Is pace all important for the Cherries?

Are the Cherries off the pace? Well it is true that the side is not equipped with as much pace up front as they had at the start of the season but it does not necessarily mean that playing with a different attitude means that the team will slip down the table. Eddie Howe can look at games in a more individual way than he might have before as it will be even more important that he gets the very best out of the players that are available now, and I don't think that will mean a settled side for some time to come.

If Eddie Howe wants to continue with a forward line that has pace then he'll have to look to get King, Atsu, Stanislas and Rantie into more games. And yet there is good reason for trying to play more tactically against some teams and we have seen only this last week with the Republic of Ireland's win against Germany that keeping a team's defensive shape can bring big rewards when the opposition get frustrate and tired, and there is potential to bring on quick forwards in the second half to get a win.

Eddie has been very keen to play possession football though and to do that he needs ball winners and players who can add movement and passing to the team in a more controlled fashion. Can AFCB play with more patience and use the talents of Tomlin and Kermorgant on a more regular basis? I suspect that there has been some long discussions about how the team can freshen up and still have the ability to sting teams quickly when they do press high and win possession. We could see AFCB look to be more compact and harder to play through if Eddie does not rely on pace, but there is a danger that the team will fall back in its own half under such situations and against the likes of Man City it is something that Eddie is probably keen to avoid. 

Yann may still have to wait if Eddie goes with pace again.

I think greater movement and power in midfield is the answer and Harry Arter's inclusion in the match day squad is what I am most keen to see. Without pace the team will need quick thinking players and more strength in the centre. It is really going to be intriguing to see what Eddie does against the more favoured teams in the next few weeks and how he will try and take points off of them if he can't rely on pace.

Enjoy the game if you are heading up to Manchester - you might see me there. UTCIAD! Thanks for all those that sent in their score predictions.