Peter Neil Bell's Blog: Cherry Chimes, page 47

Bournemouth simply have to end their terrible run of defeats at Norwich

The Cherries are on their knees with the number of games without a win stretching to five and little sign of the spirit or energy that we saw earn three points away at Stamford Bridge in December. The prospect of facing the bottom team in the league away from home should be something to feel confident about, but Bournemouth go into the game looking in more danger of handing Norwich three points on a plate with their current inability to keep clean sheets.
It really is time for Bournemouth to play their best football - today has to be the day.This really is last gasp saloon in my book for AFCB if they want to retain Premier League status. The task is likely to be too hard, if they give Norwich City three points in this game, and fall further behind the likes of Aston Villa, West Ham Utd, Burnley and Brighton. I don't know what anyone can say to the players to get them better ready to hit form for this game. The 1302 away fans today will back them no matter what, but the players really owe something to the away fans that have been at their games this season, as it's been a poor return of points. Surprisingly though, the away fans have see three wins, compared to just two at Dean Court.Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -available now!With 35 goals conceded, AFCB are now rapidly catching up with Aston Villa and Norwich City for goals against. Everywhere you look, there is reason to believe AFCB will suffer another defeat on Saturday to Norwich City. I do fear for the club if that happens and the mood becomes more unsavoury. 
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But let's have a look at some positives. Aaron Ramsdale could well be back in goal. Simon Francis might well be benched and Diego Rico brought back in to the starting 11, but we were told yesterday that Josh King would not return. If Danjuma or Stanislas are also back then their may be some attacking options on the bench as well, but Dobre will probably get the place. Eddie Howe has had a week to work with the players who are fit and he'll have been trying to get the message across I hope that it is, now or never. It might just be worth giving Sam Surridge a start over Dominic Solanke as Surridge should be confident and excited about making a start. It could also be time for Lewis Cook in central midfield, while Lloyd Kelly has been training this week and could be in the squad.


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In other news, the Bournemouth Echo reports that L'Equipe links AFCB and Watford with Reims full back Hassane Kamara.

My Football Writer has an article on the Norwich v AFCB game that Cherry Chimes contributed to: Bournemouth preview

Previous post on Cherry Chimes: Rival Lines: "Danile Farke can do no wrong," says City of yellows.


Possible AFCB line up AFCB Subs: Boruc, Francis, Gosling,  Surman, Billing, Dobre, Solanke
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Rival Lines: "Daniel Farke can do no wrong," says City of Yellows

Rival LinesMatch Preview: Norwich City v AFCBBlogger Interview: City of Yellows Twitter: @Cityofyellows

I had a moment to ask some questions this week of Richard Voisey who runs the City of Yellows blog for Norwich City. Norwich City fans haven't had much to get excited about apart form a home win over Man City but they'll know that Bournemouth are in wretched form and they they have a real possibility of three points that could just give them a last shot at trying to stay up.
CC: As an on looker, it seems that Norwich have some great players but are perhaps just short of one or two top players in defence to make a better fist of the Premier League. But are there bigger problems elsewhere?

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COY: It’s interesting that all season long so many Norwich City players have been rumoured with moves to bigger clubs.

Rather than having any stars or big-time Charlies, Farke created a team that won the Championship. With a low wage bill individually and collectively there is no reason why players should stay.

The squad is made up of youngsters and third division Germans so struggling was pretty much on the cards. We should never have started the season without an additional centre back as three all had long term injuries with Klose, our most experienced lad still yet to be seen.

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CC: What do you like about Daniel Farke as the manager?

COY: Through my eyes, Daniel Farke can do no wrong. He is a genuine gentleman and I am proud to call him our manager. He has overperformed to get us in the Premier League and had a thankless task to keep us here.


Advertisement Coastal Garden BuildingsCC: Which result has been the most disappointing for you this season?

COY: Ipswich beating Accrington Stanley last weekend and halting a fifteen game run without a win. I dread the idea of playing them again next season.

I loathe everything about Manchester United and their plastic fans so it was a double blow last weekend. Only one shot in the first half produced a feeble performance against them. That makes it one win in 17 league attempts.

CC: You have a new signing, Ondre Duja, a Slovakian midfielder on loan, who Farke says might help with some goals and assists. Is it good to get some new players in now?

COY: Most fans including me are surprised with two midfield additions. Farke has up to now always eased new lads the first 11 after a number of weeks at the club. It will be interesting to see if this approach changes due to the current dilemma we find ourselves in. Having said that new faces are vital to freshen up the camp. Why no new defender though?

