Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola has called for defensive solidity from his team, who have conceded 12 goals in four games, ahead of their challenging Premier League clash with Everton.
According to a report from VAVEL International, Bournemouth Head Coach Andoni Iraola believes his team must drastically improve their defensive stability as they prepare for a “difficult” encounter against Everton at the Vitality Stadium on Tuesday evening.
The Cherries have seen their form dip, picking up only nine points from a possible 24 since the end of September, a run compounded by a 3-2 loss to newly promoted Sunderland last time out, despite leading by two goals.
This poor form has been driven by defensive lapses, with the team holding the fourth-worst defence in the league and conceding 12 goals in their previous four league games.
Iraola was direct in his assessment of the team’s current priorities: “I think it’s our main issue now, we have to focus on improving defensively, it doesn’t matter the goals we score if we are conceding two or three goals a game.”
He noted that many goals were “mainly coming from set plays, where at the start of the season we weren’t, which makes it very difficult in the Premier League to compete.”
Ahead of the match, Bournemouth will be without Lewis Cook, Marcos Senesi and David Brooks due to suspension or injury. Cook, who was sent off for violent conduct, will miss three games.
Despite the absences, Iraola is optimistic about the squad’s depth during the busy period, insisting, “we will need everyone.”
The manager anticipates a tough contest against Everton, expecting “very difficult duels” and demanding defensive focus, as the Toffees’ strikers are capable of making the game “uncomfortable.”