Even now, with Burnley five points from safety and rated [1.12] to go down, they are likely to have few regrets about giving the guys who earned them promotion the chance to spearhead the Premier League survival mission.
Eight players have started 28 or more of their 34 top-flight fixtures and seven of those were key to securing second place in the Championship last season: Tom Heaton, Ben Mee, Jason Shackell, Kieran Trippier, Dave Jones, Scott Arfield and Danny Ings.
None of them have disgraced themselves at English football’s highest level – indeed nobody associated with the Clarets has done so – and several have significantly enhanced their reputations, most notably Trippier and Ings, who is being linked with Manchester United and Liverpool.
Since matchday 11, they have been competitive, collecting 22 points from 24 games and never being beaten by more than two goals. Burnley remain the sole side to have taken points away to both Chelsea and Man City, beating the champions at home.
Even if their recent scoring problems result in relegation, they will surely conclude that it was better financially and for continuity to retain their spine than to invest heavily in a load of players who may not only have flopped but sabotaged team spirit in doing so, forcing another reboot this summer.
The Burnley approach should be more successful still for Bournemouth who, barring an absurd combination of results, are assured of a spot in the 2015/16 Premier League following Monday night’s 3-0 victory over Bolton, given how impressively their squad have performed this season.
Where Sean Dyche had Danny Ings and Sam Vokes, Eddie Howe boasts four scorers who have contributed 13 or more Championship goals in Callum Wilson (20), Yann Kermorgant (15), Brett Pitman (13) and winger Matt Ritchie (13).
There is plenty of quality in midfield, forcing former Premier League top-half operator Dan Gosling to sit on the bench, with Harry Arter perhaps the pick of the bunch, and the second tier’s most prolific attack is protected by its second-stingiest defence, which has delivered 18 clean sheets.
The other reason to have faith in the Cherries is that they and heroic coach Eddie Howe have more experience than any other club at adapting to new surroundings and striking the right balance between strengthening and sustaining, as this will be their third promotion in six years.
Bournemouth finished in the top six of League One following their arrival from League Two and tenth in their first Championship campaign, so they should be confident of acclimating again.
There is of course one more encouraging Burnley and Bournemouth tie-in: Howe has managed both. Four of the aforementioned seven men to step up for Burnley this term (Mee, Shackell, Trippier and Ings) were signed by Howe, who clearly has a skill for finding ever-evolving promotion-proof players.
***
Our traders have priced up a host of Bournemouth Premier League Specials after promotion was (all but) secured. They make Eddie Howe’s men an 8/13 chance to stay up and 8/1 for a top 10 finish!
