If the Man City defeat told Eddie Howe anything it was that the team is vulnerable to counter attacks from top rate teams. The way Sterling and Nolito broke on the flanks and the ability of De Bruyne to commit defenders, when they were off balance, made some of the City attacks look like a knife going through butter.
In short, AFCB have to use a better defensive midfielder against these top six teams. I believe they have the player in the squad to do that protection role for the back too in Nathan Aké, but he is not getting game time at the moment. It may seem negative to try and be defensively well organised and think more about defence than attack against the top sides, but if the Cherries want to try and pick up anything against these kind of teams then they have to work out a way of conceding fewer goals. Tightening up at the back will be necessary for the match against Everton who are also in a purple patch of form and AFCB have to go back to think again of a better way of stopping Everton, because the set-up against Man City wasn't strong enough.
The mid-week cup game against Preston North End is now a lot more valuable than it might have seemed a few days ago. There are players, such as Brad Smith and Marc Wilson and Lewis Cook, that may be able to prove that they should be involved in the Everton game and while I can't see Eddie changing the team massively for Everton from the Man City starting line up, he can't expect a better outcome from what they received up at the Etihad by playing the same system for a home game.
The speed of the Man City passing was too precise and slick for the Cherries and it was a bigger test than Man Utd or West Ham Utd. Man City were not pressed by AFCB and the team did not really get close to exerting much pressure on the City goal even if Josh King had a few moments, Callum Wilson struck the cross bar and Harry Arter managed a strike near the end which went close.
Some times you have to play a bit ugly to stop the opposition and while Adam Smith was flustered and had a go back in his tussle with Nolito, I would not mind seeing a bit more aggression from the start against the top teams. AFCB have to get more rough and tough aaginst the big boys, rather than standing off.
In short, AFCB have to use a better defensive midfielder against these top six teams. I believe they have the player in the squad to do that protection role for the back too in Nathan Aké, but he is not getting game time at the moment. It may seem negative to try and be defensively well organised and think more about defence than attack against the top sides, but if the Cherries want to try and pick up anything against these kind of teams then they have to work out a way of conceding fewer goals. Tightening up at the back will be necessary for the match against Everton who are also in a purple patch of form and AFCB have to go back to think again of a better way of stopping Everton, because the set-up against Man City wasn't strong enough.
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| The goal might have well been empty at times - AFCB couldn't get back in time. |
The speed of the Man City passing was too precise and slick for the Cherries and it was a bigger test than Man Utd or West Ham Utd. Man City were not pressed by AFCB and the team did not really get close to exerting much pressure on the City goal even if Josh King had a few moments, Callum Wilson struck the cross bar and Harry Arter managed a strike near the end which went close.
Some times you have to play a bit ugly to stop the opposition and while Adam Smith was flustered and had a go back in his tussle with Nolito, I would not mind seeing a bit more aggression from the start against the top teams. AFCB have to get more rough and tough aaginst the big boys, rather than standing off.
What should happen against PNE is the team who played Saturday should play so there can be a complete change of personnel for Everton..but I somehow doubt it....
ReplyDeleteI am afraid I have to be blunt...we are not a Premier League Club and the infrastructure is not Premier League either....why is it the youth set up is made up of ex Bournemouth players..or Eddies mates...what qualifications does Steve Fletcher have for doing any coaching whatsoever ..playing 600 odd games for us is not a qualification and can we do better than Jason Tindall....what aspirations if any do we have of playing in the Premiership Under 23 league..and why aren't we in it...what is happening to the ..
We are becoming Wilshire obsessed..every article about Bournemouth is about him...we have got to stop this
As I have said the treatment of the new players is nonsense...and its a big mistake by the manager whose transfer recxord in last 18 months is appalling....with King the only regular and thats not good enough..if I were the owners I would be saying to the manager that he can buy no further players unless they play immediately in the first team and they are given a good run out...this nonsense of bringing players in and not playing them in the premiership has got to stop....for two reasons...the players themselves will become disillusioned and new recruits will not come as they know they will have no chnace of regular first team football...the idea of recruitment is to improve the first team and not the squad...
Time for Bournemouth to grow up and quickly....
Good site. I was never expecting anything from man City. But could we not try a different system. I think 3:5:2 would help with current players we have. It should still provide a goal threat with the added benefit of being able to close down the defence. Because they just hit crossfield passes all time. And wore us down. We have strikers and wing backs I think. At least try it. Any thoughts?
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