AFC Bournemouth are enjoying a stellar season, and rightly so, many of the Cherries top stars have receiving consistent praise from major media outlets.
Dean Huijsen, Milos Kerkez, Justin Kluivert and Antoine Semenyo would probably be the first four players non-Bournemouth fans list if purely basing it off of how many times their names appear in columns, articles and posts.
However, there has been one man going quietly under the radar on the south coast.
Since joining the club in 2023, this player has missed 45 games due to injury.
That setback to many would serve as an excuse to feel sorry for one’s self and cause the handbrake to very much remain on when returning from a series of months out.
Not for Tyler Adams.
A troubled start to life in red and black
Adams was set for a blockbuster move to Chelsea in the summer of 2023.
However, the London club refused to proceed with the deal following a failed medical.
In swept the then head transfer man Neil Blake to lure the Leeds United man to Bournemouth.
A deal was struck, with fellow American Bill Foley signing off on a fee in excess of £20 million.
Following a maiden season laden with injuries, Adams was adamant he wanted to play for his country in the Copa America.
This was a tournament he returned from with a back injury; a recurring issue that was not managed effectively.
This, of course, sparked outrage amongst Cherries fans.
However, Adams has been largely injury-free since October and Bournemouth fans are finally getting to see what they have been missing out on while their American midfield maestro has been sidelined.
Adams is the perfect Andoni Iraola player.
The Bournemouth boss likes his men to be physically capable and able to maintain his high intensity style of play.
In February, Iraola said Adams was “the player we expected, even better probably.”
In the Iraola system, Adams undertakes a very specific role.
Often playing alongside Ryan Christie, the Scottish star is the far more progressive out of the two.
So far this season, Christie has averaged 5.85 progressive passes per 90 and 1.4 progressive carries per 90.
Adams is a far more defensive midfielder, anchoring Iraola’s side. The New York-born talent often sits in between Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi as a third centre-back or drops deep to receive the ball from the defensive duo.
Adams screens the defence very well, regularly shifting from left to right as the opposition look to manipulate the Cherries' defence.
The commanding nature of Adams allows him to be an often impenetrable barrier in front of the Bournemouth defence.
The American very rarely plays long, preferring to keep his game at a maximum of medium-length passing.
Over the course of the 2024/25 season so far, he has averaged just 1.45 long balls per 90 which is nothing in comparison to his 17.5 and 18.8 passes completed at medium and short length respectively.
The lynchpin in transition
His high quantity of medium pass completions speaks volumes about how good Adams is in transition.
Iraola’s side regularly reap the rewards of having significant pace and power in their forward ranks.
Adams is very good at winning the ball in midfield and spotting a pass that can unlock space and relieve the pressure of the opposition press.
Often, this pass finds itself guided to the feet of either Antoine Semenyo, Evanilson or Justin Kluivert.
A further assurance of Adams’ composure on the ball is that he has also made zero errors that have lead to an opposition shot, exemplifying a strong footballing brain and an experienced head on his shoulders, therefore being the perfect player to have at the heart of a Premier League outfit.
Off-the-ball excellence
Despite a lot of the above information being based around when Adams is in possession, he comes alive without the ball.
When compared to some of the perceived best defensive midfielders in the top flight, Adams bests Carlos Baleba, Moises Caicedo and Declan Rice in tackles per 90 (4.57).
Caicedo is second out of those four with nearly two fewer (2.98).
Baleba just bests Adams in blocks per 90 with 1.48 to Adams’ 1.45.
Adams tops the list once more when looking at a combination of tackles and interceptions per 90 (6.59), once again Baleba is second by a fair way (4.44).
Laying foundations for Bournemouth’s success
The solidity that Adams brings to the Cherries' midfield cannot be understated, as he, along with Zabarnyi, Huijsen and Cook, are the foundations of which Bournemouth build their free-flowing attacks.
Without players like Adams, Iraola’s side would be far less effective in transition.
As seen recently against Brentford, the European-chasing club struggle to break down teams when they sit deep in a low block. Therefore, having players capable of winning the ball back and setting off these full-scale attacks is vital.
Can Adams nail down his position?
Since Adams has solidified his place in the team, Lewis Cook has been playing as a right-back in the absence of Julian Araujo and Adam Smith.
It is yet to be seen that when Iraola has a full squad to pick from, whether he will opt to keep Adams in the six or whether Cook will reclaim the spot he once called his own.
Most likely, the Cherries' boss will rotate the two.
Especially with the potential prospect of European football next season, having two starting-quality players is ideal, as with domestic cups also filling up the schedule, there will be plenty of time for both players to see plenty of pitch time.