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Thursday, 31 January 2019

Josh King - goal hungry again

Top scorer on the night against Chelsea was Josh King and it was great to see him back to his best again. Josh has been under the shadow of Callum Wilson, but he stood up and made himself counted. He took his goals with delight and after the second goal and Bournemouth's third, he loved the celebrations with his team-mates.
Josh King right on target.
Josh has now got himself up to eight Premier League goals and he will want to get to double figures as soon as possible. He may yet catch Callum Wilson, who is said to be out for three or four weeks after a minor knee operation. It may be that Josh felt he had to do something special with Dominic Solanke now ready to play, and Callum having been in such great form, and Eddie Howe must be pleased with how Josh has responded.

The signs are good for Bournemouth with the way Brooks linked so well with King. They looked a natural partnership, and Brooks found King extremely well for Bournemouth's first goal. To see King return the favour and play Brooks in was also proof that they were working on the same wavelength, and you can't always get that understanding, even when players work on it.
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King looked a different player than in the past few weeks. He had a smile on his face again and I think he is a player that likes to be the main target man. He will get a few more games to lead the line now and with Bournemouth players enjoying their football, we could see a lot more goals in the next few weeks. 

Transfer News
Tyrone Mings is having a medical with Aston Villa.  

Cherry Chimes' Newsletter - out tomorrow

Cherry Chimes' February Newsletter brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month. It's out tomorrow with special story - Is survival still a good season for AFCB?
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Brooks and King rip Chelsea apart 4-0

Match Report

AFCB 4 v 0 Chelsea
30 January 2019
Attendance: 10,227
AFCB found their A game in the second half against Chelsea.
This was Bournemouth's nigh all right. Chelsea came to play and Bournemouth were desperate just to see the ball at times, but with a goalless first half Bournemouth then turned on the style. The running power of Josh King and the silky skills of David Brooks were too much for Chelsea to cope with. King rifled the ball into the net at the start of the second half and from then on Bournemouth were in control. Brooks jumped on Luiz to set up his goal and King knew he had finished the game when he netted again on 74 minutes at the far post. Topped off with a Charlie Daniels header, Bournemouth ran out big winners on the night.

Bournemouth had to play without Callum Wilson who had a knee problem, while Jefferson Lerma, with a foot injury, also missed out. Junior Stanislas had a start along with Andrew Surman, while new signings Solanke and Mepham were on the bench.

Chelsea would start with new signing Higuain up front to replace Willian and Alonso dropping to the bench for Emerson to start.

Bournemouth began with an early corner, before Brooks lost the ball trying to find Ryan Fraser. The red and black shirts were getting after Man City in their own half. Adam Smith and Josh King caught Pedro on the ball and King's shot hit David Luiz flush on his head knocking him down.

Stanislas was playing on the right and Brooks down the middle, Bournemouth were nicking the ball well in midfield and a cross from Chelsea is headed by Kovacic and tipped into the bar by Boruc. A fantastic save by Boruc.

Chelsea started to get their passing going and King fouls Higuain on eight minutes. Luiz crossed at the far post but Steve Cook cleared well. Hazard shows his quality making Gosling twist and gets a shot off that Brouc saves to his right.

Chelsea are pressing forward and have a corner on 16 minutes but the offside flag goes up. Chelsea are swarming around Bournemouth when they do get hold of the ball. Kanté's cross is too long. Fraser draws a free kick from Rudiger which releases the pressure.

Clyne comes forward and Surman hits into the stand. Gosling leaves a leg out that catches Pedro. Aké gets a strong header out. Luis pick out Harzard who lays it off to Pedro and his shot is saved by Boruc.

Chelsea are well on top and Bournemouth are having to defend deep. Rudiger tries to get runners in behind but Clyne is wise to it. Kanté is next to be caught offside.


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Fraser gets down the wing and a chance comes to Brooks but he's just robbed of the ball when about to shoot. A cross form the other side from Steve Cook, headed on by King and Brooks' header is down to the ground but the keeper has it. Two chances to Brooks in a few minutes, but it's still 0-0.

Brooks grabs the ball and goes himself but the keeper saves low to his left. Azpilicueta shoots bending the ball towards Boruc who has to punch away to his right. Two good attempts by both teams.

Steve Cook clears anywhere will do. The ball is coming back fast though. Hazard shoots but Boruc saves it. Rudiger runs straight into Brooks and gets away with that.

