Nice column here on Justin Kluivert and Bournemouth in Dutch Media Voetbal International:
Last season, under the leadership of Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth broke their record for points in the top tier. This year, the team has proven even more difficult to play against. We take a look at the development of Justin Kluivert (25) and the mechanics behind one of the most interesting teams in the world.
This season, Kluivert has shown his class in top matches against Arsenal, Manchester United, and Chelsea. In November, he made history by scoring three penalties against Wolverhampton Wanderers. Most recently, he added his second Premier League hat-trick against Newcastle United. Kluivert played a crucial role in the convincing 5-1 victory over West Bromwich Albion in the third round of the FA Cup. In all competitions, he has scored twelve goals and provided five assists. With six successful penalty kicks and a total of eleven league goals, he is currently the highest-scoring Dutch player in the Premier League.
It's clear that the 25-year-old striker, in his second season on the English south coast, is on an upward trajectory. After a wandering career through Europe, he has found the ideal environment to explore his potential as a footballer at AFC Bournemouth. His coach looks beyond just the penalties he scores or the goals he makes. While those are important and crucial, Andoni Iraola focuses on other aspects to further develop both the players and the team.
This was evident after Kluivert's hat-trick against Newcastle. Iraola congratulated him on his goals, but emphasized the work he did without the ball and the personal duels he won. These elements form the core of Bournemouth's football, intertwined in the DNA of both the team and their coach.
Focusing on Kluivert automatically means focusing on Bournemouth as a team. One cannot be seen separately from the other. The signature of the Basque Iraola is clearly evident in the team's play, having been appointed as the successor to the successful Gary O'Neil a year and a half ago. Initially, his arrival led to skepticism and criticism. The ideas of the new coach were not immediately understood.
Iraola had a clear plan: he wanted to turn Bournemouth into a pressing machine, just as he had previously done successfully with Rayo Vallecano. The goal was to win the ball on the opponent's half and play from there. In the meantime, Bournemouth has become increasingly better at this concept. So much so that you can undoubtedly state that, purely in terms of putting pressure on the opponent's half, there is no team in the Premier League - and thus in the world - that does it better than The Cherries.
Two out of three of Kluivert's recent goals against Newcastle came from ball recoveries on the opponent's half. If you zoom in on the Dutchman during a match, you can see how he and his teammates have developed an almost instinctive sense of the right moment to overwhelm the opponent. When an opponent begins to build up, the Bournemouth players know exactly how to make the trap snap shut. If they lose the ball themselves, they immediately switch to a mechanism that has become second nature: to quickly regain possession of the ball.
This makes Bournemouth a difficult opponent because their intensity constantly puts you under pressure. Whether it's Kluivert, Tyler Adams, Ryan Christie, or Antoine Semenyo - they are all ready to go. Together, they form an impressive swarm that works best like an orange juicer: once caught between Bournemouth legs, there is no escaping.
In October, Iraola explained the thought behind his playing style in an interview with Sky Sports. He has taught his players to embrace the chaos on the pitch. The high-pressure approach has become part of the identity of his team. Iraola admitted that his team performs less well in matches where little happens and a few chances are decisive. "Most of the matches we win are the matches where the game is more open, where more chances are created, where we can exploit one-on-one situations and find larger spaces. Attacking in smaller spaces is not our strength."
It's noticeable how fit and athletic Bournemouth looks. The club selects specifically for these qualities, while Iraola closely monitors the process that leads to the intensity the team shows during matches. In an interview with The Guardian last year, Iraola explained how important it is for players to fully embrace his vision, because otherwise, it won't work. "You only achieve this if you train in the same way and everyone is fully committed to it. Athletic ability is essential in this regard. We don't want matches to stall. I always say, ask for the ball, especially when you're tired. If you wait until you're rested before asking for the ball again or sprinting into space, everyone can do that. You're a Premier League footballer. When you're tired, that's the moment to push your opponent because they are tired too."
A good gauge of a coach's performance is often the number of players within a team who have developed individually. At Bournemouth, there are currently a striking number of such players. Ilya Zabarnyi (22) and Dean Huijsen (19) form a young central defensive duo, which many scouts are watching with great interest. Milos Kerkez, still only 21, is now on the radar of the English top clubs. Kepa Arrizabalaga, after a few turbulent years at Chelsea and a loan spell at Real Madrid, has quietly taken on the role of a reliable goalkeeper. Antoine Semenyo has grown into a mature and sought-after force in the Premier League. The midfield, with American Tyler Adams and Scot Ryan Christie, perfectly fits the intensive playing style that Iraola demands of his team. Together, they form the foundation of a team that is making progress both individually and collectively.
And then there's Justin Kluivert, officially Iraola's first signing as Bournemouth's coach. At the very beginning, it was especially remarkable that he was one of the few players who could say he had played and scored in all of Europe's top leagues. Kluivert previously played for AS Roma and on loan at RB Leipzig, OGC Nice, and Valencia before settling in southern England. He also carried the label of being the son of, which often formed part of the story about his career.
He has often been accused of leaving the Netherlands too young, and for a long time, the question hung over his head of what direction his development would take and whether he would fulfill his potential. In his second Premier League season, he shows that he is not only a regular player at an ambitious English top team but also that he effortlessly adapts to the high demands of both his coach and the competition.
His talent was never in doubt, but now he also shows the willingness to take that talent to a higher level. The result? He is knocking on the door of the Dutch national team. By fully immersing himself in Bournemouth's pressing football, Kluivert has become a modern attacking midfielder. A footballer who fits perfectly into the football of 2025.