AFCB don't have to be over reliant on Ritchie

Matt Ritchie was on target again to register his sixth goal of the season at Birmingham. There is no doubt in my mind that he is one of the best players at the club and has been at times the player that others have looked to when the team has needed something special. While he is still able to do that it is great to see that Bournemouth now have other players who look equally threatening in attack.

Matt Ritchie has shown his quality with two League
players of the season awards in consecutive seasons and
has still done well despite missing several games this season.   

If Matt was out of the team at any point in the past it was a no brainer that AFCB were weaker and to some extent I think this is still true today, but the other wingers are playing well and no one player is standing out above the others. I think that is what is making AFCB different to many of the other teams pushing for a place in the play-offs - oh, no sorry Jeff, mentioned the 'P' word! All the players at AFCB are playing to a high standard and the work ethic is tremendous. They have gelled in such a way that when one player is out of the team another just slots into the line up and you hardly see the difference.

The goals are coming from various players now and before it was Ritchie and Grabban that posted the most over the Christmas period. I don't see that anyone is seen as being the star player in the team as each of them work so hard for one another. This seems to come out in the passing and movement which is not seen at any other ground. It's pure football and every coach should be looking at what managers like Eddie Howe and Brendan Rodgers are doing. They are light years ahead in their patterns of play.   

No wonder Ritchie is happy to be at AFCB, Eddie Howe can
take his game to another level.

Matt is even more of a team player this season. Look at the sheer joy on his face
when Ian Harte score last week at Birmingham - fabulous!

The beauty is that players like Matt Ritchie are getting even better with such coaching. Players that are looking for clubs in the summer will be only to please to join this group of players because you can see the progress that the club and the players have made in the last two years. Matt Ritchie is one of those who has become more of a team player in my opinion and it's an absolute honour to seem him play at AFCB.