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The emergence of Bournemouth from the brink of extinction to pushing themselves as Premier League regulars has been nothing short of sensational.
When you take into consideration the size and stature of the club, then it's even more intriguing. Since their promotion to the English top-flight back in 2015, Eddie Howe's side have consistently punched above their weight.
They did so without shifting to an ultra-defensive style of play, which is often the case with small teams, especially the ones who are promoted. The Cherries are known for their distinct expansive attacking style of play.
It is often said that winning something or getting somewhere is not the end of it; the real deal is staying there. But as it turned out for Bournemouth, their five-year stay in the Premier League, unfortunately, came to an end despite a late surge in form sparked by an inspired 4-1 win against Leicester.
Two consecutive defeats against Manchester City and neighbours Southampton respectively made things more complicated for Bournemouth, and it meant that their fate was no longer in their own hands heading into the final day of the season.
Despite winning against Everton on Matchday 38, which they absolutely had to, their relegation was confirmed when Aston Villa managed to avoid defeat at the London Stadium. Many who watched Bournemouth during the season, both before and after the COVID-19 pandemic may argue that they certainly saw it coming.
What went wrong for the Cherries? Let us have a look at three plausible reasons:
#1: Bournemouth's change in playing style became their undoing
Under Howe, Bournemouth were known for playing possession-based attacking football that involved their fullbacks moving up the field to create an overload on flanks.
They won many admirers by staying true to this adventurous approach in the Premier League. But surprisingly, their playing style changed in the last 12 months. The Cherries became more of a counter-attacking side that looked to soak the pressure and hurt the opposition on the break and in transition.
Sitting back and pressing in deeper areas can be effective, as it was the case against Chelsea and Manchester United this season. But it is evident that if this was Howe's plan A, he didn't have a solution when it didn't work.
One particular stat stands out, and it's a damning one. Bournemouth won just one game when they had more than 43% possession, and that came in the final month of the prolonged season against Leicester City. When it came to unlocking defences, particularly the compact ones, Howe's men seemed bereft of ideas. This brings us to their next issue.
#2: Bournemouth's lack of goals hurt them
Statistically, the 2019-20 Premier League season was one of the worst ones for Bournemouth from a scoring perspective, or rather the lack of goals.
They managed just 40 goals this season, which was seventh-worst in the division. It's not bad considering the fact that Brighton (39), Crystal Palace (31), Newcastle (38) and Sheffield United (39), who all finished above Bournemouth, scored less than the relegated club.
The goal drought belied their style of play and attacking philosophy. For the record, in all their previous seasons in the English top-flight Howe's side scored at least 45 goals. So, what led to the slump in their firepower?
Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser were to Bournemouth last season what Raul Jimenez and Adama Traore were for Wolves in 2019-20. Much was expected from the Bournemouth duo who failed to replicate their form for the entirety of the 2019-20 season.
But saying that Wilson and Fraser's form was responsible for Bournemouth's insipid attack would be unfair. The problem was more deep-rooted. The team was unable to click together. Often the players seemed too casual and lacked concentration during games. Fast breaks, which was a usual site for Bournemouth fans last season, were a rarity this term.
The problem was so dire that Bournemouth went the entire month of October without scoring any goals. It was disconcerting, especially for a side who became renowned for their free-flowing attacking football. So, one can certainly wonder why it happened with them, and their next problem definitely has something to do with it.
#3: Bournemouth were hindered by recurring injuries to players
Player injuries have always hindered Bournemouth's stay in the Premier League. They somehow managed to deal with the issue in all the previous seasons, but this season presented a challenge that Howe did not face before.
The Dorset club found themselves caught up in an injury storm for most of the last year, which reached a crescendo at the end of December when they had as many as 11 first-team players on the sidelines.
That perhaps explains why Howe had to alter his backline so much so frequently. According to data revealed by The Athletic, the Bournemouth manager used 19 different defensive combinations during the season, which was the most for the club during their five-year stay in the English top division and fifth-most in the league.
Only Arsenal, Manchester City, Newcastle and Watford fielded more defensive combinations than Bournemouth did. Thus, it's no surprise that without a consistent backline, all these teams suffered defensively.
Even with the authoritative presence of Steve Cook and Nathan Ake, defence has never been a strong point for Bournemouth. They've conceded over 60 goals in all their previous top-flight campaigns; this season they let in 65. That is, of course, a worrying and a relegation-worthy number.
Unlike in all their previous seasons when they compensated for conceding too many goals by putting the ball at the back of the net at the other end, that did not happen often enough for them this season.
The unsolicited three-month break due to the COVID-19 pandemic might have eased Bournemouth's injury crisis, but most of the damage was already done pre-pandemic.
Almost three weeks have passed since Bournemouth's Premier League relegation, and those weeks haven't been devoid of events, to say the least. Howe left the club by mutual consent, Ake departed for Manchester City, and long-standing assistant coach Jason Tindall was confirmed as the man to step into Howe's shoes.
Bournemouth are a unique and ambitious club. That was certainly made clear by their owner Maxim Demin's statement following their relegation. Only time will tell whether they can touch the same heights or not, but Bournemouth will certainly remain an example to many clubs with modest resources for years to come.
