Bournemouth are gearing up for their first ever European tour in 127 years, but Cherries striking legend Steve Fletcher has warned new boss Marco Rose that the Premier League must be their top priority.
Sixth-Place Finish and Europa League Qualification
They finished an incredible sixth place in the Premier League, just three points behind the final Champions League qualifying place taken by Liverpool, who then snapped up Bournemouth's boss Andoni Iraola. The Cherries are now in the Europa League against the likes of AC Milan, Juventus, Bayer Leverkusen, Marseille and Real Sociedad.
But Fletcher, speaking as MrQ celebrates becoming AFC Bournemouth's new official sleeve partner, believes it will be made clear that maintaining their top-flight status is the most important thing. Fletcher, who holds the club record with over 650 appearances, said: “That will be reiterated to everyone at this football club, whether you are a player or a staff member, because the Premier League is our bread and butter, and we can’t lose sight of that.
“As much as Europe is going to be exciting and it will put us on the map, you can’t lose sight of what is the most important thing and that is the Premier League.
“This is the first time and it is a baptism of fire for us, but everyone at the football club will be doing everything they can to make sure we stay in the Premier League and we represent ourselves really well.
“We will try to better what we did last season. Is that a tough ask? Yes, it is, but is it possible? Yes, it is.”
Marco Rose Replaces Andoni Iraola
Rose was one of three candidates considered by the Cherries, along with Kieran McKenna and Inigo Perez, to succeed Iraola. And Fletcher believes: “Marco Rose is the perfect replacement for Andoni because we are a football club who like to play a certain way.
“We like attacking football and we like pressing teams and are very energetic, so our recruitment director and sporting director, Tiago Pinto, would have looked at that and brought in a manager who can work with a group of players who did fantastically well last season.
“Andoni was amazing for three seasons and deservedly gets a move to one of the biggest clubs in the world, but we have brought in Marco, who has been in for a few days already building up for the lads to come back. He’s been nothing short of fabulous already.”
Daunting Fixture List Ahead
The Cherries are set to travel to Manchester City on the first day of the new campaign, then host Everton, followed by a visit to Newcastle United, before Brentford and Liverpool visit the Vitality Stadium. Although the fixture list looks daunting on paper, Fletcher insists: “You can look at the fixtures and say we have a tough Christmas or a tough run-in, but it doesn't get much tougher than playing Man City away.
“Sometimes, when you are a club like us, you need to catch these teams when they are not in full flow.
“Maybe back in the day when we first got in the Premier League back in 2015, we would look at when we were playing Liverpool, when we were playing Man City, Man United and Arsenal, but now I think it just rolls in, and now it is exciting to go to the Etihad on the first day of the season and play Man City.
“They will be looking to bounce back under their new manager and try to win the Premier League. So I think it is an exciting fixture, if anything, and then Liverpool as one of the first home games, but bring on the big clubs, as that is the whole point of playing in the Premier League and that is the excitement.”