Nice build up play from Bournemouth but the cross is plucked out of the sky by Chelsea's keeper. Bournemouth break with King and Stanislas is free and he shoots right at the keeper. Let off for Chelsea.

Just two minutes are added. Bournemouth certainly need half-time to get a rest. Pedro shoots wide to give the Cherries a goal kick. It's 0-0 at half-time.
David Brooks is again outstanding.
Second half
Fraser and King are away. Fraser finds Brooks and King has slammed it into the top of the net. Great start to the second half for Bournemouth. Brooks put the ball on a plate for King 1-0.

Aké has given a free kick away on Pedro. Bournemouth defend well. There's a lot of turnover in the middle of the pitch. Steve Cook gets a diving header away. Adam Smith has to head out. This could be the pattern of lay for this half.

Aké clears, Bournemouth under great pressure. Bournemouth work well to get Higuain offside. A loose pass from Hazard is a collector's item.

Bournemouth enjoy a bit of play around Chelsea's box but Fraser is offside. Gosling does well to get a foot in but then gives the ball away. Pedro has a shot that Boruc just knocks down.

Fraser is away and pulls up with his hamstring. Pedro plays Kanté in but he can't control it and Brouc collects. Big chance that.

Kovacic gets a sift free kick off Surman. Gosling loses the ball on the edge of his box but Aké covers for a Chelsea corner. Bournemouth have seen Pedro off. He is replaced by Willian.

Another Chelsea corner. Surman has put it out again. Luiz loses the ball to Brooks. King finds Brooks who has the ball in the clear, and he cuts inside and it's 2-0 to Bournemouth! Right foot, left foot - slotted home on 64 minutes gone.

Higuain is subbed for Giroud. King is away and Brooks can't quite control it. - that could have been 3-0.

Brooks is subbed and Ibe replaces him on 68 minutes. Steve Cook is holding his groin and is on his back. He had a nasty slip. He is back up. Adam Smith fouls Willian but Surman is the one who is booked for kicking the ball away.


Fraser puts in a free kick and King sees his shot blocked. Clyne, Stanislas and King makes it 3-0! 75 minutes gone. Clyne found Stanislas perfectly on the right and King doesn't miss from six yards. Loftus-Cheek replaces Kovacic on 77 minutes.


Hazard has a shot that goes wide for a corner. Hazard finds Loftus-Cheek and he slices past the post.

Chelsea line up another corner. Hazard puts it in. Ruduger gets up but Boruc saves and Aké and Gosling get it away.

Some great defending by Bournemouth to keep it at 3-0. Jordan Ibe keeps Rubens Loftus-Cheek off of the ball in Bournemouth's box. Bournemouth are closing this game out.

Willian has a step over and shoots wide. Five minutes of added time go up. Surman wins a free kick and Fraser is subbed for Charlie Daniels.

Stanislas and King back to Stanislas and he is tackled just before he could shoot, corner..

Chris Mepham comes on for Stanislas. From the free kick, Ibe crosses and Daniels stoops well and heads it in- 4-0!
Charlie Daniels comes on and he scores - job done!
Summary
What a night! Bournemouth had moments when they were chasing shadows, but they found themselves and made Chelsea pay when they did get chances. Josh King was really on fire and Brooks is just top class. The back line also needs praise as Brouc made very important saves early on and in the second half, while Clyne, Aké, Smith and Cook were really head strong and didn't panic when the ball came into the box. A surprising three points, but we'll take them. Let's hope this gives AFCB more confidence as a back-to-back win has been a long time in coming as have points against the top six. They did this too without Wilson and Lerma.
AFCB line up
AFCB Subs: Begovic, Rico, Daniels, Mepham, Ibe, Solanke, Mousset.


AFCB Ratings
Boruc 8, Clyne 8, S Cook 7, Aké 7, A Smith 7, Stanislas 7, Surman 7, Gosling 7, Fraser 7, Brooks 9, King 8

Ref Watch: Roger East 5/10 - didn't see the sot tactics of Pedro and Kovacic trying to win free kicks.


