AFCB aim to catapult up the table

Happy New Year everyone!

Only a few weeks ago moist AFCB fans were looking with some apprehension at the fixtures that were coming up. The thought of playing QPR and Reading and having virtually must win games against teams in the bottom half of the table meant that the Christmas period would be a big barometer on where the Cherries' season was headed. To my delight and probably many other supporters, the team has come out of that demanding period with a lot of credit and more importantly points. Now the emphasis must be on seeing if they can catapult themselves further up the table because the better the finishing place the healthier the bank balance will be, while it has always been the objective to finish as high as possible.

Eddie Howe in the dugout before the Ipswich match.

Looking at the current table, this new Year's Day clash with Brighton & Hove Albion is going to be massive for both teams. A compelling win for either side will have a big effect on the table. Brighton could force their way into the top six, while AFCB could jump several places to land just outside the top 10. This division is so tight that you can't take your eye off it for a moment. 

While football pundits calmly talk about Wigan Athletic and Blackburn Rovers, with their large squads, being expected to make a move up the table in the New Year, there is nothing to say that teams such as Bournemouth who have gelled together over the past year and a half can't go and hit the kind of form that saw them break the club's unbeaten record last season. Yes, this is a harder league, and the performances will need to remain high, but in the past few weeks we have been watching a team that is growing in confidence and is likely to be added to with some fresh players coming back from injury and maybe one or two more in the transfer window.

It is strange that the away form that had given the team so many headaches earlier in the season has acted as the springboard for results in recent weeks, and now the home form is starting to build as well. If Eddie Howe can keep this squad together and make the right acquisitions, teams like Blackburn Rovers and Wigan Athletic could even be looking to hold onto the coat tails of AFCB in the coming weeks.  

Safe trip to all fans headed to the Amex stadium today. It should be a fantastic day to see the stadium and perhaps AFCB can also start the New Year with a win in the south coast derby. UTCIAD!

Amex parking details You will need to use park and ride if travelling by car.