Andoni Iraola is looking forward to returning to AFC Bournemouth but intends to be “ruthless” when Liverpool face his former club in the Premier League on Sunday.
Iraola spent three years at Bournemouth before taking charge at Liverpool.
At his pre-match press conference, he was asked about his emotions ahead of returning to Vitality Stadium for the first time.
“On the personal side, I’m really looking forward to meeting them, to hug them, it’s players that I love, staff that I have been working with, that I appreciate so much,” Andoni Iraola said.
“I was pushing for them yesterday when they were playing their first European game and I wish them all the best.
“But there is another part and that is the most important one right now: we need to go there and beat them and be as ruthless as possible. And leave all the talks for after the game.”
Bournemouth are still searching for their first Premier League win of the season, having drawn three and lost one of their four games so far.
The Cherries, however, head into this fixture on the back of a 2-1 victory away to Real Sociedad in the Europa League.
“I don’t think they’ve changed too much, definitely not in terms of names,” said Andoni Iraola.
“You see mostly the same starting XI, very few changes. Basically, they lost Marcos Senesi and they’ve signed [Antonio] Silva that is a very similar kind of player.
“The main ideas, the philosophy… I was lucky also to talk to Marco Rose before leaving. He hasn’t changed too much, they continue to be very dangerous and a very good team.
“It’s going to be a tricky one because they obviously know very well what we try to do, on the ball and without the ball.
“But I also have this advantage – I know their strengths, their weaknesses.
“It happened even in a smaller amount the other day [against Tottenham Hotspur] because I had Senesi, Dom Solanke, players I’ve already coached and probably – like we all do – they talked to [Roberto] De Zerbi, now it’s going to be with Marco Rose, about the things that we look into.
“In this case, it’s going to be strange for me. I don’t know if it’s a big advantage or a disadvantage, but it’s going to be different.”
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