Not right on the night

Even Eddie Howe seems lost for words about the way the players are making mistakes that are resulting in defeats at present. He has some tough days to get his thinking cap on and try to install some confidence back in the side. At least the games are coming fast. But the defeat at Man City was a pivotal moment for the side that had previously been finding its feet with the win against WBA. Now with the Preston defeat there has to be some soul searching among the players, because they've not been good enough.

Deep in thought - things need to turnaround soon for Eddie.

"First of all I must apologise to every supporter who came to watch that tonight," said Eddie Howe after the Preston defeat. Yes, an apology was probably merited to those fans who were lucky enough to get into the ground - something more may be needed for those that queued for an hour or more to get in. But apologies are not what we want to hear. It is questionable whether the idea of blooding those who don't get a regular game in the cup competitions is really what the fans want to see. If the Premier League side is not winning games it might have been more profitable to play four or five of them against Preston North End to build their momentum and guide the side through the tie. If players can't recover in four days when there is no travelling involved then perhaps the players need to manage their energy better.

Of course the side could pick up injuries by over-playing some individuals, but most of AFCB's players have come through the Championship and are as tough as nails. Three games in seven days should not be a big deal when subs can be made in the second half of games. Still, the players that play need to have the right attitude and it comes across that Eddie Howe felt that many of the players let him and themselves down and did not work hard enough on the night against Preston.  

There are lots of negatives hanging around at the moment and it is good to hear that Eddie Howe sounds angry about what has been served up of late. I've not heard him be that critical of his players and because he does not sound off very often it should resonate with the players.

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