For five exhilarating years, they were the poster boys of the sporting rags-to-riches tale – the little team that dared to dream.
AFC Bournemouth’s lightning ascent up the footballing ladder was matched only by the speed of their on-field play, the result of careful recruitment and adherence to a positive tactical model.
But in a few short years, the Cherries went from sweet to sour – with increasingly erratic transfer behaviour dooming them to their current fate.
Who could forget the dizzying heights of their early campaigns? From Matt Ritchie’s stunning outside-the-box volley against United, to wins against Chelsea, Liverpool, and Arsenal, Bournemouth defied all expectations, even finishing their second season as high as 9th.
But that was as good as it got on the South coast. A slow but steady decline down the ladder took place, the club finishing closer to the drop zone year-upon-year – culminating in Sunday’s painful demotion on the final day of Premier League action.
Transfer errors come back to bite the Cherries
Bournemouth’s journey to the big time from the precipice of financial ruin, and relegation to the 5th tier of English football, is by now a well-known story in footballing circles.
To complement their new financial model, they bought wisely from teams around them and the lower divisions, finding many underpriced gems.
But this model failed to sustain their growth in the Premier League, which demands a different calibre of player than the Football League. For every successful addition, Bournemouth landed two costly busts.
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The astute addition of Nathan Aké was followed up with expensive flops in Jordon Ibe and Dominic Solanke. David Brooks, bought for a snip at £11.5 million, was accompanied by a 25 million pound failure in Jefferson Lerma.
A small-town club like the Cherries can ill-afford overpaying for a failed transfer – let alone doing it year after year. Unfortunately for them, 2020 was the year their luck ran out.
Can Bournemouth bounce back?
Bournemouth’s biggest flaw might also be what gives them hope of an immediate return to the top flight; their ageing yet experienced squad.
Half their starting eleven in their final game against Everton were also there when the Cherries secured promotion to the Premier League.
Added to those recent Championship acquisitions like Chris Mepham, Lloyd Kelly and Brooks (should he stay), the Vitality Stadium outfit will have the core of a promotion-chasing team.
If there is to be a second stanza in the Premier League’s ultimate David and Goliath story, it’ll be the players whom Bournemouth keep – not buy – who’ll have the biggest say.