Iraola's Bournemouth on a high ahead of unlikely top-four battle with Forest

LONDON, Jan 24 (Reuters) - Nottingham Forest have grabbed most of the limelight as the Premier League's big over-achievers this season but Bournemouth's rise to top-four contenders is equally remarkable.

When Basque coach Andoni Iraola led the south coast club to a 12th-placed finish last season after a slow start it seemed they had found a coach to establish them as a mid-table team.

For a club with the smallest turnover in the Premier League that would be a completely acceptable target, but under Iraola they have moved to another level entirely.

Ahead of Saturday's home clash with third-placed Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth are in seventh spot three points off the top four after a 10-game unbeaten league run. In that period only Forest (25) have amassed more points than Bournemouth's 22.

Victory on Saturday would put Iraola's side right in the mix for a European place and even the club's most optimistic fans might start imagining their club in the Champions League.

While Iraola has proven himself tactically astute, he says allowing players the freedom to think outside the box is a big part of his footballing philosophy.

"I sometimes value much more a player carrying the ball and forcing things to happen," he said in an interview with The Independent. "I think when you play too positional -- one, two touches to find a free man - you sometimes lose the initiative from the players to just take their man on and attack spaces."

Incredibly, former Rayo Vallecano coach Iraola has managed to sustain Bournemouth's rise up the table despite an injury list that has robbed him of as many as 10 first-team players.

Midfielder Marcus Tavernier could be available to play some part against Forest -- a game which Iraola believes offers a test every bit as difficult as last week's impressive 4-1 win away at Newcastle United.

"We will have to be very good if we want to beat them, we can't fool ourselves, it's not going to be easier than Chelsea or Newcastle away," Iraola told reporters.

"Forest are better away from home, defensively they are elite, absolutely elite. Even when they play lower they don't suffer. They have the spirit also, they're full of confidence and we will have to be very good offensively.

"It's difficult to have clear chances against them so we have to be clinical in front of the goal."

(Reporting by Martyn Herman Editing by Toby Davis)