AFC BOURNEMOUTH: How will they line up against Aston Villa?

By Tales From The South End - July, 6th 2015

With the new Premier League season fast approaching Eddie Howe is putting the final touches to his squad for 2015/16. There may still be a few more additions to strengthen the squad but who will make the first XI in the first game of the new Premier League season?

Will Eddie How stick to his word and give the team that got the Cherries promoted their chance?  Will he be willing to shuffle his squad and give the new boys a chance?

Eddie Howe is a man who is not afraid to shuffle his squad, but he is also a man who will stick with a first 11 that work as he wants. For the first game of the season we think he will not want to disrupt the Championship –winning side too much. He will not want to break the on-pitch relationships that worked so well last season ie Cook/Elphick, Francis/Ritchie, Surman/Arter.

We think he will err on the side of caution and make one/two or maybe three changes, but little beyond. This will change throughout the season as the new players become more familiar with the setup. By the end of the season we think the line-up against Man Utd at Old Trafford could be a very different one.

Here’s how we see the Cherries lining up against Aston Villa on Saturday 8^th August 2015. What do you think?