2015/16 was a memorable season for Eddie Howe and AFC Bournemouth. The Cherries secured a credible 16th place finish accumulating 42 points in their first ever Premier League season. It was not just the fact that they survived, Bournemouth played some exciting football to get their. The 1-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge is to this date one of the biggest upsets in the league’s history.

Heading into the new season Bournemouth will be aware of how promoted teams have struggled in their second season at the top. They’ve been busy in the transfer window so far with the highlight being the addition of Jordan Ibe from Liverpool FC for 18€ million.

AFC Bournemouth – 2016/17 Season Preview

The Boscombe’s will kick off their 2016/17 Premier League campaign at home against Manchester United on August 13th. They team has had a fairly busy pre-season campaign which kicked off with a 4-0 win against Minnesota United in the United States. Since then they’ve faced the likes of Cardiff City, Valencia and Reading over the last two weeks.

Bournemouth have been struck hard in the transfer with recently relegated sides Aston Villa and Newcastle United signing up two of their best players from last season. Club Captain Elphick has joined Aston Villa while Matt Richie has joined the Toons. The high profile departures have forced the club to actively look for replacements. However the players they’ve signed till now are investment for the future rather than anyone that could walk into their first 11.

As of August 6th they’ve added as many as 6 new faces to their squad including the Liverpool duo Jordan Ibe and Brad Smith. One has to wait to see whether these are ready to step up to the big time.

Squad Breakdown

Though their attacking style of football is exciting to watch, the Cherries have sometimes looked defensively fragile. They conceded 67 goals last season which was the 2nd worst record in the league last season behind relegated Aston Villa. Howe this time though will have has plenty of options in defense and it will be interesting to see who they line up against United.

Bournemouth’s strength is in midfield with new signings Lewis Hook and Jordan Ibe providing additional options for the new season. However the onus is once again on Marc Pugh, Andre Surman and Dan Gosling who all had played a big part last season.

Up front Callum Wilson will be eager to prove his worth after suffering a long term injury last season. He’ll have competition from the likes of Benik Afobe & Joshua King both of whom stepped up in his absence last term. Guarding the goal will be Artur Boruc with Australian Adam Federici expected to start the season as his under study.

AFC Bournemouth – 2016/17 Season Prediction

For any club the goal is to have a good start to the season. Manchester United will be a difficult opening day fixture but they’ve already proven they can hang with the best on their day. After United they’ll face West Ham, Crystal Palace and West Brom and if they can pick up 4-6 points from these games the Cherries can be confident of a good season ahead.

We expect Bournemouth to continue on from they left off last season. They’ll pull off a few upsets and beat most of the teams around them and by May they’ll be somewhere around the lower mid-table.

Verdict: – 14th Place

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Player to Watch – 2016/17 AFC Bournemouth

Callum Wilson

The 24yr old Callum Wilson slotted in 23 goals for Bournemouth in 2014/15 as they won promotion to the Premier League. He was their best player at the start of last season even slotting in a hat-trick against West Ham to give Bournemouth their 1st win in the league.

Wilson though couldn’t build on his good start as he suffered an knee injury in September which kept him out of action for 6 months. He’ll once again start as their key player at top and needs to carry on his form from last season.

2016/17 Betting Tips – AFC Bournemouth

1. Premier League Champions – 1501.00 (Bet 365)

The odds for Burnley to win the titles stand at 1500/1. It should be noted though that the odds are considerably better than Leicester’s odds at the start of last season. We all love fairy tales but they are few and far in numbers. Our suggestion would be to stay away if you are hoping for another miracle.

2. Relegation – 4.50 (Skybet)

We can’t see Bournemouth breaking into the top half of the table but neither do we expect them to get relegated. It will a mid-table finish for the Cherries but they can’t take the league for granted. So this is another bet i would suggest the readers to stay away from

3. To Finish Higher than

Watford – 1.62 ( Skybet)

West Brom – 1.62 (Skybet)

Sunderland – 1.67 (Skybet)

These are the three teams that are our picks to finish below Bournemouth for sure. All three bets look like a winner so you guys might want to keep this bet in mind.

4. Over 43 Points – 2.00 (Bet 365)

Bournemouth had an impressive tally of 42 points last season and we can see them beating this tally by a comfortable margin.

5. Top Scorer

Callum Wilson – 1.73 (Skybet)

Benik Afobe – 5.50 (Bet 365)

Max Gradel – 9.00 (Bet 365)

Jordon Ibe – 15.00 (Bet 365)

We expect Callum Wilson to bounce back from injury troubles and make a mark in this year’s league. Although he may not win the Golden Boot for the league he’ll surely rank among the top 10 and definitely Bournemouth’s top scorer. The catch though is for him to stay fit through the entire campaign. If you are someone that’s prepared to take a risk then the name that’ll suggest is Jordon Ibe who has shown in sparks that he has the quality to be a top player.

AFC Bournemouth Transfers In – 2016/17

Transfers IN
Sl No	Position	Player	Fee – €	From
1	FWD	Lys Mousset	6.5 million	Le Havre
2	MF	Jordan Ibe	18 million	Liverpool
3	MF	Lewis Cook	7 million	Leeds United
4	MF	Emerson Hyndman	Free Transfer	Fulham
5	DF	Brad Smith	3.6 million	Liverpool
6	DF	Nathan Ake	Loan	Chelsea

AFC Bournemouth  – 2015/16 Stats

Pos	Team	Played	Won	Lost	Draw	GD	Points
16	Bournemouth	38	11	18	9	-22	42