On January 5th 2026, I published an article titled ‘Grading every single AFC Bournemouth player at the halfway stage of the season‘, which you can read by pressing on the link if you haven’t already.

Incredibly, after that article was posted, AFC Bournemouth did not lose a league game, with the last-gasp 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur the next match after publication.

What does this mean for my gradings that I posted at the time? Let’s have a look, as I show my original grading for each player, followed by my new one, and the rationale behind it. Again, every player is not held to the same standard, they are relevant to each player.

GOALKEEPERS

Djordje Petrovic: B+

Halfway Grading: C-

A remarkable improvement from Djordje Petrovic, who, when the article was posted, was in the midst of our 11 game winless run, and was very much struggling at the time. He was statistically the second worst ‘keeper in the league in terms of shot stopping, and was not installing confidence into the fanbase. But after the signings of Fraser Forster and Christos Mandas, as well as having a settled defence in front of him, Petrovic excelled, making numerous massive saves, commanding his area well and now holding the most clean sheets for AFCB in the PL, with 11. Virtually no mistakes in the unbeaten run, too, something that he was a major part of, and watching his improvement was a true delight. If his grade was only for the second half of the season (and the first month), it would easily be an A. Looking forward to seeing how he gets on next season.

Christos Mandas + Fraser Forster: N/A

No official grade for these two, but as mentioned above, Petrovic’s improvement was clear after they were signed, and their importance was clearly felt by the club, with Forster offered a new contract, and moves reportedly being made to sign Mandas.

DEFENDERS

Marcos Senesi: A

Halfway Grading: B+

I gave Senesi a B+ despite our struggles, as even though we weren’t winning, it wasn’t down to him. As we started to win, Senesi got even better. He developed a formidable partnership with James Hill, who complemented him beautifully. Senesi was the perfect defender for Andoni Iraola’s style of football, sometimes pressing his way into the opposition’s half, and his work on the ball was a joy to watch, even racking up an impressive five assists from centre back. Senesi was voted Players’ Player of the Season, an extremely prestigious award, and, despite not being called-up originally, was deservedly included in Argentina’s World Cup Squad. He will leave very large shoes to fill to whoever replaces him, but will always get a warm reception when he returns to Dean Court.

Bafode Diakite: E

Halfway Grading: C-

Diakite only played around 15 minutes after this article was published, but relative to what we expected from Diakite, arriving for £34M, it was a very disappointing season. You can read my full thoughts on Diakite here, but in the ‘halfway stage’ article I said we needed more from him, and although he didn’t have the chance to do that, he never exactly warranted the opportunity, such were his levels of performance compared to James Hill. There is more than enough time to turn his AFCB career around, and he will hope new manager Marco Rose gives him the chance he needs.

Adrien Truffert: A

Halfway Grading: B

At the time of the original grading, like most (as pointed out in the article), Truffert’s levels had decreased compared to the very high levels of performance early on in the campaign. In the latter stages of the season, when we needed him most, I would argue the Frenchman became the league’s premier left-back. He scored a vital late winner at Newcastle, produced one of the all-time AFCB full-back displays away at Fulham, and produced huge assists against Everton and Manchester City (and one at Nottingham Forest on the last day for good measure). At £14M, Truffert was one of the signings of the season in the Premier League, starting every single game, and I personally believed he was unlucky to miss out on the France squad for the World Cup. If he keeps these levels up, I don’t see why a call-up won’t be coming his way.

Adam Smith: B+

Halfway Grading: B-

Obviously this is a grading for the whole season – if it was just for the last few weeks, Smith would get an A*. The circumstances in which Smith was brought back into the team, having hardly played for months, couldn’t have been much more difficult, but he epitomised exactly why he will always be remembered as an AFC Bournemouth legend. Even in that Fulham game, truly thrown in at the deep end when 24 hours before he probably thought he wouldn’t even come on, he picked up a match-winning assist, before shutting down the league’s most in-form winger, Jeremy Doku, the game after. That alone bumps up his rating, and having Smith captain us into Europe was brilliant to watch. I can’t wait to see him lead us out in European competition.

