Gary O’Neil has rightly received plaudits since picking Bournemouth up off the floor and leading them to safety on their return to the Premier League.
Most critics and neutral fans across the country had written off their chances, if not before the 2022-23 season had even begun, then certainly after the 9-0 trouncing at the hands of Liverpool at Anfield in August. Scott Parker was dismissed quickly after the game and the Cherries appointed a rookie in Gary O’Neil.
O’Neil defied the odds heavily stacked against Bournemouth and picked them from the foot of the table in March before eventually leading them to a 15th-place finish in the top flight. His side remarkably won five in seven games to comfortably achieve safety.
With the transfer window now open, O’Neil and the club need to decide upon their targets and the way forward for the next campaign and beyond. That said, here are three major areas that need to be addressed if Bournemouth are to stay safe for another season in the top flight.
- Defending set pieces
Gary O’Neil has exceeded even his expectations last season, but he will be wary of the areas his Bournemouth team needs to improve to secure safety for another season with the big boys. One of those areas is defending from set-pieces, with the Cherries enduring the worst record with 21 goals conceded—five more than Nottingham Forest. (Stats courtesy: WhoScored)
It is an area that highlights Bournemouth’s Achilles heel, something the opposition team exploited to full effect last term. If they don’t improve on this crucial defensive aspect of the game, the chances of them being embroiled in a relegation dogfight will only get higher.
- Shot-shy
They say “You can’t score if you don’t shoot”, and this very much applies to Bournemouth, who were the fourth-lowest scorers in the Premier League last term.
When it came to shots per game, the south coast side managed only 9.4—the worst in the division. Of that, they only managed 3.5 shots per game—only Wolves and Nottingham Forest had worse numbers.
Clearly, if O’Neil’s side are to become productive in the final third and score more goals next season, the players have to shoot more from in and around the box.
- Avoid conceding too many penalties
Defensively, Bournemouth were all over the place last season. Yet, managing to secure top-flight survival should be seen as nothing short of a miracle.
The Cherries’ players were prone to committing errors in the box, leading to six penalties conceded. They also scored three own goals. Another season of too many defensive errors and individual mistakes could be Bournemouth’s undoing, which is exactly why O’Neil’s side must eliminate from their game.