Daniel Sturridge has his critics at Liverpool and is arguably the striker that will be most in demand come the January transfer window and yet I can't see AFC Bournemouth as being his ideal club to come to just because he is missing out at Anfield. Yes, the attraction of Eddie Howe, Jordan Ibe, Brad Smith and Jack Wilshere may make strong reasons for Daniel to consider AFCB as a potential project, but don't forget why Liverpool are not playing him regularly - he does not have a high pressing work rate, which is something Eddie Howe is trying to encourage his team to do.
I rate Daniel Sturridge as a top finisher just as many fans do, but he is not the answer to AFCB's modest goal count. Eddie Howe will want to improve the side in January if he can but not at a cost that pushes aside the progress that Callum Wilson and Josh King have been making. While bringing in a A class finisher would help them to learn and develop their game it is playing time that they most need and that would be cut short. While last season Glenn Murray came to the club to give experience and know how of the Premier League, the side is not at the same stage now and ideally AFCB will be looking for more strikers that are young and showing promise. I rather like the potential back up behind Sturridge at Liverpool - Divock Origi. That is the kind of player that I imagine appeals more to a side making it's way in the Premier League and looking to develop talent.
Advertisement
As long as Eddie believes he has enough goal power at the club, he may not be so desperate to bring in another striker. Benik Afobe and Max Gradel will be absent while they are at the African Cup of Nations, but it is hard to know how long they will be away for and if they will keep injury-free. Other clubs will also find themselves short as well during this period and the prices for players will be high as many clubs will already be concerned about the prospects of relegation. Striker prices will be at a premium, so it may be more stringent for Howe to look at other areas of the pitch where he could strengthen.
While many AFCB fans complain about the lack of shots from the team it is intriguing to see that AFCB are 12th in the number of shots they have taken and as for goals outside the box they are at the lofty position of 8th, even though they have only scored twice from distance. In essence the team is not doing badly and in terms of the defence the team is ranked 5th for clean sheets - well ahead of the next visitors Liverpool - by the way.
Perhaps Eddie has already picked the players he has admired at Liverpool and will choose to look elsewhere come January.
The Cherry Chimes' Newsletter is out tomorrow. |
| Callum and Josh are good enough to get the goals. |
Advertisement
While many AFCB fans complain about the lack of shots from the team it is intriguing to see that AFCB are 12th in the number of shots they have taken and as for goals outside the box they are at the lofty position of 8th, even though they have only scored twice from distance. In essence the team is not doing badly and in terms of the defence the team is ranked 5th for clean sheets - well ahead of the next visitors Liverpool - by the way.
Perhaps Eddie has already picked the players he has admired at Liverpool and will choose to look elsewhere come January.
Cherry Chimes' December Newsletter brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month, plus there is a special Newsletter article entitled: It's not been all-out attack from AFCB
To sign up for the newsletter just complete the form below - like all good things it's free:
No comments:
Post a Comment