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How big a part can Eddie Howe’s midfielder play in preserving the Cherries’ top flight status?
Taking Bournemouth in isolation, there was probably no team in the bottom-half that needed a break more when the Premier League was suspended in early March.
The Cherries’ last game pre-pandemic was at Liverpool, a game they lost 2-1 despite leading 1-0 after nine minutes. By half-time, the Reds had turned the game around at Anfield to lead, and it stayed that way till the final whistle.
Sat in 18th after 29 gameweeks, Eddie Howe’s troops were staring relegation in the face following a run of one victory in five outings, and the prospect of losing their status in the top flight after five years was looking like a reality.
Even though the game at Anfield offered some positives for the side from the south coast, they needed the respite brought by the enforced break. Against the champions-elect, perhaps the biggest encouraging sign for Howe was how his midfield stood up to the might of the outgoing European champions.
Marshalled by the towering Philip Billing, the visitors gave everything in the middle of the park and could have equalized but for a goal-line clearance by James Milner in the second half. The Danish-Nigerian star was, without a doubt, Bournemouth’s best midfielder in that lunch-time kick-off on Merseyside; getting stuck in where necessary and creating three chances for the away team, which was higher than any of his other teammates.
Howe’s side mustered six attempts and he was involved in setting up half of those efforts. They created two clear-cut chances and the gangly Billing created one, unlucky to not register an assist against the best side in the country.
While that performance was exceptional, Billing has won the highest aerial duels for midfielders in the Premier League while posting impressive figures for total interceptions and clearances.
At the time, only Nigeria’s Wilfred Ndidi had made more interceptions than the former Denmark U-21 international, showing he had the nous to not only read the danger but also win back possession for his team.
Be that as it may, Bournemouth’s struggles this term have originated from their final third ineffectiveness and a painful lack of invention from the middle of the park. Despite forming a solid understanding with Colombia star Jefferson Lerma in the centre, the pair don’t offer enough going forward by measure of goals and assists, which has hurt the Cherries somewhat.
It’s harsh to place the blame at the door of Lerma and Billing given their primary responsibility in the side isn’t to deliver goals and assists. Still, there’s a feeling both could be better in their output going forward.
Billing has played 0.6 key passes per game, while Lerma’s stands at 0.4 per match. The pair have created two big chances each this season and have both hit the back of the net once.
The sheer lack of goals in the Bournemouth side, as well as dearth in creativity, has majorly contributed to their difficult situation this season.
The want-away Ryan Fraser, one of the league’s top creators last term, has tailed off spectacularly this term. There’s been a frustration with the wideman for failing to match 18/19’s performances, with many speculating the 26-year-old downed tools as his heart was set on a move away from the side.
Howe has since confirmed that the side’s primary creator has played his last match for the strugglers owing to his refusal to commit to the club beyond June 30.
In attack, Bournemouth’s return of 29 goals is among the lowest in the division. They’re averaging exactly a goal a game and have the fifth-worst return in the competition. This hasn’t been helped by the lack of scoring options across the side: Callum Wilson, Harry Wilson, and Joshua King are the leading scorers with eight, seven and four respectively…Nathan Ake, a centre-back, is next with two goals.
The disappointing Fraser had netted just once before the lockdown while the supporting cast of Dominic Solanke, Junior Stanislas, and Jordon Ibe have contributed nothing for goals, and Solanke’s sole assist remains the only goal contribution from the trident.
While Billing and Lerma could’ve done a bit more in the final third, the struggles of the aforementioned attackers lay bare the south coast club’s battles to get going up front all season.
Notwithstanding, they’d be buoyed by the return of long-term absentee David Brooks who hasn’t featured all season. The young Wales international contributed 12 goals (seven goals and five assists) in his debut Prem campaign, and supporters of the club will hope he gets up to speed in time for the last nine gameweeks, beginning with Crystal Palace on Saturday night.
The Eagles had won three on the spin before the league’s interruption and would have been resounding favourites against a Cherries side with just one win in five had the game gone ahead in March.
It’s why the break was timely for Howe’s side, whose form before football was halted left a lot to be desired.
Interestingly, though, every club in the bottom seven was in wretched form before the break, none had won more than once in their previous five matches, while Brighton & Hove Albion are without a win in 2020.
Creating chances and scoring were Bournemouth’s major challenges in the first 29 games of the campaign, and ostracising Fraser, the team’s primary creative outlet could make their finish extra arduous. They’ll also need goals from the likes of Billing if they are to survive their toughest Premier League campaign to date.
However, unless the towering Danish-Nigerian midfielder suddenly morphs into a prolific goalscoring operator, history suggests there’s little he can do in the Cherries’ run-in as they fight to retain their place in the big time.
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