#20 Bournemouth: Favourites for Relegation
Bournemouth were impressively consistent throughout last season. They went top after a 2-1 victory over Queens Park Rangers in the middle of September and only dropped out of the automatic promotion spots three times until the end of the campaign. Those spells outside the top two were brief, and Bournemouth finished a comfortable six points clear of third-placed Huddersfield Town to secure a return to the Premier League after just two years away.
A club that was long associated with Eddie Howe has moved on. Scott Parker is the new man at the helm; like Howe, he is a young, hungry and ambitious English coach with a ferocious work ethic. Dominic Solanke might have scored 29 goals, but Parker was the key figure behind Bournemouth’s promotion. He deserves credit for getting the best out of not just Solanke, but also players like Philip Billing who looked transformed under his guidance.
See our predictions for all the teams in the 22/23 Premier League season here.
Parker demands a lot from his players physically and Bournemouth’s squad was put through its paces early on. Their fitness levels ultimately allowed the Cherries to maintain that level of consistency throughout the slog of a Championship season. Towards the end of the campaign it looked like Bournemouth might be caught by Nottingham Forest, but Parker’s men turned up on the big occasion to register a promotion-sealing 1-0 victory over the team from the East Midlands.
Keeping Bournemouth in the top flight would probably be an even greater achievement than getting them back there. The gap between the Premier League and the Championship seems to have widened of late, with promoted teams finding it increasingly difficult to finish above the dreaded dotted line. Bournemouth are the favourites for relegation at the time of writing, but Parker and co. will relish trying to prove people wrong.
Predicted XI (3-4-3)
Mark Travers; Adam Smith, Chris Mepham, Lloyd Kelly; Ryan Fredericks, Jefferson Lerma, Philip Billing, Marcus Tavernier; Ryan Christie, Dominic Solanke, Jaidon Anthony.
The coach
Parker has had a promising start to his managerial career, which began with a caretaker role at Fulham in 2019. He took charge with the Cottagers second-bottom in the Premier League with a few months of the season remaining. The former midfielder was unable to save them from relegation, but the damage had been done long before his appointment and no one held him responsible for the club’s 19th-place finish.
Fulham were a sinking ship for most of that campaign, but Parker did brilliantly to turn the situation around quickly. The west Londoners secured an instant return to the Premier League via the play-offs, beating a widely fancied Brentford team in the final. Yet Parker was again unable to keep Fulham up. He earned positive reviews for his individual work that season and Fulham were not the worst Premier League team ever, but a tally of 28 points demonstrates that the club from the capital nevertheless fell well short.
Parker added a second promotion to his CV last term. He demanded a lot from his players – his training sessions are said to be intense – but they responded exactly how he wanted. The ex-England international will now try to make it third time lucky by keeping a club in the Premier League for the first time.
Player to watch
All eyes will be on Dominic Solanke to see if he can carry his Championship form into the Premier League. A highly-rated youngster at Chelsea and Liverpool, Solanke joined Bournemouth in Janaury 2019 for £19m.
It was heralded as an astute buy by the Cherries, but the striker failed to live up to expectations early on. In 42 Premier League appearances for the club, Solanke scored just three times. Had they signed another frontman instead, it is feasible that Bournemouth could have avoided relegation to the second tier in 2019/20.
Solanke had a decent first season in the Championship under Jason Tindall and Jonathan Woodgate, but it was last term when he really exploded into life. Twenty-nine goals in 46 league games helped Bournemouth back into the top flight, with Aleksandar Mitrovic the only player in the division to find the back of the net more often.
It will be fascinating to see how a revitalised Solanke performs at the highest level after his previous difficulties. Physically strong and mobile, he is capable of both holding up the ball and running in behind. The number of goals he scores could well be the difference between survival and demotion for the side from the south coast.