Chelsea
Arrizabalaga, Azpilicueta, Rudiger, Emerson, Jorginho, Kante, Kovacic (Loftus-Cheek 77), Pedro (Willian 62), Higuain (Giroud 64), Hazard

Subs
Cabalero, Christensen, Alonso, Loftus-Cheek, Barkley, Willian, Giroud




Cherry Chimes' Newsletter - out tomorrow

Cherry Chimes' February Newsletter brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month. It's out tomorrow with special story - I
s survival still a good season for AFCB?
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Wednesday, 30 January 2019

Bournemouth look to close the gap on Chelsea

Bournemouth have not come off well from the two games against Chelsea at the end of 2018. The league away result was slightly unlucky, and the team put up a brave fight against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup. It would be a first though for Bournemouth to beat Chelsea at home in the Premier League and the players need to get something from this game to be satisfied that Chelsea haven't completely got the better of them in this season.
Bournemouth look for a back to back win.
The gap between the two teams has opened up to 17 points and while Bournemouth won't expect to finish higher than the other Russian-backed club in the league, they will want to close the gap on the top six and the bast way to do that is to start taking points off these teams. It will be of key interest to see if Nathan Aké and Callum Wilson start this game. Both are in the spotlight as Chelsea targets for signing, but if they both play 24 hours before the window shuts it is doubtful that Chelsea would have agreed a fee for either player and Bournemouth fans can take a sigh of relief.

Bournemouth need to play both players to give themselves a strong chance of winning the game. There will surely be a late check for Wilson if he is still struggling with his hamstring while Aké could be rested if Howe feels Mepham can step in straight away. Personally, I expect Mepham to have to wait a while to make his first Premier League appearance as Bournemouth don't need to put him in the deep end straight away.


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What I do hope is that Dominic Solanke is fit enough to make the bench. Howe said that it would be February before we are likely to see him but with transfer rumours about Lys Mousset this week, it might be helpful for Howe to have Solanke available just to take the heat off Mousset, who might be wondering if a late bid could come in for him this window.


Possible AFCB line up
AFCB Subs: Begovic, Simpson, Surman, Mepham, Ibe, Stanislas, Mousset

AFCB TV



T-shirt competition
Send in your score predictions for AFCB v Chelsea. We will pick a winner from those who send in the correct score. Tweet your answer to @CherryChimes

Transfer News
Tyrone Mings is being linked with Derby County and Nottingham Forest. Aston Villa and WBA are said to have cooled their interest after AFCB are said to have asked for a fee of £1m for loaning the player.

Tuesday, 29 January 2019

Is a home win against Chelsea finally possible?

Bournemouth have not managed to beat Chelsea at home in the three previous Premier League games, but this could be their best chance with Chelsea coming off he back of two cup games in the last few days. Maurizio Sarri will no doubt make changes from his large squad to try and keep his strongest side ready for Bournemouth, but Eddie Howe will plan to attack and motivate his players to get that first win against a top six side this season.
Bournemouth take on Chelsea again hoping for a different outcome.
Most of the Chelsea talk has been about the performances of Eden Hazard since their Carabao Cup success against Tottenham last Thursday night. I don't expect Bournemouth believe they can win the game unless they come up with some kind of plan to keep him from causing problems. He turned the last game against Bournemouth in the Carabao Cup in December and he is the type of player that can just make the difference in these games. Perhaps Bournemouth will be spared the presence of Higuain having seen him play a full game on Sunday in the FA Cup. Higuain could be on the bench though and will want to get his first Chelsea goal as quickly as possible.

But if Bournemouth know where their main problems are going to come they also have to believe that their newly structured defence, with Boruc in goal and Nathaniel Clyne on the right, can be as compact as they were against West Ham. Back-to-back clean sheets have not been a feature of Bournemouth's season, and the top six have really battered Bournemouth's goal difference. So can this game be different?

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Bournemouth will be pleased they still miraculously have Jefferson Lerma sitting on his last yellow card, and the team really needs a fully-fit Callum Wilson to have that finishing presence on the pitch to cause panic in Chelsea's defence. Eddie Howe needs all his players to step up for a big performance, and under the lights at Dean Court should be a special atmosphere. A win would certainly spark some excitement into an end of season race to try and beat the club's top nine finish.

AFCB Home Form
WLWDW

Chelsea Away Form
LWWWL

Other news
Club ownership has changed. Peak 6 has sold its 25 per cent shares in the club. AFCB Enterprises Ltd -Maxim Demin's company - now fully owns AFCB again. 

