wins from his nine games, what has he done differently to Ruben Amorim? What are you seeing through your analysis that says this is a different Manchester United setup?
AI: I think obviously they are doing very well. It's not just the results that this is evident and something very, very objective. It's just that they are, for me, being more solid. Because they still have the same threat offensively, but they were the same with Rubén. They were scoring a lot of goals, having a lot of chances like they are having now, but probably defensively, no, they look more solid. They haven't conceded a lot of goals. You see the chances they concede is some games is ridiculous. They don't concede basically chances a lot of times, and probably the improvement in terms of points of feelings, no, it comes from this defensive solidity, yes.
Premier League Productions: Probably a draw this one tomorrow, do you think?
AI: It would be a different draw from the last ones, probably it would feel a little bit better from the last results probably, but I think we will have to be very good if we want to get a draw because they are playing very well, they are one of the best, if not the best right now team in the league. I think it's going to be a difficult one.
PLP: I got myself into a bit of a rabbit warren yesterday looking at your highlights against Michael Carrick when you went up against him in 2012. Do you remember those two fixtures?
AI: I remember. I don't know if he will remember. Probably he has played more important games, but I definitely remember. I've just played twice against United. If I'm not wrong, he played one, definitely started one of the two. I don't know if— I don't think he started the other, but I definitely remember those games. Probably for him were not as important.
PLP: He nearly scored a last-minute equaliser which you blocked.
AI: I didn't remember that one!
PLP: That side was managed by Sir Alex Ferguson. Obviously Michael Carrick is in charge now. What are the real positives that you've seen him bring in since taking charge?
AI: I think basically everything is positive, you know, the results they've got, have been very remarkable. I also like, you know, I don't know him personally, but I like how he speaks, how he behaves, how he makes everything about the team. And the team is playing really well. I think they are doing very well. Everything looks fantastic, but we have the problem that we have to face them tomorrow. So we will try to find some weaknesses if they have. But I'm really happy that he's doing so well.
PLP: For the 4-4 earlier in the season, your team were in a much different position. What differences do you see in what you're doing with your squad now?
AI: Yes, I think it was a moment in the season where I think we were not playing badly, we were playing well, but probably we were not getting the results. It was costing us a lot, you know, to get those, those wins. We were conceding a lot of goals, scoring a lot of goals also. Now, results-wise, probably we are in a better place, probably in a different way, in the sense that it's costing us lately to score the goals, to finish those chances. We are defensively more solid. And really, it's difficult to predict what's going to happen tomorrow. I don't know if it's going to be a game of a lot of chances, a lot of goals, or maybe it's another 0-0. I don't know.
PLP: And just on the remaining few Premier League fixtures of the season, what are you hoping to achieve with Bournemouth?
AI: I think we have now a part of the schedule that is really difficult. We are playing next 3, we are playing United, that is right now the team in form in the Premier League. Then we go Arsenal away, we go Newcastle away. So we have now difficult run of fixtures. I think we've missed a chance because these last four draws, we probably expected more points in these last games and we missed the chance to get even into a better position and now we have to do it in a difficult way, getting points against those teams that are at the top of the table. But we've shown before we can do it and we can get results against this kind of team. So especially with us, I think the schedule is not as important as for other teams.