CC: Have you been surprised at how well Todd Cantwell has played in the Premier League and do you think you'll keep hold of him?

COY: Todd Cantwell was not a first pick throughout last season and required a couple of breaks to refocus. He has chipped in with more goals than expected and linked well with Pukki.

Having said that, he is not the finished article. He has lapses, leaves his full-back exposed on regular occasions when playing wide. He gets knocked off the ball easily and doesn’t get close enough to attackers on the edge of the box thus failing to cut out crosses.

It’s great he is a local lad but I’m not fussed if any player leaves if they don’t want to be at Carrow Road.

CC: Do you think the Bournemouth game is Norwich's last chance to have a real say in whether they can stay up?

COY: Last week was probably the final nail. The form change required to stay up would be incredible rather than possible. If we do win, it would resurrect some hope.


AdvertisementCC: For Bournemouth fans who haven't visited Carrow Road before - how would you describe it?

COY: A traditional yet modern and very tidy yellow and green decked stadium with three decent stands and one, the small Geoffrey Watling stand that is earmarked for development to take the capacity from 27,000 to 30,000 plus. The away fans are housed in the 12,000 South Stand.

There are two-tiered stands behind each goal. The vocal Barclay will produce excellent flag waving before the start and rendition of ‘On the ball City’ the oldest football song in the world!

A full house is expected this weekend as it has been for years, even for our season in League One. Fifteen minutes from Norwich city centre and it’s an impressive range of historic pubs, its Norman Castle and two Cathedrals. A truly fantastic City.

CC: Would you be more concerned if Bournemouth changed manager before the game?

COY:  Most clubs benefit from the honeymoon period of a new manager. Watford are a prime example. From what I understand, like City, the Cherries has horrible injury issues.

CC: Which Bournemouth player do you worry about most for this game?

COY: Harry Wilson is class and especially from set-pieces which Norwich has suffered from due to awful zonal marking on a regular basis.

CC: How do you feel the side has been playing at home of late?

COY:  If matches lasted just 45 minutes City would be way up the table. 22 home points would have been accumulated. If we concede first, we will lose.

AdvertisementCC: Have you any injured players for this game?

COY: Grant Hanley limped off and has a cold but should be ok. The other centre back Ben Godfrey is training again after a long break but will not be ready. Timm Klose might be back before the end of the season. Teemu Pukki has a hamstring and damaged toe but should be back in contention.

CC: How do you expect to set up for the game?

COY: The same set up as for every game this season and set up to win the game. One upfront with a number 10. Two wide midfielders and two defensive midfielders. Two centre backs with two attacking wingbacks.
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CC: We are on a terrible run, so what is your score prediction?

COY: 1-1 which will be unhelpful for both of us.

CC: And who do you think will end up in the bottom three?

COY: Norwich City, Villa and Bournemouth.

CC: Many thanks to Richard of City of Yellows for writing his answers for this post. It's good to see the dislike of Ipswich Town shows no signs of let up. Neither of these teams wanted to be in their situation at this time of the year but for one of them there could be a last reprieve if they could get three points from this match. There isn't much time left for Norwich to get out of trouble and Bournemouth are going to lose touch with safety if they don't get the win. This game is now the biggest of the season for both teams and I imagine the hopes of our teams survival or not will be made a little clearer after this result.

Do check the recent posts of City of Yellows .

Norwich could take Bournemouth down with them

This weekend's game is another massive game in the season for AFC Bournemouth and Norwich City. It's not inconceivable that this could be a Championship fixture next season. Norwich may be cut adrift on 14 points but if they win this game that will put them just three points below Bournemouth and could effectively do much to scupper Bournemouth's chance of beating the drop.
A draw last time we played Norwich City - AFCB need to improve on that.AdvertisementA draw wouldn't do either side much good either. Eddie Howe will be setting up the Cherries to do all they can to win this game and I have no doubt that Daniel Farke will do the same for Norwich. While Norwich are at the foot of the table they have drawn their last two home matches against good opposition in Crystal Palace and Tottenham. They haven't had the crisis of goal scoring a badly as AFCB either having only failed in two of their last 11 matches.Advertisement Coastal Garden Buildings
Norwich's problem is that while they have been in games they have always just come out the wrong side of results. their last defeat against Man United was unusual to see a 4-0 defeat. It's been much closer than that in most of Norwich's games and they have the ability to counter-attack with great speed. Todd Cantwell and Teemu Pukki are their star performers, but there is a good team spirit that has not been depleted despite the fact that they are propping up the table.

