Top News

Bournemouth were one of the most impressive teams to watch under Andoni Iraola; now the club moves into the Marco Rose era.

Bournemouth are dealing with a situation that would have seemed unthinkable a decade ago: juggling the demands of the Premier League with their first-ever European campaign. It is another milestone in the club's extraordinary rise, but maintaining that momentum may prove even more difficult.

That is particularly the case because Iraola has departed, bringing the most successful spell in the club's history so far to a close. Bournemouth, though, have become used to handling change.

The decision to appoint Marco Rose underlines a club that thinks ahead, and there is belief that the platform created over recent years is strong enough to absorb another transition.

The main concern is squad depth. Thursday-night football will create fresh pressures on a group that has already seen important players leave, which makes recruitment and rotation vital calls.

Bournemouth's strongest starting XI has already shown it can go toe-to-toe with anyone; whether the squad can absorb the added workload may well shape the entire season.

Ambition continues to build both on the pitch and away from it, with plans also in place to expand the Vitality Stadium and take capacity beyond the current 12,000.

Bournemouth remain one of the Premier League's smallest clubs by most conventional standards, yet the feeling around Dorset is overwhelmingly optimistic.

The aim is no longer simply to cement their place in the top flight, but to show they deserve to be counted among the division's most forward-thinking clubs.

Iraola is not an easy man to replace, but Marco Rose arrives with Champions League experience from Borussia Dortmund and RB Leipzig, along with a strong reputation for developing elite young players. Tactically, too, he looks a natural fit. The question is whether he can keep the Cherries moving upwards.

Alex Scott, 22, has for some time been regarded as a future England international, and interest in him from elsewhere has intensified in recent months. If he stays and Rose can help him become more decisive in the final third, the midfielder has every attribute needed to become Bournemouth's central driving force.

PREMIER LEAGUE: 6th

FA CUP: Third Round

LEAGUE CUP: Second Round

Eli Junior Kroupi scored 13 goals in all competitions for Bournemouth last season.

The Cherries will be without their leading striker for three to four months after he suffered a foot injury during pre-season.

Quick finishes do not always make up for slow starts. Once Iraola's pressing approach clicked into place, Bournemouth were capable of causing problems for anyone, but their inconsistency early on left them with ground to make up – although that was hardly unexpected given the amount of player turnover last summer.

If the Cherries can start 2026-27 with the same intensity and clarity they showed in spring, qualification for Europe becomes a more realistic objective. Rose's early arrival should help in that regard.

Bournemouth's 2025-26 record was Home: 7-10-2. Away: 6-8-5.

Turn your corner into their counter. Bournemouth are among the most aggressive transition sides in the league, capable of turning an ordinary interception into a clear opening within seconds. That is unlikely to change under Rose, who has spent most of his coaching career in the high-press, high-energy Red Bull system – first at Salzburg, then at Leipzig.

Do not panic when somebody leaves for a bigger club. Losing major figures has become part of life for the Cherries, and they have set a high standard when it comes to succession planning.

Last season was bizarre but brilliant – a thrilling start, a terrible run, then half a season unbeaten.

The big talking point is our managerial change. Andoni Iraola choosing to leave is a major blow, but his replacement, Marco Rose, comes with an impressive pedigree.

Our key player will be Alex Scott. The Guernsey Grealish has everything.

The active player I'd love to have back is Antoine Semenyo – although we have not actually lost a league game since he joined Man City in January.

Look out for James Hill. For a £1m signing from Fleetwood Town, the lad has huge potential.

The departing player I'm saddest about is Marcos Senesi. He was superb.

Fans think our owner is delivering in every department: a new training ground, continued stadium redevelopment, and now Europe within four years after promising it in five.

The one change I'd make at our club would be a physical matchday ticket. You cannot put a QR code in your scrapbook.

The pantomime villain will be Richard Keys. Not long ago, he said, “There is no ‘next level' for Bournemouth – this is it.” We will look back on that soundbite over a beer in some European square.

We'll finish 13th, as we manage Europe. Playing more matches, increasingly intense matches, against better opposition, the squad will be stretched more than ever before.

AUGUST

23 Man City (A)

29 Everton (H)

SEPTEMBER

5 Newcastle (A)

12 Brentford (H)

19 Liverpool (H)

OCTOBER

10 Chelsea (A)

17 Sunderland (H)

24 Man United (A)

31 Leeds (H)

NOVEMBER

7 Ipswich (A)

21 Nott'm Forest (H)

28 Fulham (A)

DECEMBER

2 Brighton (H)

5 Hull City (H)

12 Arsenal (A)

19 Coventry (H)

26 Tottenham (A)

30 Crystal Palace (A)

JANUARY

2 Aston Villa (H)

6 Brighton (A)

16 Ipswich (H)

23 Nott'm Forest (A)

30 Fulham (H)

FEBRUARY

6 Leeds (A)

10 Aston Villa (A)

20 Crystal Palace (H)

27 Coventry (A)

MARCH

3 Tottenham (H)

13 Newcastle (H)

20 Brentford (A)

APRIL

10 Man City (H)

17 Everton (A)

24 Arsenal (H)

MAY

1 Hull City (A)

8 Man United (H)

15 Sunderland (A)

23 Chelsea (H)

30 Liverpool (A)

Bournemouth to win the 2026/27 Premier League title odds: 300/1

FourFourTwo verdict: Bournemouth to finish 11th.

For the last two years, Bournemouth have played like a top-six team while continuing to lose outstanding players. Can they keep doing it after losing an outstanding manager as well? Rose should fit in smoothly, but the Europa League will reduce the amount of time he gets on the training ground.

This feature was written in June as part of FourFourTwo magazine's famous Season Preview issue.