Veljko Milosavjlevic: C+

Halfway Grading: B

Milosavjlevic spent most of the second half of the campaign injured, only coming on in stoppage time against Brighton, so there isn’t a lot to say here other than that he did look reliable when called upon, but there was also very little expectation for the Serb, and I’m sure it was a year where he learnt a lot. With European football on the horizon, I would expect more opportunities for him next campaign, should he stay injury free.

James Hill: A*

Halfway Grading: B

James Hill probably could not have dreamt of such a brilliant second half to the season. When the original article was posted, he had just broken into the team, replacing Diakite – I would be lying if I said I expected him to stay there (although I was delighted he finally got the chance). As we now know, that change was the catalyst for our momentous unbeaten run, which he was at the heart of. As well as being good on the ball, he brought us the stability at the back we desperately needed, adding a calmness, strength and general defensive astuteness to shore up the side. Hill is a true credit to himself, staying patient for so long whilst never getting a proper run in the side, and then grabbing it with both hands (and some) when it finally arose. There is no AFC Bournemouth fan who did not fall in love with Hill’s defensive ability and passion in the second half of the season.

Julio Soler – E

Halfway Grading: C

Maybe a bit harsh, but I genuinely thought we would see more from Soler this season. 30 minutes of league football across three substitute appearances – a season wrecked by injuries and the performances of Adrien Truffert. Did not play a minute after the ‘halfway’ article. Again, will be needed next season if we are to successfully balance league and European football.

MIDFIELDERS

Tyler Adams: B+

Halfway Grading: A

A quiet second half of the season for Adams, mainly due to injury, and he found it hard to cement his place in the side, such was the performance of dynamic duo Alex Scott and Ryan Christie upon his return from an MCL injury. But, in perhaps our most important win of the season, he did come on just before half time against Fulham when down to 10 men and delivered a midfield masterclass. A player who always speaks well, plays with great passion and seems to have a lot of love for the club – I hope he has a good World Cup and stays injury-free next campaign.

Alex Scott: A*

Halfway Grading: A-

Scott was having a great season when the original article was posted, but hit even greater heights in the second half of the campaign. My personal pick for Player of the Season (and the fan’s), Scott controlled the midfield week-on-week, whether in the ‘6’ or the ‘8’, never shying away from any battle and constantly dictating the game, which given our unbeaten run, was a very good attribute. It’s a travesty for me that he did not find himself in the 26 man England World Cup squad, although there was some small solace in the fact he headed out to America for the pre-tournament training camp. Scott’s winner against Arsenal was one of the highlights of the season, and I dearly hope we can keep hold of him for a little while longer.

Marcus Tavernier: A-

Halfway Grading: C+

Perhaps slightly under the radar, but what a phenomenal turn-around in the fortunes of Marcus Tavernier in the second half of the season. Maybe forgotten about now (and certainly forgiven), Tavernier’s AFCB career felt like it was at an all time low in December after an incident with the fans during our 1-0 loss to Everton, but his performances afterwards meant his apologies were being done on the pitch. Tav ended up with an impressive seven goals and four assists, featuring in 34 matches across multiple positions, with his work off the ball, as well as on it, absolutely imperative for the team. Underrated.

Lewis Cook: C

Halfway Grading: C+

A frustrating season for Cook, who due to injuries and the form of those around him, never really got going. Only 8/18 appearances came as a starter, but no doubt his quality is still there, and as much as I might sound like a broken record – he will be needed next season as we balance playing in Europe for the first time.

Ryan Christie: B

Halfway Grading: C

Christie won the fan’s POTS last campaign, so expectations were high going into this one. He never managed to get going in the first half of the season due to injury and the performance of Alex Scott, but injury to Tyler Adams allowed Christie to partner Scott in midfield, and he was able to show his worth to the team with a number of great performances alongside the Englishman. His red card at Fulham was a poor challenge and could have been costly, but overall his second half of the season was a lot more positive than his first.

