Back Of The Net - The AFC Bournemouth Podcast

2024 was a record breaking season for AFC Bournemouth with last gasp goals, insane comebacks, securing our highest ever points tally, mad shirt sponsorships, the women’s team smashing it, beating United AGAIN, smashing Arsenal, surprising City, and a training ground nearly finished. Despite a draw with Fulham on the last calendar game of the year, Sam, Neil and Tom are the the QP with the last sho...

The class of 2022’s Championship Division are excelling in the Premier League this season, so, amid the constant claims that "the gap is getting wider”, forgive the fans of Nottingham Forest, Fulham and AFC Bournemouth for not taking too much notice of moans from fans of newly promoted clubs. As the Cherries travel to the Cottagers this season, Sam and Tom look forward to the fixture in West Londo...

Bournemouth face Crystal Palace on Boxing Day in a Christmas clash which sees sides from the top five and bottom five lock horns, but despite the perceived disparity between the the two teams in the Premier League table, there are a few things that suggests our festive fixture might not be as straightforward as Cherries fans want it to be.. Sam and Tom are the Queens Park Hotel to discuss December...

At the weekend, Cherries became the first team to beat Man United at Old Trafford by three goals in consecutive games after another stunning 3-0 victory which propelled Andoni Iraola's side to FIFTH in the Premier League. Whilst Bournemouth fans aren't getting carried away, but passports are being renewed and the Skyscanner website is being bookmarked, with the "E" word being on the tip of the ton...

The Red Devils have had over a month of new head coach Ruben Amorim, and he’s started in a very "Man Utd" way, with inconsistent showings and results he'd rather forget, but there are signs that there is something for United fans to actually be positive about... As Bournemouth travel up to Old Trafford this weekend, can Andoni Iraola make Amorim's initiation into the Premier League that little bit...

After sixteen games, AFC Bournemouth are Europa league. Andoni Iraola's side sit in sixth in the table, two points short of Manchester City, and Cherries are in a very good place ahead of what we hope will be a very fruitful Christmas! On Monday night, we registered a draw against West Ham. We all wanted more, but on 87 minutes, it looked like we’d be getting sweet FA after VAR awarded a penalty k...

Are West Ham a club in crisis? The noise from within the club suggests it is, but with Julen Lopetegui's side closer to Europe than the drop, we wonder whether this is simply a storm in a teacup? Yes, the results haven't been great, and yes their league position is not what they want it to be given the money that they have spent, but, there is another argument. On Monday night, The Hammers travel...

After Bournemouth shocked Ipswich with yet ANOTHER late turnaround on Sunday, Cherries fans have been revelling with being joint 7th in the league. Since Andoni Iraola arrived on the south coast he’s provided some scintillating and chaotic football, and the role of each individual is equally as disorderly. From changing specific roles to instructing players to play in positions that they’re somewh...

In his own words, Andoni Iraola can never look too far ahead, refusing to set targets or speak about long term goals. Bournemouth's win against Tottenham led many a Cherry to start thinking about dreams of the top ten and maybe even Europe, but Bournemouth's Basque boss pooh-poohed any mentions of possible achievements, stating that the next game is the most important. Ipswich Town are Cherries' o...

On Thursday, Bournemouth THUMPED Spurs - yet was only 1-0! However it was a game where Cherries had chances galore, and it would not have flattered Iraola’s side if Boscombe had won by 3, by 4, or 5 - as the relentless pressing, the refusal to let Spurs breathe, and the constant energy - meant that Ange Postecoglu's men had few answers to the continuous pressure. Yes we all know the Spurs have got...

Spurs parted with £55m for Dom Solanke, and could part with up to £10m in add-ons, in Bournemouth's most lucrative ever transfer to date, but whilst the frontman has notched six goals for Ange Postecoglou's side, Spurs fans might have been hoping his prowess would be propelling them up the league. However Tottenham Hotspur sit just two points above Bournemouth and their form is sporadic to say the...

Bournemouth got back to winning ways on Saturday with a 4-2 win at Wolverhampton Wanderers. The performance was hectic, it was end-to-end, and at times chaotic - but one thing it possessed for Bournemouth was clinicality - and from that showing, we have learned a few things… Is Molineux our playground? Tyler Adams - is his perceived "absence" our strength? Why Ryan Christie is worth his weight in...

