Now into their second season in English football’s top-flight, the question must now be asked whether the league’s smallest ever side are deserving of their success or heavily overachieving.
Historic victories last season over Manchester United and Chelsea were also met with trashing’s at the hands of Tottenham and West Ham but the fact that remains us that Bournemouth’s attractive football has gathered many plaudits.
The recent signing of Jack Wilshere on loan from Arsenal has forced the head’s of football fans worldwide onto the south-coast for the first time. Despite their memorable victories last season against some of the league’s biggest teams, the signing of Wilshere identifies how far the club has come in such a short space of time.
Only a few short years ago, Jack Wilshere dominated the greatest midfield potentially ever seen in world football when players such as Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Sergio Busquets were unable to prevent a 19-year old Wilshere from guiding Arsenal to a memorable victory over Barcelona in the Champions League.
At the same time, Bournemouth lost manager Eddie Howe to Burnley and former Manchester City record signing Lee Bradbury was appointed the club’s manager, which shows how far the gap has closed on both parties.
The club’s fans feared for it’s future when Howe left for Burnley as the young manager had become paramount to the success Bournemouth achieved. Howe returned in 2012 and secured promotion to the Championship at the end of the season. It took Howe two seasons to secure Bournemouth’s promotion to the promise-land of the Premier League and in doing so becoming the league’s smallest ever club to play in the world’s best league.
Since promotion, Bournemouth have not been content on settling for survival. Max Gradel was quickly snapped up after his impressive form at Saint Etienne in Ligue 1 saw him shortlisted for the Ligue 1 player of the year in 2014-2015. Highly-rated duo Joshua King and Tyrone Mings were also signed as Howe attempted to secure Bournemouth’s survival.
Arguably the greatest achievement in the club’s history was in-fact securing a second season the Premier League but was it deserved or simply down to the short-term planning of the club? The success the club achieved in the lower league’s saw loyalty to many of the club’s players remain in the top-flight.
Andrew Surman, who struggled to maintain a regular starting position in Paul Lambert’s Norwich side that took the Premier League by storm in 2011/2012, is now seen as the lynch-pin in Bournemouth’s midfield. Players such as Simon Francis, Steve Cook and Dan Gosling were Bournemouth’s most regular players in a season hampered by injuries, but neither of which would be labelled Premier League standard, only that manager Eddie Howe got the best of the players in question.
People may mention they must be of standard if they achieved the success they did last season, but this is not always the case. Cast your minds back to Roberto Martinez’s Wigan side, a team full of overachievers and the perfect example of a manager obtaining the best from average players. Ronnie Stam, Ali Al-Habsi and Jordi Gomez often were regulars for Martinez’s men but none of whom maintained a successful Premier League career once Wigan’s top-flight dream came to an end in 2013.
Bournemouth have since spent big on players such as Benik Afobe, who was scoring goals for fun in the lower leagues, and re-signing Lewis Grabban from Norwich for a total of £20million. Neither player has come close to living up to their price-tags with the two increasing the argument that they are Championship standard players at best.
This summer, the Cherries may have signed Wilshere from Arsenal but the question must be raised as to whether the England international would have joined the Cherries had Arsenal allowed moves to AS Roma or any other top English club go through. The move strikes home as one of a forced move rather than choice, despite interest from Crystal Palace.
Despite Howe proving to be capable of managing in England’s top-flight, many of his players certainly cannot say the same. Currently he is operating with a team of sub-standard players because of Bournemouth’s inability to attract the league’s big names to the club. Regularly you see players move from mid-table club to a club fighting for the same cause, but not with Bournemouth.
Swansea’s Andre Ayew left for West Ham this summer while Bournemouth continued to scout the lower leagues or reserve sides for players below the standard of your average Premier League side. Jordan Ibe was signed for a club record fee despite barely featuring a poor Liverpool side. Lewis Cook was signed from Leeds United, Lys Mousset from Le Harve in Ligue 2 and Liverpool and Chelsea youngsters Adam Smith and Nathan Ake – neither of whom would be considered close to good enough for their parent sides prior to the move.
The biggest example of the club’s recent overachieving is that of Matt Ritchie. The Scottish winger was Eddie Howe’s most impressive performer last term and left the club at the first opportunity presented to him. The most staggering part of the deal was that he dropped a division to Championship side Newcastle, who were recently relegated from the Premier League.
It may be a fairy-tale for many Bournemouth fans at the moment, but the fact is that without Eddie Howe, the club would be a long way from their current situation. Howe is the current favourite to replace Arsene Wenger at Arsenal and it’s not difficult to see why following his great success at one of the country’s smaller teams.
Like Blackpool in 2010-2011, the team was filled with players way below the level of the Premier League, with one or two exceptions. Their dream was over after one season but it’s difficult to see Bournemouth lasting much longer once Howe departs the Vitality stadium for pastures new.
Either way, Bournemouth have indeed been a delight to watch and will remain the ultimate underdog story in Premier League history.
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