Bournemouth 2019/20 season preview: Your complete guide to the new Premier League season
You guide to Bournemouth ahead of the 2019/20 Premier League season - featuring predictions, fan interviews and more
Bournemouth have earned their status as a regular fixture in the Premier League just over a decade on from administration.
Around this time in 2008, the Cherries were preparing for life in League Two with -17 points before a ball had even been kicked.
They survived, they thrived.
Eddie Howe took over mid-way through that famous season, led his team to promotion a year later and would eventually guide Bournemouth into the Premier League promised land.
Several cult-hero players have joined Howe on the complete journey, while others have contributed their talents to the cause to make Bournemouth the model club it is today – but how long can they sustain their top flight status?
RadioTimes.com has rounded up everything you need to know about Bournemouth ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Where did Bournemouth finish last season?
14th. Another season of mid-table mediocrity would normally have suited Bournemouth nicely.
However, following a considerable spend – around £80million – at the start of the season, many will feel they could have done more.
Bournemouth started well but couldn't find consistency despite several stars shining throughout the season.
Howe hasn't reacted with more spending, but is determined to work with his existing material, and will know his side isn't far from unlocking their potential.
Who is Bournemouth's key player?
Callum Wilson. Is it a reach to claim Wilson was the most impressive English striker during the 2018/19 Premier League season?
The 27-year-old missed eight games of the season but still stuck home 14 goals and just as importantly, laid up nine assists for others.
His partnership with not dissimilar striker partner Josh King is the key to success. Bournemouth's attacking style will always generate chances and it's up to the frontmen to convert them.
Had Chelsea's transfer embargo not stuck a pin in the Blues' interest, Bournemouth may have been in real trouble, but with Wilson, they always have a chance in games.
Who is Bournemouth's biggest summer signing?
Lloyd Kelly (£13m). The ex-Bristol City left-back isn't your typical left-back.
At just 20 years old, Kelly is 6ft3 and former boss Lee Johnson had previously boasted that he recorded the best physical stats every area during pre-season training last year.
The versatile defender has been tipped to play at centre-back once injured ace Charlie Daniels comes back into the fold, but for now he will be tasked with disarming tricky wingers during his debut Premier League campaign.
Who is the Bournemouth manager? Meet Eddie Howe
Steady Eddie will continue to squeeze every drop out of his men, with a core group of players who have stuck by the club since their League One and Championship days.
Charlie Daniels, Steve Cook and Simon Francis have all racked up seven years of service at the club, Ryan Fraser made a few appearances in the third tier for the south coast side, while Wilson and a host of other stars remain from the Championship-winning squad.
Howe has assembled a tight-knit group unlike any other team in the top flight, and will continue to operate in his same way, with his same attacking style in the same almost-4-4-2 formation with King hovering around Wilson and the wingers given full license to kick on.
It won't always work. Bournemouth struggled for large spells last season, but Howe has crafted a resilient bunch with an unsinkable attitude.
Bournemouth fixtures – The Start
10th: Sheffield United (H)
17th: Aston Villa (A)
25th: Manchester City (H)
Bournemouth fixtures – The Run-In
2nd May: Manchester City (A)
9th May: Southampton (H)
17th May: Everton (A)
Full Bournemouth fixture list and TV details here
PETER BELL, CHERRY CHIMES
What is the mood like among fans going into 2019/20?
Bournemouth fans know what it takes to be near the top places in the Premier League, but it is a transition year with more youngsters likely to get their chance. Improvement is the aim.
Who will be your key player this season?
The success of Bournemouth will largely depend on keeping Callum Wilson fit and scoring goals.
He has become a player that is consistently performing well and he can pull the team along with him.
Any young talents to look out for?
Lloyd Kelly is the new left-back from Bristol City who looks very quick and nimble. We'll need him to defend well, as well as get forward.
David Brooks is already becoming a Premier League star and we'll hope for even more special goals from him this season.
How does it feel to be at the stage of buying and selling players for eight-figure sums considering the turmoil at the club just a decade ago? Has Bournemouth kept its soul now it’s an established Premier League team?
While the money is bigger coming in so are the payments going out. It still takes time to do things and the infrastructure is still behind other clubs at this level, so while it is great to see the club on a firmer footing, we don't forget where we came from.
The football has always been good under Eddie Howe, no matter whether it was players we had in League Two or in the Premier League.
Clearly, the club has changed in some ways. There is more expectancy for results and being in the Premier League is very pressurised, while media coverage is far greater.
However, the people that come to see the games are the same and we still have a good bond with the players and the manager.
How far can Eddie Howe take Bournemouth in the future?
Eddie Howe is building the unimaginable. He is going to deliver even more when the new training complex is completed and if he can continue to attract top young international players to the club, Bournemouth might push towards Europe.
What many fans want now is to see is the club getting beyond the quarter-final stage in domestic cup competitions.
Where will you finish in the Premier League?
The Premier League is getting harder every year, so if the Cherries finished 12th I don't think we could complain.
Check out the latest Bournemouth news and views on Cherry Chimes
Where will Bournemouth finish? RadioTimes.com says...
Howe hasn't changed a lot so far despite faltering in 2018/19 – he simply will not panic.
Bournemouth have a core of gutsy, spirited players surrounded by dangerous attacking threats.
There are defensive issues that Howe will hope to address with the signing of Kelly, but the Cherries' season can be boiled down relatively simply.
If Fraser and Brooks continue to feed Wilson and King, they will continue to score, their side will continue to thrive. Easy, right?
Predicted 2019/20 position: 12th
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Authors
Michael Potts is the Sport Editor for Radio Times, covering all of the biggest sporting events across the globe with previews, features, interviews and more. He has worked for Radio Times since 2019 and previously worked on the sport desk at Express.co.uk after starting his career writing features for What Culture. He achieved a first-class degree in Sports Journalism in 2014.
