Happy where we sit

There won't be that many teams that come away from Carrow Road with a draw or better this season. For that fact AFCB could be more than happy with yesterday's result but in the wider scheme of things the Cherries are not that far off the pace-setters and can go into the international break knowing that they have made a decent start to their second consecutive season in the Championship.

That is not to say that Eddie Howe will not demand more of his troops. The points dropped against Nottingham Forest and Blackburn are games that he will seek to learn from and further challenge the players to see if they can go forward and improve upon those performances. Against Norwich City they have already shown that they can do this and the task is now to recapture a bit of lost ground on the front runners.

Junior Stanislas and Stan Gosling had a good day
against Norwich. Here they are pictured at Huddersfield.

As a whole though, you have to be pleased with the way that the new players have fitted into the team and been a positive force in the side. Junior Stanislas and Callum Wilson have been uppermost in this more attacking emphasis that Howe has created while Dan Gosling is starting to play with more authority. The Norwich game was a good example of Eddie Howe changing things around to meet an opponent with a slightly different set up and it brought its rewards. Yann Kermorgant may well have needed a break but there has been nothing wrong with his play and yet it was felt that a solo striker was the best way to take on the Canaries. A similar set-up might now be used against other powerful teams when AFCB are playing away.

Meanwhile, the Capital One Cup run has been a good campaign and there is much to be pleased about in the introduction of Baily Cargill to the squad. So the international break comes at a good time and gives Eddie a couple of weeks with some of the players to just hone a few more things.

It was also great to hear that the Howe's have a new addition to their family as well.