Bournemouth wrapped up their preseason with a hard-fought 1-0 win over Ligue 1 side Angers on Saturday, ensuring they head into their Premier League opener against Manchester United having not lost a game over the summer.
While very few clubs find any real positives in preseason outside of obvious fitness boosts and technical tune-ups, manager Eddie Howe said he was "delighted" with an unbeaten couple of months as it's helped to "breed confidence" heading into the new campaign. This self-belief will play a key role in where Bournemouth end up this season.
Confidence in football is vital to success and fortunately for Bournemouth their manager is arguably one of best in the country in terms of instilling that belief in his players. You can't help but believe Howe when he says his side have a "good chance" against Manchester United on Sunday.
Despite only having played each other twice in Premier League history, this is already a fixture that is associated with drama. Junior Stanislas scored directly from a corner in the same match last year (a game the Cherries went on to win 2-1) before the pair ended their domestic season against each other in May. The 3-1 scoreline in United's favour was irrelevant, but the initial bomb scare at Old Trafford ensured no one forgot the (rescheduled) day in a hurry.
Fast forward to this year's clash and both clubs have already scored plenty of goals, albeit in preseason. Bournemouth have scored 11 in six, while United's five against Galatasaray and two against champions Leicester City in the Community Shield suggest this matchup will be another high-scoring affair. The chief defender tasked with preventing goals from entering Bournemouth's net will be Steve Cook.
Cook, 25, is set to play an even more vital role this season after two of last year's defensive partners -- Tommy Elphick and Sylvain Distin -- departed over the summer. He made the most headed clearances of any Premier League player last year (188) and had the fifth-highest number of blocks (35). Due to United's direct attacking style with Zlatan Ibrahimovic now spearheading their attack, similar no-nonsense defending will likely be required on Sunday.
It remains to be seen if Howe will opt to bring in a new central defender to fit alongside Cook, but he needs to. As it stands, it looks like Tyrone Mings will partner him in the long term with new signing Brad Smith slotting in at left-back. This is a defence that is alarmingly thin in terms of top-flight experience.
The Cherries boss could be looking to see how this reconstructed back line fare in their opening three games before deciding on transfer targets, with Simon Francis likely to feature alongside Cook for now as Mings recovers from injury. Poor performances and he'll almost certainly dive in for a new player before the window's up. But if they cope, he may opt to promote youngster Baily Cargill instead. Only time will tell.
Bournemouth are in solid shape offensively and have more than enough firepower to secure survival in the division for a second-straight season. They're well-stocked in midfield and even more so upfront, and Jordon Ibe's two goals suggest he's already in tune with his new team too.
However, much like the back four, it's still a process of settling in and it will be a few games at least before Howe starts to work out his preferred system. Callum Wilson is likely to be first choice up top, but there will be healthy competition supplied by Benik Afobe, Joshua King and Lewis Grabban to ensure he doesn't have a moment's rest.
And it's this competition for places -- along with the Howe's self-confessed confidence -- which should be used as fuel to power the club to safety and beyond. They're without the momentum of winning the Championship this time around, so they need everything else they can get.
Despite six new additions, it's still likely that the 2016-17 season will be more of the same for the south coast side. Howe's philosophy entices free-flowing football and labeling new defender Smith as "the attacking full-back we like" only suggests that he sees offense as the best form of defence. There's little issue with this, but it's a dangerous style to insist on, especially against the likes of a revitalised Manchester United full of new attacking quality.
The Cherries will be hoping they don't get chewed up and spat back out in what is always a difficult second season, which starts with one of toughest fixtures possible. They conceded five goals in a single game twice last year, so they have firsthand experience of the Premier League's unforgiving nature.
The result of Sunday's game will come as a useful indicator as to how far the club have progressed over the summer. On paper, they look in decent shape.