AFCB are ready now

So pre-season is virtually over and the Cherries just have a few days now to sort out their final details before taking on the 46 league games and hopefully many more cup games that will define their season. I have been impressed with the variety of goal scorers over the summer matches and the solid platform of the defence that has coped well without Lee Camp and a lot of swapping and changing of personnel.

No more talk, time to play.

It is important that the club's main strikers are putting their chances away and we have seen that they are all firing at the moment - Callum Wilson, Brett Pitman, Yann Kermorgant and Tokelo Rantie have all been finding the back of the net. Some of them have even been scoring more than one in matches and you feel that there are bags of goals in the team. I don't think AFCB were over reliant on Grabban last season to score, but he carried that mantle very well and there is a golden opportunity for other now and it seems to be helping them all compete hard.

Despite the forward line's good form though it is the two wingers of Pugh and Ritchie that please me more than anything else. They know they can be leading men for the team and look assured in their desire to be play makers on the pitch, creating chances and finishing them off when there are chances to do that. Boosted by the signing of Stanislas and supported by the continually improving Fraser, I don't think any club in the Championship has a better group of wide men than AFCB.  

This week I hope that Eddie Howe is concentrating more on the defensive side of the team and the need to come away from the John Smith's stadium having not conceded a goal. Charlie Daniels and Simon Fraser have not played so much over the summer and yet I expect them to be among the 11 to be fielded at Huddersfield. It was noticeable that Adam Smith did not appear in the Swansea match, but I think Eddie Howe would have him on the coach to Huddersfield if he is available. Elliot Ward may need another week but from what I have seen and heard Baily Cargill is ready for this. Indeed, most of the squad are ready now.

In case you don't think I have been working hard enough I filled out some answers about AFC Bournemouth for the Tilehurst Blog which are now up on their Reading site, do have a look. The post also features predictions for Birmingham, Blackburn, Blackpool, Bolton and Brentford - we can beat all of them can't we?