Cherries' inferiority complex is blown apart

Eddie Howe was very level headed in his appraisal of the Bournemouth player's performance against Blackburn. He was adamant that confidence is a massive thing. 

"To come here and play the way we did... out football Blackpool (he meant Blackburn) and I think we outplayed them at times and had the best chances in the game. I couldn't be more pleased with my players in terms of their mentality and how they approached the game, and how they adapt to what we ask them to do." 

I think Eddie could have afforded himself a smile last night.

It was one of those games when you would have wondered in the first half of the season if AFCB would get turned over. But the team has really grown and is starting to deliver. Eddie Howe is just happy that the players are mentally in a good place.

"Matt Ritchie had his shooting boots on and tested their keeper and I thought we looked an inch away from really dominating the game. I though we were a little careless in possession at times in the first half and felt we needed to tighten that up and we did second half," he added.

"Steve Cook and Tommy Elphick were giants tonight...They set the tone really tonight as  they always do," said Eddie Howe.

But AFCB's good fortune is being built on solid foundations on and off the pitch. The way that all elements are coming together is vital and it's underpinned by belief.

"Belief is such an important thing. You need to go into games thinking that you can win. I think early season we suffered from an inferiority complex," said Eddie Howe. "We went to places and didn't really believe how good we could be."

You have to pinch yourself when you look at the Championship table now. The three successive wins have propelled the team up into 12th and the black thoughts we had back in November when AFCB could not buy a win have been well and truly dispersed. AFCB sit 10 points of the play-offs. I am not daring to even dream about anything like that at the moment, but simply enjoying the football that the Cherries are playing.

The one thing I will say to regular readers and home supporters is tell your mates about the Cherries, talk to them and encourage them to come and see a game. The more fans we can bring in to Dean Court the stronger the potential will be to take on the top teams of this division. We know that AFCB play some wonderful football but don't keep it a secret. 

We have a team to be very proud of and last night that was all I was thinking.