What Can the Premier League Expect from AFC Bournemouth?

In my analysis of which new entrant to the Premier League would be the likeliest to survive and which would likely be enduring the heartbreak of going straight back down, I predicted Bournemouth were in between Norwich and Watford.

Although lacking Premier League experience in just about every department—this will be the Cherries' first season in the top flight in their 115-year history—Bournemouth's incredible rise in recent years has made it impossible to write them off.

On the brink of extinction just six years ago when they narrowly avoided dropping out of the football league, the south coast club's story has been one of a remarkable reversal of fortunes. Under the stewardship of club legend Eddie Howe—with a brief hiatus when he took over at Burnley—the club were promoted from League Two and League One and then needed just two seasons to assert themselves on the Championship, which they won last season.

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The superb chemistry and understanding between the Bournemouth squad has been a critical tenet of their success, but their rapid rise has meant they've had little time to introduce a significant Premier League presence to their ranks.

The signing of 14-season Premier League veteran Sylvain Distin, as reported by the BBC, may prove to be highly astute. The knowledge that the Frenchman will be able to impart on his new defensive colleagues could prove invaluable. However, it could be an entirely different story if he himself is called upon regularly to lead by example. His final months at Everton were demonstrative of a rapidly waning ability.

Bournemouth’s style has been predicated on their ability to simply outplay teams, evidenced by their use of a traditional 4-4-2. While their status as an unknown quantity does mean they could retain this swashbuckling, adventurous style of play—they scored 98 goals last season—it seems likely that some mitigation will be required. Being so attack-oriented may bring them some surprise scalps, but it may also dampen their ability to grind out some hard-earned results when points matter more than pride.

Quite how Bournemouth adapt to playing a more cautious, pragmatic brand of football—if they do adopt one in the first place—will play a crucial role in their survival prospects.

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Eddie Howe is another factor in how difficult it is to predict how Bournemouth will perform in the Premier League. His renown in English football has grown alongside Bournemouth's rise through the leagues.

Like his squad, Howe has extremely limited experience of top-flight opposition. Ordinarily this would be a significant disadvantage, but the manner in which Howe has seen off allcomers so far suggests he is more than capable of upsetting some of the Premier League's most established managers.

Bournemouth are more than capable of springing some surprises, staying up included. The number of unknowns hanging over the team and the lack of experience feels, unusually, more of an advantage than a downside, but the true acid test will be the opening act of the season.

If the Cherries hit the ground running—and a relatively gentle August and September makes that eminently possible—then they could produce yet another special season.