Peter Neil Bell's Blog: Cherry Chimes, page 43

AFCB fans can't put too much pressure on Brooks' return

As we get nearer to seeing David Brooks return to action it is easy to assume that he can step straight in and be the force he was last season for the Cherries. However, there is no guarantee that David Brooks will be able to make his return and find form straight away, even though AFCB really need him to be at his best as soon as possible.
David Brooks' return can raise optimism but we can't put
too much pressure on him after such a long lay-off.There will be pressure on David from the first moment he walks out again on to the turf at Dean Court. Everyone will want hm to do well and will hope that he can provide some of the goals to help Bournemouth out of trouble. Eddie Howe will want to protect him as much as he can, but will know that he could be the player that makes the difference between AFCB and the other clubs at the foot of the league.
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Getting the amount of game time right will be Howe's main concern. Brooks will have to see how he goes and what reaction he gets from playing games. It will be pressure on him just to come off the pitch with no niggles and he'll be aware that he has missed so much football that it would be easy to over do things in trying to play well.



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Get things right though and we could be all celebrating the return of David Brooks for the right reasons. He might just be the lift that the team needs as well to believe that it can stay up and if he does perform well, we know that he will comeback stronger for the experience next season with Bournemouth and that both can hopefully celebrate another year in the Premier League.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Who is Bournemouth's most improved player?

Who is Bournemouth's most improved player?

This season has been a testing one for AFCB players. In such circumstances we have seen some players get more games than they might have expected at the start of the season, but picking out the player that has improved the most probably comes down to one of four players for me - although I could have suggested Philip Billing as a fifth choice.

Diego Rico is my choice.I'd start in goal with Aaron Ramsdale. We perhaps didn't know exactly how good he was until  he started in the first team and he hasn't looked back. He is probably a shoe-in for many fans for player of the season, but I'd say his performances have been good throughout the season and he might not have surprised Eddie Howe as much as he has the fans. It's not as if his performances have suddenly become better since December, he's been top-class all the way through.

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I think we can also look on Harry Wilson in a similar way. He has scored goals and has been amazing in his dead ball shooting. He may have learned quite a bit about his positioning and the shape of the team since coming to Bournemouth, but again I'd say he was a great player before he came as an international. He has just learned more about what it takes to be a top player in the Premier League, which is no doubt what Jurgen Klopp wanted him to find out.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!Next up is Dominic Solanke for me. He has been getting a few minutes here and there, and when he did get a run of games he pushed his case as hard as he could. But a striker has to keep scoring goals and Solanke still has a way to go to reach the levels he needs to be a regular starter. So I wouldn't say he has improved enough yet.

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The most improved player for me has to be Diego Rico. He was not considered a first choice left back when the season started but when Charlie Daniels had his injury against Man City, Rico stepped up and has been a breath of fresh air in a troubled season for the Cherries. His crossing has become metronomic and he seems to make up ground on opposition players when they have the odd yard on him. Once he has got back goal side he has proved hard to pass for opposition wingers and the only thing I'd say we are waiting for him to add to his game is getting his first goal. I'm hoping he manages that before mid-May.
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Who do you think is AFCB's most improved player?
Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Callum Wilson can save his and Bournemouth's season

Callum Wilson can save his and Bournemouth's season

Callum Wilson is Bournemouth's best hope of finding the goals to keep the club up in my opinion. He has not had the best of seasons yet even now on seven league goals, he tops the goal chart with Harry Wilson and it is his third highest goal scoring season in the Premier League.
Callum Wilson still has more goals in him.I always feel that Callum is having to prove himself after every injury and every comeback he makes. It has been clear that he hasn't lost his speed and still gets shots on target when given the service he needs. That service has been poor this season and Callum has suffered as a result.
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Against Sheffield United, he only really got one chance to score and he took it. You can't ask much more of a striker than that if the team is not creating opportunities. When Ryan Fraser came close to scoring it was also Callum who made the pass to get him in with a shot on goal.

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What I do find hard to recognise is why Callum Wilson hasn't managed to really hit it off with any other stroker in a strike partnership. Josh King is probably his best partner, but they are not prolific and perhaps the days of great Premier League striker partnerships are over.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -available now!Callum has played 25 games this season and he scored 14 goals last season from 30 games. It is possible that he could yet go on a good run of goals and get near to the figure of 14. His overall record in the Premier League is 116 appearances and 40 goals with 11 assists. It's a ratio that is better than a goal every three games, so I'm confident that Callum can get to double figures this season. He will certainly need to hit double figures to give Bournemouth the goals they will need to beat the drop.

