Watching Bournemouth play when they had just conceded against WBA after half time felt like just about the worst part of the season. I hate it when I don't feel the players are thriving in the atmosphere and to be fair there was a lot of gloom around the Vitality stadium, because the team just weren't functioning well at all against the bottom side in the league.
I could not see how AFCB were going to turn the game around without the crowd picking up the noise level. The game needed a special moment before Albion sucked the life out of the game. I don't think WBA dragged AFCB down to their level. WBA were very effective at what they are good at and AFCB's little flicks and tricks just were not coming off.
It needed someone to grab hold of the game and get the players pushing harder to test Ben Foster. It may not worry Howe too much that AFCB found it so difficult to get past the WBA press in the first half, because the Francis substitution disrupted AFCB's game, but he should question why Bournemouth could not get their game going. The late comebacks are terrific to watch, but AFCB don't want to be in that position in every game and it will be good to see if the break in Dubai will help them to regain some energy and purpose in their Premier League season, which still needs better consistency to ensure AFCB do get a top10 finish.
However, AFCB are almost safe and that is a good achievement with seven games to go.
AskFans - AFCB 2 v 1 WBA
Daily Mail Fans' Verdict - AFCB 2 v 1 WBA
Bournemouth have an unwelcome habit of falling behind in games |
Dan Gosling and Lewis Cook were not much of a factor as WBA were getting success from lumping balls over the top of them and Rodriguez and Rondón were superb at holding the ball up an bringing players like Livermore and Nyom into the game. Albion might not have been a team with a lot of confidence but they had the game in their pocket and watching Ben Foster take an age to make his goal kicks seems like a repeat performance of so many other AFCB games that have run out of steam as the pressure on the players mount.
I could not see how AFCB were going to turn the game around without the crowd picking up the noise level. The game needed a special moment before Albion sucked the life out of the game. I don't think WBA dragged AFCB down to their level. WBA were very effective at what they are good at and AFCB's little flicks and tricks just were not coming off.
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It needed someone to grab hold of the game and get the players pushing harder to test Ben Foster. It may not worry Howe too much that AFCB found it so difficult to get past the WBA press in the first half, because the Francis substitution disrupted AFCB's game, but he should question why Bournemouth could not get their game going. The late comebacks are terrific to watch, but AFCB don't want to be in that position in every game and it will be good to see if the break in Dubai will help them to regain some energy and purpose in their Premier League season, which still needs better consistency to ensure AFCB do get a top10 finish.
However, AFCB are almost safe and that is a good achievement with seven games to go.
AskFans - AFCB 2 v 1 WBA
Daily Mail Fans' Verdict - AFCB 2 v 1 WBA
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