Bournemouth fans have been treated to a season of record-breaking highs from their club's players and staff, who managed to secure a top ten finish amidst fierce competition.
Securing ninth place, the Cherries smashed previous records for goals scored, league wins, and, for a consecutive season in a row, Premier League points, achieving 56 in total.
Plenty of players stood out, with exceptional campaigns from Ryan Christie, Lewis Cook, Antoine Semenyo, Justin Kluivert, and Milos Kerkez, to name a few, which has meant plenty of unwelcome transfer attention.
It was a season like no ever, and the club’s best yet.
So, with plenty to take away from the campaign, here are the top seven things VAVEL learned about Bournemouth from last season.
1. Iraola already Bournemouth’s best ever
Since arriving on the South Coast, the Basque manager has clearly put his stamp on the club, as well as English football with his energetic pressing and attacking style of football.
In less than two years he has already impressed and broken plenty of records.
Iraola guided the Cherries to twelfth place after a tricky start and to a record points tally of 48, in his inaugural season.
In his second, the Cherries’ boss did it again, beating his own record in style to finish with 56.
Along with this was a season full of other records for the club like most wins (15), most goals (58), least goals conceded (46), and a joint-best FA Cup finish.
And all of this was achieved with a brand of football that has lit up the Vitality Stadium on plenty of occasions already.
Iraola may be a long way off of securing a status at the club higher than that of legend Eddie Howe, but for tactical know-how, he is the best the club has ever had.
2. Evanilson can better Solanke
**Evanilson**’s hold-up play and ability to win fouls rank him among the league’s best forwards.
He was a constant penalty threat, earning several, including three in a single game.
Despite being a newcomer to the league, his 13.01 xG yielded 10 goals and an assist, not accounting for indirect contributions like won free-kicks and penalties converted by teammates.
He ranks high, in the 94th percentile, for miscontrols and 86th for avoiding dispossession, with excellent ball recovery and link-up play.
His movement is elite, highlighted in his finishes against Fulham and Southampton, constantly finding space and making intelligent runs, finishing over his shoulder.
A mid-season injury briefly stalled his momentum, and a missed penalty added early pressure, but the Brazilian showed real resilience.
In **Iraola**’s system, his profile fits perfectly.
With more familiarity next season and better service from teammates, fans have every reason to be excited about what is to come.
3. Cherries ripest against top sides
**Bournemouth*’s players seem to thrive most when it comes to top sides, and that is not just limited to the ‘Top Six*’.
Fans were gifted with plenty of memorable wins against Manchester United, Newcastle United, Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur, and an incredible double over Arsenal.
It was the most successful the club has been against the traditional ‘Top Six’ in a single season, and it was all down to the players executing **Iraola**’s tactics to a tee.
Opposition players were hurried by the press, exposed by the quick attacking turnovers, and halted by some stubborn defending.
It seemed that the Cherries felt more comfortable playing against title-challengers, than teams mired in a relegation fight; a bittersweet feeling for Cherries fans.
4. Squad purge required
The mid-season injury crisis drew a spotlight on the Cherries’ squad, in that it may appear stronger on paper than what it really is.
Moreover, the club had plenty of players out on loan, who are earning decent bucks without playing a minute of football.
This creates a problem with regards to future recruitment and squad strength for next season.
The club will likely be looking to move on players like Max Aarons, Philip Billing, Hamed Traorè, Mark Travers, Luis Sinisterra, and Romain Faivre, to make room for players more suited to **Iraola**’s system.
If Bournemouth are to improve on last season, they must take a long look at their current squad and see if it is worth the current expenditure.
5. March drop-off is real
This season, more than ever, exposed a serious flaw in **Iraola**’s style of play, in that players struggle in the third of the campaign.
The injury crisis made this much worse than anticipated, given for a period of two months, almost the same starting XI was rolled out week after week, leading to an eventual drop off in performance and intensity.
After beating Southampton 3-1 in mid February, the Cherries could not retain the form that propelled them to the Champions League places and did not win for six games.
Zooming out further, from the Saints win to the Arsenal win in May, Bournemouth could only win two out of eleven games, which saw them fall down the league.
Last season saw a similar story for the Cherries, as did **Iraola**’s Rayo Vallecano in Spain, perhaps owing to a smaller squad struggling to maintain the high energy levels needed for the tactics to work.
6. Ambitious transfer policy works
With Dean Huijsen departing for £50 million to Real Madrid and others attracting interest, **Bournemouth**’s bold recruitment strategy is starting to bear real fruit.
Inspired by the success of clubs like Brighton, the Cherries have focused on signing young, high-potential talent for modest fees, developing them into top-tier players and selling them for considerable profit.
Huijsen spent just one season at the Vitality before being snapped up by Los Blancos, whilst the likes of Milos Kerkez, Illia Zabarnyi, Justin Kluivert, and Antoine Semenyo are also being closely watched.
It is still early days, and the approach relies heavily on the recruitment team staying one step ahead.
But if Bournemouth can continue identifying the right talent and preparing for inevitable exits, they will keep unearthing stars who, if you do not know their names yet, you soon will.
7. The future is bright
Just over seventeen years ago, Bournemouth were sat second-bottom of the entire Football League, 91st out of 92 clubs, in administration, and staring at non-league oblivion.
Assets had been sold, and staff went months without pay to keep the club alive.
Today, the picture could not be more different.
With new ownership and clear vision, the Cherries have just matched their best-ever Premier League finish of 9th.
The club has regained ownership of the stadium, with plans to expand capacity, and their state-of-the-art training facility is nearly complete, setting the foundation for sustained top-flight success.
Add to that a young, exciting squad and a talented manager, and the signs could not be more promising.
It is safe to say that the future is not just bright, it is glowing.