Transfers
In
Joe Rothwell (Blackburn Rovers), Ryan Fredericks (West Ham United), Marcus Tavernier (Middlesbrough)
Out
Robbie Brady (Preston North End), Galvin Kilkenny (Stoke City, loan), Gary Cahill (Released)
Our Premier League score card
Goalkeeper: 6/10
Before last season, many Bournemouth fans harboured doubts over whether Mark Travers was good enough to be their first-choice goalkeeper. He had previously played just four league games for the club and it was something of a surprise when Parker handed him the No.1 jersey (metaphorically at least) following Asmir Begovic’s departure last summer.
But Travers exceeded expectations last time out by being one of Bournemouth’s star players on route to promotion. He was a big reason why the Cherries had the Championship’s best defensive record with 19 clean sheets and only 39 goals conceded.
The only reason Travers is not rated higher is that he is virtually unproven at Premier League level. This season will therefore be a big test for the Bournemouth shot-stopper, who can expect to be an awful lot busier than he was in 2021/22.
Defence: 5/10
Bournemouth’s defence was one of their major strengths last term, but it will be much tougher for the Cherries to keep clean sheets when they are coming up against quality attacks week in, week out.
Nat Phillips was an important player last term but he has now returned to Liverpool, while Gary Cahill also departed when his contract expired. Adam Smith, a right-back by trade, could tuck in to play as a right-sided centre-half alongside Chris Mepham and Lloyd Kelly, both of whom will have to prove they are good enough to play in the Premier League.
Keeping goals out was a big problem for Bournemouth throughout Eddie Howe’s tenure, and the defence could be a weak point again this season unless Parker can bring in more new faces before the transfer window closes.
Midfield: 6/10
Premier League games are often won and lost in midfield – a fact that Parker, a former engine room operator, will know better than most. It is not yet clear which two options the Bournemouth boss will go for in his first-choice starting XI, with Lewis Cook, Philip Billing and Jefferson Lerma among the contenders.
If Parker opts for solidity over creativity, Billing and Lerma will probably get the nod. The latter is a tenacious, aggressive customer who looks to harry and hassle his opponents in the busiest part of the pitch. His tendency to pick up cards is an issue, though – Lerma misses too many matches through suspension.
Billing is a box-to-box player who contributed 10 goals and eight assists last term, so he will probably get the nod ahead of Cook.
There will be two newcomers at wing-back, with Ryan Fredericks on the right and Marcus Tavernier on the left. They will be expected to contribute in attack, but both players will have to spend a fair amount of time doing defensive work.
Attack: 6/10
Dominic Solanke will be desperate to make up for lost time as a Premier League player. He will be full of confidence after last season’s exploits and will back himself to score goals at this level. His previous record in the top flight is mediocre at best, however, so for now the jury is still out.
It will also be interesting to see how Jaidon Anthony deals with the step up. The left winger, who was on Arsenal’s books as a youngster, was directly involved in 15 goals last season. Parker will want to see more from Ryan Christie, though, while Bournemouth fans and neutrals alike will hope that David Brooks can recapture his best form after recovering from Hodgkin lymphoma.
Bench: 5/10
Premier League football teams need to plan for all eventualities, and while it is possible to have a squad that is too bloated, it is important to have alternative options in every position. Parker tended to have a big group at his disposal at Fulham and he will want to see further depth added before the transfer window closes at the beginning of September.
Bournemouth relied heavily on the loan market last season, but Nat Phillips, Leif Davis, Ethan Laird, Todd Cantwell and Freddie Woodman have now all returned to their parent clubs. That leaves the Cherries worryingly short of back-ups in several areas.
Without Phillips and Gary Cahill, Bournemouth do not have much in the way of defensive cover. Woodman’s exit leaves Mark Travers without a proven No.2 between the sticks.
Final score: 28/50
Parker is a promising young manager but his squad lacks Premier League quality throughout. We can expect Bournemouth to play some decent football, and if they can keep things tight at the back as they did last season, the Cherries have a chance of staying up. Right now, though, relegation is the most probable outcome.
