Sunday 6 August 2017

Inviting Napoli to Dean Court is fine but AFCB want to win

The stellar names of top teams coming to play games at Dean Court is starting to get a bit busy these days as we have seen the likes of Real Madrid AC Milan, Valencia and Locomotive Moscow to name a few in recent years and while Napoli will be the latest to join that list, I wonder if the home fans are as excited as we were when Real Madrid really broke the ice on these top pre-season friendlies.
AFCB fans are still hungry for success.
The answer is probably not, and not just because it isn't Real Madrid this time. Napoli are a fantastic team and we welcome them with open arms and hope for a great and thrilling game. But things are not what they were four years ago, when it was a privilege to be even mentioning AFC Bournemouth with the likes of such teams. Now AFCB fans have a team not only to be proud of, but one that goes into every game with a real prospect of winning the match, no matter what opposition is on the other side of the pitch.

We have had a sea-changes in thinking and when the supporters expect to win it carries itself over to the players. Fans have had to make a decision in some cases on whether they stump up for the Napoli game or save their cash for an opening home game, or the WBA away game, and while a summer crowd at AFCB might not be quite as raucous as an attendance for a Premier League match there will be one thing on the fans' minds just as it will be on Eddie Howe's – we want a win.  

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I just love that about the people at AFCB and the whole momentum of the club. AFCB don't just live the David and Goliath scenario, they thrive on it and have been so successful that AFCB itself is turning into a place that nobody takes lightly anymore. AFCB are becoming more used to taking on the best and it is helping them to improve their game faster and faster.

AFCB are maturing with age if you like, and some of that is down to the improvement in the players and the manager's ideas, as well as the simple fact that Bournemouth are getting used to dining at the top table and so are their fans. Napoli may not see a packed to the rafters stadium, but it will see a crowd that is passionate for a home win and that will immediately put Napoli on the  back foot tonight. Enjoy the game – UTCIAD!

Well done to any of those who spotted my mistake yesterday – Napoli's winger and captain Marco Hamsak is a Slovakia international.

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