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Norwich City are certainly good enough to beat Bournemouth. It is probably their last chance to really stake a claim to hang in the league and start to close the gap but if they manage that they will severely damage Bournemouth's chances of escaping as well. Norwich are a decent side at home and Bournemouth need to be very aware that this is probably their last chance to give themselves a foot up out of the bottom three.


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Cherry Chimes' previous post - Do Bournemouth's hopes rest on a fit Josh King?

Do Bournemouth's hopes rest on a fit Josh King?

We have seen Josh King be out for several games at a time when his hamstrings go and they go perhaps more frequently than some other players. But Josh is exactly the player that Bournemouth need now, as he takes the fight to the opposition and pulls the team up around him when he goes and attacks.
Josh King has three goals this season.Having Josh King back might not mean Bournemouth secure three points, but I think they stand a much better chance of getting something against Norwich City if he is on the team. There is no one player that makes a side, but with Aké, Lerma, Fraser and Callum Wilson and King available, Bournemouth would look a different prospect to what Eddie Howe had last time out. The good news is that Aké has got 90 minutes under his belt since returning. But even with Adam Smith and Aké returning last game, Bournemouth still looked weak and vulnerable.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -available now!If Bournemouth are going to change that they have to get on the front foot and go at games more positively. Concentrating on their own weaknesses isn't really helping at the moment. they need to find a way of making their attack work, so that they can perhaps get that first goal and get some confidence back. Bournemouth have only scored one goal in their last six league matches. The truth is Bournemouth don't look like a team that is going to score and they need to believe that the players they have on the pitch are going to score.

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Josh King is a player who can make things happen and perhaps doesn't seem to feel the pressure as much as Callum when he hasn't scored. He plays the same way every game and always makes bustling runs at the heart of the opposition's defence. Bournemouth have lacked those explosive bursts. If King is at it again, then it will help Fraser to also start making those kind of runs as well and by asking questions of the opposition we just may start to get a bit more luck in front of goal. 
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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Who can Eddie rely on to perform? There are already some great comments on this post.

Who can Eddie rely on to perform?

The Watford match was a big disappointment. Eddie Howe thought he had picked a well-balanced side, but for me there were a few problems with the team selection from the start and what was shouting loudest for me was how many players are playing in their respected positions?
Every one talks a good game but who are the players
that can actually raise their game in a dog fight?What I couldn't work out was even with the players Eddie picked, Nathan Aké was playing at left-back which isn't his strongest position. Okay, we had Adam Smith in the right back role which was fine. But Simon Francis was the preferred centre-back with Steve Cook, rather than Aké. Howe could have played Francis at right back or better still left him on the bench. He had a perfectly good left-back in Diego Rico, who could have started, freeing up Aké to play in his best position.
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I still don't believe that Eddie Howe is sure of his best two central midfielders. He played most of the season with Lerma and Billing filling the roles. Then Billing gets a couple of goals in the FA Cup and is rewarded with a spot on the bench. What does that do to Billings' confidence? Gosling had needed a rest perhaps for the FA Cup game and Howe felt he could bring him back in. Then I have to ask was Lerma doing so badly that he needed to be subbed and also Gosling on the hour? Could Eddie not decide between Gosling and Lerma who should stay on so he subbed them both? Looking at the bench though Howe only had Surridge and central midfielders to be offensive with.

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!The last sub was also intriguing. Harry Wilson is usually the player that is pulled just like Ibe used to be. But did having Solanke, Callum Wilson and Sam Surridge playing at the game time do Bournemouth any favours? The game was pretty much up then at 0-2 down, but Harry Wilson is more used to playing out wide than any of Solanke, Callum or Surridge. It was shoe-horning players out of their natural positions, not replacing like with like.

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I know injuries are the main problem but Bournemouth will keep losing games if they can't get more of their players playing in their respected positions. Then perhaps Eddie can expect some of the players to perform better. Who he can rely on at the moment to do a job in an unusual position for them though is probably none. Somethings might look good in training for 10 or 15 minutes, but the solutions have to work over 90 minutes and they just aren't lasting at the moment. 

Can Eddie still motivate the players?

