The Basque coach is at the forefront of the new tactical trend sweeping across the Premier League and the Cityzens need to face up to it
The March international break is traditionally when clubs begin to focus their plans for the next campaign. Chelsea have already officially signed Geovany Quenda and Dario Essugo while Real Madrid have effectively agreed a contract with Trent Alexander-Arnold. Some are already looking at potential new managers, too, and one name in particular is causing plenty of excitement: Andoni Iraola.
The Basque is reported to be Tottenham's top candidate should they decide to move on from Ange Postecoglou while he is also being viewed as a potential candidate for the Real Madrid job if Carlo Ancelotti should leave. It is easy to see why there is a lot of interest in Iraola.
The 42-year-old has made humble Bournemouth one of the most exciting teams to watch in the Premier League, if not Europe, and given them a fighting chance of qualifying for continental competition for the first time ever, with an outside shot at creeping into the Champions League. And he is a specialist at upsetting the biggest teams. His side have beaten four of the traditional 'Big Six' teams this season while outclassing the two big pretenders, demolishing Nottingham Forest 5-0 and thrashing Newcastle 4-1 away from home.
One Sunday he he will lead his team out in an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City, and with their visitors toiling in Pep Guardiola's worst-ever season as a coach and the Catalan even beginning to question if his methods still have a place in modern football, it is time City began to seriously consider Iraola as a potential successor in the not-too-distant future.
Getty Too intense for City
One of Bournemouth's most impressive wins in this remarkable campaign was when they became the first team in 11 months to beat Man City in the league. They only beat them 2-1 but Guardiola was in thrall to his side's victors, admitting his team could not live with the high-octane, lightning-quick Cherries.
"We couldn't match up to the intensity," he said. Iraola was also in no doubt that his side had deserved to win, remarking: "One thing is to beat City but another is to play better. We played with no fear."
Bournemouth will be aiming to replicate that performance when they host City in Sunday's FA Cup quarter-final tie, with a place at Wembley in the club's first ever FA Cup semi-final up for grabs.
AdvertisementGetty Images SportDefeat sparked existential crisis
Before City arrived at the Vitality Stadium in November they had won seven of their nine opening Premier League games and were top of the table. But the defeat sparked a shocking downward spiral of results, of six defeats and two draws in nine matches. And in January Guardiola seemed to be grappling with an existential question about the way football was heading. "Today, modern football is the way Bournemouth, Newcastle, Brighton and Liverpool play," the City manager told . "Modern football is not positional."
Guardiola's Barcelona led the possession-football revolution – also referred to as positional play – along with the all-conquering Spain team that had many of the same players. But this season some of the most successful teams in the Premier League are the ones that see the ball the least. Take Nottingham Forest, who have the lowest average possession in the league (39.5 percent) and yet are third in the table – six points better off City – and closing in on Champions League qualification for the first time.
City still lead the way in possession in the English top flight with 60.8% while runaway Premier League leaders Liverpool also love to have the ball, ranking third in the table with 57.2%. But several teams with high ball possession are having dire campaigns. Basement club Southampton, who have just nine points, rank 10th in the possession table. Tottenham are fourth in terms of possession but are 14th in the real table. Manchester United are seventh in the possession table and 13th in the one that matters, on course for their worst finish since 1990.
Getty Images SportAt the forefront of a new movement
Bournemouth rank 15th in possession but are among the highest performers in the key metrics relating to fast attacks. The Cherries lead the league in counter-pressures, also ranking highest for shots following a high turnover (winning the ball within 40 metres of the opposition’s goal-line) and shots from transitions.
Bournemouth terrorised City in November with their fast breaks, even though their two goals came from slower build-up moves. They also demonstrated their power at counters in their recent 2-2 draw with Tottenham, when Milos Kerkez hared down the pitch from his own area and crossed for Marcus Tavernier to score. While City are renowned for their propensity to recycle possession and reset when they win the ball back, Bournemouth's first thought when retrieving it is to attack as fast as possible.
Iraola explained to recently: "The first thing we try to do when we recover the ball is play to the number nine. Because that is usually the moment when the opponent is less well positioned and you can find better spaces."
The game is heading in the same direction. According to , this season has the highest proportion of all shots coming from fast breaks on record (10.2%), as well as the highest proportion of goals (7.1%). If City do not adapt to this new reality, then this harrowing season will cease to be an anomaly in their golden era and will be repeated. And in Erling Haaland they have the most formidable centre-forward in the world, one who would thrive in a more direct team.
Getty Images SportExhilarating football
Bournemouth are not just successful. Rather like Iraola's former club Rayo Vallecano, they are exhilarating to watch. And while City fans will forever be in debt to Guardiola for the success he has brought them, the uncomfortable truth is that many supporters get frustrated with their short-passing game and would like to see them adopt a faster, more exciting style of play.
Iraola began his playing career with Athletic Club just as Guardiola's era with Barcelona ended but he came up against him on a number of occasions when the Catalan was in the dugout. Barca won every single one of their meetings, including two Copa del Rey finals, but Iraola got his own back against Barca as a coach, when his Rayo Vallecano side did the double on them in their first season back in the top flight. In four La Liga games against Barca, Iraola won three and drew once.
And before the two men met as coaches for the first time in 2023, Guardiola said of Iraola: "In Spain he is one of the youngest managers that has a better future – and training in the Premier League is an incredible success for him." Iraola has not just made it to the Premier League, he has thrived there. And he is part of the new tactical vanguard.