Elphick and Cook are best equipped to silence Villa

There has been much debate about who might start in AFCB's first team of the season. While fans may expect the new signings to simply walk into the team it is not fans or individual player concerns that will reflect Eddie Howe's decisions on who plays, but his own feelings on who will contribute most to the team in a highly charged and taxing atmosphere of the first day of the season.

Tommy is the man to lead the Cherries
out in the Premier League.

For some this may point towards needing experience in the side. Why not pick Sylvain Distin as a leader and a strong character? Yet, the pairing of Elphick and Cook has been central to Howe's thinking for a long time and given their recent outing against TSG 1899 Hoffenheim when they kept the Bundesliga to a clean sheet it is most likely that the pair will start tomorrow afternoon against Aston Villa.

Tommy Elphick is the captain and will want to lead his side out on such a special occasion. It would not do him or the team any good to pull him out of the fire in this first game and his desire to play well is always evident with his pre-match routine that lifts the home fans when he runs past. The mood will be all important in this first home match and keeping as many things as similar as normal will be a big helping in settling the players down.

Steve Cook is still the best defender at AFCB in my mind.

For that reason as well I can only see Eddie Howe also relying on the abilities of Steve Cook to play alongside Tommy against Villa. They feed off each other and intuitively cover for one another. They are simply the best prospect that AFCB have for getting a clean sheet at this stage and while I'd expect to see Sylvain Distin eager to play his time will come and it will be an important part that he does play in some of the games as the campaign develops.


Transfer Gossip: It has been reported by the Guardian newspaper that AFCB's £3 million bid for Glenn Murray has been rejected, but that an imporved offer is expected over teh weekend. Harry Cornick has also joined League Two side Yeovil Town on a month's loan.