Peter Neil Bell's Blog: Cherry Chimes, page 20

Daniels handed opportunity to prove fitness

When Simon Francis and Andrew Surman have been cut from the squad, there is a chance that Charlie Daniels will get to play Championship football for the Cherries, if he can prove his fitness says the Echo. It looks like the axe is falling on some of Eddie Howe's old favourites and the news that Surman hasn't even talked with new boss JT, but has been informed he won't be getting a new contract sounds pretty harsh for a player that has given so many years great service to AFCB.
One last crack at it for DanielsSimon Francis seems to have been better treated in being offered a back room staff role to ponder, but the club is not hanging about in cutting off players that are reaching the end of their playing years and who are out of contract. The news we all want to hear is who will be brought in? If Daniels is being kept, then the chance of another left back arriving is slim with Lloyd Kelly, Diego Rico and Adam Smith able to play there. Daniels would have been gutted to go through all his recovery treatment, in the last year, to be told he isn't wanted anymore, so I can see why he has been given a chance to prove himself.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!The squad was not a big one under Howe and it is getting smaller with Aké leaving and Ramsdale expected to go. Where are Bournemouth's new players? Is JT going to promote some of the U21s to the first team? It wouldn't surprise me if he is left in that situation with much of the money incoming not being respent on signings.

JT needs to keep hold of one or two from Howe's era and Steve Cook and Charlie Daniels are two of the most respected names, but how far he can go in this first window to move out payers he doesn't fancy? We will find out not just about the players but what JT thinks of them.

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Daniels looks like he has done enough to be involved next season. He might soon be wondering who he is playing next to though? At the moment we are only hearing about who JT doesn't want to hang on to, but things must turn soon to say who he does want.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!In other news, AFCB had their first day of training yesterday. We were all looking to see who wasn't in the photos, with AFCB saying some players are on different schedules. Aston Villa are also being rumoured to be hijacking Ramsdale transfer to Sheffield Utd.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Players and cash deal from Newcastle Utd likely to be favourable to AFCB

Players and cash deal from Newcastle Utd likely to be favourable to AFCB

The rumours are that Newcastle United are willing to offer Matt Ritchie and Dwight Gayle as well as some cash to meet the asking price for Callum Wilson. I see no way that Callum is going to be content playing Championship football, and with more players expected to leaving Dean Court in the next few weeks, numbers could be a problem for Jason Tindall if he can't get players in quickly.
Callum Wilson is on Newcastle Utd's target listSteve Bruce has played a clever card in offering players to try and get Bournemouth to release their England striker. It is a tough choice to say no with the promise of Dwight Gayle, who we know is a proven golascorer in the Championship. Matt Ritchie would also be a very favourbale return player for the Cherries, even if he probably doesn't quite have such a big impact on games as he used to.

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A lot may depend on what other offers are being made for Calum Wilson with the likes of West Ham and Spurs said to be interested. It looks like Bournemouth will be a much changed team at the start of next season, despite JT saying it is not a fire sale. That doesn't have to be a bad thing, if the right players come in. It could also be better for the dressing room, if the likes of King and Wilson move on rather than be disgruntled as we saw with Ryan Fraser.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!Whether Bournemouth would get enough games from Matt Ritchie is one thought that JT has to consider and would Gayle work best with Dominic Solanke, Sam Surridge or another striker? Things are going to freshen up, but JT will have to decide if he wants former Premier League players or more youthful players from lower down in the leagues. While the money will be coming in for Aké and Ramsdale, there is no sign that Bournemouth are in a rush to go spending.


Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!If Tindall does take the Newcastle offer, though, does it send a message to others in the dressing room that they should kick their heels in and ask for a transfer? Who would be a football manage? JT is getting examined in every respect in the transfer market, and he's hardly had his feet under the desk. I get the feeling that things are only going to get busier at AFCB as well.

Previous post in Cherry Chimes - Sheffield Utd's bid for Ramsdale accepted - so what are AFCB doing?

In other news, Simon Francis (324 appearances) and Andrew Surman (226 appearances) have left the club as their contracts have not been renewed.

Sheffield United's bid for Ramsdale accepted- so what are AFCB doing?

