AFCB have work to do

Eddie Howe did not disguise the fact that the Cherries still have much work to do after their defeat against Southampton. I thought the team selection was certainly not as strong as it might have been in the first half and for the first hour the Cherries really struggled to make a persistent threat on the Saint's goal. So Eddie Howe will look to see where improvements can be made.

In defence the team is getting used to having Benjamin Buchel in goal and if the injuries to Flahavan and Camp persist it may be that he has to start some league games this season. That is a big step up for the Lichtenstein keeper from playing Development squad football. This may have been playing on the manager's mind and the reason for giving Benjamin more time on the pitch at Dean Court in front of a big crowd.

AFCB still need some more organisation.

Adam Smith could have said to be slightly at fault for the Saint's goal in that he could not beat his man to the flying header, but the back four did keep the chances for the Saints down. It is in midfield where I felt the Cherries were struggling. There needed to be more power in the central positions and Gosling and O'Kane may need more time before they feel comfortable playing together there. I still believe Arter is the first choice central midfielder, because he drives the team when he is on the pitch. Whether MacDonald can get more of a go before the start of the season we will have to wait and see. The different combinations tried in training may not be the same as we see on match day and there is still time for Eddie to tinker a little with players in different roles.

The message from this weekend though is that for all the previous games high scoring, the Cherries are not the finished article yet and that should keep players keen to impress. I expect Eddie learnt a lot from the Southampton game, certainly more than he did from the Dorchester match and that is not necessarily a bad thing even if we like to see the team always win.