Bournemouth’s Struggles Continue Amid Frustrating Run of Form
Bournemouth’s disappointing run of form shows no sign of letting up. While they managed a morale-boosting win over Fulham on Monday evening, their performance against Crystal Palace was a stark reminder of their ongoing issues. In a match where they had an opportunity to build momentum, Andoni Iraola’s side failed to create any meaningful chances, falling flat in the attacking third. The 0-0 draw was emblematic of a team struggling to find consistency and creative spark.
The Cherries have now won just one of their last ten matches across all competitions — a deeply worrying statistic for a team with aspirations of establishing themselves as a competitive Premier League outfit. In that ten-game span, they’ve only managed to score more than once in two matches, highlighting a bluntness in attack that has become all too familiar. Iraola, who was brought in to bring a new energy and pressing identity to the team, appears increasingly frustrated as his side continues to fall short in matches where they dominate possession but lack penetration.
There was a moment of relief for Iraola when midfielder Alex Scott escaped a second yellow card after a contentious challenge — an incident that mirrored the one which saw Crystal Palace reduced to 10 men following Chris Richards’ dismissal. Ironically, Palace’s red card may have worked against Bournemouth. Prior to going down to ten, Palace were playing aggressively, pushing their full-backs high and leaving spaces behind. This played into Bournemouth’s strengths, giving wide forwards like Antoine Semenyo and Dango Ouattara room to exploit on the counter. Once Richards was sent off, however, Palace understandably adopted a more conservative approach, sitting deep and conserving their energy, forcing Bournemouth to take the initiative and break them down — a task they failed at miserably.
The statistics tell the story. Bournemouth mustered just 0.28 expected goals (xG) from nine second-half shots. They were largely restricted to speculative efforts from distance and hopeful crosses into a crowded box — low-percentage opportunities that rarely troubled the Palace defence. Despite having more of the ball, the Cherries lacked guile, incisiveness, and the kind of movement required to unlock a deep-lying defence.
This is not an isolated issue. A pattern has emerged under Iraola’s tenure. In the nine Premier League games where Bournemouth have enjoyed their highest possession stats, they’ve collected just 10 points. Conversely, in the nine games where they have had the lowest share of the ball, they’ve picked up 20 points. It’s a revealing contrast that suggests the team is more comfortable playing reactively, hitting on the counter, rather than controlling the tempo and dictating play against more defensive opponents.
This underlying flaw raises questions about Iraola’s long-term suitability for jobs at bigger clubs — particularly those that expect to dominate possession and regularly break down stubborn defences. Interestingly, despite his current struggles, reports last week from The i Paper indicated that Iraola could sign a new contract to remain at Bournemouth next season. Tottenham Hotspur were said to be interested in the Spaniard, but the new deal could give him the stability to refine his tactical approach and develop a more well-rounded system.
For now, however, the issue is clear: Bournemouth are too easily stifled when asked to be the protagonists. Iraola will need to find answers soon — not only to end their current slump but also to prove he can evolve into the type of manager capable of taking on more demanding roles in the future. Until then, their shortcomings against teams like Crystal Palace will continue to be a troubling theme.
Iraola’s weakness has been exposed – and it will be scaring Tottenham off despite being close to agreeing a deal
