Defensive disarray, a faltering attack and Semenyo uncertainty. Iraola has issues to address
Bournemouth have plummeted down the Premier League table. They were once tactical darlings, so what is going so wrong?
Lewis Cook trudged off the Gtech Community Stadium pitch in disappointment. David Brooks tossed his jersey to a fan before heading down the tunnel.
As two of the longest-serving members of this Bournemouth squad, the duo have experienced worse spells of form. But this nine-game winless streak after the promise of 2024-25 and the first nine weeks of this season feels different.
The 4-1 loss away to Brentford was one of the worst performances of the Andoni Iraola era.
“We arrived 45 minutes late to a Premier League match,” he said post-match of their first-half display. “And normally when that happens, you are out of the game.”
The rest of Iraola’s press conference spoke to the multiple issues Bournemouth are grappling with.
The back line is the obvious starting point, with Bournemouth’s 22 goals conceded in nine matches since the start of November the worst of any team in Europe’s top five leagues.
Their first-half performance against Brentford was littered with issues that have plagued them in previous matches. Igor Thiago tormented Bafode Diakite and Marcos Senesi physically, regularly playing with his back to goal, sometimes even moving all the way into Brentford’s defensive third. This created space for Kevin Schade to exploit.
For the first goal, Thiago delivered a through ball to Schade from his own half (yellow line above) after pulling Senesi out of the back line.
Schade outmuscled Diakite to score. The second was created by Senesi’s indecision while attempting to read Thiago’s movements, with the forward running in behind instead of going short before forcing an own goal.
A goal in 3 parts 📸 pic.twitter.com/DqtxrDys40
— Brentford FC (@BrentfordFC) December 27, 2025
“When you are not proactive, you are going to be defending and facing difficult duels,” Iraola said of the first half in his post-match media duties. “Long throws, Thiago, long balls — we were probably just worried about these things and not focusing on, ‘Let’s attack, put them under pressure, do our job’.”
Iraola retreated to his bench, seething on multiple occasions in the first half. “I was hoping selfishly, ‘Let’s keep it 1-0 and (make changes) for the second half’. I was sure it was going to be a different game, but they scored the second,” he said.
Diakite was substituted at half-time, moments after his rushed clearance went in off goalkeeper Djordje Petrovic.
