Premier League 2023/24 club previews: AFC Bournemouth

Ahead of the 2023/24 Premier League season, Alex Keble takes an in-depth look at each of the 20 clubs.

AFC Bournemouth

The dismissal of Gary O’Neil in June caught everyone by surprise. The appointment of Andoni Iraola was perhaps an even bigger shock.

O’Neil secured Bournemouth’s top-flight status last season against all odds and many supporters were sad to see him go, even if a four-match losing streak at the end of the campaign perhaps hinted at tougher times ahead.

Rather than waiting for poor results and reacting to them, there is reason to praise Bournemouth for taking a proactive step – albeit a brutal one. There is certainly room to hail the coup they pulled off in landing Iraola.

The cost of progress has been losing a fan favourite. But this is a cut-throat business, and the change of head coach undoubtedly puts Bournemouth in a better position than they were 12 months ago.

Performance last season

Final 2022/23 positions

Position Pos	Club	Played Pl	GD	Points Pts
14	West Ham WHU	38	-13	40
15	Bournemouth BOU	38	-34	39
16	Nott'm Forest NFO	38	-30	38

View More

PL performance last five seasons

How to improve on 2022/23

A remarkable sequence of six wins in nine Premier League matches, beginning in March with a 1-0 victory over Liverpool and encompassing a 94th-minute winner at Tottenham Hotspur, was the defining period of O’Neil’s miraculous job on the south coast.

The win over Liverpool had particular significance. O’Neil took the job on a temporary basis when Scott Parker was dismissed following a 9-0 defeat at Anfield in August, after which the then-manager said he was "not surprised" because his team were "ill-equipped" for the division. His assistant would go on to prove him wrong.

Bournemouth’s success in staying up was built on confidence and team spirit, on flurries of wins in tight matches that could have gone either way. That perhaps explains why, according to understat.com, a calculation of their Expected Goals (xG) for and against over the season gives them the lowest Expected Points (xPoints) total in the division.

It is by no means an exact science, but it does indicate that Bournemouth over-performed against their underlying numbers, and the eye test confirmed that theory. The Cherries were battle-hardened and spirited, defended doggedly and took their chances well, but there is room for improvement in all areas.

Key transfers

Iraola will want to radically change Bournemouth’s approach and thankfully the board have provided him with the sort of signings that suggest they are all-in, ready for a revolution.

Milos Kerkez is a highly-rated attacking left-back who contributed two goals and three assists in the UEFA Europa Conference League for AZ Alkmaar last season, while Justin Kluivert adds directness in the forward line, taking the club’s reported summer spend north of £50million after they decided to make Hamed Traore’s loan move permanent.

See: Kluivert's pace and energy will typify Iraola's approach

However, 29-year-old midfielder Jefferson Lerma has moved to Crystal Palace on a free transfer and Bournemouth are yet to replace him, while further signings are needed in attack.

See: Summer 2023 transfers

Tactics

Iraola is one of the most exciting young managers in Europe. He took Rayo Vallecano up to LaLiga in his first full season in charge, before finishing 11th in 2022/23, beating Real Madrid and Barcelona along the way.

Influenced heavily by Marcelo Bielsa (hence Leeds United’s attempts to hire him last season), Iraola preaches ultra-pressing football, with the aim of winning possession deep in the opposition half before playing the ball in sharp, vertical lines. It is a pretty big shift from what fans saw under Parker or O’Neil.

Reasons to cheer

Bournemouth have chosen the right moment to attempt consolidation and Iraola promises exciting football and a reputational uplift that should, even if it all ends in tears, give the club a new foundation to secure their medium-term future.

It’s also noteworthy that Iraola’s success at Rayo Vallecano came with a small budget and at the league’s smallest stadium.

Reasons to fear

The regime change will be a shock to the system for everyone, and of course that comes with risks, especially considering the style of football is high-risk by nature. The first three signings of the summer have been smart – but they need a few more to remain competitive.

Opening six matches

Given the dramatic overhaul taking place at the Vitality Stadium, Bournemouth could have done with an easier start.

BOU

1-1

WHU

close

TV Info - Broadcasters

The opener at home against West Ham United is immediately a must-win because it’s followed by Liverpool (A), Tottenham Hotspur (H), Brentford (A), Chelsea (H) and Brighton & Hove Albion (A). Oh, and the seventh match? Arsenal (H).

For all the buzz around Iraola, he will have to hit the ground running to prove that his enterprising style is going to take Bournemouth forward.

Predicted XI v West Ham

4-2-3-1: Radu; Smith, Mepham, Senesi, Kerkez; Cook, Billing; Brooks, Traore, Kluivert; Solanke.

See: Each club's 2023/24 preview