Alex Toth: C+

Halfway Grading: N/A

Toth was a much needed January addition, with plentiful injuries in the squad. He only managed nine appearances, two of which were starts (one on the final day), and 137 minutes in total, but looks a tidy, hard-working player who, again, will have an extended role to play next season.

FORWARDS

Evanilson: B-

Halfway Grading: C

Okay, the goals did not flow for our club-record signing. Only six in the league and one assist (or so the official stats claim, but I remember two vital assists, one against Arsenal and one against Newcastle), but this grade reflects his importance to the side. You still would like more goals, hence not having a higher grade, but you only have to watch AFCB without the Brazilian to realise how vital he is to the way we play. Led the line brilliantly on many occasions and it wasn’t like he missed a hatful of sitters (although there were chances you’d expect a £40M man to score). Hopefully the goals flow next season to match his performances.

Junior Kroupi: A*

Halfway Grading: A

Fans were excited at the prospect of Junior Kroupi coming into the campaign, but I don’t think many would have expected the 19 year old to become the highest scoring teenager of all time in their debut Premier League season. The Frenchman ended up with 13 goals, a number of which were outstanding finishes, and hardly missed an opportunity. His most impressive display came against Manchester City, where he showed his all-round ability in the ’10’. He doesn’t quite seem ready to lead a line on his own in the PL, but the club will hope he has another year down South Coast to continue his rapid development. One of the best finishers I have ever seen in red & black.

Justin Kluivert: D

Halfway Grading: C-

Kluivert unfortunately did not live up to the highs of last season, only managing two goals and zero assists in 20 appearances, although he did miss the majority of the second half of the campaign due to injury. Having been told he might miss out on the World Cup as a result, it was great to see him work his way back and get himself on the plane for the Netherlands. Hopefully next year is an improvement.

David Brooks: D+

Halfway Grading: C+

A disappointing second half of the campaign for Brooks, who couldn’t force a run in the team and arguably didn’t make the most of opportunities when he did. A number of missed chances in front of goal over the course of the season in big moments could have cost the side more than it did, but Brooks remains a good squad player to have around, and it will be fantastic to see him make his European debut for the club after everything he has been through.

Amine Adli: D+

Halfway Grading: D+

A couple of massive goals against Liverpool and Everton could arguably slightly bump up Aldi’s rating, and he did improve marginally in the second half of the season compared to the first, but there was still a lot to be desired when it came to the Moroccan. He ended up with 31 appearances, but only 10 were starts, and you would like more output from a £25M man than three goals and one assist. Wish he would be more positive on the ball rather than taking the safe option the majority of the time.

Enes Unal: D

Halfway Grading: C

No goals in the second half of the season for Unal, admittedly in limited minutes, but he doesn’t feel like the striker for the style of football AFCB want to play. Looks set for a move away in the summer, and hopefully he goes somewhere he can get regular minutes (and stay fit) after a torrid time with injuries in the last few years of his career.

Ben Gannon-Doak: D+

Halfway Grading: C-

Disclaimer here as I actually really like BGD and his very direct style of football, but injuries savaged his season, limiting him to no league starts and just 105 minutes across eight substitute appearances. For the price we paid, the club require more output than that, hence his rating, but I truly hope he can stay injury free next season – if he does, he will have a big part to play in our fortunes.

Rayan: A*

Halfway Grading: N/A (replacing Semenyo who was A+)

Could you have asked for anymore from Rayan, who when the halfway article written, it seemed like finding an Antoine Semenyo replacement might be an impossible task? His £24M price already looks an absolute bargain, managing an impressive five goals (some of which were absolutely huge) and two assists in 15 appearances. The rating might seem a bit high, but I couldn’t possibly have expected a 19 year old moving to a new country halfway through a season to transition so smoothly. An incredibly exciting prospect who has reportedly stated he does not wish to move away this summer, which is great news for the club. Beats his man incredibly easily and I love that he is not scared to shoot from anywhere. Can’t wait to watch him grow even more next campaign.

Ratings will always be subjective but hopefully people agree fairly closely with my opinions – if not, that subjectivity is the beauty of football! Let’s hope I can bump some of these ratings up by the end of next campaign, and keep it around the same for those who earned top marks…