Marching On Together

Wednesday 22nd April, 8:00pm | Dean Court


Leeds United arrive on the south coast on the back of arguably their finest week in the Premier League era. Back-to-back wins over Manchester United at Old Trafford, their first top-flight victory there since 1981, and a 3-0 dismantling of Wolves at Elland Road have transformed the mood around the club. Eight points now separate Leeds from the relegation zone with five games to play, and the FA Cup semi-final against Chelsea at Wembley on Sunday sits tantalisingly close. Against all of that momentum, Farke's side now face perhaps the sternest remaining test of the league campaign, away to the most in-form team in the division.

Bournemouth come into this fixture after a remarkable run that has taken them to 13 Premier League games without defeat, including back-to-back away wins against Arsenal and Newcastle United. Andoni Iraola's side sit eighth on 48 points, level with Brentford and Chelsea in the European places, and the prospect of a first-ever European qualification is very much alive. There is also a bittersweet edge to proceedings at the Vitality: Iraola has confirmed he will leave at the end of the campaign, with Marco Rose already announced as his successor. Far from a lame duck atmosphere, it feels more like a manager and his squad determined to send him off in the manner his work deserves.

On team news, Bournemouth will be without Justin Kluivert, who has been sidelined since January with a knee injury, though Lewis Cook and Julio Soler are edging back from thigh problems. Iraola is likely to name an unchanged side given the short turnaround from Saturday. For Leeds, Anton Stach remains out with the ankle injury he sustained in the FA Cup win over West Ham, but Joe Rodon has recovered and Daniel James has returned to team training. The bigger question is selection strategy. Farke hinted that subtle rotation is possible with Wembley in mind.





The head-to-head history favours Leeds considerably, but Premier League precedent tells a different story. Leeds have lost just two of their 15 league meetings with Bournemouth across all divisions, but one of those defeats came in their only previous top-flight away fixture at the Vitality. The reverse fixture at Elland Road this season ended 2-2, with Kroupi's late equaliser denying Leeds what would have felt like a deserved three points. Farke, to his credit, has never lost a Premier League game against Bournemouth in three previous Premier League meetings, winning one and drawing two. That record will be tested to its limit on Wednesday.

The tactical battle shapes up as a fascinating one. Dominic Calvert-Lewin has been in the form of his life this season, with 11 Premier League goals underlining just how important he has become to everything Leeds do going forward. His movement and ability to hold the line will be crucial against a Bournemouth defence that is well-drilled and hard to break down. Alongside him, Noah Okafor has been in sensational form since returning from injury, scoring five goals in his last five games, and if Farke trusts him to start here rather than preserving him for Wembley, that front two could cause Bournemouth real problems. In midfield, keeping Ao Tanaka disciplined and protecting the backline will be key, with Iraola's wide players expert at exploiting space in behind and building overloads out wide. Get that right and Leeds have the platform to be dangerous on the counter.

This is a game where a point would feel like a solid return, given the context of where Leeds were just a month ago and what lies ahead on Sunday. But this Leeds side has shown it no longer settles for acceptable. The Whites have lost just once in their last 12 away matches, a record that speaks to the defensive resilience Farke has built on the road. Bournemouth are deserved favourites and will be driven by their own desperate ambitions. But Leeds, organised, confident and with points already banked, are more than capable of spoiling the party.

Starting 11 will be interesting. Couple of changes in order methinks. Aaronson on yhe bench.
Must get a point. Start fast again, take it to them and play 90 plus minutes as needed.

Not sure a point makes much difference. Spurs will still need to win 3 games to overtake us. (4 after Burnley).
All out for a win ,with lots rested is the way to go. Ironically we don't want any injuries to key players in a league game, to preserve them for the Cup.

Perri
Joseph Rodon Bijol Borneo Guds
Tanaka Longstaff Gruev
Willy Nmecha

The Subhuman wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2026 6:39 am

My Lineup

Substitutes

Built with motforum.com lineup builder

Secret?

too quick hector....

Ebenezer Bijol & Co:

wilsdenwhite wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2026 7:49 am Ebenezer Bijol & Co:

Defence.png

Well Done DF

Say what you see!!!

Bournemouth are still priced around 1/1, with Leeds United out at roughly 12/5–13/5 and the draw near 12/5, but the shape of the game feels more poetic than numerical.

Bournemouth are the rock… solid, drilled, shaped by Andoni Iraola into something that usually stands firm in the mid table.

Leeds, under Daniel Farke, arrive as a rising tide, having beat manchester and Wolves… and now the wave is swelling with returning players, fresh energy feeding the surge.

And here’s the tension… a rock can resist a wave for a long time, but a rising tide doesn’t need to smash it in one moment, it just keeps coming, again and again, testing every weakness. If Bournemouth are intact, they probably hold, shaping the game into a controlled 2–1.

But if Leeds keep building, the water starts to find its way through. The most natural picture is still a restless 2–2 draw, the wave crashing but not quite breaking through.

