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Quiet with hard edge’ – Frank Lampard not surprised ‘tough’ ex-team-mate Andoni Iraola is shining as Bournemouth boss
England legend explains why the Spaniard has got the Cherries flying
ANDONI IRAOLA provided the steel in a star-studded New York midfield alongside Frank Lampard and Andrea Pirlo.
Now he is forging a quiet revolution at Bournemouth which has fans dreaming of playing in Europe for the first time in the club’s history.
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And Lamps thinks they are a match made in heaven.
Since Iraola was appointed in June 2023 the unfashionable seasiders have gone from strength to strength.
Incredibly, the Basque-born Spaniard has taken the Cherries to a club-record 40 points at this stage of the season — one point off a Champions League spot.
Now, as they prepare for their biggest test against leaders Liverpool tomorrow, Lampard admits he is thrilled at how his former team-mate is quietly giving Bournemouth fans something to shout about.
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Lamps, who returned to management with Coventry in November, said: “The fact Andoni has risen to where he is now as a coach doesn’t surprise me.
“Although he was quiet and diligent he had a good understanding of the game and was clearly taking-in things and learning for a future in coaching.
“We only had one full season together with New York City in the MLS but we had a decent team.
“Andoni played in midfield alongside myself and Andrea Pirlo.
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“We also had David Villa up front. That’s alright for starters, wasn’t it?
“Although our legs were on the turn, unfortunately, we still had the talent in our heads to do what we wanted to do.
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“Out of the three he was the defensive guy for sure.
“I was chipping in with a few and playing my normal game — just not at the same speed as in my 20s!
“Pirlo could do whatever he wanted with the ball. He was just an incredible magician who could manipulate the ball to do anything.
“They were good days and Andoni provided security in midfield and had the experience to stay put while we were roaming around.”
Iraola has had to adapt this term given the Cherries’ injury problems. Despite those, they still beat high-flying Nottingham Forest 5-0 last Saturday.
Iraola had already shown he can modify his game as a player.
Lampard explained: “Andoni arrived as a full-back but soon moved into midfield, so he could play both of those roles — long before the modern-day full-back who inverts into a midfielder.
“He was doing that naturally ten years ago.
“He played behind Andrea Pirlo and myself and read the game — maybe that’s where he got a feel for the tactical side of things.
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FRANK LAMPARD says Andoni Iraola immersed himself in the American way of life while they were teammates at New York City, writes GRAEME BRYCE.
And he revealed the Bournemouth boss was into popular US sports like baseball, basketball, ice hockey and American Football.
"One of the beauties of moving to the MLS was being able to sample a different way of life," said Lampard.
"I'm so pleased I did it because, although we speak the same language, it's a really different culture.
"And the sporting world is the same.
"You do socialise more than I was used to in the Premier League.
"Sometimes we'd travel to the West Coast and you spend two or three days there and you go out for some dinner together. It's all a bit more relaxed around games over there.
"We'd often go to baseball games. We had a link with The Yankees anyway - so we'd go and watch the Yankees play baseball and the New York Rangers play ice-hockey.
"It was great for that and I seem to remember Andoni and David Villa bought very much into American sports."
Lampard believes Iraola was the type of character who would have taken something from studying different sports.
"As a coach, everyone is different, but I think you can certainly learn a lot from American sports in terms of their approach, their coaching and different things," he said.
"Statistics for example. I'm guessing Andoni would have had an eye on all of that stuff, he seems to me the studious type.
"I can remember him and David going to loads of games in different sports.
"However I can't remember him ever having to sing an initiation song for the boys.
"I guess we were an older generation so maybe they didn't want to ask us.
"My memories of it are of the young players tucking into social media and me thinking: 'I'm getting too old for this game!'
"Things were moving really fast and I suppose Andoni and I were at the same stage of our careers, thinking about moving into coaching.
"He certainly comes from the Basque region, which is an area that produces so many great coaches.
"There's obviously something in that."
“Andoni was close to David Villa because of the obvious Spanish connection and he came across as the consummate pro.
“I really liked being in his company. He was a good lad who had obviously had a very good career in Spain with Athletic Bilbao, who he made over 500 appearances for.
“To have enjoyed such a long career with Bilbao, and then come to America to play for New York, there was something about him which was quietly steely I would say.
"He was quiet but I’m not stupid enough to judge him on that because there was definitely a tough edge to him.”
He was quiet and studious, yet on the pitch he had a hard edge and was very determined.
Frank Lampard
That steeliness came in handy at the start of Iraola’s spell as Bournemouth boss.
It took him TEN games before he managed his first Cherries win after taking over from the axed Gary O’Neil.
Lamps added: “I think the marriage between Bournemouth and Andoni is a good one.
"He came in with a clear identity at the beginning, at a time when people questioned him because they were losing games.
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“But he stuck to his guns and the club recruited very well and supported their manager.
“He was quiet and studious, yet on the pitch he had a hard edge and was very determined.
"I hadn’t realised he had gone into coaching to be honest but when I saw that he was emerging as a talented young coach in Spain it all made sense.
“I thought he’s managed to transfer those qualities into management.”
Iraola’s team face an acid test against Arne Slot’s Reds but their 11-match unbeaten Prem run is a club record in the top flight.
He played behind Andrea Pirlo and myself and read the game — maybe that’s where he got a feel for the tactical side of things.
Frank Lampard
Lampard said: “They look so difficult to play against. I watched them against Chelsea recently and in the second half the energy and athleticism of the team and their connections and pressing was so good.
“If they carry on the way they are then they have European football on their radar, for sure.
“It’s a great story. I’ve got a lot of time for Bournemouth Football Club because of my family connections with Harry Redknapp, so I always look out for them.
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“It’s a showpiece model club which has done really well from top to bottom in recent times.”
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