Bournemouth are not usually a side that find it hard to create chances. Yet, Eddie Howe was somewhat staggered after the game against WBA in wondering whey they created so little. It was so disturbing that Jermain Defoe might as well have been standing in his own half as in and around the West Brom penalty area, as the chances of any Bournemouth player finding him seemed particularly slim when he came on late in the game.
Perhaps pre-season had gone too well. Even in the defeat against Velencia, AFCB had caused problems for the Spanish side and had made the keeper work. There was none of that though in the opening Premier League match at the Hawthorns. Ben Foster will hardly have needed to have his kit washed.
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The team selection was a bit of a surprise in that Marc Pugh had not played as well for me as Max Gradel over the summer, and Jordan Ibe might have also felt unlucky not to get a start. It is evident now, according to SkySports, that Gradel was not played as he is set for a loan move with Toulose, but Eddie was probably cursing that Gradel wasn't on the pitch at the Hawthorns. Howe still has more than enough options though on the wing and he might have tried to find a way to get Josh King more on the ball by changing his position, but it was hard for Bournemouth to counter West Brom's game plan of getting men behind the ball in such numbers.
Eddie will have to devise something though that does allow his forwards to get on the ball more though against such sides that set up against the Cherries in this effective way, and it may be a change in personnel as well as tempo that enable him to do this in the next match.
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| Marc Pugh looked below par on Saturday. |
It wasn't just Defoe that had trouble seeing enough of the ball. Marc Pugh was not able to get into the game and Ryan Fraser was also short of supply at times. When the wide men are not seeing enough of the ball it can be no surprise that Josh King and Benik Afobe were also bystanders for much of the first half. It was a subdued performance by Eddie Howe's men and the reasons for that only he and the players will really know.
Perhaps pre-season had gone too well. Even in the defeat against Velencia, AFCB had caused problems for the Spanish side and had made the keeper work. There was none of that though in the opening Premier League match at the Hawthorns. Ben Foster will hardly have needed to have his kit washed.
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Eddie will have to devise something though that does allow his forwards to get on the ball more though against such sides that set up against the Cherries in this effective way, and it may be a change in personnel as well as tempo that enable him to do this in the next match.
Why don't you look at the poor contribution of central midfield, just ONE goal from open play by Arter and Surman, who has ye to find the Premier League net. That simply isn't good enough in a modern top flight team. We should expect 10 goals a season from that department.
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