The Basque player spoke to Sky Sports in 2023 about the influence of former manager Marcelo Bielsa on his attacking approach.
“I’m using a lot of the exercises that I learned from Marcelo[at Athletic Bilbao],” he said.
“I use it a lot, especially on the ball. He’s willing to make every run into space and is ready for this kind of disruption in attack.”
The key here is disorder. Managers like Josep Guardiola, Mikel Arteta and Arne Slott are focused on minimizing risks and avoiding chaotic match situations, but Iraola’s Bournemouth have embraced them and are on point. It’s even better.
The former Rayo Vallecano manager has introduced a system that aims to apply both zonal marking and man-to-man pressing. Recent analysts have dubbed this ‘hybrid pressing’, and while Bournemouth are not alone in adopting such an approach, they are far more effective than most teams at executing it. That is certain.
Bournemouth’s hybrid press, which aims to win the ball back as high up the pitch as possible, is usually most noticeable during opposition goal kicks.
