Peter Neil Bell's Blog: Cherry Chimes, page 35

What chance of an early Premier League resumption?

I have no doubt that the authorities will do all they can to try and get the Premier League season completed. But I just hope they don't make a fiasco of it by playing behind closed doors and ramming it into five weeks. That is the preferred plan though by the sounds of the outcome of the recent Premier League meeting, which has pencilled in a hopeful start date of 8 June 2020 as a best case scenario, as reported by SkySports.

When will we see something like this again?The game won't be the same no matter how the league continues. If games do resume in June it will be an intense period with the fate of AFCB among other clubs hanging by a thread. But I feel that clubs like Bournemouth will be at a disadvantage of we have to play behind closed doors. The Bournemouth fans do give the team an extra man and the players respond to their presence and singing. But a resumption of some kind has to be better than halting the season now and taking the league positions as final and seeing AFCB relegated on goal difference without kicking another ball.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!The Premier League will meet again on 1 May to reassess the situation of COVID-19, but the date of 30 June is the one that looms large with players contracts ending. It's a deadline that isn't going to shift, and if things aren't settled by the end of June I can only see the season being abandoned if players remove their service with their contracts coming to an end.
Advertisement Coastal Garden BuildingsThe solutions will be worked out by much more clever individuals than me, but being fair is going to be very difficult. The pressure will only mount as we get into the summer months and every week when the government extends the lockdown, there is more doubt on whether the season will be completed at all.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Is Boruc a top keeper trainer in waiting?

Is Boruc a top keeper trainer in waiting?

This season Artur Boruc hasn't had that much first team action, although he has kept the bench warm when required for Aaron Ramsdale. Looking back at the match against Fulham that AFCB put on YouTube on Thursday reminded me of how important Artur was in getting Bournemouth promoted to the top league. He has gained all the experience and knowledge to keep him at the top of the game for a long time, and he might just have been one of Eddie Howe's best buys over the years, when it comes to value for money.
The big Pole has been great to have around Dean Court - long may it continue.That contract with AFCB might only be getting renewed one season at a time, but how good would it be for Boruc to stay at the club as long as he wanted and sign up for a keeper trainer job with the Cherries? I think that Bournemouth has enough keeper cover now for match days, but Boruc would be a great addition to any club's keeper schooling team and if he stayed at Bournemouth I'd be pretty chuffed, especially if it meant Boruc would spend more years with AFCB than he did with Southampton.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!It is not that often that we love players that sign from that lot down the road, but there are a couple with Andrew Surman and Artur Boruc that are in the current squad that couldn't have done more for AFCB. Both though seem a bit of the unsung hero type to me. Boruc never says very much and has said that he is not one to put his arm up first when it comes to interviews, but the fans still live him and he is one of those who let's his actions speak for themselves.
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If Boruc does get an extended contract at AFCB I'll be over the moon for him as he deserves a lot of thanks from AFCB for what he has done in the last five years and more. He always has a cheeky smile when knocking the ball around with the other keepers and clearly loves his work, I only hope he knows how much the fans still love having a big Pole in our goal, when he gets the chance.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - There's no release of pressure for Eddie Howe

There's no release of pressure for Eddie Howe

I listened in to the SkySports interview led by Graeme Souness with Eddie Howe the other day and it was clear that Eddie was still feeling a lot of pressure, despite there being no games at the moment. The perilous situation in which the club has been left in with nine games to go must weight heavily on him, even if he says he only looks forward.
The pressure continues for Eddie Howe.In a way Eddie has to plan for not only the games to come but also the questions regarding the players and possible transfers. But he doesn't even know what league Bournemouth will be in, and it must be a real quandary as to what he can do at this point in time to make sure he gets the best outcome.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!I had wondered earlier in the year if the pressure might get to Eddie Howe and that he might have resigned his position. But he battled on and is perhaps now in an even more difficult position when he was then. His hands are effectively tied and the season is in indefinite limbo, and yet there are more and more problems with the club to deal with financially every day that this pandemic goes on.


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When we look back on this period it is going to be fascinating to hear what Eddie Howe says about it, and how he felt about not being able to do what he would have liked with his players and preparation for the restart if it happens. The only comfort he has is that there are other managers on the same or worse points total who have also not been in this situation before.

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It is hard to see how anyone can make sure they come out on top, but the pressure of that is certainly clearly seen in Eddie Howe and I hope he finds a way to relieve the stress in the uncertain times.

In other news, it was great to see happier times with AFCB's 1-5 re-run of their win at Fulham in their Championship winning season on YouTube last night.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - It's been a tough season for Chris Mepham

It's been a tough season for Chris Mepham

I have a lot of time for Chris Mepham. He has been the quiet man at the back who has filled in at times of crisis. He has surprisingly only made 11 appearances this season, mainly because of injuries, but scoring on the first day of the season has probably been his highlight in 2019-20.


