Are Cherries right to feel confident lying in bottom three?

The performance that AFCB put in against Newcastle was probably one of the best they have put together this season. In terms of dominating possession and retaining the ball, Eddie could not have asked much more of his team. It was as usual in both boxes where the game was settled and yet there is a confident air about Dean Court that the side is about to put that right, even though they face some of the biggest teams in the league in the next few weeks.

Deep in thought. Eddie Howe knows that he
and his players will find solutions together.

Rivals will always say such optimism is misplaced and yet if you take a look at the teams in the bottom six, which ones would you say have an air of despondency about them? I would say there are quite a few that are not playing as well as the Cherries and it has been a distinct characteristic of the Cherries in recent seasons that when they have had a slump in points return they have managed to find a way of turning good performances into point earning ones eventually. This is one of the longest runs that the club has had without getting points in the last few seasons and it has come at an early stage. That gives Eddie and his players time to correct things as long as the players believe they are good enough to do that. in a much tougher league.

There has been rumours of Man utd and West Ham being interested in Matt Ritchie and that in itself will bring encouragement to the players that every game is an opportunity for them and the club to change peoples' minds. That is what they need now. A game where they are not supposed to win, but to overturn the odds.they need a stepping stone to get them on the right path and the work that has been done in the last couple of weeks will have been dedicated to doing just that. 

Everyone saw how much Tommy Elphick was hurting in that BT Sports' box after the Newcastle match. It's not nice to lose and if Tommy was hurting so were the players on the pitch. But the mood is still optimistic and rightly so, as it is only small elements that have prevented the team from getting that positive result. Eddie Howe believes it is coming and now it is over to us fans to push the team on to achieving the unexpected and to start getting everyone looking forward to winning games and climbing back up the league. It's time to get over the disappointments and really help the players that will be wearing the shirts on Saturday. UTCIAD!

Sebd your score predictions into @peterbell19

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