Angers SCO seems a hastily arranged fixture for AFCB

AFCB fans' response to the quickly fitted in last pre-season fixture against Angers SCO has not exactly hit the enthusiasm button. Organisation and giving fans adequate notice might have been better thought out but the priority for AFCB is the players, and if the manager feels they need another pre-season game then it can be a headache to get a quality team this late in the summer who is willing to add another game to their preparations.

Jordan Ibe has looked a £15m signing in every respect so far.

Still you did not have to look too hard on social media before seeing a few less than content quotes from AFCB fans. I get where they are coming from as it does look amateurish at times looking at AFCB with queues round the block for the first home game and the need to fit in another game when there has been a whole summer to work out the pre-season fixture list. I can't imagine that Eddie Howe suddenly thought we have too long a gap before playing Man Utd, let's fill it with a game just to keep everyone on their toes. There will be important reasons why another fixture is required and the fixture will have had an impact on how the team was set up against Valencia.

Angers SCO are a solid mid-table Ligue 1 side having finished 9th last season. They are similarly in their second season in their top division so it could be a good match up. It will be a chance perhaps to play Lys Mousset against a French team to build his confidence.

The bigger numbers in the squad now does make it ore difficult to give everyone sufficient time on the pitch and it is likely that one or two look under done. I have felt that myself looking at the team. Lewis Cook and Jordan Ibe look very sprightly, but I don't see that same energy in all the team and it's not right to pick players just on reputation - AFCB needs results.


Transfer News
Matt Butcher has joined Yeovil Town on loan until January 2017.