Chris Mepham will hope for a bigger season in 2020-21While Chris has only been present for one of the clean sheets for the Cherries this season, I think he is one of the defenders who actually likes to be making blocks and being in the thick of the action. Where I think he has been exposed is against pace. We really saw that against Leicester City, when he took on Jamie Vardy, but there is no shame in losing out to him in a flat race.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!What Mepham has to improve is his starting position and thinking two steps ahead of some of the strikers he is facing. That comes with experience and if you are only getting about a dozen games a season, it must be hard to pick that up just from training sessions. I mean in the Premier League you have some of the world's best strikers lining up against you.
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What I do like about Mepham is his relaxed style and long leg stride. He purrs over the ground and I am sure it is what drew him to AFCB's attention. If Nathan Aké is snapped up in the coming months, we will really come to see the value of Chris Mepham and I get the feeling he is a much better player than some of us appreciate at the moment.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Nathan Aké has to push himself further

Nathan Aké has to push himself further

Nathan Aké is in a great position. He is at a club that is able to give him regular starts in the Premier League and has a good platform to show his talents. While bigger clubs are said to be interested in him, what is Nathan's best option going forward?
Nathan Aké has had some good times at AFCB, but will he be around Dean Court in 2020-21?I am not sure Nathan has had his best season at AFCB. He is always an important defender and has had 23 appearance in 2019-20 and has scored a couple of goals. But how good has he been? The clean sheets for Bournemouth have not been good at just four, and the central defenders have to take a share of the blame for that. I also wonder how often Aké has been named man of the match? It's probably not as often as the previous season.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!The goals for Nathan are always very important for Bournemouth and as a defender he puts himself in harms way to block what he can. But he wants to be a regular started in Holland's team and for that to happen he has to get closer to the standards of Virgil van Dijk, which is some target. Aké has to try and get himself out of the shadow of one of the greatest defenders we have known.
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Whether Nathan decides to leave and join a bigger team or not is going to become more critical for Bournemouth's number 5. He may feel he has time to wait but the lure of a bigger salary and Champions League games will entice him at some point. I still believe Nathan is not at a level where he can get himself that ticket yet, but another good season could see him get to where he wants to be.


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In other news, AFCB reverse their furlough decision and will not be using the government scheme having listened to the fans and widespread criticism of clubs taking the decisions to furlough.
Previous Post on Cherry Chimes - Callum Wilson needs Bournemouth to stay up more than most

Callum Wilson more than most needs AFCB to stay up

Callum Wilson has been speaking out on SkySports about his desire to play a part in the Euros that have now been postponed to next summer. While there are several strikers that have moved ahead of him now in the pecking order, he still feels he could make the squad as long as he stays focussed and finds form, but he'll also need to still be a Premier League player.
Is Callum good enough to make the Euro's next year?Callum will want Bournemouth to retain its Premier League status for him to have a shot at the Euros. While he could move club he seems settled at Bournemouth, and hasn't been looking for a transfer even if the press have. But how many players that fall into the Championship get a look in for the England squad? It is rare even with the numbers of England players in the Premier League so small.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!So Wilson really needs to not only hit form he has to make sure his goals help Bournemouth stay up if this season is played out? It is going to need a super striker effort but Wilson has never ducked a challenge and his attitude is on of the key parts of Eddie Howe's side that has managed to overcome the underdog tag in so many games.

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Wilson doesn't see any barrier to what he can achieve. Why should he? He has risen up the leagues and has fought his way into the England squad. He has done it through hard work and ability and if he has reached that level he can get back there. The competition is going to be fierce, but if Wilson starts in the Premier League next season, and has a desire to be among the top scorers in England, it wouldn't surprise me to see him do it and take his place back in the England squad for the Euros.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - How big a hero has Andrew Surman been to AFCB?

How big a hero has Andrew Surman been to AFCB?

This summer Andrew Surman's contract comes up for renewal. I am not sure if he will get another contract, but I hope he does. He has been nothing but a true servant of the club and a real gent when ever he appears in front of the camera.

Andrew Surman with Eddie Howe.Surman might be just as highly respected at Norwich City where he also played in the Premier League, but his presence in the Bournemouth team really gave them them the experience they needed to help lead them out of the Championship and the  solidity to survive in the top league i those first couple of seasons.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!He does have a nickname of 'Sideways Surman' but his passing game has always been to keep things ticking over and moving. While he was never a big risk take he has been good for Bournemouth in keeping them concentrating on the job at hand and moving into space. It is a simple game when it is played well and Surman always managed to look like what he has done on the pitch was second nature to him.

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His influence might have started to fall away a bit with recent signings, but Bournemouth don't have a more experienced head than Surman in the middle of the pitch and his time at the Cherries has been well spent in my mind. I hope he does get the tributes he deserves when he does call it a day as he is another player that Bournemouth haven't found easy to replace.
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Previous Post on Cherry Chimes - Has Chris Wilder shown Eddie Howe and others a better way to manage?

Has Chris Wilder shown Eddie Howe and others a better way to manage?

