Eddie Howe wanted to try something different in the first game of the season. He has more centre-backs than many teams, and so it perhaps makes sense to use a system in which he can play three of them from time to time. The idea to play in that way at home with the crowd fully behind the team might have given him the impression that his team would not sit back with two flying wing-backs, but it never quite clicked and Bournemouth came up against a brick wall in Sheffield United's defence.
As the game went on it was Josh King that was coming in for a lot of disgruntled groaning from home fans, but he was having to try and beat two or three players just to retain possession. Billing and Lerma were often getting out numbered in midfield and with King and Wilson fairly isolated the team didn't go forward with its normal cohesion. The wide wing play and inter-passing, that Bournemouth are so known, for failed to develop for much of the match, and there was a period when the side to side passing of the ball just continued for five or more minutes with no runners for players to pick out from the back.
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While Bournemouth won't be happy about conceding the goal they did, it was only one goal and the team defended fairly well for the most part. It is keeping that strength at the back while trying to create more up front that Howe will have to work on this coming week.
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| Adam Smith and Diego Rico were the first players used in the wing-back positions for AFCB. |
It may have not been the system that was the problem, but more the personnel. Adam Smith and Diego Rico were in the wing-back positions that had to do an awful lot of work in energising the wings and pushing Bournemouth forward while supporting Lerma and Billing. It might have worked better with Daniels and Stacey if they had both been available.
As the game went on it was Josh King that was coming in for a lot of disgruntled groaning from home fans, but he was having to try and beat two or three players just to retain possession. Billing and Lerma were often getting out numbered in midfield and with King and Wilson fairly isolated the team didn't go forward with its normal cohesion. The wide wing play and inter-passing, that Bournemouth are so known, for failed to develop for much of the match, and there was a period when the side to side passing of the ball just continued for five or more minutes with no runners for players to pick out from the back.
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Yes and that was rather obvious and continued in that vain for the whole match... so why didn't the manager use one of the attacking subs to replace one of the 3 centre backs and change to 4-4-2?
ReplyDeleteI don't get how people think it would have been better with Daniels? I was at that away match vs Leicester last season and that should have been the last Premier League game he played for us!
ReplyDeleteWhat i and everbody watched was not what we have come to expect from AFC no exciting football ,please revert to the eddie way and play quick attacking football it was sorely missing against Sheffield,
ReplyDeletePlease do your experimental work on the training ground. When you know it works, bring it on Eddie but not before. As people say, of it aimt broke don't fix it so if the opposition score 5 go and score 6. UTC
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