Not everything is quite yet right at AFCB. There are more than one or two players who will still be wondering why they are not playing better at the moment. Even though it is a collective game, the individual matters in how they contribute, and it's hard to put a finger on exactly why some of the players are finding it hard to make passes that they would normally do withe ease.
Bournemouth's problems have hopefully just been confidence rather than a more major deep-seated problem. Integrating Begovic, Aké and Defoe has brought its disruptions and assimilating them quickly has been more difficult than was perhaps expected. If the side can pick up an unbeaten run though the new players should find that the fans are very pleased to have them in the side.
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When you are winning everything is fine, but Howe has been clear that the side was never far off getting it right. We can hold judgement for a few more games as a couple of wins doesn't mean much in the overall scale of things if the team loses to Everton, but at least they have experienced the winning feeling.
Against Brighton in the league match, it was noticeable to me that Simon Francis wasn't always able to pick out passes or get to grips with his man, but Adam Smith was also finding himself under pressure when he lost the ball up field, and Harry Arter just had one of those games when it didn't click for him. AFCB got away with it that time, but they need more players hitting top form to get themselves out of the bottom three.
The league cup match had a totally different line up, but the positives were many with Junior Stanislas coming back and Josh King getting his first goal. It was a game where there were a lot of chances created, but the finishing edge was not quite there. Hopefully, the team finds that cutting-edge in the next game.
AFCB have drawn Middlesbrough at home in the Carabao Cup Fourth Round
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| The Cherries have to find more penetrative play from central midfield. |
It's all about the pressure of course and some players deal with it better than others. I can understand though why the team is a bit baffled, in that they finished last season so well and had fallen off a cliff at the start of this season. I don't think many people saw it coming after the fabulous end to last season, but when you get over confident in the Premier League there is always something that soon comes to knock you back down.
Bournemouth's problems have hopefully just been confidence rather than a more major deep-seated problem. Integrating Begovic, Aké and Defoe has brought its disruptions and assimilating them quickly has been more difficult than was perhaps expected. If the side can pick up an unbeaten run though the new players should find that the fans are very pleased to have them in the side.
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Against Brighton in the league match, it was noticeable to me that Simon Francis wasn't always able to pick out passes or get to grips with his man, but Adam Smith was also finding himself under pressure when he lost the ball up field, and Harry Arter just had one of those games when it didn't click for him. AFCB got away with it that time, but they need more players hitting top form to get themselves out of the bottom three.
The league cup match had a totally different line up, but the positives were many with Junior Stanislas coming back and Josh King getting his first goal. It was a game where there were a lot of chances created, but the finishing edge was not quite there. Hopefully, the team finds that cutting-edge in the next game.
AFCB have drawn Middlesbrough at home in the Carabao Cup Fourth Round
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