Iraola on Semenyo, two defeats and Wolves' 'difference-maker' Cunha

Iraola on Semenyo, two defeats and Wolves’ ‘difference-maker’ Cunha

Posted by Admin November 29, 2024 Football

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has been speaking to the media before Saturday’s Premier League game against Wolves (kick-off 15:00 GMT).

Here are the key lines from his news conference:

There are no fresh injury concerns. There are “one or two players with small things” but he is hopeful they will be available on Saturday.
Ryan Christie is back in contention after serving his one-match suspension, but Antoine Semenyo is unavailable after picking up his fifth yellow card of the season against Brighton.
Semenyo is “a player you don’t want to lose” but the club is using the forward’s suspension as “a small break” and a chance for him to “deload” after featuring in all 12 Premier League games so far this season.
On the past two “difficult games”, which resulted in two defeats for the Cherries: “We weren’t as efficient as we were in other games. If we are not close to 100%, we don’t win games. We have to improve in the moments when the points are shared.”
He is anticipating another “difficult game” against Wolves, who have won their past two league games: “They are surely in their best moment of the season. They come to us without any losses in their past four. We have to be ready for a very good team. We have to be at their level.”
There is “no surprise” that Wolves have turned their form around: “In their first run of fixtures, it was very difficult because they played against all of the top teams. A similar thing happened to us last season. Now they have had more games against teams around their level, they have been very good.”
He praised Gary O’Neil for doing “a hell of a job” during his time at Bournemouth, highlighting “how difficult it is to survive” in the Premier League after promotion and the fact that the Cherries did it under his management.
Matheus Cunha is the “difference-maker” for the opponents: “Every team has players who don’t need a lot to score, make big plays or give an assist. Cunha is that player. I know him very well because I also played against him in La Liga when he was at Atletico Madrid. He is a top player.”