Moore, Ünal, Rodríguez: Cherries’ Plan B lineage

Some clubs have dabbled with a Plan B in the squad, but Cherries persist with signing forward depth of a certain ilk.

Before Ünal, it was Kieffer Moore. Just as Ünal's departure had to wait for Rodríguez to arrive, Moore’s move away from Vitality Stadium in 2024 depended on getting his replacement through the door first.

This is a clear pattern that goes beyond managers. The possession-heavy style of Scott Parker required supplemental directness in the final stretch of the Championship season, with Moore becoming the ultimate super-sub.

The Welshman also had his moments in the Premier League under Parker, Gary O’Neil, and Andoni Iraola, even as the playstyle switched and evolved. Ünal's contributions in a Cherries shirt were limited to Iraola’s stint in charge, but still the Turk came off the bench to help change games.

There is a clear lineage of big men at AFC Bournemouth. It feels even more fitting when a towering striker runs off to celebrate his goal in front of the Steve Fletcher Stand, the biggest of Bournemouth’s battering rams.

The logic is simple. There is no quicker way to drastically change both sides’ approach to the game than by lumping a big man up top.

If a team is struggling to break down a low block - an extremely common occurrence - then bringing on another attacker, or replacing a striker with a more direct player, quickly asks questions of the defensive side.

Do you stick with your defensive structure and hope that you can stifle a powerful athlete with tired bodies? Or do you make reactive adjustments, increasing the risk of someone getting their assignment wrong in the confusion?

Not only does the attacking team gain an aerial presence who might directly head home the next goal, but more often than not a physical striker promotes more chaos in the area. A defence that had settled into a low block and a pattern of easily clearing crosses aimed at no clear target becomes panicked.

That’s not to say these types of strikers are one-dimensional, lacking anything beyond their height and physicality. Ünal had a mean free-kick on him, as evidenced by his strike against West Ham, and Moore was more than mobile enough to press sufficiently under Iraola.

So why do Cherries have to refresh this position every few years? It typically comes down to playing time - both its availability to players, and the availability of said players to receive it.

Beyond the injured start to his Cherries career, Moore rarely had any issues that kept him away from the matchday squad. Of course, the Welsh international would have been more than aware that talisman Dominic Solanke was the leading man when he arrived in January 2022, and gametime could potentially be scarce.

Despite the competition for the striker spot - Solanke missing just five league games during Moore’s stint at Dean Court - the Welshman still managed to make 27 appearances in his debut Premier League season, playing over 1,200 minutes.

However, under Iraola, Moore’s playing time was reduced to just 100 Premier League minutes, prompting his departure to Ipswich on loan in January. Already into his 30s, Moore was at a stage of his career where he simply wanted to play football.

He had completed a remarkable journey from non-league to the Premier League, and rather than finish his career on the bench, he opted to try his luck elsewhere.

Ünal's issue went the other way - his playing time restricted by injury. A broken toe at the end of the 2024/25 season completely curtailed his first pre-season as a Cherry, before a second cruciate ligament injury less than two years after his first at Getafe caused the Turkish international to miss 31 games across the last two campaigns.

There’s also the fact that a Plan B striker may fit another club’s Plan A much better. By returning to Getafe, Ünal's chances of starting increase thanks to the Spanish outfits’ direct - in an old-school way - approach to football.

It’s no surprise that Rodríguez has previously featured for Getafe, highlighting his target man credentials. That being said, not every towering centre-forward is built the same. Rodriguez’s frame is more gangly than it is stocky, but the Uruguayan youth international can clearly hold his own with back to goal and a defending jockeying for a header.

His biggest stand out quality is a deft first touch and poise inside the area. That fits perfectly - introducing Rodríguez into a tight game, creating chaos inside the box that the 24-year-old can calmly capitalise upon.

Marco Rose is already a fan, previously eyeing him up for a transfer to former club RB Leipzig.

Effectively swapping Rodríguez for Ünal helps Cherries on the financial front, in particular UEFA’s Squad Cost Ratio (SCR).

That is despite practically letting Ünal leave for free - with a reported £1.5million in clauses if certain conditions are met. Cherries have managed to remove a higher-earner off their books - a high-earner that never truly earnt his keep, mainly due to injuries.