Monday, 28 January 2019

Slow change at Bournemouth

I was pondering one of the stats from the West Ham match that really underlined the fact that Bournemouth haven't found it easy to replace their starting 11 over the past four years, or perhaps haven't needed to. Six of the starting 11 against West Ham last weekend were among the starters to get Bournemouth's first Premier League win in 2015 at Upton Park.
Marc Pugh has been a fantastic professional for AFCB,
but now Bournemouth have to find more like him.
On a week when Marc Pugh has gone out on loan to Hull City, and talk of Harry Arter attracting interest from Watford and Aston Villa, you could be mistaken for believing that Bournemouth are as keen as any team to update their starting 11. The plan is to develop players as far as they can be taken at Bournemouth and that has led to long contracts being extended. Signing for Bournemouth tends to be a long-term decision for the club and whatever player is involved. It may just be one of the reasons why Bournemouth have managed to find their way to success in the Premier League.

But this January we have already seen three players come into the club and I'd say the pace of change for Bournemouth is staring to accelerate. We are seeing players who have been at the club for a while start to move on. Is this a good thing? When you see signings like Jefferson Lerma and David Brooks it is hard to see anything put positivity from the changes. But the club has been very good at releasing players who are reaching the end of their careers rather than being in their prime.



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Holding on to Bournemouth's star performers is something that Eddie Howe worries about every window. Yet, he has managed to keep many players loyal to Bournemouth and if he can continue to do that, Bournemouth will start to have a squad that can rival the very best in the Premier League.

Sunday, 27 January 2019

Is Mepham insurance for Aké departure?

It is hard to see how Eddie Howe can keep all his centre-halves happy with his predominance at picking a back four for most games, and only having two central-defensive places up for grabs in most games. The Daily Mirror is suggesting that Chris Mepham has only been brought in, because the top six have scouts at Bournemouth games, watching the progress of Nathan Aké.
Is Aké an asset Bournemouth simply won't be able to hold on to?
I'm sure Aké is being watched and he is capable of playing at a bigger club and improving his wages. It may also be that Chelsea have first claim on the Dutchman, but if they are looking to bring in defenders in the summer, we could be seeing the final few games of Aké in a Bournemouth shirt before the summer.

That would make more sense when looking at the Mepham transfer. Bournemouth may still see Tyrone Mings move this window, but it looks like Jack Simpson has been kept back from going on loan. It would be a surprise if at least one central defender didn't move in January from Bournemouth, and Mings is the player that is most in need of the games.


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What was said to Mepham when he signed and whether he was given any guarantees about playing is something fans would love to know. For sure it would be good for him to learn next to Steve Cook and Nathan Aké, but if Aké is off this summer, Mepham won't have long to get up to Premier League speed. Howe may also want to play Mepham as much as he can, if he knows that Aké is to be sold.

At the moment, Bournemouth look like they are strengthening strongly. But looks can be deceiving, and if there is a shock move for one of the team's defenders, let's hope it is in the summer and not in this January window.

Chimes to Camera - AFCB 2-0 West Ham Utd

Saturday, 26 January 2019

Knee worries apart there's no stopping Wilson now

When I was watching Callum Wilson hit his rocket volley past Fabianski last weekend, I was quick to grab my sons and enjoy the moment with them, jumping up and down at the sheer velocity of the shot! I was delighting in the moment and with the knowledge that Callum Wilson was moving up the ranks in terms of his finishing ability. A few years ago I'm not certain that Wilson would have even gone to hit a shot from outside the box as well as that as a dipping volley, let alone shape up so well that the goal made everyone gasp in awe at the strike.
Callum is in a great place but it's important he stays injury-free.

Callum is in the mood to score goals. Everyone is talking about him. He has an England cap in his pocket and with Harry Kane injured, he could be the main man for England's next international. Both Gareth Southgate and Eddie Howe will be sweating though on the players knee concerns as he limped off against West Ham. The man has been through an awful lot t get his game back to its peak, and he seems to forever be in the repair garage which is the only thing that is likely to halt his progress.


Callum's quality is there for all to see now. He glided another excellent effort against the post against West Ham in the second half that could have raised his stock even higher had it gone in. But while West Ham and Chelsea are said to be looking under every stone to gather the money to make Bournemouth a substantial offer for the striker, it is pleasing for Bournemouth supporters just to stop and reflect a little on their club now having the most wanted striker probably in Europe. It means that Wilson's future is whatever he wants it to be, and Bournemouth can be satisfied that even if they do have to sell Callum at some point they will be very well compensated.

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If Eddie Howe can do this to Wilson's game, we have to believe that he can do something similar to Dominic Solanke and Lys Mousset, if they have the ability within themselves to become great strikers. These players don't necessarily evolve every time, but at least we know Eddie Howe can make it work for some strikers and Wilson is hopefully just one of many off the Bournemouth conveyor belt that go on to be top-class strikers for the club on Howe's watch.