It was honest of Eddie Howe to say he was considering his position now do after the defeat to Watford. I don't think the majority of fans want Howe to go, but we do need him to be able to motivate the players and go into the next game with a team believing that they can win.
Eddie has to try and pick everyone up again. It's a draining job but we know he can do it.Eddie Howe himself has to pick himself up first. The boos at the end of the game against Watford I felt were unfair. It wasn't that the players hadn't tried to do better, they just weren't able. The fans were understandably disappointed with the performance and the result. Showing disappointment is something that fans clearly wanted to do, but the players need encouragement at this moment more than anything.
We have to make a good feeling around the fans and the players. If that means putting defeats behind us then we should do that at try and look forward to what is to come no matter what. It may be that Bournemouth don't find it any easier to win any of their next few games, but we love our club and we don't have to kick the players when they are already down.
Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream eBook version -available now!Eddie has to believe that we are still on his and the team's side and that we want the team to do well. If he and the players don't feel that they are playing for us then we have a divide between the fans and the club, and I don't think that is what anyone wants. We need Eddie Howe to be the leader now and to come up with the best week of training he has ever done, while getting the players back in the winning zone mentally. It may just be to the players' advantage that they don't play at home next and that the odds are more against them. It is in that atmosphere that we might see them dig in and finally draw a line under the poor performances.


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But if Eddie feels he can't get the players up for any more fights, then he may decide enough is enough. That would be a very sad way for him to leave AFCB. But I don't believe Eddie Howe is a quitter.



Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Why did Watford's goal suck the life out of the Cherries?

Why did Watford's first goal suck the life out of the Cherries?

When your team is in a relegation battle you need players that are going to fight for the badge, not put their heads down and feel destroyed just because they have let a goal in. The damage for me from the Watford game wasn't the final scoreline, or the inability to get shots on target, it was the response to letting in the first goal.

Looking back at the incident, I don' t think Francis was actually that alert when the ball was first played to him by Travers. He had enough time to pass it out wide to Adam Smith and didn't take the easy option, heaven knows why. Travers did okay in getting it away from the goal, even if he couldn't pick up a Bournemouth player. There was time for the defence to reset and protect the goal, but Francis ran towards the ball and getting sucked in he left Decouré unmarked.

Okay, so mistakes were made and most probably by one of Bournemouth's most experienced defenders. But the timing of the goal was bad in that it was right on half-time and it gave Watford a lift and Bournemouth just didn't recover. The fans were of course angry with the way the goal had come about, but the negativity of the crowd no doubt transmitted to the players and they went more into their shell and were nervous about making further mistakes.
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Of course, the fans wanted the completely opposite reaction. We wanted the players to come out in the second half fight as if their lives depended on it. But the size of the task just seemed to big for the players. It was all hyped up before the game as being a massive three points and the need to perform, but the more they tried the worse things got.

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We need the players to feel they have a clean sheet going forward. We don't need them thinking about who they are playing or the league position or what has gone on before. They need to play the eleven players in front of them. Win their own battle and do their utmost to get the first goal. It's only then that I feel the players might start o relax and little and actually enjoy playing the game. That's is half the battle because at the moment, I don't think the players are enjoying it and Eddie Howe needs to get the players being pleased to be playing and giving themselves a pat on the back every time they execute something well.

The game is sometimes over complicated and I think Bournemouth have hit that barrier. The players need to break their game down and just work on how they can feel more at ease with each other. It is a team game and they all need to feel part of a team which is something I'm not seeing at the moment.

In other news, TalkSport has reported that AFCB are among the clubs linked with Stoke City striker Tyrese Campbell.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Was it right for AFCB to play Mark Travers in sch a big game?

Was it right for AFCB to play Mark Travers in such a big game?

Perhaps it wasn't the best game in hindsight for Mark Travers to come in for Bournemouth against Watford. Yes, he is an international keeper and has had other high-profile end of season games against Tottenham and Crystal Palace for Bournemouth, but a crucial foot of the table clash against a rejuvenated Watford was perhaps asking a lot, when Eddie could have turned to the more experienced Artur Boruc.
Mark Travers will no doubt kick long next time a defender gives him a pass on his goal line.Travers played well in the 4-0 win over Luton Town in the FA Cup, and that is perhaps what made Howe decide to stick with Travers for the Watford game, when Aaron Ramsdale had a slight hamstring pull. A change had to be made then, but Eddie's judgement might not have been correct on this occasion.

I didn't mind that Travers was given a game, but perhaps it was also a game when Boruc should have been used for his experience. After all the Watford game was a crunch match and now is Travers going to be dropped for the next match?

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I'd like to think that any of Bournemouth's three top keepers could step in and play a top Premier League game. Travers is only 20 though and is the least experienced of the trio in terms of Premier League appearances. On a day when Asmir Begovic had a medical for Inter Milan, there was no clearer message that Bournemouth were moving on with their keeper choices than to give Travers the jersey.



