Guardian writers’ predicted place: fifteenth (NB: this isn’t essentially Ben Fisher’s prediction however the common of our writers’ ideas)
Final season’s place: fifteenth
Prospects
It has been a summer time of statements from Bournemouth, some extra stunning than others. From the appointment of Andoni Iraola – their first overseas supervisor – as head coach to the arrivals of Milos Kerkez and Justin Kluivert, gamers with spectacular pedigree. And they don’t seem to be completed but, with a midfielder high of their purchasing record.
Iraola obtained to know Eddie Howe when the previous Bournemouth supervisor visited him in Madrid at Rayo Vallecano – Iraola remembers quizzing Howe on the system behind his crew prospering towards Chelsea – and extra not too long ago he picked the brains of Jason Tindall, Howe’s longstanding No 2, quickly after attending to work in Dorset. So the 41-year-old is well-versed on the membership and au fait with life because the underdog.
Bournemouth adopted Iraola’s progress at Vallecano, the place he achieved wonders on a modest funds, beating Actual Madrid and Barcelona in La Liga final season. Vallecano paid switch charges for six gamers throughout his three years on the membership however whereas in some methods he’s simply happy, he’s a demanding coach; in his first session he single-handedly applied a multi-ball system, relentlessly feeding balls right into a passing drill.
Watching Iraola at coaching inform assistant coach and the previous Bournemouth defender Shaun Cooper about his urgent methodology made insightful viewing. “If I begin going [backwards] and also you keep behind, we’re lifeless, we are going to by no means get better the ball,” mentioned Iraola, whose front-foot philosophy is born from two years enjoying underneath Marcelo Bielsa.
Solely relegated Southampton and Leeds had worse defensive records than Bournemouth final season – and no crew within the division conceded extra from set items – however Iraola is adamant assault will show one of the best type of defence this marketing campaign, beginning at house to West Ham. “Generally we make the error to suppose that if we play excessive, you’re worse defensively,” the previous right-back mentioned. “My concept is precisely the other. As a coach I really feel safer after we are removed from our field quite than the other, ?”
The supervisor
If Jürgen Klopp is a heavy-metal supervisor, then Andoni Iraola is definitely rock ’n roll. The definition of a hands-on coach, the 41-year-old is thought to be one in all Europe’s most fun managers. At coaching he incessantly feeds balls on to the pitch to keep up a cruel tempo, so it’s no shock he’s a disciple of Marcelo Bielsa, underneath whom the previous right-back performed at Athletic Bilbao. By way of ways, suppose joyride versus park the bus. In June he grew to become the fourth supervisor from the Basque province of Gipuzkoa to reach within the Premier League and he performed in the identical youth crew as Mikel Arteta and Xabi Alonso at San Sebastian aspect Antiguoko. Accomplished his professional licence alongside Argentina supervisor Lionel Scaloni. Is an enormous biking and NFL fan.
Main the shirt gross sales
David Brooks has been on fairly the journey since arriving as a baby-faced winger 5 years in the past and now his bond with the Bournemouth supporters is nearer than ever. His return to first-team motion, at Villa Park in April, after 535 days on the sidelines following a stage-two Hodgkin lymphoma prognosis touched the whole footballing neighborhood and past. Not that he desires sympathy. “I don’t need anybody considering: ‘We’ll give him a sport right here, or a sport there, as a result of he’s been by way of loads and it’ll imply loads’,” he mentioned in June. He has since made his comeback for Wales and a promising pre-season has had followers licking their lips.
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Folks hero
Jefferson Lerma was an enormous hit with followers regardless of his restricted English and whereas his departure leaves a void, in goalkeeper Neto they’ve one other widespread South American with a larger-than-life character. The once-capped Brazil worldwide, who counts Juventus and Valencia amongst his earlier golf equipment, arrived on a free from Barcelona final summer time and whereas on the skin there was a way he would purely present backup he shortly established himself because the No 1. The 34-year-old signed a three-year contract in March, shortly after changing Lloyd Kelly as captain. “The welcome from the followers from once I first arrived was unbelievable,” he mentioned. Full-back Adam Smith, in the meantime, is inching in direction of testimonial territory.
One to look at
Maybe finest generally known as a Soccer Supervisor wonderkid, it was apt Bournemouth used the online game to announce Illya Zabarnyi’s arrival in January. He’s an imposing Ukraine worldwide who price £24m and whereas the centre-back solely made a handful of top-flight appearances final season there’s a sense this would be the one when he instructions a spot within the beginning XI. Signed from Dynamo Kyiv, the place he began his profession, the 20-year-old is a ball-playing defender with Champions League pedigree. Performed each sport for Ukraine at Euro 2022, when he was a part of the crew that misplaced to England within the quarter-finals.
