Okay, it's Monday morning and AFCB only have a few days left before that all important first match against Charlton Athletic. Soon all the talking will be done and all the teams in the division will be trying to get off to a flying start. This week Eddie wants to get our forwards putting the ball in the back of the net, so I am expecting some big goal celebrations to be on the cards as well.
I am not sure how quickly the enthusiasm for the new season faded away last time round. I know I was scratching my head why I was going to games in October expecting us to be winning when we already looked to be in a relegation battle. Many fans simply stayed away after the couple of draws and many defeats we had back then. We could of course find it really hard going this time around as well.
I am praying for some good news this week regarding the players we do have at the club. Matt Ritchie has not been ruled out of starting, but he simply hasn't played enough in my opinion simply to turn it on in the first game of the season. Last season it was mainly the defence that was struggling to keep fit, but now it is our forwards that need to recover. The loan of Tubbs does leave a whole, especially with McQuoid out and Brett recovering from a strain.
We do need Wes Thomas to start feeling like a Championship striker, because I am sure he will be called upon as a sub. If he needs to stay out and sharpen up his shooting to get his confidence back I hope the keepers will oblige. Once he gets used to breaking the back of the net again things can turnaround quickly for him.
Strength in depth is what AFCB needs and it is about time our luck changed on the injury front. Fogey is also going to need some recovery time before he can play, which is a big shame because I feel he is the kind of energetic player who will shine in the kind of atmosphere of the first game of the season. We are really going to see if some of our players are going to be able to step up. I just hope that if Ryan Fraser is picked, he is buzzing to start and the same with Coulibaly. We will need some live wires to cut through Charlton's defence.
Howe and Tindall have some big choices to make this week and I don't envy them that.
This is a fan’s personal view of AFC Bournemouth from the outside looking in. It reports on the daily official activities reported by the club and comments made by individual fans on social media and fanbase websites. Life as an AFCB fan is never dull. As a life-long supporter of the Cherries, it is the friendliness of the staff, fans and my enthusiasm for the club that inspired me to write this blog.
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