Transfer news
Lys Mousset has been linked with Galatasary.

Friday, 25 January 2019

Have Bournemouth got the best out of Tyrone Mings?

The speculation on Tyrone Mings' future has been filling newspaper columns in the West Midlands for the last week or more. Whether Tyrone is disappointed in the way his Bournemouth career has turned out or not, it looks like it will be interrupted if a club does want to take him in the January window.
Tyrone deserves a good run in a team.
Bournemouth made Tyrone their record signing when he was captured from Ipswich Town in the summer of 2015. Then it all looked amazing for the £8m left-back who had Bournemouth's first year in the Premier League firmly in his sights. But Mings was injured early on that season in the game against Leicester City and he had to sit the season out with a cruciate ligament injury. When he did make his way back he had discussed the option of turning himself into a central-defender, and perhaps Eddie had that in mind for him when he was originally spotted at Ipswich anyway. The problem was that Steve Cook and Tommy Elphick were a good pairing, and when Simon Francis vacated the right-back position for a centre-back role, Mings would again find himself a bit of a spare part.

I remember how fans thought gosh the club has played a lot for Mings and he's really going to be the future. He has a fantastic long stride and is so comfortable on the ball it was no surprise to see him do so well, when he did get opportunities against the likes of Man United. But have we ever seen Tyrone get a good run in the team? Not really. It's been stop start all the way along and with a nagging back injury last season, which caused him problems this season as well. Tyrone probably feels like a change of scenery could only bring him a bit of luck.
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I still believe Tyrone could be one of the best defenders in the Premier League. He just hasn't played and hasn't been able to get into a rhythm. He may find that moving to a Championship club is more enjoyable, as he will get a raft of games one after another and it may help his form, but I'll be sad to see Tyrone go if this happens. He's been a bubbly character, speaks so intelligently and carries himself well, even when times have been hard for him.

Thursday, 24 January 2019

Pleased or relieved - Bournemouth still have work to do

Eddie Howe was pleased for everyone concerned with AFCB after the win against West Ham. He was pleased for his own family, who would get a pleasant evening for once, but also pleased for himself for sure. The pressure was beginning to grow on Howe and he was perhaps wondering what else he cold do to turn things around. But the fact that Bournemouth are 11 points clear of the relegation zone and looking up again now that they have crossed 30 points puts a different perspective on things.

Can Bournemouth push on again now and rediscover their early season form?
The table will look after itself, if Bournemouth keep their home form going well. The next match against Chelsea will be another opportunity to get something against a top six team, and it's perhaps the first time when AFCB will be coming up against a big team that is not in 100 per cent top form, so I'll keep my fingers crossed that Bournemouth can get their first points against one of the biggies. But a more important game is likely to be the away fixture against Cardiff, who are fighting for everything. Bournemouth's away form is truly with one win in their last seven.

It's been a wretched December and January. The past is the past though and there is now everything to play for in terms of beating previous targets like the 46 points total, and the ninth placed finish, which are both records that could go this season. Safety has to be the first target and three more wins would pretty much guarantee that. It may not be until March that Bournemouth are knocking on the 40 point mark, but that would still put them in a great position to set some new records.



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Winning against West Ham is the first double of the season and there could be a few more to come. There was a sense of relief with the win that everything is going to be good now and that Bournemouth will soon be safe. But the players need to keep the hunger that they had for the West Ham game for every match to come, if they are to make sure that they are not creeping over the line come May.

Wednesday, 23 January 2019

Boruc deserved his chance

Few would have expected Artur Boruc to be thrust into the spotlight again as Bournemouth's keeper to face West Ham United, especially on a wet and dreary day when mistakes could happen. But Artur is a man who quietly goes about his work, and just gets the job done. In fact, Eddie Howe may be wondering why he didn't give the Polish keeper a quicker return.
Artur Boruc did extremely well to dislodge Asmir Begovic,
but can he stay there for the rest of the season?
Artur is approaching the last few years of his career, but at 38 he has sen and done it all before so coming into a game like a must win Premier League match is just an adrenalin hit to him. He has a persona that is endearing, because he looks so calm on the outside when he stands between the sticks. Before the match kicked off with West Ham he was throwing high-fives to all the players confident that he was going to have a good game and he loves the big matches.

