Bournemouth’s stint in the Premier League since the 2015/16 season has been an unbroken one and with three full seasons in the top flight behind them without being relegated, they look all but set to extend that run to four in the next few weeks.
Ultimately that means that Eddie Howe has reached the objective of keeping the club in the Premier League and for that he will have to be commended. However, due to the fact that they are caught up in the malaise of mid-table, it does lend itself to a very pertinent question.
That being just what actually Bournemouth can do to kick on to the next level, because on the surface it does seem as if they are prepared to just settle for being a part of a very elite club and not really planning to break the glass ceiling that they find themselves under.
Their first season in the Premier League saw them finish 16th, which has to be marked down as a serious achievement and of course one cannot forget that the following campaign they went onto surpass that by finishing in 9th.
Last season saw a small regression as the Cherries finished 12th and they look set to finish just outside the top half of the table once again this time around, something that suggests that they perhaps over achieved in 2017.
Then again perhaps we are being a bit too harsh on Bournemouth, especially as they have been such a positive influence on the division since their arrival to proceedings and maybe its more about the club’s mentality at this point of the campaign.
Bournemouth once again seem like they are only playing a Premier League season for 28 games rather than 38 and with safety all but assured, their performances have then dropped off considerably.
Something that is magnified when you look at their recent form, with just one win from their last six league outings, it is clear to see that the brakes that have been applied and this will be good news for any upcoming opponents.
In fairness though you will not get a lot of Bournemouth fans bemoaning the fact that performances have taken a turn as of late, especially when the ultimate prize of keeping their Premier League status for another nine months has all but mathematically earned.
What will be their gripe though, is the fact that Bournemouth cannot seem to mount a real cup run and in turn bring a real feelgood factor to the likes of the Vitality Stadium, you only have to look at the likes of Watford or Wolves for proof of this.
They’ve given the F.A. Cup a proper crack and because of that they’ve been rewarded with at least one trip to Wembley, while due to their Semi-final pairing, it means that one of them will also be in the Final.
Something that is not outside the realm of possible achievement for Bournemouth and their talented squad of players. If a bit more ambition is shown in this particular department, then who knows where it might lead the club in the next couple of years.