We do like to be beside the seaside
Here we are, second season back in the EPL on FM24. AFC Bournemouth are looking to make a name for themselves in the big time and survive a relegation war.
Welcome to the next episode of the managing AFC Bournemouth in the first season series on FM24. This is part two of the season guide so far and the results of the season. The previous guides you can find here:
Here we are again, AFC Bournemouth pushing to be regulars in the EPL. Last year they survived the relegation battle and now have plans to become an established Premier League team. This team have achieved amazing things with the limited resources they have.
In this guide we are going to:
- Look at the end of season league performance and individual performances.
- We will look at the tactics which have been used.
- Where the team will go next.
Read on to see how AFC Bournemouth pushed the Premier League on FM24!
AFC Bournemouth results on FM24
This is where we look at the team data. It’s a great place to start looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the team. While it is general data on FM24 it can show us where our form deserves to be, if we score or concede like other teams around us.
As you can see we finished 9th in the league, which is a massive achievement. We were only expected to fight relegation and never got involved in it. This gives us a good spring board to launch from next season and become an established EPL team.
Looking at the data we are distinctly a midtable team with our wins equal to our losses. As well as this our goal difference was +2, meaning that our goals scored were nearly equal to our goals conceded. These are just hallmarks of a midtable team, so in order to progress we need to focus on either the end of the pitch.
Individual Performances
This is where we discuss the individual performances, the heroes and villains if you like. After looking at our team data and measuring it against our objectives, this is where we push it. If we have defensive problem, this is where we can hone in on the weakness. Are we scoring a lot, how do we score, where do the goals come from.
Looking at the FM24 data available for AFC Bournemouth it is a bit worrying that we only had one player averaging over 7. While Phillip Billing is a fantastic player, I was hoping for more player over an average of 7 after the good season we had.
Looking at the players which are performing better in defence we can see our centre backs are our best performers. That means if go we through a defence rebuild with AFC Bournemouth we need to focus on the wingbacks. If we reduce our conceded by 10 it means we should pick up 2.6 wins on this year.
If we went for an attacking rebuild for Bournemouth we can see that our strikers have low on the list of performers. We do not have enough depth and quality up front, but the good news is that the Xg looks good for all may players. We need more goals in this team to push forward in the league.
AFC Bournemouth Tactics FM24
In this section, we look at the tactics that we have employed with AFC Bournemouth on FM24. We normally start with the tactic that we created with the Day One series and then document any changes. A theory is great, but the reality changes the perspective and the opportunity.
This tactic was designed was meant to slip balls from the AM positions to the fast striker to break on. This sometimes happens, but we tend to overload the centre of the opposition defence and the AML seems to be the all star position. This means I will be changing the AMR to an inside forward too as the AML is producing more.
Defensively the wingbacks are not working out. We have conceded so many goals and both positions under perform in the assists and average ratings. This is position we will invest heavily in the rebuild, while also changing to a midblock. We have been using high press, but the opposition have been ripping through our back line.
The change to mid block will defend the middle of the pitch and set up quick counter attacks. This is better than defending deep where the counter will need to cover more ground. This leads to longer passes which are more risky and could lead to a counter on the counter.
Conclusion
Playing with AFC Bournemouth on FM24 has been a fun and insightful save game. This team will be a great team to rebuild after season one as you have established them as an EPL regular. There are definitely areas of improvement for this team, and there is plenty to do going forward, it is a blank canvas as such.
The strength of this team as you can see through the stats is the core of the team, mainly the midfield. This is one area that does not need immediate attention and Billing especially has proved to be very good.
The weakness of the team is the fullbacks. This season they have really struggled to keep their performances up. This maybe to do with the current system, but we are changing to a midblock and also the inside forwards need support when they cut inside.
The opportunity is the number of talented young players in the team such as Kerkaz, Alex Scott and Illia Zabarnyi. Invest in youth facilities and hire the best coaches to give them a chance to reach their potential. With this club it may turn into a selling club to invest in the team.
The threat is exactly what we said above. With the young talent in the team, if you fail to keep them happy or be successful they will want to move on. This could put the team on the path to becoming a selling club and the cycle continues.
I hope you enjoyed this guide, now go and start your journey with AFC Bournemouth on FM24. Please comment any feedback below.
