Bournemouth need a new manager although not just yet. What do they do next? We shall wait and see. What did they do at the weekend? We will look back on that. Thought the Premier League title race was run? Think again. Issue 89. Go.

After the highs of their 2-1 win at Arsenal on Saturday, Bournemouth will have been hit by a low nearly 72 hours later. Andoni Iraola announcing that he will be leaving the club at the end of the season, the Spaniard believing that he has hit the end of the road,

What a road it has been, far from smooth and especially when he failed to win any of his first nine games in charge of the club after taking charge before the start of the 2023/24 season.

Many people (me included) thought that Bournemouth had made a bad call in appointing Iraola, the results were doing very little to withstand the argument. However, the Cherries decided to be patient in a culture of hiring and firing, that patience has certainly paid of.

Not that the Dorset outfit have been lifting silverware left, right and centre since his arrival, they have not even got into Europe during Iraola’s tenure but by the same measure, they have never been overly concerned with the threat of relegation.

A club that is now firmly part of the Premier League’s elite and although Eddie Howe would have laid considerable foundations to that structure, there was damage after suffering relegation to the Championship at the end of the 2019/20 season.

Those foundations have now been repaired after recording 15th and 12th place finishes in the past two seasons, the club even stronger in the present campaign as they sit in the top half of the table.

Whether they can squeeze into Europe at the end of May remains to be seen but it certainly will not define Iraola’s tenure on the South Coast. He leaves with his head held high and the respect of every Bournemouth - something that is ultimately priceless.

Not only that, but there is no shortage of potential suitors in the summer either. Links with Manchester United in the past, maybe too soon to jump to Barcelona or Real Madrid but a return to Bilbao seems like being the perfect outpost in his career progression.

Taking the reins at Athletic could be the perfect proving ground for the 43-year-old in terms of eventually collecting one of the jobs from Spain’s big two, it will also be the ideal homecoming after spending 12 years at the club between 2003 and 2015.

As for Bournemouth, their next managerial appointment is going to be massively important. Of course, every appointment is always the most important at the time but whoever is in charge will have to make sure the club does not aim to simply stand still.

You stand still in the Premier League and think the job is done, you easily get left behind. That is how it works these days, truth be told that is how it has always worked but which direction will Bournemouth go in?

Do they go with someone who has previous Premier League experience or do they go for a leftfield appointment in the same vein of Iraola’s appointment three years ago. It paid off then, can lightning strike twice? Bournemouth fans hope it eventually does.

The avid readers of this newsletter will be aware of the 100 game form guide that I have built this season. The image above is the current snapshot, the image above paints an even worse picture for Tottenham.

Tottenham have won just 32 of their last 100 games. But the more revealing number isn’t the win total, it’s the losses

The topline figure is that in the same 100 game rolling form guide, the North London club have lost 50. 50% of those games have ended in defeat. That is 1 in 2 in nearly three full seasons.

The rot did not set in at the start of this season. The rot set in a long time before that. If not Ange Postecoglou’s first campaign in charge of Spurs, then certainly his second - the Australian’s brand of football nothing short of do or die (but definitely don’t draw).

Just 18% of all those games have ended in stalemate. Yes it may have been entertaining but a dose of pragmatism may have helped in hindsight. Pragmatism would have definitely helped since the start of 2026.

What makes Tottenham’s loss ratio even more concerning is the fact that it is the 18th worst in the division. The only two clubs worse off are Burnley and Wolves - two teams that are also in the relegation zone. Coincidence? I think not.

Maybe that is a more interesting way to rank the data:

The bottom six clubs in this season’s Premier League sit in the bottom seven when measured by loss percentage. Sunderland’s impressive season after poor historical results serving as the only outlier at present.

Which means that just like you cannot outrun expected goals, you seemingly cannot outrun the amount of losses over an extended period. You can perhaps get away with one good season, you cannot get away with two or three.

Six games left to play, what price the bottom three staying with the three clubs that currently sit in the relegation zone? I would suggest not a particularly large one if you were a betting man or woman.

At this stage of the campaign you look to face the perfect opposition. Not only did West Ham have that on Friday but they also made perfect use of it. The Hammers thumping Wolves at the London Stadium. Not only a seismic margin of victory on Friday night but also seismic in the relegation battle.

Wolves were nothing short of hapless. This game symptomatic of their season as a whole. Chances at one end, within a flash they have conceded at the other. Rob Edwards’ men took a hiding at the weekend, West Ham’s relegation rivals will hope they also lay down for them in the next few weeks.

Well that was not meant to happen. Arsenal were meant to be 12 points clear at the end of Saturday lunchtime. Maybe that narrow win over Sporting in the Champions League was only papering over the cracks. That is now three defeats in four (all competitions) for the Gunners, now is not the time to have a blip in terms of performance.

Then again, Bournemouth have been the model of consistency these past few weeks. Five successive draws before their trip to the Emirates, their win on Saturday means they have not lost any of their last 12 in the league - the longest current run in the division. Maybe that was the result where Andoni Iraola thought “maybe this is the peak”, if so, he’s done a great job climbing the mountain.

Further frustration for Brentford as they once again drop two points. Their draw with Everton was the fourth successive stalemate for Keith Andrews’ men. A little more cutting edge or perhaps better game management in the past month and they would be making Liverpool sweat right now.

While Liverpool will have their Merseyside neighbours to thank for a lack of perspiration after Everton secured a point on the road on Saturday. David Moyes’ men showing resilience when it mattered, twice pulling Brentford back after conceding. The Toffees just as firmly in the European mix as their West London counterparts, The race for seventh is shaping up to be fascinating.