The Tabloid and Broad sheet papers are all quoting a fee of around 18.5m being agreed for the sale of Aaron Ramsdale to Sheffield United. It was only a few days a go that Jason Tindall said there wouldn't be a fire sale at Dean Court, but it hasn't taken long for the club to let one of their most impressive young players go, having just won player of the year at AFCB. So what are Bournemouth looking to do?
It looks like that's it for Ramsdale's AFCB career.It appears that the money is more important than the player's quality to help Bournemouth get promotion. Jason Tindall must believe that Mark Travers is a good enough keeper to be number one and I don't doubt that. It would perhaps have been unfair to expect Travers to wait another season or more, behind Ramsdale, and Travers probably would have asked for a loan move, or leave the club, if he wasn't to be number one at AFCB in 2020-21. The other option is that Asmir Begovic is still on Bournemouth's book having finished his Italian lan but I don't expect him to stay at AFCB.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!This way Ramsdale gets to stay in the Premier League, at his former club, where he has an affection, and Travers gets to be number one at AFCB. The only losers are perhaps AFCB fans who wanted to see Ramsdale continue in goal for the Cherries. If it means that the money will help Bournemouth keep one of their other stars like Lloyd Kelly or David Brooks, then there is some further sense behind it. But if we see a rush for the door as more, and more bids are accepted for players, then Bournemouth's coffers will look better, but on the pitch JT will have to gamble with many new signings.



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It was always going to be difficult to balance who stays and who Bournemouth need to left go. With the top two voted players from last season already on the exit bus, it is going to be important that AFCB make some good signings of their own on the next three or four weeks. All the talk is about those that could be leaving. It's not the message that AFCB heard the owner saying the club is looking to win promotion back to the Premier League.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!Previous post on Cherry Chimes – Does Francis warrant another year at AFCB?

Does Francis warrant another year at AFCB?

When I saw what relegation meant to Simon Francis I was even more gutted from him than almost anyone else at AFCB. He has been battling with injuries since he had that terrible cruciate ligament break a couple of seasons ago on Boxing Day and he knows very well that time is running out for him to play competitive games.


Simon Francis has the desire to keep going - will Tindall use his services?Jason has a hard decision to make on whether to keep Francis going for another season. If any of the senior players such as Surman, Francis or Daniels runs out in an AFCB shirt again, I think most of the fans will be very impressed that they want to continue. Francis is the captain though and to lose him now might be a mistake with such a tough campaign ahead. If Bournemouth were still in the Premier League, I don't think Francis would find it so easy to make a case. However, his experience would be helpful in the Championship, even if the number of games he could play might be limited.

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With Nathan Aké leaving the club, there is more room in central defence. Steve Cook and Lloyd Kelly would be hard for Francis to shift, but he could probably battle with Jack Simpson for a place behind Chris Mepham. It is not much for an experienced captain but we know how injuries can mount up and being fourth or fifth choice might be enough for Francis if he makes five or six appearances in a season.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!Tindall has similar decisions to make with Andrew Surman who has been a stalwart midfielder for Eddie Howe. Surman will also feel he is down the pecking order a little. That is not quite the same with Charlie Daniels who has been injured, but was the number on left back before his injury. Only time will tell if he is still the player he was before that Man City home game last season when he was last injured.

If Jason Tindall sees how much Francis and Surman want to keep playing for AFCB, I believe he ill give them contracts. If not to say thanks, then because he won't want to bring in three players just to replace them when he will probably already have to look for replacements for Aké, Callum Wilson and Josh King, if they go.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes -  Striker hunt for AFCB – a priority?


Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Striker hunt for AFCB a priority?

Does Francis warrant another year at AFCB

When I saw what relegation meant to Simon Francis I was even more gutted from him than almost anyone else at AFCB. He has been battling with injuries since he had that terrible cruciate ligament break a couple of seasons ago on Boxing Day and he knows very well that time is running out for him to play competitive games.


Simon Francis has the desire to keep going - will Tindall use his services?Jason has a hard decision to make on whether to keep Francis going for another season. If any of the senior players such as Surman, Francis or Daniels runs out in an AFCB shirt again, I think most of the fans will be very impressed that they want to continue. Francis is the captain though and to lose him now might be a mistake with such a tough campaign ahead. If Bournemouth were still in the Premier League, I don't think Francis would find it so easy to make a case. However, his experience would be helpful in the Championship, even if the number of games he could play might be limited.

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With Nathan Aké leaving the club, there is more room in central defence. Steve Cook and Lloyd Kelly would be hard for Francis to shift, but he could probably battle with Jack Simpson for a place behind Chris Mepham. It is not much for an experienced captain but we know how injuries can mount up and being fourth or fifth choice might be enough for Francis if he makes five or six appearances in a season.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!Tindall has similar decisions to make with Andrew Surman who has been a stalwart midfielder for Eddie Howe. Surman will also feel he is down the pecking order a little. That is not quite the same with Charlie Daniels who has been injured, but was the number on left back before his injury. Only time will tell if he is still the player he was before that Man City home game last season when he was last injured.

