Football Season Guide

Coach Scott Parker was dismissedlast August after his team conceded 16 goals and scored 0 in their first three games of the season. Parker expressed his frustration with the club's transfer policy and was replaced by caretaker manager Gary O'Neil, who did a great job and was hired on a permanent basis until the end of the season. O'Neil managed to help the team secure safety with relative comfort against all odds but was replaced this summer by talented coach Andoni Iraola. Bournemouth replaced sometimes starting left-back Jordan Zemura, who was ostracized in the last stretch of the season after refusing to renew his contract, with Alkmaar defender Milos Kerkez. They also signed talented winger Justin Kluivert from Roma and released several squad players in Iraola’s bid to put together a compact squad. Iraola is Bournemouth’s finest signing in offseason. He did a great job in Spain with Rayo Vallecano and offered attractive, high-octane football to fans. He will shift to his preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, where he wants both full-backs and wingers to work tirelessly, moving up and down the pitch. Having invested in young up-and-coming talent from across Europe in Marcos Senesi, Dango Ouattara, Ilya Zabarnyi, Kluivert, Hamed Traore and Kerkez, Bournemouth have provided Iraola with a team that could give him the opportunity to put his attractive, bold and courageous ideas into practice. However, having focused on signing and developing highly-rated young players means that the team lack experienced Premier League footballers who could offer them an extra boost in crucial moments.