It is strange that the first goal has such a dramatic affect on how the Cherries go on to play in matches. We now they are a team that are usually great early starters, but when that does not come off and they give away easy goals they don't seem able to recover - at least not against to top quality teams.
The defeats against Spurs and Man City in themselves are not so unexpected on paper when you look at the relative league positions, the history of the clubs and the cost of the players on the pitch and what they are playing for. AFCB have been playing the top sides at the most decisive part of the season and we knew this fixture list would be tough in April. It is the softness of some of the goals that ave allowed these big teams to get ahead in games that is striking though and something that the players know is not good enough. Still Fernando's early seventh minute goal from the City corner was well taken and Boruc was struggling to get anywhere near it because it was that well placed.
It has happened in most of the games against the bigger clubs and I don't think it's all down to the quality of the opposition. As Eunan O'Kane said in his post match interview: "I think we brought a lot of our own problems in the first 20 minutes. We've talked before, especially the last time at City and the last week at Spurs when you concede so early it's such an up hill climb for you...You can't do that. You can't concede so early in games to the big teams or any one in this league so early in the game and give yourself a mountain such as that to climb.
"We came up against some of the best players in the world today and, you know if they beat two or three of us and stick one in the top corner you can say all right, fair enough but to hand them goals, you know the way we did is frustrating."
Frustrating is a word that we have heard a lot of late and getting past that is something that the team has usually managed to do in patches. This current run does include some very big teams but the chance of a breather against Villa next weekend should not be seen as a given as it will take a performance to get a result, and more focus will be required to ensure the team gets over the 40 point line in a game like that. No body wants to have to sweat out over the remaining games wondering what is happening beneath them in the league.
You can listen back to the excellent All Departments Podcast to work out where things went wrong for AFCB against Man City by visiting the All Departments website. Michael Dunne is joined by Geoff Barlow.
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| Eunan O'Kane among others found it hard going against Man City. |
It has happened in most of the games against the bigger clubs and I don't think it's all down to the quality of the opposition. As Eunan O'Kane said in his post match interview: "I think we brought a lot of our own problems in the first 20 minutes. We've talked before, especially the last time at City and the last week at Spurs when you concede so early it's such an up hill climb for you...You can't do that. You can't concede so early in games to the big teams or any one in this league so early in the game and give yourself a mountain such as that to climb.
"We came up against some of the best players in the world today and, you know if they beat two or three of us and stick one in the top corner you can say all right, fair enough but to hand them goals, you know the way we did is frustrating."
Frustrating is a word that we have heard a lot of late and getting past that is something that the team has usually managed to do in patches. This current run does include some very big teams but the chance of a breather against Villa next weekend should not be seen as a given as it will take a performance to get a result, and more focus will be required to ensure the team gets over the 40 point line in a game like that. No body wants to have to sweat out over the remaining games wondering what is happening beneath them in the league.
You can listen back to the excellent All Departments Podcast to work out where things went wrong for AFCB against Man City by visiting the All Departments website. Michael Dunne is joined by Geoff Barlow.
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