It's all about the future for Eddie Howe and his team

The comments of Eddie Howe after the defeat at Sheffield United were more in line with putting it behind him and looking forward rather than dwelling on a miserable afternoon's football. Added to the news that referee Jonathan Moss had made sarky comments to Dan Gosling about the Cherries position they now find themselves in, it is as well that Howe is steering players to look at the games to come.
Bournemouth have to look forward to the games to come.There is not a lot of optimism in hitting the 40 point mark anymore, but there are games to get points from and if the Cherries do that better than three other clubs in the bottom six they will find safety. I find that Bournemouth perhaps look back too much at poor performances rather than looking forward to the challenges ahead. The club should not forget that at the moment it is in the Premier League and the big games are what teams in the Championship want to get the chance of playing. Far from looking down on our situation, we should be excited about the games to come and working out how to make a few upsets.
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Bournemouth are in as good a position as several other teams trying to avoid the drop and the home form has been improving. While Bournemouth don't have the likes of Brighton and Aston Villa at home again, they can pick up big results at Dean Court as we saw earlier in the season with the win against Manchester United. It is likely to be the home games that decide the Cherries fate from here on in. Anything away from home is going to be a bonus.

Advertisement That is not to say that the team can't win away. But having not won away since December against Chelsea, there needs to be more belief that the players can do better away from home. There are plenty of days for Eddie Howe to get things right against Burnley and for the moment that is the only future game he should be concerned with. While he could probably do with a winter break himself, I was not surprised that he has suggested he'll be staying behind the desk in trying to find solutions to problems ahead of Bournemouth's next game.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth got themselves pinned in under too much pressure

Bournemouth got themselves pinned in under too much pressure

The game started off so well against Sheffield United. Bournemouth started as they had played against Aston Villa with players looking to win challenges and get in the ball. But the good work evaporated once Bournemouth had got a goal ahead.
AFCB let another three points slip away.Eddie Howe will need to look at how the team reacts after it has either taken the lead or conceded in games. The players don't seem to be able to play at the same level once a goal has gone in at either end. The goal at Sheffield United should have boosted the team, but instead United just got stronger and stronger. The momentum in the game shifted and it is difficult to see why that was. Bournemouth needed to get a firmer grip of the game but they let it slip.

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Bournemouth seem to find it difficult to go through 90 minutes without conceding. Even when they played Brighton and Aston Villa and won the games, they conceded. There is a reason for this and Eddie Howe needs to work out why the players are incapable of getting more clean sheets. It is okay that the team has started to score goals again, but the teams that go down are those who can't keep clean sheets, and Bournemouth are falling into that category.

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It is a collective thing and not simply individual errors. The players have to want the clean sheet and do everything they can to make sure it happens. At the moment they are too reliant on Aaron Ramsdale coming up with a handful of miraculous saves every game. Simon Francis was great at making blocks, but the same determination has to be seen across the back line.



Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!Once Bournemouth got pinned in their own half against Sheffield United, there wasn't an out ball. Neither Junior Stanislas or Josh King got very far when trying to get the ball away from the defence, and it is going to take some work for Eddie Howe to get the team back to being a better counter-attacking side if that is how he wants to play against Burnley.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Poor defending costs Bournemouth against Sheffield United

Poor defending cost Bournemouth against Sheffield Utd

Whatever we say about Bournemouth's game against Sheffield United, you can't get away from the fact that the team basically gave the game away with their inept defending. I think that is what upset Eddie Howe more than anything else. It wasn't amazing play that undid the defence for the two goals, but it was a failure to clear and not being alert that cost the Cherries three points.
Bournemouth simply can't afford to gift the goals they are giving awayTo be fair the goals had been coming. The pressure that Bournemouth came under for the first goal was unrelenting before half-time. I couldn't see how the goal was leading such a charmed life. But Aaron Ramsdale gave me hope that he could perhaps keep Sheffield United at bay. But he didn't punch well, in the lead up to the first goal and the ball was not cleared. It only needed an instinctive finisher to put the ball in the net, and Billy Sharp was well enough positioned for that.
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The timing of Sheffield United's first goal was a crushing blow. You could see the players look physically drained by the goal and the half-time talk would have been so much different of they team had held out. The second half began just as the first ended. There were a couple of half chances for Nathan Aké, and of course Ryan Fraser, but Bournemouth didn't look like getting ahead again, and while the team came under greater pressure again, nothing seemed to change.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!The team could have played out for a draw and Sheffield United fans though there was time-wasting going on, even when Bournemouth were 0-1 up in the first half. But the players didn't even think clearly in the last 10 minutes. It is pretty much always the most important minutes of a game, and whether they were tiered or just not paying attention, it was rightly described by some as atrocious the way the defence didn't get anywhere near closing down play as Lundstrum had an easy finish.

