Life at the top could be slightly Italian for the Cherries

I'd like to think that not much will change for the players and the coaching that Eddie Howe gives the team. Already though Eddie is looking to pick up new ideas and has been mixing with Maurizio Sarri with Empoli in Italy, which can't hurt and he might even be watching some players while he is out there. Empoli take on the giants of Juventas, Inter Milan and Napoli every week in Seire A so there could be very good advice at hand to know how AFCB can get points against the likes of Man Utd, Arsenal and Chelsea. They were only promoted to Serie A last season having been runners up in Serie B, but play entertaining football. I can't help but believe that pooling knowledge from top European coaches is something that more managers should do and any advantage that AFCB can take into the new season is going to be worth millions if the team can stay up.

AFCB will be looking to raise standards higher in the Premier League.

The direction of the play is one thing and it may be that taking on better teams does have major consequences for AFCB. If there is one aspect of the game that stands out for me in the Premier League compared to the Championship it is the quality of strikes from free kicks and the amount of goals from corners. The set-piece is something that the Cherries are going to have to get better at defending against and some Italian methods in that respect may well be what Eddie Howe is currently looking at. Hopefully, we'll hear very soon about whether Artur Boruc is to be the first line of defence in the team for next season. 

Life in the Premier League is no longer a distant dream, it is real and it is here. The job just got much harder for everyone at AFCB. Being prepared is what is now the priority and as well as the addition of some new players (the latest rumours centre on Kieran Trippier of Burnley and Everton youngster Luke Garbutt), the team has to be comfortable in knowing what it faces in the next few months. When the players come back to train they need to be on it from the moment they start training and attention to details is going to be vitally important. I know that AFCB could not have more capable people than Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall to lead the team in this exercise and while the Premier League may have arrived sooner than many of us expected everyone has to adapt to it fast now.

As fans we can enjoy the ride and pause to take it all in. It must be like a whirlwind for those on the inside at the club. The season ticket sales and the fixtures are just the start of it. New shirts, new advertisers and media pressures are going to stretch everyone, but the club is already showing how it wants to remain helpful and friendly to fans that have questions and only want the best for the club. There are, for example, some great questions from fans about season tickets and answers from from the club up on the official AFC Bournemouth website.

I do expect to see an even more professional AFCB though. The expectations on everyone to raise their game is higher and with the world looking on I just know that they will all make us very proud in the Premier League. UTCIAD!