I think we have to be careful when judging manages of one club against another. For a start they don't have the same players and probably play in different ways, but results are of course the bread and butter of the game, and you'd have to say things have gone rather better for ChrisWilder than most English team manager's this season, including our own Eddie Howe.
Eddie Howe has been well behind the results of Chris Wilder this season.Does this mean that Eddie Howe should take a leaf out of Chris Wilder's book? Some would say yes, a stronger back line and an ethos of not to concede would surely do wonders for Bournemouth's game. But in trying to do that, it can take away the best part of Bournemouth's offensive game, and in some ways I think that is partly what has happened this season. There has been bad luck and injuries but Bournemouth's defence has worked hard to try and be more effective.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!So what has Sheffield United got over teams like Bournemouth? I think they haven't been scared to play their game as they know it. They haven't been overly worried about how other teams might play and set up, but have stuck to their own game plan and looked to repel teams first and then build their game as the minutes go by.


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The Blades might not have top strikers or midfielders, but as a unit they are extremely effective. They play for one another and being a team is half the battle. How much team spirit is really at AFCB now is perhaps not as much as Eddie Howe would like us to think there is. There have been problems with players like Jordan Ibe and absentees from the long injury list which hits morale. Morale is great when you are winning, but when one problem is added on top of another and another, things spiral out of control and AFCB have been in that spiral.

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Breaking the fall is perhaps possible now with this COVID-19 outbreak, but the strength of AFCB will only be better if they come through the end of this season by escaping the drop. If they fail to do that, then we could see how deep the divisions really have been. It is not a case of other managers having better styles or players all the time, sometimes your club needs to look at home to see where it has slipped up.

Former post on Cherry Chimes - How should we rate Philip Billing's first season at AFCB?

How should we rate Billing's first season at AFCB?

Philip Billing joined at the start of the current season and was a brave choice for Eddie Howe to make considering that Huddersfield Town were relegated last season. Billing was no doubt a major signing for Bournemouth, and the club pursued him quite aggressively last summer as a main target. While Huddersfield seemed reluctant to let him go, Bournemouth got their man, but did they get good value?
Philip Billing has been a central part of AFCB's season.The importance of Billing was shown straight away when he started in the first game against Sheffield Utd which was a 1-1 draw. Since then Billing has totalled 27 games this season which is already the same amount of games he played last season. It shows me that Billing has been a central pillar of the Cherries, even if his performances have perhaps not been quite as consistent as he or the team would have liked. He is a strong box to box player, but he has found it hard to get on the end of moves.

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What I find equally questionable about Billing is his ability to dominate games. Against Luton in the FA Cup he managed that but Bournemouth don't play Championship clubs very often at the moment. The only other match where I thought Billing also really fund his focus against Southampton, early in the season, when he was crucial in breaking the Saints' lines and helping Bournemouth to perhaps their best away win of the season so far. Getting Billing to play that well more frequently has been the difficulty.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -£7.99!I must admit, Billing's former team-mate at Huddersfield, Aaron Mooy has looked a better player at Brighton & Hove Albion has looked a stronger player this season, but Billing is only 23 and has time to improve. Whether Bournemouth can expect Billing to make a bigger step up in his next season is perhaps when we will see if he was really a good buy. For the moment, I think he has done okay without consistently hitting the top highs that we know he has in his locker.
AdvertisementPrevious post on Cherry Chimes - Who is more valuable to keep - Josh King or Callum Wilson?

Who is more valuable to keep - Josh King or Callum Wilson?

There has been plenty of speculation about AFCB's top strikers in the last few days. Callum Wilson has been linked with Chelsea and Josh King has seen interest renewed by Manchester United. But while Bournemouth would no doubt like ti keep hold of both players is there more of a case for one being let go over the other?

Will it be Josh or Callum that goes? Surely, AFCB can't keep both of them this time.Both players joined Bournemouth in the Championship and have been crucial in the club's rise to the Premier League and their ability to stay there. They do offer different qualities though. Josh King is more versatile in his ability to play wide as well as up front. He is a physical player and Bournemouth could well do without losing his physicality as they haven't really any other players with a similar bustling style.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream -now just 9.99!Callum is more of your out and out striker. He lives for goals and likes to hold up the ball and run into the channels to stretch defences. He is perhaps more of an instinctive finisher and that is probably why he is often favoured to get Bournemouth goals. But replacing him is going to need a similar number nine who will tuck away chances more often than not.

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My gut feeling is that if Bournemouth have to see one of these two players leave it will be Josh King. He may not support such a high price, but Eddie Howe likes looking for wingers and new talent in the attacking areas and it may be that he feels King's time is up. I think he is less likely to want to let Callum go, as finding another striker who can bag more than 10 goals in the Premier League is going to cost a fortune. Howe already took a risk with Dominic Solanke and there is no easy guarantee of picking the right player next time, but he has done better with wingers.


While Danjuma might still be another mishit, there have been others - Connor Mahoney, Donal McDermott etc, other past signings like Ryan Fraser, David Brooks and Matt Ritchie give me hope that Bournemouth will do okay at picking up another good winger sooner or later.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Is there more to come from Arnaut Danjuma?