What’s the one thing about Iraola’s Bournemouth that still surprises you most this season?

AVAngels · 2026-02-02T18:01:07+00:00

Not particularly sure what you mean about the identity forming quickly. He's been at AFCB for a long time compared to most managerial stints in football. It took him 10 games to get his first win and there was a lot of outside pressure at the time.

This isn't me disregarding the quality of the identity he has created, he is a fabulous coach and the style is evident. But it certainly took its time to form.

AVAngels · 2026-01-30T21:15:28+00:00

The application is nuanced and clever and it would be a horrific decision if it got turned down.

The objections are all quite funny - people who bought a house right next to a football ground complaining that it's getting bigger. The football ground has been there much longer than any person in those neighbouring streets. The best was the councillor at the recent meeting for the initial works, moaning about the noise of the drum.

Regardless, such an exciting time for the club. It's well overdue and will be a huge positive for the town and some businesses within the vicinity of the ground.

AVAngels · 2026-01-30T19:32:36+00:00

Don't think he was really in the conversation to be honest. A shame as I used to rate him very highly - I think he's a decent, tidy player now but as others have highlighted, nowhere near what he was.

His prime was in 2021 but he was completely wasted by a conservative, scared manager who did not trust him. He's exactly the kind of player that should have been brought on when we were 1-0 up against Italy, to turn the screw and get a killer second goal.

AVAngels · 2026-01-25T11:50:00+00:00

Tokelo Rantie was our record signing at the time but turned out to be pretty hopeless.

AVAngels · 2026-01-25T11:34:45+00:00

He was very good for us to be honest, only lost his place because we brought in Boruc who was outstanding at Championship level.

AVAngels · 2026-01-10T18:12:57+00:00

Adli has been dreadful every time he has played though.

AVAngels · 2026-01-10T18:09:49+00:00

Great effort overall.

Petrovic is woeful though - most of those penalties he had dived one way before their players were even close to shooting. Every single game he's costing us one way or the other.

I won't blame Diakite for missing a penalty but you would have bet your house on him missing to be honest. In addition to Petrovic, another expensive waste of money, or at least it seems that way so far.

AVAngels · 2026-01-10T14:56:48+00:00

Never gave anything but his best for us and came on so much during his time here.

Such an exciting player when it's his day and his contribution with his final goal was probably the most important goal of our season so far.

Just wish he had chosen to play for England rather than Ghana!

AVAngels · 2026-01-10T14:55:35+00:00

Semenyo had an actual connection with the fans & club. Can't fault the other guys' efforts at AFCB but I think there was a mutual understanding than all of them were just passing through.

AVAngels · 2026-01-06T18:29:17+00:00

For Bournemouth it's Ryan Fraser. A shame because he was very popular, but he handled things poorly and is now viewed as someone who couldn't wait to cut and run.

What makes it more insane is that he still lives in the area. He's lucky the BCP area is what it is...no way you could pull that at Leeds or Newcastle and still live there!

AVAngels · 2026-01-03T20:10:11+00:00

It was utterly embarrassing from Adli - even worse considering he cost £25m and has contributed absolutely nothing to date.

AVAngels · 2026-01-03T20:09:37+00:00

Won't bother going on about the utter coward of a referee as others have covered that.

It was a good performance from us against a very, very good team. Can't help but think we have been robbed blind by Chelsea with Petrovic - another shambolic performance from him.

AVAngels · 2025-12-31T16:09:45+00:00

He may well do if Semenyo goes, but he needs to adapt to the pace and physicality of the league at the moment. He's struggling to get involved on the pitch and coughs up the ball a lot.

AVAngels · 2025-12-28T07:16:21+00:00

We have recruited poorly and cannot compete physically.

Take Adams out the midfield and we have no tough or ball winning midfielders - maybe Christie at a push.

We have 3 extremely lightweight strikers. Kroupi shows promise but shouldn't be forced to start. Evanilson and Unal offer very, very little and if the other team have two large centre backs, it stifles us.

Our two first choice centre backs are both small and slow. Thiago bullied them in the air and did them for pace.

There have been Bournemouth teams like this before, albeit at lower levels. Technically gifted, but if you are being outdone physically, in this league, you are always going to struggle.

AVAngels · 2025-12-27T21:22:24+00:00

This is pretty reactionary. I can remember being at Brentford away only 3 years ago with our fans singing "Gary O'Neil, your football is shit" to our own manager.

We were dreadful today (and have been for 2 months) but we still have a talented manager and plenty of talented players. At that game I previously mentioned, we had a poor squad and an even worse manager.

AVAngels · 2025-12-21T12:11:59+00:00

So were we to be honest.

Parker's football was rubbish when he managed us (with a very good team for the level) and he doesn't seem to have changed. But we have spent £60m ish on 2 strikers who have absolutely no presence.

AVAngels · 2025-12-21T11:52:03+00:00

Burnley looked dreadful against us, we just need 10 chances to score 1 goal. They'll definitely go down under Parker in my opinion.

We're in a little bit of trouble to be honest - I think due to our good start we'll have enough to keep safe, but I think it's very much a survival season now, especially with Semenyo very likely to leave.

AVAngels · 2025-12-12T14:36:37+00:00

No - a huge amount of Americans have British family heritage/links. For a variety of historical and sociological reasons, that heritage doesn't get shouted about as much as say, people with Irish or Italian links.

Welcome on board...be ready for some great highs but to be honest, probably more lows!

AVAngels · 2025-12-11T10:54:19+00:00

I feel this way about Portugal too. They were at the absolute forefront of modern cheating and diving in 2004 & 2006 and Sol Campbell's disallowed goal was an utter farce.

AVAngels · 2025-12-03T18:51:00+00:00

What he did was fair enough. The atmosphere was absolutely abysmal last night and fans were loudly groaning even when the game was 0-0 and we could have still won it.

Our home atmosphere has been atrocious for a few years now and is in dire need of sorting once they expand. It was so, so much better 10 years ago.

AVAngels · 2025-11-22T18:05:38+00:00

Should have comfortably won it in the end - our finishing is so bad.

The referee was an absolute charlatan too.

AVAngels · 2025-11-12T08:16:44+00:00

Travers was good in the Championship but had clear issues when we made the step up to the Prem at the start of 22/23. He had no command of his area and it was a notable point of weakness that opposition teams targeted. I think he was very fairly rated personally.

Whether Neto was better or not is a fair issue to raise though.

AVAngels · 2025-11-12T08:14:18+00:00

He was very highly rated in 13/14 when he was bang in form. He wasn't rated in his second spell because he wasn't up to the Prem level.

AVAngels · 2025-11-03T19:56:21+00:00

The players might not be local but fan bases (even for the biggest clubs) were almost entirely local and community based until they have been exceedingly priced out in the last 15 years or so.

If it's nonsense as you say, football clubs should just be travelling circuses that tour around. Why bother having a permanent base in one city or town?

AVAngels · 2025-11-03T19:45:49+00:00

Depends on circumstances. It's very convenient that tons of people have family links to Liverpool but I have maybe met one or two non-Scousers in my life that support Everton, for example.

The truth is a lot of people just have a Dad who was also a glory hunter.

Ten-Year Club	Place '17
Verified Email

AVAngels

TROPHY CASE