Andoni Iraola will face a huge test when his Bournemouth side take on Liverpool this weekend.
Andoni Iraola took charge of his first Premier League game when Bournemouth battled to a draw against West Ham United at the Vitality Stadium last weekend.
However, the Cherries will face an even sterner test when they travel to Anfield on Saturday.
Bournemouth appointed Iraola this summer, with a view to the Spanish coach introducing a new style of play to the south coast club. In his time managing in Spain, the coach earned a reputation for his team’s attacking verve and fast-flowing, chaotic-at-times, football.
There were signs of Bournemouth adapting to Iraola’s more progressive tactics against West Ham. Full-backs Max Aarons and Milos Kerkez were encouraged to push forward, whilst the Cherries’ strung together plenty of free flowing attacking moves.
However, aside from an idealistic footballing philosophy, one attribute that any successful manager must have, especially at the top level, is adaptability.
This is a quality that Iraola will need to demonstrate that he possesses when Bournemouth take on Liverpool.
Iraola’s Merseyside trial
Whilst the manager’s intention to instil his own methods at the Vitality Stadium is laudable, Bournemouth must also recognise their limits. They have to play smart. If they go to Merseyside with all guns blazing and throw caution to the wind when they attack, then they will surely be punished by Jurgen Klopp’s Reds.
The likes of Mohamed Salah, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Luis Diaz, amongst others, have the quality to dismantle a Bournemouth side that leaves too much space for them to exploit.
Iraola has to ensure that he prepares his team with his opposition in mind, as Bournemouth aren’t ready yet to go to Anfield with the intent to impose themselves on the game, and play on the front foot, from the off.
If Iraola can his strike his tactical balance just right, then the Cherries stand a great chance of pulling off an upset against a Liverpool side that looked below par against Chelsea in their last match.