Yet the high tide now leans toward Leeds 2–1, where the tide finally rises high enough to surge over the rock.

A few players did look tried and also we should protect Calvert- Lewin ready for the FA semi

Rodon - Justin
Gnonto - Aaronson
Longstaff - Okafor
Nmecha - Calvert - Lewin

This league game is far more important than the FA cup game, i dont care if it is at Wembley. I days pleasure at Wembley doesnt compare to a whole season of pleasure in the Premiership.
We need to secure our safety in this league.

GreennWhite wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2026 10:33 am This league game is far more important than the FA cup game, i dont care if it is at Wembley. I days pleasure at Wembley doesnt compare to a whole season of pleasure in the Premiership.
We need to secure our safety in this league.

Totally agree!!

GreennWhite wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2026 10:33 am This league game is far more important than the FA cup game, i dont care if it is at Wembley. I days pleasure at Wembley doesnt compare to a whole season of pleasure in the Premiership.
We need to secure our safety in this league.

Think we can leave that in the (un)capable hands of Spurs (or Wham or Forest) TBH.

For those still jittery about us getting relegated, get across to Betfair sportsbook where you can get 67/1.

GreennWhite wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2026 10:33 am This league game is far more important than the FA cup game, i dont care if it is at Wembley. I days pleasure at Wembley doesnt compare to a whole season of pleasure in the Premiership.
We need to secure our safety in this league.

Epicurus argued that the highest good is stable, lasting pleasure/happiness, not chasing endless momentary thrills, which can lead to more pain later.

GreennWhite wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2026 10:33 am This league game is far more important than the FA cup game, i dont care if it is at Wembley. I days pleasure at Wembley doesnt compare to a whole season of pleasure in the Premiership.
We need to secure our safety in this league.

We can do both.

If we get Chelsea on one of their off days they will have to put up a Statue for Farke.

Think how that will go down.

Andoni Iraola, Bournemouth's head coach, is leaving the club at the end of the 2025/26 season when his contract expires. It is not a sacking, the club and manager are parting ways amicably after failing to agree on a new deal.

Main Reason
Iraola decided it was the right moment to step away after three successful seasons. He has explained that he feels highly satisfied with what he has achieved at Bournemouth and does not want to "risk" that positive feeling by staying longer, as continuing might lead to fatigue or diminishing returns for him personally. He stressed that the decision was not driven by interest in another job (despite links to clubs like Athletic Bilbao, Newcastle, or others), and no other club was involved in his choice—it was simply about whether or not to extend his stay.

He told the players and club hierarchy in mid-April 2026, and Bournemouth have been negotiating with him for around 15 months (including a formal offer in December) but ultimately respected his wishes.

Context of His Tenure
Iraola joined in June 2023, replacing Gary O'Neil.
He has been very successful: Bournemouth achieved their best-ever Premier League points tallies (48 in 2023/24, then a record 56 in 2024/25), a joint-highest finish of 9th, and transformed the team into one of the more entertaining and stable sides in the league.
The club tried hard to keep him, offering improved terms and backing him in the transfer market, but he felt three years was the right cycle to end on a high.

Bournemouth are now close to appointing Marco Rose (formerly of RB Leipzig and Borussia Dortmund) as his replacement for the 2026/27 season.

In short, this is a mutual, respectful separation driven by Iraola's personal sense of timing rather than poor results or conflict. He has six games left to finish the season strongly, with the team still in with an outside chance of European qualification.

Madron wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2026 6:14 am Not sure a point makes much difference. Spurs will still need to win 3 games to overtake us. (4 after Burnley).
All out for a win ,with lots rested is the way to go. Ironically we don't want any injuries to key players in a league game, to preserve them for the Cup.

Perri
Joseph Rodon Bijol Borneo Guds
Tanaka Longstaff Gruev
Willy Nmecha

A point could be crucial. If Spurs were to win 2 and draw 2 then a point keeps us ahead of them. And also Forest and West Ham still below us so a point is a point more for them to have to gain. A point also keeps an unbeaten run going so sends us to Wemblet in good spirits.

Also a point against Bournemouth means that a point in another match and then suddenly 3 wins isn't enough for SPurs.

Draws have been crucial for us this season to keep the points total climbing.

We're closer to finishing above Fulham that we are getting relegated.....

Anyone thinking we can still go down has zero faith in Farke ... There are currently zero relegation indicators at ER, there were a few pre West ham but a win in our biggest game of the season so far has been another Man City moment. It took us to Old Trafford with confidence andthen we beat Wolves at a trot

Chelsea is our biggest game of the season ..

GreennWhite wrote: ↑Sun Apr 19, 2026 10:33 am This league game is far more important than the FA cup game, i dont care if it is at Wembley. I days pleasure at Wembley doesnt compare to a whole season of pleasure in the Premiership.
We need to secure our safety in this league.

Couldn’t agree more, and I’m going to Wembley