AFC Bournemouth’s "Bad Run" - Is It Actually As "Bad" As It Looks?

There is a temptation, after five Premier League games without a win, to look at AFC Bournemouth’s league position and conclude that something has gone badly wrong - 17th in the league, and at one point, even in the drop zone on Sunday.

For sure, there are certainly things that need addressing - there have been poor individual moments, the Cherries have let leads slip, their second-half performances have become a genuine talking point, and Sunday’s 1-0 defeat to Liverpool was undoubtedly frustrating.

But step back from the immediate disappointment and the picture surrounding Marco Rose’s side is considerably more encouraging than the raw results might suggest.

In fact, there is a pretty compelling argument that Bournemouth’s so-called bad run is not quite as bad as it looks.

Start with Europe.

Yes, Bournemouth were eventually made to work extremely hard for their historic 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad. After producing one of their best halves of football in recent memory, they were forced to rely on Djordje Petrovic and their defensive resilience to see the game out.

But perversely, perhaps that was exactly what they needed.

Bournemouth have already surrendered leads four times this season, creating something of a muscle memory around what happens when they get themselves in front. So, while a comfortable 2-0 or 3-0 victory would have been more enjoyable, there was something potentially more valuable about being forced to suffer, defend and ultimately see out a European away game - it must do wonders for the confidence of actually being able to see out a game of football.

That is the positive which can sometimes get lost when analysing the performance. Bournemouth needed to learn how to win ugly. Against Sociedad, they did.

And then came Liverpool.

Nobody expected this to be straightforward. This was an unbeaten Liverpool side, packed with individual quality, who had been given the benefit of rest while Bournemouth had been battling their way through a historic European night.

And yet Bournemouth lost by a single goal.

There was frustration because the Cherries did not create enough, and the performance was arguably their least convincing of the season. But they were not blown away, and that is an important distinction.

Bournemouth have now faced Manchester City and Liverpool and lost both games by a one-goal margin. They have also taken points against Everton - a side they lost to last season - drew with Brentford, a team against whom they had never previously beaten in the Premier League anyway, as well as getting a creditable point against Newcastle United at St James’ Park.

The fixture list has not exactly been kind. Yes, Cherries are four points down on the equivalent games last season, but lets remember - 2025/26 was an exceptional campaign - and no Cherries fan expected it to be replicated.

Another thing that has not been kind has been the injury list.

There has been plenty of discussion about squad depth, but Bournemouth did attempt to address departures during the summer with replacements that are, at least broadly, like-for-like.

Some, of course, have yet to show their worth - and whilst we'd all like our signings to be instant successes like Dean Huijsen and Illia Zabarnyi, not all players will instantly hit the ground running - so the perceived lack squad depth (which is only ever mentioned when results don't go our way, of course) should not be a conclusion that is set in stone - these things are fluid.

The issue is less that the squad has suddenly become incapable of competing and more that Marco Rose is still working out exactly how to utilise it.

That is where the international break could actually become a positive.

Yes, Bournemouth would rather have had three points against Liverpool. Of course they would. But had they won, the timing of the break could arguably have felt frustrating.

Instead, Rose now has three weeks to analyse what has happened.

He can look at the increasingly obvious second-half drop-off. He can consider whether substitutions need to come earlier. He can assess which players he trusts to maintain the intensity of his starting XI and, crucially, begin to understand how his squad responds to the demands of Premier League football.

The comparison with Andoni Iraola is particularly relevant.

Whilst the quote "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results" feels relevant in the heat of the moment, it must be remembered that there was a point early in Iraola’s Bournemouth reign when people wondered whether his football would work. But he did not suddenly abandon his philosophy. He stuck with it, the players adapted and eventually everything clicked.

There is no reason to assume Rose cannot experience something similar.

Of course, Bournemouth clearly cannot continue doing exactly the same thing if the second-half problems persist, but that does not mean the answer is to panic. Marco Rose has pedigree for a reason.

And there is still an excellent identity to this Bournemouth side. There have been plenty of good performances during these opening weeks, with the margins between victory and defeat often incredibly fine. Against Liverpool, their opponents' defence also deserves credit for making it difficult for Bournemouth to create clear chances.

It does however expose one legitimate concern: the Cherries need their attacking additions to start delivering goals and creativity. When games are tight, having somebody capable of changing them becomes invaluable - particularly when a team is already struggling to maintain its first-half intensity.

And that may ultimately be the next step for Rose.

The performances need to become 90-minute performances. The attacking players need to start producing. The substitutions need to have a greater impact.

But those are problems that can be solved, and perhaps that is the most important point of all.

Bournemouth have competed with Manchester City and Liverpool, they have taken points against difficult Premier League opposition, and they have already produced a historic European victory.

The results need to improve. There is no escaping that. But this is not a team being routinely dismantled by its opponents. It is a team that looks so close to clicking.

If Rose can find the missing ingredients between the first and second halves, Bournemouth's fortunes could change rather quickly.

For now though, rather than seeing five games without a win as the beginning of a crisis, perhaps it is better viewed as the messy, frustrating and occasionally exhilarating opening chapter of a new era.

It has certainly not been plain sailing.

But then, when has it ever been at Bournemouth?