Bournemouth got themselves pinned in under too much pressure

The game started off so well against Sheffield United. Bournemouth started as they had played against Aston Villa with players looking to win challenges and get in the ball. But the good work evaporated once Bournemouth had got a goal ahead.

AFCB let another three points slip away.

Eddie Howe will need to look at how the team reacts after it has either taken the lead or conceded in games. The players don't seem to be able to play at the same level once a goal has gone in at either end. The goal at Sheffield United should have boosted the team, but instead United just got stronger and stronger. The momentum in the game shifted and it is difficult to see why that was. Bournemouth needed to get a firmer grip of the game but they let it slip.

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Bournemouth seem to find it difficult to go through 90 minutes without conceding. Even when they played Brighton and Aston Villa and won the games, they conceded. There is a reason for this and Eddie Howe needs to work out why the players are incapable of getting more clean sheets. It is okay that the team has started to score goals again, but the teams that go down are those who can't keep clean sheets, and Bournemouth are falling into that category.

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It is a collective thing and not simply individual errors. The players have to want the clean sheet and do everything they can to make sure it happens. At the moment they are too reliant on Aaron Ramsdale coming up with a handful of miraculous saves every game. Simon Francis was great at making blocks, but the same determination has to be seen across the back line.

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Once Bournemouth got pinned in their own half against Sheffield United, there wasn't an out ball. Neither Junior Stanislas or Josh King got very far when trying to get the ball away from the defence, and it is going to take some work for Eddie Howe to get the team back to being a better counter-attacking side if that is how he wants to play against Burnley.

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