Andoni Iraola lauds wide players as Bournemouth thrash West Brom
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Boss Andoni Iraola hailed his flying wingers after Bournemouth made light of their striker crisis with a thumping 5-1 FA Cup third-round win over West Brom. The Cherries were left reeling this week after forwards Evanilson and Enes Unal suffered serious injuries.
But Iraola’s makeshift strikeforce ran riot against the Baggies with Dango Ouattara scoring twice and fellow widemen Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo also on target. Rookie striker Daniel Jebbison then climbed off the bench to add the fifth after he was recalled from a loan spell at Watford.
“The forwards played very well, most of them scored goals so it’s really pleasing,” said Iraola. “Dango has played very well, he has played number nine in his national team. We have players who can help us there even if it is not their best position.
“A lot of players have played in positions they are not used to and everyone has helped us.”. Bournemouth were briefly on the back foot after the managerless Baggies, sixth in the Championship, grabbed an early goal through Caleb Taylor’s header. But Kluivert pounced on a David Brooks cross at the far post to equalise in the 27th minute.
Seven minutes later Kluivert’s clever reverse pass put Ouattara in behind, with the Burkina Faso international slipping a neat finish underneath Joe Wildsmith from a tight angle. A minute before half-time Brooks led a Bournemouth counter-attack with a surging run through the middle.