If Jason Tindall sees how much Francis and Surman want to keep playing for AFCB, I believe he ill give them contracts. If not to say thanks, then because he won't want to bring in three players just to replace them when he will probably already have to look for replacements for Aké, Callum Wilson and Josh King, if they go.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes -  Striker hunt for AFCB – a priority?


Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Striker hunt for AFCB a priority?

Striker hunt for AFCB - a priority?

With rumours about Callum Wilson and Josh King potentially leaving the club for the likes of Spurs and PSG respectively, it currently rests on Dominic Solanke and Sam Surridge to form a partnership and get some goals if Bournemouth's main strike pairing do leave.
Have we seen Callum Wilson and Josh King in an AFCB shirt for the last time?Bournemouth have not been linked with many strikers. The news that Aston Villa were interested in Callum Wilson did mention a possible swap with Scott Hogan. I am not sure if the Cherries have a big potential list of strikers, but I would hope that they do have some on a list that they are looking to go after. My worry is that they will leave it late in the day to try and bring in signings and by that time AFCB's squad could have been reduced by three or four more players.



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While we haven't seen much of the Sam Surridge/Dominic Solanke potential strike force, I think it could work reasonably well in the Championship. We know that Sam can score goals at the level and the probability of Solanke being the senior partner in the partnership might just give him the focus and drive he needs to continue his recent good form.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!Ideally, AFCB will need four or five strikers in the Championship with the amount of games they'll have. They picked a real class act with Yan Kermorgant last time they were there and that kind of powerful striker would be a good addition. Bournemouth may have to be a bit more adaptive to seeing some more headed goals than we have been used to in the Premier League, and I think the squad could do with a few more robust players anyway.
Hopefully, Surridge and Solanke get a chance to show their abilities but the search for one or to more strikers surely has to be a priority for Tindall.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Was Tindall the best choice for the Bournemouth job?

In other news, for Cherry Mark Molseley becomes the manager of Southend Utd

Was Tindall the best choice for the Bournemouth job?

I have been pondering whether Jason Tindall really was the best man for the Bournemouth job. I am sure the fans will get behind him and his some will certainly be expecting results and will keep him on his toes, if no one else does. But the fact that Tindall walked into the job with very little competition, from what we could see, does make his appointment seem like a quick fix in a moment of need.

Was Tindall really the only person for the job?Let's qualify a few things. JT has been assistant manager to Eddie Howe since 2008 and he must have had some ambition to be his own man in that period. I can't believe Eddie and him saw eye-to-eye on everything that has happened in the last decade, even if it has been tremendously successful for AFC Bournemouth and the management duo. At some point a number two has to step out and try and be a number one, and we really don't know how much of an influence JT is with the players and the way the team plays. Now we get to see if he was in Eddie's shadow and could have done a better job or not.Advertisement Coastal Garden Buildings

It is a calculated risk by AFCB. 'Better the devil you know' as they say compared to bringing in someone completely new. It may well have been more refreshing to bring in a new manager, but I think with the swift turn downs the club were getting from managers who were being linked with the post through the media, that it was decided to move on quickly with JT. Their decision may prove correct, or it may become a decision that we see was a life ring rather than a appointment to take the club forward.


Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!I have no beef with JT getting the job, I hope and pray he does well. But I am yet to be convinced that he was the right man for the job. I expect that view is shared by some. But JT has the position and it would be fantastic if he does well. I am not sue he will be able o attract the best young players, but if he can keep most of the squad together and the team gets off to a good start, it could be the January window when we get a clearer idea of whether JT was really the best person. That is when the club will clearly see how it is doing in the Championship and whether players want to come to work with JT. So the pressure is on for JT. He has to show he is the best pick between now and the end of the year.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!Previous post on Cherry Chimes - "No need for a fire sale at AFCB," says Tindall

