Bournemouth Season Preview - Howe hoping continuity pays off
For the third season running it’s been a relatively low key summer for Bournemouth who have, in that time, spent some reasonable fees on a select few players. This window has been no different, with just two new arrivals thus far, so Eddie Howe will be hoping that the familiarity within the squad will enable his side to make a strong start to the campaign. The Cherries didn’t have a single player away at the World Cup ahead of their opener with newly promoted Cardiff.
One to Watch - Lewis Cook
It took a long time coming but Cook finally forced his way into the first team at Bournemouth last season and should be a key player in the upcoming campaign. The Cherries are short of top quality options in midfield after all, so there is plenty of pressure on the youngster to step up and lead by example in the middle of the park. Howe’s side lost eight of the 13 matches (61.5 per cent) that the 21-year-old didn’t start last season, and just eight of the 25 that he did (32 per cent).
Best Signing - Diego Rico
The fact that Borussia Dortmund made a late bid to steal Rico from under their noses indicates that Bournemouth have pulled off something of a coup. The left-back has helped Leganes to back-to-back survivals in La Liga and was the side’s second highest rated player last season (7.13). The 25-year-old was the only player in Spain’s top-flight to average more than three interceptions per 90 minutes in the previous campaign, so his arrival is unfortunate for the reliable Charlie Daniels.
Welcome to the club, Diego! 👋
— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) July 24, 2018
We're delighted to officially confirm the signing of Spanish defender Diego Rico for an undisclosed fee from @CDLeganes. #afcb 🍒https://t.co/NBuT1eCqtW
Weakness
As previously alluded to, Bournemouth still look light in central midfield, with Dan Gosling, Andrew Surman and Harry Arter still competing for places since helping the club to promotion in 2015. It’s an area that Howe will surely hope to strengthen before the new campaign begins but time is running out in that regard.
Prediction / Best Bet
The Cherries have exceeded expectations year-on-year in the Premier League, surpassing the 40-point mark in each of the last three seasons, but that may be more difficult this time around. In Wolves and Fulham in particular there are two strong footballing sides that have replaced some of the dross from the previous campaign and the sides that finished around the south coast club last season have been more active in the market. A spread bet on total points may be the best option, with Sporting Index’s sell option set at 41 points. Every point Bournemouth earn under that total is then multiplied by your chosen stake.
