The Cherries play Napoli at the weekend and it is likely to be the hardest encounter of the summer. Maurizio Sarri has built a team that finished third in Serie A, and only five points off title winners Juventas. Finishing higher than Inter Milan and AC Milan underlines what a side they are, and AFCB will be up against some of the best players employed in the Italian league.
The main strikers are Insigne, who scored 18 goals last season, and the Slovakian winger Marek Hamsik who scored 12 and is the captain. Jose Maria Callejon also chipped in with 14 goals. So they have excellent attacking players and it's going to be interesting to see how Steve Cook and probably Nathan Aké deal with the threat.
If there are places still up for grabs, Howe is probably yet to decide who should play at right back as Adam Smith and Simon Francis look in contention for the spot and perhaps Max Gradel is pushing Pugh on the left wing.
Possible AFCB team: 4-4-1-1 Begovic (GK), A Smith (RB), S Cook (CD), Aké (CD), Daniels (LB), Mahoney (RW), Arter (CM), Gosling (CM), Pugh (LW), Fraser (FW), Defoe (FW)
In other news, good luck to Ben Whitfield who has joined Port Vale on loan until January.
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| AFCB prepare at Leicester City last season. Premier league games will soon be coming around again. |
Most English fans will now the Napoli keeper, Pepe Reina, who joined Napoli in 2013-14 after his years at Liverpool. Last season he made 37 appearances for Napoli and is considered the first choice keeper. Defender Raul Abiol has Real Madrid and Valencia on his previous club's file, while Tottenham fans will know Vlad Lulian Chiriches from his 2013-15 year spell in England. Another player who has played in the Premier league is the midfielder Emanuele Giaccherini, who was at Sunderland between 2013-15.
The main strikers are Insigne, who scored 18 goals last season, and the Slovakian winger Marek Hamsik who scored 12 and is the captain. Jose Maria Callejon also chipped in with 14 goals. So they have excellent attacking players and it's going to be interesting to see how Steve Cook and probably Nathan Aké deal with the threat.
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Bournemouth have to play their own game, but it will be a high intensity game with no let up I would expect from attacks and counter-attacks. So this should be a good way of ending off pre-season with an energy sapping game. The next week will need to see good recovery as well though before taking on WBA.
If there are places still up for grabs, Howe is probably yet to decide who should play at right back as Adam Smith and Simon Francis look in contention for the spot and perhaps Max Gradel is pushing Pugh on the left wing.
Possible AFCB team: 4-4-1-1 Begovic (GK), A Smith (RB), S Cook (CD), Aké (CD), Daniels (LB), Mahoney (RW), Arter (CM), Gosling (CM), Pugh (LW), Fraser (FW), Defoe (FW)
In other news, good luck to Ben Whitfield who has joined Port Vale on loan until January.
Mahoney is an interesting choice; and, no King?
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