AFC Bournemouth
Andoni Iraola sat down with the press ahead of the visit to Amex Stadium on Sunday to take on Brighton & Hove Albion.
Here are three things we learned…
1. Iraola is pleased with progress being made
The Cherries head coach has introduced a new playing style this season and performances have been getting better and better.
Speaking to the media, he admitted he was pleased with the progress being made, especially in the game against Chelsea last weekend: “I was quite happy as the game went better as it past, we finished better than we started the game.
“We felt like the last 20 minutes of the game, we were closer to winning it than losing it. It’s not that we started poorly but they were more in control of the game at the beginning of the game.
“So the sensation that we ended the game against Chelsea, I think we were really nice against a really good opposition. But every game is different, now we have Brighton. It’s a different game.”
2. Iraola loves Dominic Solanke
The Cherries forward has had an excellent start to the season, scoring two goals in five games.
He's also had a great time off-the-pitch as he signed a bumper new contract and welcomed his baby daughter, his first child.
Iraola is loving his time working with the one-time England international, stating: “I think it's pretty clear since day one, for me, he's a very, very good number nine.
“He gives us a lot of things other than the goals and he's having the chances. The other day, he had a very, very good chance and it was a very good save from Robert Sánchez but every game he has had a clear chance or a couple. It's a very good thing!
“I always tell them I want a number nine who misses goal, it’s a good sign, because at the end he will score because he has the qualities.
“He knows he has to help the team because he has to make the ones playing behind him better also and he’s focused on that.”
3. The full-backs are particularly impressing
Iraola made a successful playing career as a full-back, playing more than 400 times in La Liga with Athletic Bilbao.
With new full-backs Max Aarons and Milos Kerkez joining in the summer, Iraola was asked about how he thought they were adapting.
He replied: “It’s not easy to be a full-back in the Premier League because you come from [Bryan] Mbeumo one week and then you face [Mykhailo] Mudryk or [Raheem] Sterling and then you go and you play Solly March or [Kaoru] Mitoma next week.
“They will play Bukayo Saka or I don't know, [Leandro] Trossard, whoever plays for Arsenal! It's like this to be in Premier League football, you face the worst wingers and I think they did really well the other day.
“It's not a matter of their job individually, we have to help them. Obviously, we know that [Brighton] have very, very dangerous wingers. I don't know which one will start, but I think they attack very well.
“It’s good that the other day we had our first clean sheet. It was something that we talked about in the international break and we know Brighton are scoring a lot of goals, but let's hope that we continue that way defensively!”
