AFC Bournemouth: Three hopes, one fear

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: Lewis Grabban of AFC Bournemouth (C) claps the AFC Bournemouth fans after the final whistle during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth at Selhurst Park on August 27, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

The Cherries defied expectations last season. Can they do it again in year two?

Everyone likes a good underdog story. In the Premier League there was perhaps no bigger Cinderella story than that of AFC Bournemouth. The Cherries, a side that were nearly out of professional football eight years ago, stayed afloat by pulling off keys results against West Ham and Manchester United, and Chelsea.

So what can they do in Year Two? The answer is quite a bit. As opposed to many clubs who closely avoid relegation Bournemouth made several shrewd moves in the offseason. The addition of Jack Wilshere is obviously the deal that catches most people eyes.

But the additions of Jordan Ibe from Liverpool, Lewis Cook from Leeds United, and Emerson Hyndman should help this club at least keep up with the rest of the middle-lower tier Premier League sides. The loss of Matt Ritchie though will hurt this side in their attempt to stay up for another season.

So what are the hopes and fears of AFC Bournemouth? Keep reading to find out!

WATFORD, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: Jack Wilshere of Arsenal during the Premier League match between Watford and Arsenal at Vicarage Road on August 27, 2016 in Watford, England. (Photo by Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

Hope #1: That Jack Wilshere can produce something. Anything.

Perhaps one of the most shocking moves of the summer transfer window was Arsenal sending Jack Wilshere off to Bournemouth on a season-long loan. The England international has long been considered one of the top young midfielders in the Premier League so at least on the surface it seems a little bit strange that he would be sent away from the Emirates for any period.

Injuries are a major reason for his dismissal. Since the 2013-2014 season Wilshere has played in just 19 Premier League matches. During that time he has suffered an array of leg injuries that have stymied his professional career and put into question whether he will ever truly live up to his potential.

So what can Wilshere bring to Bournemouth? The answer is a lot if his heart is in it. When he is healthy Wilshere is a game-changer, an expert passer who with a deadly first touch and really good field vision. But the Premier League has a lengthy history of players with immense potential putting a half-hearted effort after being placed on loan.

In the end, it will be up to Wilshere what he makes of this loan. For Bournemouth this is a low risk-high reward situation where if he shows up and plays to his abilities then the Cherries should stay out of relegation. But even if he fails it is only on a loan so the club will not be burdened with a heavy contract.

Jack Wilshere has the chance to turn his career around and help AFC Bournemouth. It is up to him what he does with it.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 21: Joshua King (L) and Callum Wilson of AFC Bournemouth applaud the fans after the Premier League match between West Ham United and AFC Bournemouth at London Stadium on August 21, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Hope #2: That Callum Wilson is fully healthy.

Last season it was expected that Callum Wilson would lead the scoring charge for the Cherries. Wilson had led the club in goals with 20 in the previous season and was expected to make the leap to being a consistent goal-scorer.But a devastating knee injury in September kept him out for all but 13 matches and really hindered Howe’s side from putting the biscuit into the basket. Bournemouth scored just 45 goals last season and will likely need more if they have any designs on staying in the Premier League for a third consecutive season.

Thus far, the goals really have not come for Wilson and the Cherries. In three matches the club has just two goals one of which came in garbage time against Manchester United in a three goal rout.

Wilson has also struggled a bit, getting a couple of scoring opportunities but not fully capitalizing on the chances. It does take players a bit of a time to come back from knee injuries so perhaps Wilson may still be finding his footing.

What will be interesting to see is how Wilson adjusts to working up top with Joshua King. King came to Bournemouth last season and had some success, scoring 5 goals in 16 appearances. The two should complement each other well with King acting more as a holding forward and hitting Wilson in open space. If Wilson can get match fit then Howe may have a very deadly 1-2 attacking combination.

BOURNEMOUTH, ENGLAND – APRIL 02: Nicolas Otamendi of Manchester City is challenged by Joshua King of Bournemouth during the Barclays Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Manchester City at Vitality Stadium on April 2, 2016 in Bournemouth, England. (Photo by Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)

Slide #3: That they can achieve better results against the top four.

Although Bournemouth did quite well against some of the more reputable sides in the Premier League the Cherries struggled mightily against the top four. In eight matches against Leicester City, Arsenal, Tottenham, and Manchester City Bournemouth pulled together a 0-6-2 record (the two draws came against the Foxes). The Cherries scored just three goals in those eight matches and allowed an astonishing 21 goals.

Look, no one is expecting Bournemouth to be able to match up with the top clubs in the Premier League on an everyday basis. They simply do not have the resources or the level of players to do that. But to allow 21 goals and only score three should be very alarming.

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Having Wilshere and Wallace should give the Cherries more opportunities on the attack. But Howe and Bournemouth need to improve their defensive effort. In successive matches against City and Spurs last year they were torn apart 5-1 twice. In both matches their defense lost their shape and were really unable to regain their form.

With a year of experience the hope is that Bournemouth will know what they are getting themselves into. Management did not spend any money on the defense in the summer transfer window so there will be very little change in their structure from last season. Hopefully the result will be a bit better this season.

LONDON, ENGLAND – AUGUST 27: Eddie Howe, Manager of AFC Bournemouth looks on during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and AFC Bournemouth at Selhurst Park on August 27, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Bryn Lennon/Getty Images)

The big fear: That Eddie Howe will leave the club.

There are many reasons for Bournemouth’s rise through the various levels of English football. But manager Eddie Howe is perhaps the biggest. Howe, who actually used to play for Bournemouth, has done an incredible job on a threadbare budget to get results in matches that another manager might not be able to.

More importantly, he seems to have the backing of the players which can be very difficult in a league like the Premier League where self-interest seems to reign.