Everton travel down to a new-look Bournemouth this weekend, as they start a new life under Marco Rose.
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Everton travel down to Bournemouth in the Premier League on Saturday, and we spoke to their Roundtable contributor Sam to get some insight on the Cherries heading into the game.
A trip down to Bournemouth has been a difficulty for the Toffees in recent years. They did secure a 1-0 victory over Bournemouth last season, thanks to a deflected Jack Grealish goal.
Everton will be without Christian Norgaard and potentially Hayden Hackney for the game, while Marco Rosa has confirmed that the Cherries are in a good place in terms of injuries.
To get some insight into the Cherries, we spoke to Sam from the Bournemouth Roundtable channel.
Sam provided insight on their start to the season, new manager Rose, and much more.
Bournemouth's opening game vs Man City
Bournemouth suffered a 2-1 defeat against Manchester City in the opening game of the season. The Cherries went ahead in the first half through Marcus Tavernier, but two late goals from Marc Guehi and Josko Gvardiol secured the three points for City.
Discussing the opening game of the campaign, Sam suggests that, although there is continuity in terms of the playing staff, there is a lot of change going on at Bournemouth at the moment.
"It's a strange feeling for Bournemouth fans at the moment because, whilst we have continuity in terms of the playing personnel, there is a lot that's going to be different this season. We have a stadium being redeveloped, we're playing in European competition for the first time, and we have a new manager in Marco Rose, along with his new coaching team."
Sam claims that the transition between the two managers should be fairly seamless, but it was never going to be an easy start as they faced Manchester City away from home.
"The transition from Iraola to Rose should be relatively seamless and has been managed perfectly by the club. Their footballing philosophies should also tally up quite well, given Rose's propensity for front-footed football. However, when you play Manchester City at the Etihad, it can be difficult to gauge just how well your team is performing when you're coming up against such world-class players."
Sam was pleased with the performance on display against City in some aspects, but there were concerns about some of the defending at the Etihad.
"That said, the showing from the Cherries was very good in places and there were echoes of Iraola's counter-attacking style. It did, however, seemingly highlight a soft centre in terms of our defending. The manner of the two goals we conceded will be quite a worry for many a Cherries fan, although when you're playing Manchester City, perhaps you can give your team a bit of a break - especially when the players are switching to zonal marking."
The differences between Iraola and Rose
One thing Bournemouth often get right is their recruitment, and that doesn't just mean players. The Cherries have a fantastic strategy, meaning left supporters shouldn't be too worried about the transition to a new manager.
Speaking on the differences between the two sides, Sam notes a slight change in formation under the new boss.
"While Andoni Iraola favoured a 4-2-3-1, Marco Rose favours a 4-4-2, which at times becomes more of a 4-2-2-2. The front four tend to rotate and there isn't really a focal point in attack, which must be a nightmare for defenders to deal with."
Sam also discusses the counter-attacking and high-energy style, but he is worried about their lack of defensive midfielder without Tyler Adams starting.
"That also means there is a lot of freedom when we're counter-attacking and running up the pitch, because players are literally running everywhere. This kind of style does, though, really need a defensive midfielder. With Tyler Adams not starting at the weekend, I think that's where it perhaps came undone somewhat, because the amount of times Manchester City broke through our lines seemed to become more frequent as the game went on.
However, the early signs are good and it does look like we'll have a continuation of the 'bums off seats' style of football that we witnessed last season."
Who should Everton fans be worried about?
Due to Bournemouth's fantastic recruitment, they often have a number of players who arrive from lesser clubs and hit the ground running in the Premier League.
One of their stars at the moment is undoubtedly Alex Scott, who has been heavily linked with a move in the summer transfer window. Sam is quick to name him when discussing Bournemouth's stars.
"One of the players that's gaining a lot of attention in the press at the moment is Alex Scott, because of his gracefulness on the ball and his ability to drive forward with it and create opportunities. He's been linked with a number of top-six clubs, but Bournemouth are sticking to their guns and trying to keep hold of him for as long as they can, perhaps with the intention of offering him an improved contract with a release clause, which may give both the player and club some peace of mind."
Another player who Sam mentions is Adrien Truffert, someone who would undoubtedly improve Everton a ridiculous amount on the left-hand side of defence.
"Elsewhere, Adrien Truffert on the left, who operates at left-back, is absolutely brilliant. He was one of our players of the season last season. He bombs up and down the wing, overlaps really well with the attacking winger and can put in a really decent cross.
He's such a good player, and our style relies on full-backs continually getting up the pitch. With him on one side and the veteran Adam Smith somehow managing to replicate that on the right, we seemingly are in a good place."
One Everton play Sam would take for Bournemouth
We asked this question to the Crystal Palace contributor last time, and it is hardly a surprise that the same name has popped up once again.
"I'd quite like someone like Iliman Ndiaye. He would fit Bournemouth well because his skill set and work rate align closely with the high-intensity, transitional and vertically oriented style the club has used under Andoni Iraola and is continuing under Marco Rose.
He seems to have the ability on the ball, the defensive work rate, and plenty of versatility and unpredictability too. I think he'd be a really interesting fit for this Bournemouth side."
A big thanks to Sam for giving me his time to discuss the upcoming game.