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Bournemouth are still creating their own problems and they'll need to start defending properly, if they are to make a better fist of staying up.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes -  Sheffield United put Bournemouth back in the mire

Sheffield United put Bournemouth back in the mire

Match ReportSheffield United 2 v1 AFC Bournemouth9 February 2020Attendance: 30361 The heat is on for AFCB at the foot of the table.Bournemouth really needed to extend their lead over the bottom three teams at Bramall Lane, but those hopes were washed away with the rain and a Sheffield United comeback. Callum Wilson put the Cherries in command of the game with his seventh goal of the season on 13 minutes. As the first half wore on, the Blades put the Cherries under more and more pressure until Billy Sharp stabbed home a close range equaliser on half-time. Bournemouth fashioned a good chance through Ryan Fraser to try and get back into the lead, but Henderson was equal to the shot. From there on in, Howe's slowness to change anything until near the end, gave fans the feeling that the Cherries might concede. Indeed they did, as Stanislas came on. Lundtsram raced through the Cherries defence and left Howe to wonder if this was another game that really shouldn't have escaped his team.

There are more pictures on Match Day Gallery .

Eddie Howe brought Andrew Surman into the team for the suspended Jefferson Lerma and Josh King returned to the bench along with Jack Stacey.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -available now!The rain had stopped before the game began. But it was slippery and the wind remained strong. McBurnie got behind Francis but the ball that came off Francis' heel fell to Fleck. His shot was blocked by Francis sliding challenge.

Diego Rico won Bournemouth's first corner. Adam Smith intercepted well but Fraser was blocked. Another cross from Fraser sees a diving header from Harry Wilson, but its wide.

Goslings wins a free kick. Callum Wilson puts it wide at the far post. Fraser pulls the ball back from left and Callum Wilson scores high into the roof of the net. 13 minutes gone! A great start for the Cherries.


Fraser again to Billing who slips over as he tries to shoot. Stevens gets down the left, but his cross is hit into the side netting by Sharp at the far post.

Diego blocks Baldock. Adam Smith is fouled on his own half by Sharp. Billing is injured.

Rico wins a free kick on the left. McBurnie wins a corner and O'Connell heads it over.

Gosling concedes another corner on 30 minutes and Billing heads clear.

The ball goes through Surman's legs. McBurnie slides in but Ramsdale catches it.

Sheffield have won another corner. Fleck goes short but Billing clears. Francis cleats a high ball. Callum mis-kicks but Surman clears.



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Billy Sharp is fouled just outside the box. The free kick hits the wall. Stevens is booked got a foul on Harry Wilson.
Sheffield Utd are upping the pressure but can't find a way through. Callum Wilson to Fraser and the cross is towards Harry Wilson but the keeper just gets there first.

Aké makes a clearance. Francis' clearance comes off Callum Wilson and Norwood shoots but it is deflected wide.

The header from Mc Burnie is pushed out by Ramsdale. Sheffield get another corner off Ake. Billing clears.

The corner is half cleared this time and Ramsdale punches but Sharp scores at the far post 1-1.

Second half
A long kick from the keeper. Fleck touches it on to Sharp and Ramsdale saves with his legs.

Gosling is caught and its all kicked off on the touchline. Surman has been carded.

Rico has to make a last second clearance. It's all Sheffield Utd, Bournemouth need to change something. Lundstrum is on for Berge.

Adam Smith comes inside but shoots too high. Fraser rubs through walks to get a corner.
Francis heads down and Aké shoots wide.

McGregor goes off and Armstrong is on after 64 minutes.

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Bournemouth are under immense pressure. Callum Wilson to Harry Wilson and he blasts the shot over.

Adam Smith down the right, Callum passes it on and Fraser hits the drive, Great save, Corner to Bournemouth.



AdvertisementBournemouth bring on King for Harry Wilson. Mousset is on for Billy Sharp. Bournemouth scramble it off the line. Fraser crosses, but Billing can't reach it.

Ramsdale catches from a free kick. Corner to Sheffield. Stanislas is on for Fraser with six minutes left. From the throw, Mousset squares the ball from the left and Lundstram has scored. 2-1 to Sheffield United and Bournemouth just switched off.

Surman is subbed for Solanke. Mousset is booked for fouling Billing.

Bournemouth corner and Aké heads wide. Francis is booked for taking down Mc Bride.