In other news, Alex Dobre has been sold to Dijon FCO

"No need for a fire sale at AFCB," says Tindall

Jason Tindall has had his first major interview with SkySports and has stressed that it won't be a fire sale at AFC Bournemouth this summer, as the club isn't in the position where it needs to sell eight or nine players. It was brave words, but we don't know how much weight we can put behind them apart from the fact that Tindall says he wouldn't be the manager of the club was going to sell its best players.
Will players be old from underneath Jason Tindall? He says they won't.Whether AFCB will now be tested in that we will have to wait and see. If the valuations for top players are met though as we saw with Nathan Aké, there is little the club can do if the players are partial to playing in a different league. Tindall seems to think many of the players want to stay and the club and try and win promotion back to the Premier League. I can see that being an incentive for some of the older players who want to give it one more crack, but those players that have been targeted by other clubs are going to be looking at their pay packets and what a season in the Championship would mean for their lifestyles.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!True enough, Bournemouth is a lovely place to play football. But does the town and the players that have said they want to stay make it more compelling for others to stay, with Tindall now as the new manager? Do some of them feel that they owe the club nothing now that Eddie Howe has left? Jason Tindall has much work to do to convince several stars to stay, even though they are in long-term contracts.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!What we do need to see is some movement on new signings coming in. The squad has to be improved and I'm intrigued to see what level of signings Bournemouth will make. The first one will set the standard and show the level of the club's intention. Then we will see if Tindall is making a big attempt to get promoted, or whether this could be another difficult season ahead for the Cherries.

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Previous post o Cherry Chimes - Player of the year was never in doubt at AFCB

Player of the year was never in doubt at AFCB

I suspect that it was the easiest Player of the Year decision that Bournemouth have had in a few seasons in 2019-20. Aaron Ramsdale fully deserved his award, but some of the other missing names from the top five might reveal a little about what the fans think about those players' performances last season.
Aaron Ramsdale picks up AFCB's player of the year for 2019-20.It was good to see Nathan Aké in clear second on 32.02 per cent, behind Ramsdale's 46.83 per cent, but these two players really dominated the vote. That may seem strange to outsiders when Bournemouth let in 65 goals. But the tackles Akee made and the saves Ramsdale made were top class.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!I was pleasantly surprised to see Diego Rico in the top five, but it probably shows that the fans were much more willing to see him play than Eddie Howe was. It will be a challenge for Rico to see if he can be the number one left back next season. If Kelly stays at centre-back, Rico may start to have the legs on Charlie Daniels who may take time to get back to his best.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!The one name I thought would have picked up a few votes is Callum Wilson. While he didn't have a great season he was the highest goal scorer. The on loan Harry Wilson was probably one of the better loan signing the club has had in a while, but he didn't get a mention either. Dan Gosling was also a fan favourite at times but didn't hit top five, while Junior Stanislas needs more games to make an impact on the leader board.


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Now everything is reset for next season, and if I had to wager on player of the year for 2020-21 I'd probably go for Sam Surridge. Players that have got something to prove tend to do well. I believe Surridge wants to be the main man upfront, so it will be intriguing to see if Jason Tindall gives him even more of a go than Eddie Howe did now that the team is in the Championship.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth midfielder and striker in hot demand

This is for the fans for voting for me and sta@afcbournemouth

Bournemouth midfielder and striker in hot demand

Reading the news this morning you could believe that some one put a big for sale sign on the dressing room at Dean Court. Not only Premier League sides are lining up bids on some of Howe's former crop of players, but now Paris St Germain are looking to offer Josh King Champions League football.
Josh King has attention from Paris.The fact that these players failed to keep Bournemouth up isn't turning down the heat in terms of possible prices either. Josh King has a minimum price-tag of £25m on his head, says The Sun. That is nothing though compared to David Brooks, who Liverpool are chasing for a reported £35m according to The Daily Mail .

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!If Jason Tindall wanted a difficult first week, he certainly has it. Bournemouth may have little to show for their Premier League tenure, because most of their assets were on the pitch, but now the crunch comes. Does Maxim Demin, Neil Blake, Richard Hughes and Jason Tindall sanction the sale of the club's big earners a week before the season tickets are closed? Moreover, can they get together any signings of their own before that date to give some heart to fans that it won't be drab season in the Championship?



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While I don't expect too many fans would have much to say about Josh King moving on, there will be massive disappointment if the club can't keep hold of David Brooks. But with the likes of Liverpool chasing after the Welsh winger, I can't see how Bournemouth can prevent their young genius being snapped up, just like Liverpool have done to Southampton in the past.
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The point is, if these players are bring sold, can the money be reinvested just as well or better. That is the worrying part as we don't know what kind of budget JT is going to be allowed to spend. I fear it won't be what comes in and that is probably why Eddie Howe decided to call it a day.

It is a difficult situation to be in, but I just hope the best decisions for the long-term future of AFCB are made. If the players want to go then it is all about getting the best price for them.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - A big job for JT

In other news, Philip Billing's house was broken into and AFCb are upping the security of players' homes. Striker, Scott Hogan of Aston Villa has also been linked with AFCB.