This Bournemouth squad for 2024/25 will look to cause even more upsets this season – but do they have what it takes for a shot at Europe?
Bournemouth’s transformation under Andoni Iraola – from relegation-threatened rabble to one of the finest pressing sides in the top flight – was one of the stories of the 2023/24 season. The Basque gaffer’s blueprint, based around springing traps for opposition players, took time to bed in but eventually proved devastating – no Premier League side scored more goals than the Cherries from possession regained in the final third.
A 12th-placed finish represented the club’s best for seven years and the aim now will be to build on that. But it’s been a fairly tepid start; two draws threatened to spiral into a mini-crisis when they went two goals down to Everton, and that was saved only by three miraculous late goals to deliver all three points.
Patience is a virtue and Bournemouth know only too well how well it can pay. They could have easily sacked Iraola following a winless start to the league last term that lasted nine games – the first time in the club’s Football League history they’d achieved such a feat.
Iraola’s switch to a 4-2-3-1 system and the nuances of his pressing system caused his charges headaches. “We couldn’t take in all the information at first,” admitted striker Dominic Solanke.
Speaking of Solanke, one of the key discussions has been how the Cherries will cope without the imposing centre-forward after his switch to Tottenham, presenting the need to replace his 19 goals last term. The man replacing him, Brazilian striker Evanilson, looks like he could take some time to bed in, so contributions from Antoine Semenyo from the right wing — two goals in Bournemouth’s first three Premier League encounters — could prove to be a vital stopgap.
Bournemouth squad for 2024/25
Bournemouth squad for 2024/25: Andoni Iraola's full team
Andoni Iraola actually played football in the same youth team, Antiguoko, as Arsenal gaffer Mikel Arteta – the Basque bosses being besties ever since. His coaching journey took him from Larnaca, in Cyprus, through the Spanish lower leagues and then to Rayo Vallecano, before Bournemouth came calling.
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Bournemouth's key player
Ryan Christie
Ryan Christie (Image credit: Getty Images)
Ryan Christie’s subtle evolution – from tricky No.10 to hard-running midfielder – was just as crucial as Dominic Solanke's transformation into a headline-grabbing centre-forward - but he's longer on the south coast, and so it's Christie's time to shine.
Christie ranked among the league’s best for pressures and possession won. Iraola has labelled the Scot “the most tactically intuitive player” he’s worked with.
One to watch
Justin Kluivert
Justin Kluivert (Image credit: Getty Images)
Justin Kluivert – son of Netherlands, Ajax and Barcelona legend Patrick – arrived on the south coast for a bargain £11 million last summer and was quietly excellent, scoring nine goals in all competitions and becoming only the third player in history to score in all of Europe’s top five leagues. He might be unstoppable in his second campaign.
The mood
A Dorset-based football club with an 11,000-capacity stadium has no business mixing it with the Premier League’s billion-dollar franchises. But Bournemouth’s smart, considered approach means they’re more than capable of hurting teams at the top level. Fans must be pinching themselves after the lower-league misery of previous eras.
Most likely to...
Get absolutely tonked by the big teams. In Bournemouth’s clashes against last season’s top four, they shipped 26 goals, with results including a 6-1 shellacking at the Etihad and 4-0 defeats at home to both Liverpool and Arsenal. Those gifted enough to beat the Cherries press tend to rip them to shreds.
Least likely to...
Play their star signing. Bournemouth splashed more than £20m on Leeds’ Tyler Adams last summer (the second-most expensive purchase in their history). The club claimed to be “thrilled” to have pipped others to his signature… but the American midfielder featured just three times all season, totalling a combined 118 minutes of action.
Last season was an eye-opener. Andoni Iraola’s first season started tentatively, but with an excellent points tally from October onwards, Cherries fans began to see an exhilarating and exciting style of football.
The big talking point is Dominic Solanke, who showed the league just why he has been so well regarded by Bournemouth supporters. His all round game and eye for goal was integral.
This season will be different because there is an expectation to thrive rather than just survive, with the new owners suggesting European football should be the aim.
I won’t be happy unless there is some movement off-the-pitch towards a new stadium. The opening of a multi-million pound training ground in January should be the precursor for this.
Our key player will be Illia Zabarnyi. The highly-rated Ukrainian centre-back has been a stalwart for us, and his calm influence will be much needed again this season – he forms a significant part of the team’s spine.
Our most underrated player is Adam Smith. The ‘unfashionable’ right-back, despite his age, continues to keep out Max Aarons – a testament to his tenacity and know-how.
Look out for Alex Scott. The “Guernsey Grealish” was unfortunate to be plagued by injury in his first season with us, but it is hoped that the centre-midfielder can show the league what he is capable of.
Fans think our owner is a hero – he has been bold, vocal, and a ‘do-er’, plus he’s put money behind the bar at the fans’ local on a few occasions – bonus!
The opposition player I'd love here is Aaron Ramsdale. We’d benefit from a goalkeeper with his experience and bravery, and hopefully decrease the errors that we witnessed on occasions last season.
The opposition player who grinds my gears is Raheem Sterling. Still a menace to us, scoring or assisting in nearly every game against us. He must love waking up to see that he is facing us next.
The active player I'd love to have back is Jefferson Lerma. At Crystal Palace he is probably very happy, but it seems that his departure to South London was solely because we couldn’t sort the right contract for him.
The player I'd happily drive to another club is David Brooks, but it must be made clear I’ll be sitting in the car waiting to pick him back up at the end of the season, as a full-season loan could benefit him massively. We love him.
The pantomime villain will be Ryan Fraser. The contract-dodging Scot will be unanimously welcomed with folded arms by all at the Vitality Stadium.
The thing my club really gets right is the connection with the community. While prices are inevitably rising, the continued desire to forge links with local individuals and organisations is still top priority.
The one change I'd make would be making it harder for away fans to purchase tickets in the home stands. We struggle enough to get home fans in, so to see Arsenal fans celebrating goals in the seat in front of you is, at best, difficult to stomach.
Our season ticket prices are reasonable. We had nearly 10 seasons without rises, but whilst the new ownership has upped the cost, we still are comparably reasonable to watch.
I'm least looking forward to playing Manchester City. We’ve never beaten them. Ever. What’s the point?
The fans' opinion of the gaffer is that Iraola is universally loved. Comes across well in the media, always mirrors the fans’ post-match thoughts and clearly has the players dancing to his tune.
If he left, he should be replaced by anyone else who has worked with or under Bielsa. A disciple of Marcelo himself, Iraola has an “entertainment first” approach.
Ed is a staff writer at FourFourTwo, working across the magazine and website. A German speaker, he’s been working as a football reporter in Berlin since 2015, predominantly covering the Bundesliga and Germany's national team. Favourite FFT features include an exclusive interview with Jude Bellingham following the youngster’s move to Borussia Dortmund in 2020, a history of the Berlin Derby since the fall of the Wall and a celebration of Kevin Keegan’s playing career.
