Friday 24 January 2014

Are AFCB capable of Liverpool FA Cup shock?

This is the question that we all want to know the answer to - after all it could be important for our accumulators this weekend. While financial incentive may be all that is behind some fans desire to see the game won by one side or the other, there are some of us who actually think there is a chance that AFCB can do something special like in 1984 against Man Utd. 

Okay, the game is being played at 12.45pm and not at night under the floodlights. There is no Harry Redknapp urging the team on, although QPR don't have a game this weekend and I reckon he'll be at the game. Milton Graham or Ian Thompson may not be around to stick the ball in the for the Cherries either, but we have some pretty good players who could make a name for themselves.     
Tommy Elphick will lead AFCB against the favourite team of his boyhood.
Tommy Elphick will be very proud to lead the Cherries out and he'll know that this is the biggest game of his life. His routine won't change pre-match and we should see him clinging on to that goal post, but at the end of the game we could see him do some mad celebrations if things goal according to plan for Eddie Howe. Lewis Grabban has been doing the business in regularly getting on the score sheet and AFCB's midfield players of Marc Pugh, Ryan Fraser and Matt Ritchie are starting to find the back of the net as well. It will be about these players playing at their maximum potential if AFCB are to progress. 

The cameras will be at the ground and they are only their for one reason - they want to see if their can be a shock. I hope Eddie makes the players aware of that. The cameras should be seen as the players friends, because the neutrals will be behind the underdog in every bar and lounge in the country where the game is being shown, with very the big exception of the city of Liverpool. Oldham showed last season that Liverpool can be beaten away from home so let's hope that AFCB can make it difficult for the Premiership giants.
The Ted MacDougall stand will be packed with Liverpool fans.
Getting Liverpool to defend and face their own goal will be the battle that AFCB have to win. With the pace of the Cherries front players they will be looking to give the Liverpool defence a thorough testing, but the time to score in this game is going to be crucial. Score early and Brendan Rodgers will surely put more of his senior players on early to recover the game. Keep things tight and get a goal in the last half hour and things could get interesting.

With Liverpool facing Everton in the Merseyside derby on Tuesday night there has to be a chance that Brendan Rodgers will leave Suarez and Gerrard on the bench, but he could chose to rest other players instead. We know that Lucas is out following injury against Aston Villa and I also heard that Glen Johnson is out injured, but it hardly weakens the Liverpool squad for this game. Mohamed Sakho or Jon Flanaghan are likely replacements at right back. 


I believe AFCB will need Rodgers to leave out three or four top players to be able to boss this game. On any day AFCB can play some sublime football and this is the day to try and do it and show that they could be a Premiership outfit one day. A win would not only be good for the town and the players own confidence it would give them the belief to do even better in the Championship. If you fancy that flutter I believe AFCB are about 9-1 against.

A cup exit would not be the end of the world for the Cherries, but it must be the aim of our players to test themselves against quality opposition. Even if Liverpool play a slightly weaker side from their best team, AFCB players should not be disappointed but see it as a chance to cause an upset. If the attitude is right and the performance is good, it just could be a very exciting day. And that is what we love about the FA Cup.  

No comments:

Post a Comment

tag: