Andoni Iraola
Bournemouth faced a challenging encounter at the Stadium of Light, where they squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 against Sunderland. The match was characterized by disciplinary issues for the Cherries, who conceded a penalty, had four players booked, and saw Lewis Cook receive a red card. Manager Andoni Iraola voiced his concerns over the referee’s performance, which he believed significantly influenced the outcome.
Andoni Iraola said: “If you are a Bournemouth supporter or you wear the badge of Bournemouth today, I think everyone will get a yellow card or red card. I got the yellow card. My assistants, I think Tommy [Elphick] got the yellow card, Shaun [Cooper] got a yellow card. I think the players, you have to have your head level. But I think he has been so influenced in the referee today. I think starting with the penalty. But it’s not even one decision. The other day we discussed about the red card of Kiliman or not, it’s one decision, okay. There is nothing there. There is a part where we have to look at ourselves especially defensive set plays, it’s costing us a lot last games, a lot. But there is a part where absolutely the referee has been very influential. Very, very influential.”
Andoni Iraola continued: “It was very difficult. I’ve been shown a yellow card and they could show me the second one also, because it’s a game that I think we were playing very well and we are controlling. The penalty there is a foul on Tavernier five seconds before and when you call a penalty, the VAR is checking five minutes, five minutes, a decision that should be okay, we see 20 seconds, 30 seconds. This five-minute check in, I really expected to overturn it because when you are checking five minutes, they know it’s a mistake, but they don’t know if it’s big enough mistake for the VAR to intervene or not. I think they are in this process because otherwise you don’t spend five minutes checking a penalty.”
The match’s outcome was heavily influenced by the decisions made on the field, with Iraola highlighting the impact of the referee’s calls. The penalty awarded to Sunderland was particularly contentious, with VAR taking an extended period to review the decision. Despite the challenges, Iraola acknowledged the need for Bournemouth to address their defensive issues, especially concerning set plays, which have been a recurring problem in recent games.
Looking ahead, Bournemouth faces a quick turnaround as they prepare to host Everton. The Cherries will need to regroup and focus on maintaining discipline to avoid similar setbacks in future matches. The match against Everton presents an opportunity for the team to demonstrate resilience and address the defensive lapses that have plagued them.
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