The Cherries are in this together

Goal keeping aside there is more than the odd gaff that has slipped into the Cherries game at the back. Yet, I can’t knock the players for their efforts and willingness to improve. The nervous errors are something that I did not expect to see at the Vitality stadium. Taking on the better teams has always been a challenge and something that has just been great to witness because they usually happened in cup games only. But now there’s a very real importance to the games as the Cherries need to win games in this league and the players are aware that they are the only ones who can get the results.

The lads must lean on each other.

Are the back four up to playing at this level? Well, Eddie Howe makes no excuses that some of the players are League One and Championship players. If you asked how many of the back four would get into another Premier League team there are perhaps not too many hands going to go up, but it’s the sum of the parts that is important. Even working as a unit though, the Cherries have only been good enough to earn one clean sheet so far.

We can pick holes in individuals’ performances and we know that some uncharacteristic mistakes have gifted goals to the opposition. The players will take responsibility for that and will have to move on. What I want to see is each of them helping one another out. Someone taking responsibility to clear danger when it is clear a colleague is under pressure and maybe even a bit more game management at times when things are going against the team.

In some cases I often think of our team as a boxes caught on the ropes. They want to come up for air but frequently don’t manage to take a breather when they could cling on for a round or two just by employing some spoiling tactics. Playing the perfect game is all well and good when it is working well for you, but when you have not got the ball why force the game so hard if you can organise and defend sensibly?

I know Eddie Howe has Jason Tindall and Simon Weatherstone to help him out in the coaching aspects of the game but a defensive mastermind who has played at the top level would be a great help right now. I guess Eddie has that in a way with Sylvain Distin, but I wonder how much Sylvain can see happening that could be improved upon when he is in the thick of it? With Tommy Elphick and Harry After also watching a lot of the games, I hope the players on the sidelines are able to add their input to how the Cherries might do better in certain instances. It is of course not just about the back four and those in midfield and up front have to see what they can do to relieve pressure on the guys at the back.