Premier League 2016/17 preview: Bournemouth – They will attack, but will that be it?

Eddie Howe remaining at Bournemouth boosts their chances this season, but a lack of quality defenders could be decisive. Matthew Childs / Reuters

With the start of the 2016/17 Premier League season less than two weeks away, Premier League correspondent Richard Jolly provides his previews for each club. Here he looks at Bournemouth.

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Eddie Howe felt that staying up was the greatest achievement in Bournemouth’s history. Certainly a club who almost dropped out of the Football League as recently as 2009 had memorable moments aplenty, with wins over Chelsea and Manchester United the stand-out results.

The question is how Bournemouth top that. The initial good news is that the architect of their excellence remains: Howe seemed tempted by talk of neither the Everton nor the England job. They should benefit, too, from the presence of three key players whose campaigns were destroyed by injury.

The 2015 signings Tyrone Mings and Max Gradel were both hurt last August while striker Callum Wilson, who had started to look a high-class striker, was sidelined a month later.

That rendered their colleagues’ exploits a still greater feat.

The eloquent, pleasant Howe has nonetheless been ruthless in selling some of the key men in Bournemouth’s rise: captain Tommy Elphick has gone to Aston Villa and winger Matt Ritchie to Newcastle United. Bournemouth’s humble origins should not disguise the level of their spending and they have broken their transfer record again to get Jordon Ibe.

Yet he and the new French forward Lys Mousset are attack-minded players and Lewis Cook a promising central midfielder.

It is a surprise Howe does not invest more in centre-backs and goalkeepers. It could cost Bournemouth.

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Key Man: Steve Cook

Minus Elphick, it looks as though Cook and captain Simon Francis will have vital roles to play in a defence shorn of high-class centre-backs. Cook is also a threat at set-pieces.

Pivotal Signing: Jordon Ibe

Fell out of favour with Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool but the winger’s £15 million (Dh72.5m) fee is an indication of his talent. A first regular spell of top-flight football in his career could be a chance to demonstrate it.

Point to Prove: Tyrone Mings

Suffered a knee injury eight minutes into his debut and will not be fit for the start of the season. In his absence, Charlie Daniels excelled at left-back while Brad Smith, another full-back, has joined. Mings may have a battle for his place — or a future at centre-back.

Crucial Factor: The defence

Only Aston Villa conceded more times than Bournemouth, who let in 67 goals. Twenty-three of those came in the last 10 games and Howe has proved reluctant to spend on centre-backs or goalkeepers.

Predicted finish: 18th

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