Summary
Bournemouth got the started they wanted but didn't double their lead and came under so much pressure that they just couldn't keep repelling Sheffield Utd. A draw at the end of the first half was fair enough, but the Cherries didn't take the game to United. They sat back and with Fraser's chance well saved, there was little more to trouble Henderson until Bournemouth fell 2-1 behind. The team switched off when the throw was taken. It was a basic error. But only then did the team look to try and get a goal. As usual it was too little, too late Bournemouth had seen another three points taken away from them and I don't get why Howe didn't change things earlier when the team was getting overrun and pegged back. The lack of possession simply sapped the confidence from the team.


AFCB Line up AFCB Subs: Boruc, S Cook, Stacey, L Cook, Stanislas, Solanke, King

AFCB Ratings
Ramsdale 6, A Smith 5, Francis 7, Aké 6, Rico 6, H Wilson 5, Gosling 5, Surman 5,
Billing 6, Fraser 6, C Wilson 6
Cherry Chimes MoM: Simon Francis

Sheffield United
1 Henderson, 6 Basham, 12 Egan, 5 O'Connell, 2 Baldock, 32 Berge (Lundstram 61)
16 Norwood 4 Fleck, 3 Stevens, 9 McBurnie,, 10 Sharp (Mousset 74)


Sheffield Utd Subs
7 Lundstram, 15 Jagielka, 17 McGoldrick, 21 Verrips, 22 Mousset, 23 Osborn, 29 Retsos

Rival Lines: " We have suited being an away side," says Dem Blades

Rival Lines 
Sheffield United v AFCBBlogger Interview: Dem BladesTwitter: @Dem_Blades
A second Sheffield United blogger interview. This time I spoke to Sam at Dem Blades who managed to squeeze in some answers for me before the game. Let's see if he is as confident as Blades Podcast on Sheffield United's match against Bournemouth.


CC: Why do you think Chris Wilder has got it so right this season?
DB: Square pegs in square holes! There's a simplicity to our success, a squad who works hard for each other at all times and individual players who know their part in a team. When they work in concert, it allows for moments of individual brilliance and creates space for our most potent threats to attack.Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!CC: Are you at all surprised by the gap Sheffield United has made over the other promoted sides or did you expect Norwich and Villa to struggle and the Blades to do well?
DB: I am surprised at the gap I suppose, but not necessarily the fact that we are above those teams. We were always a superior defensive outfit to Norwich and Villa. So for me, it was unsurprising that they've struggled at the back seeing as their defensive recruitment was poor to none existent. 
CC: Are Sheffield United fans thinking it would be a disappointment now if they didn't get into Europe at the end of the season?
DB: I don't think we'd be disappointed. We'd be getting way beyond our station if we thought we 'deserved it'. But I think we will make it to Europe based on our form throughout the whole season. There gets to a point when you look at our points per game (1.44), and then you look at our run-in (not too scary) and barring a huge drop-off, we'll be close to those European spots. It's worth remembering too, that the Blades under Wilder usually end the season strongly (in our promotion to the Championship we won our last 7 games to get 100 points). Advertisement Coastal Garden BuildingsCC: Who has been the best buy that Sheffield United have bought for their Premier League campaign?
DB: Difficult. Most of the players we have bought have been kept out by the players who got us promoted last year. But for goal and points, it would have to be your former player Lys Mousset. We can't always get him fit, but Wilder can get a wonderful tune out of him! I've not seen a defender who looks comfortable against him. 
CC: How do you feel the home form is holding up having recently played Aston Villa, Watford, West Ham and Man City at Bramall Lane?
DB: It's a tough one because we have suited being an away side. But I think as the season draws on, our form will improve. With the pressure of staying in the division all but lifted, I think we'll come out and attack teams with a touch more freedom. 
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CC: What game has been your favourite win and why?
DB: Favourite win....ooh. Let's say Burnley at home. We just blew them away in what we thought might be a tough game. Likewise Aston Villa at home too. 
CC: Do you think the goal that Dean Henderson let in against Liverpool earlier this season actually helped him to raise his game in subsequent matches?
DB: I'm not sure on that one. Henderson is a fine keeper. Freakish things happen to good keepers and that was one of them - maybe it helped him to keep his high standards but I'm not sure about raising them.
CC: Are you looking forward to see how Aaron Ramsdale does in Bournemouth's goal as a former Sheffield United lad?
DB: Yes, it was a shame when Ramsdale left. A great keeper and one who is growing into one of the best in England (not quite as good as Deano though). 
CC: Who do you prefer to play up front - McGoldrick, Mousset, Sharp or McBurnie - do they all offer something different?
DB: David McGoldrick is like watching Dimitar Berbatov (who can't score). I love him. He comes deeps. He has more time on the ball than anyone on the pitch in pretty much every game he plays (a bit like your boy David Brooks). He's just magic to watch. Over the course of the season, McGoldrick and Mousset. I love them all though. 

