'Hell of a team' – Andoni Iraola admits Bournemouth are 'very far' from Man Utd's level after friendly thrashing as Ruben Amorim makes 'intensity' claim

Bournemouth boss Andoni Iraola has hailed Manchester United as a "hell of a team" after his side were thrashed 4-1 in a pre-season friendly. The Red Devils' sharpness and "intensity" impressed not just Iraola, but also Ruben Amorim, who noted his team’s progress as they gear up for the new campaign on the back of their horror 2024-25 season.

  • Iraola praises Man Utd after 4-1 thrashing
  • Claims Cherries are ‘very far’ from level
  • Both teams preparing for new season

'Hell of a team' - Andoni Iraola admits Bournemouth are 'very far' from Man Utd's level after friendly thrashing as Ruben Amorim makes 'intensity' claim'Hell of a team' - Andoni Iraola admits Bournemouth are 'very far' from Man Utd's level after friendly thrashing as Ruben Amorim makes 'intensity' claim'Hell of a team' - Andoni Iraola admits Bournemouth are 'very far' from Man Utd's level after friendly thrashing as Ruben Amorim makes 'intensity' claim

cruised to a 4-1 win over Bournemouth in Chicago as part of their United States tour. Goals from Rasmus Hojlund, Patrick Dorgu, Diallo, and Ethan Williams sealed the dominant victory for the Red Devils at Soldier Field. Bournemouth struggled to match United’s pace and quality throughout the game, and Cherries boss Iraola praised Amorim’s side.

Speaking to the media, Iraola said: “We are very far right now from United, I think United is a hell of a team and they’ve signed also very well.

“Today they showed that they are above us in this moment… We still have some time to prepare but we are not probably as good as we looked the other day and as bad as we looked today – somewhere in the middle. We have to continue preparing [for] the season.”

Amorim was also impressed by the improvement in his squad compared to their disastrous 2024-25 season. The Portuguese coach emphasised United’s growing chemistry on and off the pitch, but urged caution with tougher tests ahead.

Amorim said: “We are improving. But again, it’s a preseason game. The pressure is going to be so much different during the season.

“I think they are playing better also because they are connecting better with each other. Not just on the pitch, but off the pitch. I think they are stronger, they are faster. You can see the intensity is completely different [compared to last season].

“I can see the data from the minutes are completely different. It’s important for them to understand that the same players can play a different game.”

The Red Devils will now face in Atlanta on August 3 to round off their United States tour. Amorim will be working on building towards a strong start to their 2025-26 Premier League campaign, which will kick off against on August 17.