It may not have been a successful night in the Carabao Cup, Jermain Defoe was injured and Bournemouth went out, but the display on the pitch was as good if not better than how the team played at Old Trafford and what had been missing in Bournemouth play was suddenly found again.
The pleasing thing was it wasn't just one player doing well it was the whole team. Some of the partnerships might have been different from usual but they began to trust each other and the slick passing returned. Chelsea just could not match what Bournemouth were producing in the second half and the runs of Ibe and Fraser were always resulting in corners and more pressure on Chelsea.
Harry Arter was also back to his best at hounding midfielders and defenders, while Simon Francis was holding his own and Jack Simpson looked very at home in the team. Had Dan Gosling and Jordan Ibe been a tad more accurate with their finishing it could easily have been Bournemouth's night. We even met a Chelsea fan on the tube after the game who had no hesitation to say Bournemouth bossed the second half and deserved to win the game.
Now they need a fast recovery ahead of the match at Man City. But I think we all wanted to pat them on the back for their effort and skill they played with against Chelsea - there was some beautiful movement and a real drive to get back into the game which was brilliant to watch.
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| Defeat, but AFCB should be pleased with what they have achieved in the Carabao Cup. |
Harry Arter was also back to his best at hounding midfielders and defenders, while Simon Francis was holding his own and Jack Simpson looked very at home in the team. Had Dan Gosling and Jordan Ibe been a tad more accurate with their finishing it could easily have been Bournemouth's night. We even met a Chelsea fan on the tube after the game who had no hesitation to say Bournemouth bossed the second half and deserved to win the game.
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Good performances are great but of course we want to win. I don't think the fact that AFCB didn't make it to the semi-finals matters that much as there will be other days when it could happen - maybe even in the FA Cup. But what Eddie Howe and the fans wanted to see was Bournemouth players giving it a go and seeing if they could make a top team buckle. They came very close to it as they just came on stronger and stronger as the game went on. Bournemouth took risks and went after the game positively. That's all we could ask for and I know if they play anything like that in the second half of the season, Bournemouth will get the points they need in the league.
Now they need a fast recovery ahead of the match at Man City. But I think we all wanted to pat them on the back for their effort and skill they played with against Chelsea - there was some beautiful movement and a real drive to get back into the game which was brilliant to watch.
I agree with your assessment. The effort in the second half was the best all season by a country mile. The shooting was not good, at least until Gosling's shot, but that effort was on par with last years performances. I assume Simpson won't start based on Eddie's post match comments, but he was really good and out played Francis and Cook. Also, thought Ibe and Mousset played well up top. I hope for the same effort on Saturday, but as good as Chelsea are Man City are a different beast.
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