Last weekend, a massive 4-1 win for Wolves at Fulham possibly saved Gary O'Neil's job at Molineux. With the team sat in the relegation zone for large parts of the season, the Black Country side finally escaped the drop zone with an impressive win at Craven Cottage, but with GO'N's only consistency seemingly only being *inconsistency*, what hope do they REALLY have under him? Sam and Tom are at the...

Premier League football on the South Coast is THRIVING (well...nearly), but Bournemouth and Brighton are more than holding their own in England’s top flight. Both sets of supporters have stories to tell with points deductions, financial penalties, and the threat of extinction, but both have come out the other side - can ANY other fanbases match the experiences that Cherries and Seagulls fans have...

Andoni Iraola's philosophy of engaging, front-foot, and often "chaotic" football was encapsulated in a harem-scarem ninety minutes at Brentford on Saturday, as Thomas Frank's side felt the force of Bournemouth's aggressive press, yet hung in the game, only to catch us cold (on more than one occasion) to win the three points in West London. Sam and Tom go back through an exhilarating game of footba...

Last week Bournemouth ANNIHILATED top of the table Manchester City, but this weekend, we arguably faced a stiffer test by the way of divisional stablemates Brentford - who have the best home form in the Premier League, and they haven't lost at home to the Cherries since 2005! Andoni Iraola's side have seven points out of a possible NINE in their last three games against Arsenal, Aston Villa and Ci...

After beating Manchester City 2-1 on Saturday, the media were justifiably talking about Andoni Iraola and the sumptuous Cherries side that he has assembled. The score-line suggests the game was closer than it was, but the Guardiola's Citizen's were SOUNDLY beaten in a showing where the home side didn't let the away team even breathe. Is he better than Eddie? Where CAN this team go? Was that the be...

After winning 6 out of the last 7 titles, Manchester City are unbeaten in all 28 of their PL games in 2024, and yet again they sit at the top of the table. Cherries have not taken a single point from Man City in the top flight and indeed, it is the most one sided fixture in English Football League history. In the PL alone, the aggregate score is 45-7. It's all a bit boring. However their cup exit...

At Villa Park on Saturday, there was a chess-like battle between Cherries and Aston Villa, as Unai Emery & Andoni Iraola pitted themselves against each other in the Premier League. It was one masterstroke that broke the deadlock, but another genius change that levelled the game late on. Is there method to the Basque madness? Recent results suggest there might be... Steve Hensman joins Sam and Tom...

Get FOUR issues of FourFourTwo for just £2 with this special Back of the Net offer ➡️ Visit https://magazinesdirect.com/BOTN ➡️ PLUS, access to 133 previous issues! Aston Villa are a different animal, Morgan Rogers is on fire, and the vibe around Villa Park is a far cry from a few years ago? Is this ALL down to Unai Emery? As Bournemouth travel to the Second City on Saturday, Sam and Tom preview t...

On Saturday, Bournemouth secured a stunning 2-0 win against Arsenal in a performance which saw the home side take the game to the opposition and create the lions share of decent chances. *Some* people will say that the red card was a turning point, but Bournemouth were as good as Arsenal before Saliba's misdemeanour, so Sam & Tom sit down and give the Cherries a pat on the back… Thank you to every...

Mikel has changed Arsenal in ways not even Arsene Wenger could. The Gunners have gone from top 4 contenders, to title contenders - and arguably, this season they could even be labelled "favourites". Ahead of their trip to Vitality Stadium on Saturday, Sam and Tom are The Court Room at the Queens Park to discuss the week at AFC Bournemouth, one which culminates in Iraola's reunion with an old frien...

The ability to create chances is one the key cornerstones of Andoni Iraola's footballing philosophy, but against Leicester, a familiar story emerged whereby Cherries had a high xG (expected goals), but no ACTUAL goals to our name. Focusing on xG is only important when you’re not winning games. It's a stat which helps detect whether a team totally deserved to not pick up the points, or, as in the c...

AFC Bournemouth's Ghanian superstar Antoine Semenyo is on the lips of every FPL player in the Premier League right now after some stunning performances and goals which has thrust him into the global limelight. Cherries travel to winless Leicester City on Saturday, and whilst the history and the form guide points towards an away win, the clash at the King Power will be far from easy - therefore Bos...

Cherries' 3-1 victory against Saints on Monday night should have been more flattering. Three first half goals from Evanilson, Ouattara and Semenyo put the game out of reach early on, but despite a late rally, Russell Martin's side rarely looked like threatening Iraola's men. The tactics were questionable, the persistence with a failing plan was baffling, and Bournemouth, we were just licking our l...