What is the secret to Bournemouth’s stunning form this season?
Bournemouth has emerged as one of the top clubs in England this season as Andoni Iraola works some magic with the Cherries team he has inherited.
The Premier League is the most competitive league in the world if you ask most people, so Bournemouth is doing a fantastic job by staying as competitive as they have been in the last few months.
For most of their time in England’s top flight, they have been fighting to avoid relegation to the next division below and playing in Europe was a distant dream for them.
However, in the last few weeks, the Cherries have now hit top form and their supporters could be treated to European football next term.
After 25 league games, Bournemouth sits 5th on the Premier League table, and things will almost certainly get better for them because they keep winning matches.
The Cherries have been one of the best clubs to watch, with their style of play and efficiency in games making them one of the finest clubs in England.
Everyone who buys a Bournemouth ticket is sure he will be treated to one of the best games of the week by watching the blossoming Cherries.
Iraola replaced the very popular Gary O’Neil at the club, and it was not a decision that was immediately popular with the fans.
However, as the team continue to improve, more supporters have now given their full support to the Spanish manager who seems to know exactly what his team needs to succeed in England.
At the end of this season, he is almost certain to lead them to a record point haul and it would be interesting to see if they can keep up their current fine run of form.
Is Bournemouth the most in-form club in England now?
While most of us have focused on the form of Liverpool and Arsenal, two of the main rivals to win the Premier League this season, Bournemouth is quietly making inroads into the top four.
The Cherries are still not a team that most people see as a threat, and some of them even admit that they expect them to lose more games soon.
Bournemouth has never had sustained success and there is a way that the Premier League’s big boys stop overperforming clubs after some time.
When teams begin to make too much progress, opponents target them and this leads to fluctuation of form.
However, when a team’s bubble bursts, they could lose many matches in a row, but that has not happened to Bournemouth.
From matchweek 15 to 25, they lost just one league game, winning five and picking up draws in the other four.
Bournemouth is not considered one of the top clubs in England, so they probably should not be making that much progress as a team, but they have done so and have repeatedly shown they should be taken seriously now.
What is the secret to their form?
In the Premier League, almost everyone has a secret to their success, which ranges from their tactics to their fitness levels.
One of the main reasons Bournemouth is thriving is their manager’s tactical brilliance, and there is no way his input as their gaffer has not been very helpful.
The Cherries named him as gaffer after his fine work at Rayo Vallecano and there were doubts that he could replicate that in England.
However, Iraola has since proven to be as good as we all thought he was by watching his former team in La Liga.
Another reason why Bournemouth has been in superb form this term is because of the youthfulness in their squad.
Footballers play at their best when they are much younger, which explains why most clubs buy players when they are under 25.
The average age of the Bournemouth squad this season is 24.8 years, making them one of the youngest teams in Europe’s top five leagues.
This is why they have some of the best runners and some of the fittest players in every area of the pitch in league matches.
Iraola has managed to instil discipline in his players and build their confidence to a level where they are not afraid to face any opponent, knowing they are armed with the best tactical advice and have the pace and energy to trouble any opponent.
Bournemouth’s best-performing stars
Bournemouth has some of the best-performing stars in England now, and we discuss some of their finest players.
Dean Huijsen
It would hardly be a surprise if Huijsen is sold for big money in the summer after just one season because the teenage defender has been sensational.
Milos Kerkez
Kerkez is one of the reasons so many scouts watch Bournemouth games and he is another star that could leave them soon.
Ilya Zabarnyi
Zabarnyi’s partnership with Huijsen has made the Bournemouth defence one of the strongest in Europe.
Ryan Christie
Christie’s experience has been hugely important in helping Bournemouth thrive this season and his experience makes him an ever-present.
Tyler Adams
After recovering from that terrible spell of constant injury, Adams has been in fantastic form for the Cherries.
Dango Ouattara
Ouattara is one of Bournemouth’s most dangerous players, whether he starts a game or comes into the match in the second half.
He has scored seven goals and provided four assists for them in the Premier League this term.
Justin Kluivert
Kluivert has been unstoppable in some matches this season as the Dutchman outperforms his father in the Premier League.
He has 11 goals and five assists in the competition, making him one of the best players in the Cherries’ squad.
Antoine Semenyo
Semenyo is one player that opposing defenders worry about facing in the Bournemouth team, as the Ghanaian is relentless and makes life very difficult for the defenders he faces.
His constant running and trickery make him a player that opponents have to constantly worry about and he knows how to score, having found the back of the net seven times in the league this season.
Can Bournemouth earn a place in Europe this term?
If Bournemouth maintains their current level of performance for the rest of this season, we expect them to play in Europe next term.
Interestingly, the Premier League could secure five Champions League spots, so the Cherries have a good chance of competing in that elite competition if they finish fifth, a position they currently occupy.