AdvertisementMark Travers and Aaron Ramsdale are definitely the future. They are agile and quick of thought and some of the best young keepers around. But experience is what they don't have yet and this is a tough environment for them to have to learn they way through. It's seven goals conceded in the last two league games and the keepers are now as much under scrutiny as any other position.
Advertisement Coastal Garden BuildingsTravers perhaps deserved his chance but perhaps not in such a vital game. Now Eddie has a bigger decision to make next week as to who best to play between the sticks.

Bournemouth are creating their own problems

If there was a self-destruct button in Dean Court at the weekend, the Bournemouth players certainly found it and pressed it without any concern. Time and time again, AFCB have been the cause of their own downfall, and I'm afraid that if they keep doing that there is little hope of them pulling together and getting themselves out of their current situation.
Simon Francis continues to come in for a lot of criticism, but is Eddie too loyal to him? The players are so afraid of making a mistake that they are becoming indecisive and that has to be the worst thing you can be doing when trying to play out from the back. Clear heads are what is needed with simple game plans and simple passing. Over complicating things is just causing panic among the players and they are under too much pressure with the league table as it is.
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The players need to be inspired and reminded about how good they can play. Some how Bournemouth have to have a positive week with constructive thoughts going forward. by going over the past games it is more likely that they are just making themselves more anxious. The passing was appalling against Watford and too many moves broke down because of a sloppy pass that would normally be second nature to make.

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The players need to get out of their fright about being in the relegation zone and start building a platform to get themselves out of trouble. They can only do that by playing sensible and keeping the ball, using it as their friend and not seeing it as a problem when the ball is at their feet. They need to know they are in control when they have the ball and can dictate and when they haven't got it, they need to think about the space they are giving to the opposition - can they shut it down, can they keep their shape and can they win the ball back? These are the basics, along with winning the first ball and the knock downs and yet Bournemouth rarely showed any of it against Watford.



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The players looked lost as if the ball was something alien and they had no idea how to get a goal. It was painful to watch and it has been a long time since I have seen a team go backwards as much as this in such a short time period. But the players need to find their way out of their slumber, because it is damaging to them as professionals now, never mind what it is doing to the team and its chances for survival in this league.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes: Eddie doesn't need to reflect on his position - get behind him

Eddie doesn't need to reflect on his position - get behind him

Okay, Bournemouth are down in the bottom three and I can't see them getting out of it quickly or perhaps at all. Eddie Howe has probably fallen short of his and the fans' expectations this season, but let's face it, Bournemouth wouldn't ever have got to the Premier league without him. Perhaps he has stayed too long and the play and players have become stale. But do I want Eddie to fall on his sword? No, absolutely not.

It's not going ell for Eddie, but AFCB without him would be harder to live with.The reason I say we should stick with Eddie is that he will get stronger from this. He may not get AFCB out of trouble and he could take the club down. It is one poor season in perhaps 10 or more but that is going to happen at some time in the future, even if we stay up this season. The bigger picture is do you want someone less attached with the club coming in and ripping everything up to put a new identity on the club you love?

Advertisement Eddie Had a Dream is on sale now!Eddie has done great for us and he has put his imprint on everything - dedicated himself to the job. It is the players that have let him down. Yes, there have been injuries and games we shouldn't have lost. But Eddie has not made so many mistakes.  Without the injuries he also wouldn't have tinkered so much with the side.We may not like all his starting line ups or his subs, but if he has got some of those things wrong at times he has also taken more points off the top six this season.

If I could criticise Howe it would be on the recruitment side. Too many players have not had potential when the club thought they would have it. Too many players have not performed and some of those players were simply not good any better than those already at the club. Who am I talking about? signings such as Ibe, Solanke, Brad Smith, Defoe, Afobe, Hyndman, Mahoney - I am sure you can add a few to the list. Moreover, there are players that should have been replaced such as Francis, Steve Cook and Charlie Daniels and Bournemouth shouldn't just be dependent on King and Callum Wilson for goals.



Advertisement Coastal Garden BuildingsBournemouth have to regroup. There is still time to get out of trouble, but without our support Eddie Howe will have little chance in being able to do what he most wants to do - win games. We need to get behind him, more than ever. There are games to be won and if we can get Josh King back and play players in their right positions, there is still a chance.


Previous post on Cherrychimes - Smashed 0-3 by Watford - the Cherries are in deep, deep trouble