Points on the board - there has to be a target for the end of the year

A good effort but no points.

AFCB are threatening to do something great this season, but there is always the fear that the points could slow down at some point and the prospect of being near the bottom three come the new year is something that the club will want to avoid. The points situation at the moment is better than last season, but this is when the Cherries got into fourth gear and had back to back wins against Chelsea and Man Utd, can the Cherries pick their season up though by beating Liverpool and perhaps Leicester in a couple of games time?

The challenge of winning points in the early December games is perhaps not as impossible as what AFCB were faced with last season. The attitude of the players is crucial now. They have a mad run of games that will decide where they will be come the New Year and the target must be to improve on last season, so that would mean a higher points tally than 19 come Christmas. Just nudging past the point a game ratio is still going to leave AFCB perilously close to the bottom third of the league and now is the time when they need some acceleration.

I'm not sure what it is about December that usually kicks the boys on, but this season will be as important as any other to accumulate wins before the New year. While some teams like Crystal Palace, Leicester City and West Ham are faltering to get regular points, they will at some point win a game and that will put the Cherries under greater pressure. Coaches talk about momentum and building on wins, but it has been stop start for AFCB and while the home form is not so bad, the Burnley and Swansea away games will be pivotal in December.

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IF AFCB can add something like eight points to their current total by the New year then they will be in a reasonable position to defend their Premier League status as the January window opens.