Tuesday 5 January 2016

Hitting the target is all that AFCB are missing

While the Cherries are building the clean sheets and edging their way to safety, they could be getting even better results if they were hitting the target more often. Against Leicester they had some very good opportunities created and yet I was surprised when seeing the final stats to realise that Kasper Schmeichel had a pretty quiet day.
Josh King will hope to get on the score sheet next time.
AFCB failed to register a shot on target in the 90 minutes and while 30 minutes of that was when the side had been reduced to 10 men, there were missed chances during the game. AFCB are still missing that cutting-edge that the very best sides have on tap. It may be that the Cherries will need that extra one or two chances to score compared to the very best sides, but the January window might yet change that.

The header that Josh King put wide early on was very nearly a great start for the team. Josh is not seen as a player that is going to score lots of headed goals and so he'll be hoping for more chances in the box on his left foot in the coming weeks. He seemed a bit off balance as well and under some pressure for his attempt so it was just a pity that he could not get more purchase on the ball to direct it better.

The opening for Dan Gosling was perhaps less easy to explain why Dan missed the target with the time and space he had, although replays indicate the ball did bobble before he struck it. He was centrally placed and perhaps was unaware the time he might have had to make his shot count, but it just wasn't to be. Schmeichel must have been surprised that he didn't have to make a save though.

In was perhaps fortunate that the foxes also struggled to get shots on target with Boruc only making a couple of major saves, but sticking away chances is something that makes the difference at the moment between sides like AFCB and teams like Watford or Stoke that just sit that bit more comfortably higher up the table.

Transfer Watch
Norwich keeper John Ruddy and Hull's Michael Dawson are said to be targets for AFCB according to the Daily Mirror. There are also rumours of AC Milan keeper Diego Lopez being a target. This is interesting after Eddie Howe said he was not looking to necessarily bring a keeper in. It is not the first time we have heard Dawson's name though and I even recommended him myself if AFCB were looking for a safe centre back who can play out from the back.

There's also an interesting take on the penalty/no penalty decisions in AFCB's match with Leicester from Dermot Galagher on SkySports - did you agree with him?

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