The Cherries have it all to play for

The top teams in the Championship are by no means safe from securing a play-off place yet with Brentford and Wolves tight on the heels of the top six. It is hard to see any other clubs apart from the top eight now battling it out, but there are 21 points to play for and it looks like a total points hall in the mid-to low 80s is what could be required to ensure the play-offs, if Brentford or Wolves go on a great run to make it really close for that sixth place at the end.

AFCB probably need to push towards the high 80s or
even 90 points to secure an automatic promotion place.

While AFCB's position is the best that any team has, in that it is a lead, it is narrow one that could quickly be lost if the Cherries do find Ipswich a problem in their next game. But as Tommy Elphick has said it is important that destiny is kept in their own hands. A strong victory at Ipswich will surely be a significant step towards promotion and with no top of the table team for AFCB then to face in the remaining games, I am sure that Eddie Howe would have been delighted to be in this position if you had told about it at the start of the season.

Yes, Watford, Middlesbrough and Norwich are still all too close for AFCB fans' liking, but you can't help think that this is a great opportunity. It is very thoughtful that the team has now been taken away on a Dubai break or a training camp to focus on the last part of this season. It removed them from all the hype and media attention that might have been a problem if they had stayed in Bournemouth, and with everyone's attention on the internationals it is hoped that we see a fresh and well rested team when they come back to take on Ipswich.