Premier League 2016-17 season grades: Bournemouth
By Ty Finch
Bournemouth finished ninth in the Premier League in 2016-17, but what grade do they get for their overall performance?
Bournemouth have spent most of their club’s history in the lower tiers of the English soccer pyramid. Two seasons ago, Eddie Howe’s team rose into the Premier League for the first time in their history. This season, Bournemouth secured their first top half-finish in the top flight. They did so by remaining committed to an expansive style of attacking soccer, finishing the season with the seventh-most goals scored in the league and the fifth-most goals conceded. The Cherries briefly flirted with relegation after a terrible start to 2017, but a strong finish, including draws away to Manchester United and Liverpool, was more than enough to keep them up.
The manager
Eddie Howe is already a legend at Bournemouth. In 2012-13, Howe brought them up from League 1 to the Championship for the first time since 1990. After only two seasons in England’s second division, the club achieved their first ever promotion to the top flight under Howe.
Howe performed some sort of magic to keep his squad in the Premier League last season, and exceeded all expectations in 2016-17 as well. Bournemouth have no history in the Premier League, and one of the lowest wage bills in the top flight. Finishing in the top half of the table is an accomplishment that should not be taken for granted.
Bournemouth’s most expensive signing of the season was former Liverpool winger Jordon Ibe, who was unable to insert himself into the starting XI, and finished the season without a single goal or assist. The 21-year-old was brought in as a replacement for Newcastle-bound Matt Ritchie but failed to live up to even the most minuscule of expectations.
With the exception of on-loan Nathan Ake (who had to return to his parent club, Chelsea, halfway through the season) none of Howe’s other signings were particularly impressive either, with Lys Mousset, Lewis Cook, Brad Smith and even Arsenal loanee Jack Wilshere all struggling to make a consistent impact. Granted, Wilshere is the only one of those players over the age of 23, and those moves could look better in time, but Howe didn’t cover himself in glory in the transfer market.
Nonetheless, he made up for it on the pitch. Howe’s preference for pass-first, attacking soccer is well known, but he showed a new willingness to embrace a more defensive approach after the Cherries’ bad start to 2017. They conceded nearly three goals a game in seven matches to start the year. That number dropped to 1.33 over the final 12 games. That’s an impressive adjustment for one of the most exciting young managers in the league.
The players
It’s impossible to talk about Bournemouth this season without mentioning Josh King, whose 16 goals ranked joint-eighth (with Eden Hazard) in the Premier League. King, a product of Manchester United’s academy, struggled to make an impact at a number of clubs during his early 20s, but has flourished since joining the Cherries in 2015.
Outside of King, the combination of Steve Cook and Simon Francis at center-back impressed. Cook led the league in clearances and headed clearances by a fair margin, and at only 26 should have a good career in front of him.
Bournemouth expected more from Wilshere, however. The Arsenal midfielder started 22 matches for the Cherries, but failed to score in any, and only registered two assists on the season. He never really found his best position, rotating between attacking, central and defensive midfield — as was the case at the Emirates. His season ended with yet another injury. Ibe, who cost a club-record £15 million, was an even bigger disappointment.
Bournemouth could desperately use an upgrade in goal, too. Artur Boruc is serviceable, but is best suited to a backup role at this point. The 37-year-old has his moments, but is error prone and extremely slow off his line, a problem for a team that often plays with a high line.
The Cherries certainly have areas to improve, but given their resources, it would be foolish to be anything but thrilled with their best ever Premier League finish, even if ninth place isn’t exactly glamorous.