There never has been much between Boruc and Begovic in terms of shot saving in my book. If anything Boruc is perhaps the best at making the save that he really shouldn't. But on distribution and individual errors, it is Begovic that Howe has seen as the safer pair of hands for the last few months. That has changed, perhaps just because Howe needed to change something in the defence, as the bad run was getting so big that it was enveloping everything in the players minds.

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Having Boruc in goal was a new focus. It told them they all had to do better or further change was coming and the defence did their very best to give Boruc as comfortable afternoon as they could. It may mean that Bournemouth have a new number one keeper for the rest of the season now, as a winning team and a team that keeps a clean sheet is something that you don't look to change. I'm really pleased that Boruc is not going to slowly bow out at AFCB, but is going to give it his absolute all and make it difficult for Begovic or any other keeper to take the shirt away from him. 

Transfer News
AFCB welcomed new signing Chris Mepham to Dean Court yesterday.

Tuesday, 22 January 2019

Was Bournemouth's defence good or Hammer's attack toothless?

It is hard to get excited about defenders doing their job sometimes, while the goalscorers tend to get all the credit. Against West Ham Bournemouth did get a well-earned clean sheet and they reduced West ham to shooting from distance for most of the game, until Andy Carroll missed for one yard. So were West Ham's strikers just poor or did Bournemouth's defence play outstandingly well?
Nathan Aké with Nathaniel Clyne before the West Ham match.
I am more of a glass half full merchant, when it comes to Bournemouth's defence. I still believe the team is two or three defenders short of being a really polished unit, that could rank as well as some of the top 10 teams in the Premier League. Aké and Clyne have the quick decision-making and control to their games that will hopefully start to be picked up be one or two others. But Bournemouth play better in defence when they really come out with an attitude to not give the opposition a kick around their box.

It was interesting that Howe said that he asked his defenders to be more aggressive against West Ham. He perhaps felt that they had been too timid against Everton and then Brighton in the cup. That determination not to get pushed aside, I've always feel Bournemouth players have had as they have come up through the leagues. But the game is different in the Premier League, and it's quick thoughts, to get the right side of your man, and see where the danger is likely to be that makes a player stand out at this level.

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Personal battles have to be won and I did think Bournemouth did that against West Ham. Antonio and Anderson were kept in check, which was mainly down to Adam Smith and Nathaniel Clyne sticking to them like glue. It wasn't necessarily pretty at times but it did mean Boruc had little to do, but for a few punches in the second half late on. Had Arnautovic been available it may have been more of a test for Bournemouth's defenders. Carroll should have scored which tells me that Bournemouth still don't quite shot the door for 90 minutes and the defence is not yet bullet proof, so I'm keen to see if they can do it again against a Chelsea side that are themselves having problems in scoring.

Transfer news
Marc Pugh is expected to complete his loan transfer to Hull City today.
Brentford are said to have agreed a fee with AFCB for the signature of Chris Mepham.

Monday, 21 January 2019

Is Arter off to Watford?

There were reports on Sunday that Harry Arter could be recalled despite a season-long loan at Cardiff if there is a bid to buy him. That bid is expected to come from Watford, according to the Irish Independent.
Will Arter leave Bournemouth this January?
Watford are looking for a replacement for Abdoulaye Decouré and Harry Arter is said to fit the bill. I suppose Arter will have to make a decision on where he would rather play football. He has said he loves Cardiff and would like to stay there if they can stay up, but leaving them now would be like a desertion to leave them to their plight. Watford have also been one of the teams that Arter has probably got his metal up for the most to try and beat as often as possible. Whether he sees them as a band of warriors and a team that can achieve something special, is what he may have to weigh up. Can he turn his back on the battles he had as a Bournemouth player to join Watford?

It's all about what is best for Harry. He wants a fresh start and this would be Premier League football in a town not far out of London. I'd say that his style would fit in well with Watford, and he has deserved a move, seeing how he has played in Cardiff. Neil Warnock may have every reason to think that Bournemouth are out to wreck Cardiff's season what with the Clyne incident and now this possible recall. The game in a few weeks time between the two could just be a bit hot an spicy.

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Arter will of course not be available for that game being on loan from Bournemouth, but he might even be a Watford player by then. For Bournemouth it might be just good business, seeing as they have spent heavily in January and could recoup some funds from a sale. 

The latest report on the BBC says that AFCB are not going to activate the recall on Harry Arter's season loan at Cardiff.
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