Firstly, a huge apology to any Burnley or Brighton supporters who read last Friday’s issue and thought why is this game not being previewed? Truth be told, I forgot to add it to the list. Then again, fans of the Turf Moor outfit will be glad that was the case, as nothing changes for the Clarets.

Another defeat for Scott Parker’s men as it’s now six without a win - the second longest current streak in the division. Relegation now only a couple of weeks away, their ongoing demise accelerated after a Mads Wieffer double. The Seagulls have won five out of their last six and have given their hopes of European football next season a huge boost.

A win that Arne Slot needed more than his Liverpool players and by the weekend’s end it turned out to be the perfect combination of results in the race for fifth (or even fourth). It also turned out to be the perfect combination of young and old in terms of goalscorers at Anfield. If Mo Salah is soon to the past, the future looks bright with Rio Ngumoha.

As for Fulham, it is a defeat that highlights how congested that upper middle element of the Premier League table actually is. The five teams that currently sit above them all picking up points, they do so after all managing to pick up at least a point. If Fulham want to thrust themselves back into any European chat, they need to win at the weekend.

When you are towards the bottom of the table, you take what you can get. Nottingham Forest will be glad of a point, especially after the hearing the outcome of a certain game at Wearside. Vitor Pereira’s men take a step closer to relegation after earning a draw at home to Aston Villa. It is now four games undefeated, earning six points in the process.

As for Aston Villa, there is still more than enough buffer between themselves and failure to earn a return back to the Champions League next season and therefore, a point at the City Ground will not necessarily be sniffed at. No doubt they had chances to earn a maximum on Sunday, but that has been an underlying recent issue for manager Unai Emery.

Sunderland simply not settling for 40 points, they fancy many more between now and the end of the campaign. Two successive wins for the Black Cats, getting the better of Tottenham after also edging past Newcastle in the recent Tyne-Wear derby. A dogged performance on Sunday, one that saw them rarely troubled by this struggling Spurs side.

The worst combination of weekend results, the mood worsened by Cristian Romero’s injury. Leaving the pitch in tears. Are they tears connected to Spurs’ woe or the thought of potentially missing the World Cup. That is left to interpretation. There is nothing left to interprete when it comes to just how far Tottenham are behind the eight ball right now.

Booed last month in Crystal Palace’s bore draw with AEK Lanarca in the Conference League, cheered after scoring winning double against Newcastle. Jean-Philippe Mateta back in the good books at Selhurst Park on Sunday. Football fans can be a fickle bunch can’t they.

Nothing fickle about Newcastle supporters’ frustration after suffering another league defeat. The Magpies currently sit 14th in the table, they have lost four of their last six. There are a lot of similarities between the end of Eddie Howe’s Bournemouth tenure and how things are currently playing out at St James’ Park. It feels like we have been here before.

The Chelsea board worrying about the club not earning qualification to the Champions League and the financial implosion that it could create. They may have to be concerned about qualifying for Europe at all. The Blues have now lost their last three and are closing to local rivals Brentford than they are Liverpool in the race for fifth.

Admittedly, they started brightly on Sunday but fizzled out as soon as Manchester City took the lead. Nico O’Reilly has certainly been the clutch player these past few weeks. City now playing with the handbreak off and when you look at goal difference, their margin of victory at Stamford Bridge could be hugely important. Keep Sunday afternoon free.

The first real crack in the Michael Carrick interim stint were on show on Monday night. Not the first loss in his tenure, but defeat to Leeds was the first real visible and audible displeasure from the Manchester United support. It was always going to come at some point, it may be a turning point when it comes to searching for a permanent manager.

As for Leeds, nothing lucky about their two goals at Old Trafford. Three points that gives them a huge step towards survival and with them playing Wolves this weekend, they could all but secure safety with a win at Elland Road. At the same time, there were very lucky to see their hosts go down to 10-men. We have seen a fair few hair pulls this season, that from Lisandro Martinez was not one of them. Poor decision….by a bald referee.

Gary Neville’s The Overlap has purchased Mark Goldbridge’s The United Stand. That may mean nothing if you do not watch football content on Youtube. If you do, the latter of two is now more than a million quid richer.

That bad for a bloke called Brent who lives in Nottingham. I guess if you cannot beat your rivals, just buy them. Mark Goldbridge has made not secret of his dislike of Gary Neville, amazing how money can change a viewpoint rather quickly.

Marie-Louise Eta has become the first woman appointed to manage a men's team in one of Europe's top five leagues after being named interim head coach of Bundesliga side Union Berlin.

A bold step by the German outfit but certainly progressive at the same time. If Women’s football has men’s coaches at the top levels, then it is strange why there has never been the reverse,

Strange maybe, but obvious as to why. Hopefully this breaks down walls. I’d be fascinated to see what someone like Sarina Wiegman could do in the men’s equivalent.

John Terry was spotted at Colchester United’s League Two game on Tuesday night. Rumours are that he is part of a £14m consortium to buy the club.

Would this be his first senior manager post or will he be just a silent investor if the deal goes through?

Lionel Messi’s employers will now have to hire a new manager after Javier Mascherano has stepped down from his role at Inter Miami. The club has been run as a playground for Messi and his mates, so expect someone with connections to the former Barcelona icon to soon take over.

There could be a further twist in the EFL Championship relegation battle as West Brom have been flagged with a PSR breach. It is only believed to be minor but it still may warrant a points deduction.

Whatever the penalty, the Baggies will be hoping it is delayed until the next season. Their relegation rivals will be hoping it is dished out before the final weekend.

Right, that’s the end of issue 89 as word continues to spread around the football world.

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Issue 90 drops Friday, I’ll be back with another round of insight, analysis and trends that matter. Any feedback or comments on this issue, contact me below:

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