Andoni Iraola pulled Bournemouth out of Howe’s shadow and toward a stable, hopeful future

Early returns validated the skeptics. Bournemouth were winless and 19th after Iraola’s first nine games in 2023, five of their six defeats decided by multiple goals. A narrow win against relegation rival Burnley was followed by a 6-1 humbling at Manchester City, with Howe’s Newcastle set to visit Dean Court a week later. A Dominic Solanke brace was all the day needed, a 2-0 win kicking off a run of seven unbeaten league games and 19 sorely needed points.

His team were credible spoilers, a role they have relished ever since. In year one under Iraola, Bournemouth claimed just 0.42 points per game against the “big six”. Since, he’s curated a winning record against the league’s longtime heavyweights: 1.5 points per game in both 2024-25 and the current season, including nine wins and seven defeats.

While positional play models emphasize technique and psychology, Iraola’s approach leans on athleticism, work rate, and on-ball audacity. His teams aren’t a sure thing – Bournemouth’s 11th-place standing this season says as much – but they can be vastly more entertaining on their day than more rigid rivals.

His Cherries play with visible joy once they find a rhythm, creating a striking contrast when pitted against, say, an anxiety-riddled Arsenal. Iraola’s breakthrough came as the big clubs were taking cues from how minnows survived in past seasons, emphasizing set pieces and seeming to prioritize risk mitigation (with positional play models and defensively curated schemes). The 2023-24 season’s infamously dull title bout between City and Arsenal left Pep Guardiola and others looking for ways to inject life into their meticulous schemes.

The transfer market would suggest Iraola provided a salve. As his team racked up results in an expansive and proactive style, his players were increasingly in demand.

Solanke was picked to replace Harry Kane at Tottenham (£55m). Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi were coveted across the continent, landing at Real Madrid (£50m) and Paris Saint-Germain (£54.5m), respectively. After years of buying players from Liverpool with often poor returns, Bournemouth collected £40m from Arne Slot’s side for Milos Kerkez, whose defensive deficiencies were better accounted for by Iraola, himself a former full-back. Dango Ouattara, a Cherries super-sub, became Brentford’s record signing for £42m. Three months ago, City’s title hopes were rejuvenated in part by the addition of habitual entertainer Antoine Semenyo (£62.5m).

That’s a windfall of £304m: six players gone to “big six” sides, Champions League winners, and data-driven darlings alike.

Andoni Iraola speaks to Dominic Solanke during a Bournemouth match against Manchester United in 2023. Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images

When Iraola joined, it was unthinkable that Bournemouth could be an admired talent factory. Now they’re in company with Brighton and Brentford – those buoyant, book-balancing B’s – as model mid-table clubs with a knack for finding rising talents. The next wave is already established, led by Eli Junior Kroupi, Alex Scott, Rayan and Adrien Truffert.

And so, Iraola himself will leave this summer in search of a new challenge. Two wins and a draw at Old Trafford will make him a popular alternative to Michael Carrick at Manchester United. Perhaps Bilbao, ninth in La Liga under Ernesto Valverde, will try pulling a native son’s heartstrings. A homecoming could also serve as a crucial middle step before helming a continental heavyweight – an ideal in-between stop to work out issues of acclimation that befell Frank and Graham Potter after they left Brentford and Brighton.

Such was Iraola’s impact that the club seems determined not to regress to past customs. Rather than scouring recently dismissed Premier League and Championship coaches, Bournemouth’s first target appears to be Marco Rose, another high-intensity acolyte who did wonders for Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham among others.

This may be the club’s new normal for a while. It’s just as possible that Iraola’s endearing dynamic with his players can’t be replicated. But for now, Bournemouth can recruit his successor on the back of their growing track record of developmental successes. While Foley’s investments advanced the project, Iraola’s culture and system ensured something greater.

This is no longer a club left to chase Howe’s heyday. Life after Eddie has finally brought thrills even he couldn’t match. That’s a feat in itself: a legacy all Iraola’s own.