Thursday 3 December 2015

Winning mentality never went away

It was good to hear that Eddie Howe in his post match press conference after the Everton game was quick to say that these are a special bunch of players at AFCB and the winning mentality has never left them. Of course that spirit and fight that was seen in the comeback against Everton did not result in a win, but the Cherries stand on the brink on what would have seen impossible on a season or two ago. They go into the games against Chelsea and Man Utd as equals on the pitch, even if not off it and it is the winning mentality that they have shown over the last few seasons that has put the players in that position.
Winning needs to become a habit again.
Let's be clear, it has been hard to see the Cherries find it difficult to get the points that many of the fans think they have deserved this season. They are not the luckiest team in the league and yet there are smiles on all the players' faces and the majority of the fans, because the team is playing in its usual style and starting to put on the performances that could rock the likes of Chelsea who they take on this coming Saturday.

The bookies will have fun in giving AFCB some long odds at Stamford Bridge, but with the fighting display against Everton and Swansea those odds might just be pulled in a little as there is an under current of positivity to this south coast side and yet a reality about the challenge ahead. The Cherries have been courageous and plucky and they'll need that at Chelsea. They have had a week to try and work out how best to cope with the balls that will surely be put into their box and how best to take the game to a Chelsea side that are all star names.

In some ways Chelsea lost their winning mentality at the start of this season and have found it difficult to find. They may have got over many of their problems, but that does not mean they will find this Cherries team an easy one to come up against. Like Bradford City did in the FA Cup last season, AFCB will come to play and to attack. AFCB may be eight games without a win, but the Cherries will put a win against Chelsea up there as one of their biggest ever achievements and who is to say they don't deserve to enjoy these upcoming games.

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