Forget competing AFCB need to be resilient and ruthless

There was bound to be a period of adjustment in taking on Premier League clubs. The summer tried to fill some of that step up in class with games against FC Nantes and TSG 1899 Hoffeheim, but the match against Aston Villa proved that the league is not about who has the most possession or the most chances but the team who puts the ball away and makes the fewest mistakes.

It's the real thing now, not just a warm up.

Looking at the Cherries past record at home it was not surprising that they were favourites against Villa even if they did not get the result. They will need to make the home games against Leicester and Sunderland count more than ever now just to get back on track. But before then the team has a tricky couple of away games at Liverpool and West Ham where they are probably not going to be favourites. The Cherries should forget about that though, as well as the media hype and slight disappointment of the first game. It is all about having a positive attitude and going into games with the belief that they can not only compete but they can be better than the 11 on the other side of the pitch if they do their work to the  best of their ability.

We know that the players missed good chances against Aston Villa. It's going to happen at times. The general effort was high and the nerves of the first game in front of an expectant home crowd was always going to be difficult. The pressure is in a strange ways slightly reduced in the next two games in being away from home. The points are just as important and there is pressure from that point of view, but to get a result against Liverpool or west Ham would certainly kick start the Cherries' season.

Being ruthless in front of goal is what will bring the points now. For 71 minutes the Premier League new boys showed that they could keep a clean sheet and they need to extend that over the 90 minutes now. No mistakes and AFCB will get a point, and it is the kind of game plan that Tim Sherwood employed against AFCB. He was not concerned with how many shots on goal there were in the first half at Dean Court and AFCB should aim to still be in the game at half time at Anfield. If they can weather that early storm then they can look to snatch something. 

Eddie Howe will set the team up to be resilient and he'll be aiming for one of his players to get that lucky break and steal the points. Going to these grounds and asking the players to out play and pass Liverpool and West Ham will be very difficult, and the defence is going to have to be on top of their game. But if they can show that metal and frustrate their will be a chance or two to get something against these teams and in Wilson, King, Gradel, Pugh and Ritchie, AFCB have the speed of attack to cause problems.