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CC: Which players do you think might leave Sheffield United in the summer because they are in demand?
DB: Jack O'Connell is the only one I think we might seriously struggle to hold onto. A strong, ball-playing centre half who is unbelievably reliable and has barely missed a game in three years. Other than that, I think we're fine. 
CC: How do you expect to line up against Bournemouth?
DB: Same team as last time out (McBurnie and Sharp up top, new signing Sander Berge in midfield).
CC: What is your score prediction?
DB: 3-0 Blades win. 
CC: I was beginning to like Sam until I saw his score prediction. I am not sure if Sheffield United have scored three at home that often so he's definitely got it in for the Cherries. I, on the other hand, think it will be a much tighter game with possibly a 1-2 away win. Bournemouth have a real team spirit to build on their recent wins and if they can get points up in the steel city then I think it will ease the pressure in their next game. So I'm backing the Cherries for a win.
Many thanks to Sam at Dem Blades for telling us more about Sheffield United.

Chimes to Camera - AFCB 2 v 1 Aston Villa 

Possible AFCB line up AFCB Subs: Boruc, Stacey, S Cook, L Cook, Stanislas, Surridge, Solanke

The Cherries need to take their chances

The match against Sheffield United looks like a clash between a potential European club next season and a relegation struggler. But the mood around Dean Court has changed in the past couple of weeks and beating Sheffield United might not look such an impossible task now for Eddie Howe's men. What they'll need to do is take their chances. The Cherries are back on the road.We saw in the game against Aston Villa that Bournemouth hit the net twice in the first 45 minutes, but they also missed chances like Dan Gosling's close range miss over the bar. They simply can't afford to do that in what could be a much closer game against Sheffield United. Bournemouth managed 16 shots against Aston Villa and 11 shots against Brighton, when they netted three times. Being wasteful is the danger.

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The Cherries' away form is also something that needs to improve. Bournemouth have scored just once in their last five away games with the 0-1 win at Chelsea. In that time they have also conceded eight goals in their last five away games. The Cherries have to find away of taking their home form to Bramall Lane and sticking away opportunities that they get. It is all about how Bournemouth see themselves now. They can be the team that either frets at their league position, or they can be progressive and look to rip up their away form and play to their strengths.
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Bournemouth might have lost their way in previous away games, but if they can turn the corner now they will be putting themselves in the frame for escaping a frantic last few games. They have to put the hard work in now and accept the challenge. Winning against Sheffield United would be a huge boost in the team's fight to stay up and they have the goal scorers that can do it.
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Hopefully, Josh King is also back. If the Cherries can take comfort from the chances they created against Villa, they should have no fear of finding it difficult to create against the Blades.advertisement
AFCB Away FormLWLLL
Sheffield United Home FormLWDWL
Chimes to Camera - AFCB 2 v 1 Aston Villa 
AFCB TV preview

Will Josh King's head be in the right place?

I have no doubt that Josh King will be ready to play when he is fit enough. The interest form Manchester United must have turned his head, and I am sure he would have loved to go back there to play for one of the biggest, if not the biggest club in the world. But Josh knows that he only got that interest because he has impressed in the past playing for Bournemouth. If he wants the interest to be renewed in the summer he has to hope Ole Gunnar Solskjaer stay in his role and that he starts to score goals again.
Josh King will need to hit top form as soon as comes back. I am not sure why King has not been scoring as many goals as usual this season.He has had his fair share of injuries and was asked to play out wide in the early part of the season, but when he has been fit the goals have not flowed. The team as a whole has not been functioning well before the win against Brighton, but now that it has refound some rhythm and drive it is a good time for Josh King to come back into the picture.

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I have my fingers crossed that Josh could be back this weekend. He has been missed and he could probably do with being reunited with the fans, having gone through a stressful transfer window with nothing changing. He knows he is adored at Bournemouth, but he has a few months to really show us all why he deserves a move to a club like Manchester United. If he keeps the club up and gets a hat full of goals before May, we can have no ill feelings towards him.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!I don't see many other players like Josh in the league and it will be hard to replace him. But if Bournemouth get a good fee for him they simply have to spend that money well. Before that Josh has a big job to do, and I think he will be able to give the Cherries the boost that they need to get them over the line. Josh can'y go back to what happened in January now, he has a few months to get himself a big move or a new contract and I'm sure he wants to give all he can to keeping Bournemouth up.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Rival Lines: 'We've seen players take big steps forward under Wilder,' says Bladesblog