Would Bournemouth be doing Ritchie a favour to resign him?

It has been suggested for quite a while that Matt Ritchie wants to return to the south coast. His love affair with the Northeast looks over with his time spent mostly on the bench. He may have liked being up north when he was playing a big role in Scotland's team, but has not been selected in recent squads. Whether he still intends to have a punt at making the Euro Championships later this summer may depend on him getting a move and playing regular games, so I can see his interest in Bournemouth.

Matt Ritchie could be back at Dean Court today.

I don't think playing for Scotland is his overriding concern. Matt just loves playing football and if he isn't getting games at Newcastle why wouldn't he want to return to a club he knows inside out and who need good characters to help them get back in the promotion race? Dropping down to the Championship would mean a lot of games and Matt has bundles of energy so it looks a good fit.

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Bournemouth may have expected David Brooks to have moved or to have raised his game further than he has been able to this season. It may not hurt him to have some real competition for his place in the team and with Ritchie's free kick accuracy, it is never bad to have another deadball specialist in the squad. The question I have is, wouldn't Bournemouth benefit from bringing in more players that haven't been to the Premier League and who are hungry to get there like Ben Pearson.

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The relationship Ritchie had with the fans was as good as many players while he was at Dean Court, it was just the surprise of his desire to head up north that shocked people at the time. But our fans know that he played a major part in getting the team promoted to the Premier League and he'll always be owed a great debt for that. So, in some ways, I am open to a return if that is what he wants and Bournemouth can benefit. Tindall, like Howe, seems to love surrounding himself with AFCB friends and I'll not be surprised if Ritchie is seen around Dean Court in the next few hours.

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I know some will grumble if Ritchie does return. Looking at the team at the moment, it needs quality because the price-tags of the current squad don't bear up to how they are performing. We know you get quality deliveries with Ritchie and it might be something that helps boost Solanke's service in front of goal. So Bournemouth might be just as much in need of an eager Ritchie, as Ritchie's own desire to open another chapter of his Bournemouth career.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth continue their slide with a 3-1 defeat at Reading

Chimes Newsletter - out tomorrow!
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Bournemouth continue their slide with a 3-1 defeat at Reading

Match Report

29 January 2021

Reading 3 v 1 AFCB 

Another poor performance leaves the Cherries well off the pace for promotion.

The Cherries found themselves 3-0 down in 43 minutes as they struggled to contain the hosts. While Danjuma looked lively early on, it was Reading that were hitting the target with Laurent and McIntyre firing Reading well ahead before sharpshooter Lucas João made it three before half-time. At this point, it looked like a salvage respectability mission in the second half. While their subs were the immediate response, it took until the last 10 minutes for Bournemouth fas to have something to cheer when Junior Stanislas converted a free kick into the top corner.

Bournemouth made three changes to the starting line up. David Brooks, Jack Wilshere and Lloyd Kelly made way for Dominic Solanke, Jefferson Lerma and Chris Mepham. The other big news was that Junior Stanislas was back on the bench. One onlooking spectator would also be Ben Pearson who signed from Preston North End, but there were also rumours that Matt Ritchie could be heading back to Bournemouth, while Josh King announced he would be staying until the end of the season at Bournemouth.

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The Cherries started in a 4-3-3 formation with Danjuma on the left-wing and King on the right side. Danjuma had the first pop at goal with a shot from outside the box which was saved on five minutes. 

Reading looked closer to the opener when João raced between Mepham and Begovic to pick up a back pass. He passed to John Swift who shot just wide of the post with Steve Cook covering the goal. 

Reading scored following a corner as Mepham blocks a shot from McIntyre only for Josh Laurent to find the net from close range. Danjuma then had his shot blocked.

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Things got worse for the Cherries when Rico made a foul and was booked. The free kick from Olise was saved by Begovic but the ball spilled out to McIntyre who made it 2-0 on 30 minutes.

John Swift was also booked for a foul on Solanke. Solanke had a header blocked following a corner before Solanke's header was saved in the top corner.

Bournemouth mounted the first attack of the second half with David Brooks' cross was met by Adam Smith's header which was too high. Begovic then had to make a save from John Swift's attempt from outside the box.

While Lewis Cook shot wide from distance, it was Reading looking more likely to score. John Swift was getting in good positions and had another shot go over. 

Reading then attacked with Ejaria firing wide. Bournemouth switched with King playing alongside Solanke up front. But the change didn't work as Reading went 3-0 up after João cuts inside and beat Begovic on 43 minutes.

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Bournemouth made three changes for the second half on came Brooks, Wilshere and Smith to replace, Danjuma. Lerma and Rico. 

Josh King's burst of speed took him to the box but his shot was deflected for a corner off Rinomhota. Dominic Solanke missed a chance from the center of the box, before Billing had a shot saved that was headed for the corner of the goal. Steve Cook added the frustration with a header from a corner that was saved.

Lewis Cook was next to miss following a corner. Semedo replaced Swift for Reading who had had a good game. Reading were back testing Begovic with João having a shot saved and Laurent shooting from distance. Aluko then came on for Ejaria.

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Stanislas made his return coming on for Billing in the last 10 minutes. Wilshere won a free kick and Stanislas founds the left corner - Bournemouth were on the score sheet 3-1.

King then had a shot blocked. Reading subbed Olise, João and Holmes for Esteves, Meite and Yiadom. Six minutes of added time go up.

Esteves shoots too high. Wilshere's cross is headed over by Solanke. Meite's shot is saved.

Summary
It's hard to know how Jason Tindall is going to turn this around. The team were out of their depth and just unable to compete. There's no leadership or willingness to make things easier for one another. The pressure is on and Bournemouth haven't been able to respond. They are in free fall and this is a problem that may not be a quick fix. The players have lost their confidence and their motivation under Tindall. It will be quite something if the Cherries can pick themselves up from this. There have been too many off days and it's really starting to show now.

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Reading: 33 Cabral Barbosa, 29 Holmes (Yiadom 88), 4 Morrison, 5 McIntyre, 3 Richards, 8 Rinomhota, 28 Laurent, 7 Olise (Esteves 88), 10 Swift (Semedo 73), 14 Ejaria (Aluko 77), 18 Lucas João (Meite 88)

Reading Subs
2 Esteves, 11 Meite, 15 Gibson, 17 Yiadom, 22 Southwood, 24 Aluko, 30 Semedo,
34 Tetek, 46 Onen

AFCB lineup

AFCB Subs: Dennis, Smith, Simpson, Carter-Vickers,
Wilshere, Stanislas, Brooks, Riquelme, Surridge.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - The Cherries don't want to see a 20-year unbeaten run against Reading slip

The Cherries don't want to see a 20-year unbeaten run against Reading slip

If the first game between Reading and Bournemouth at the start of the season held some tension, then this latest encounter has watched that up about 10-fold. While Reading were the Championship's runaway leaders early on in the season, they were caught and have been trying to re-establish themselves in the play-off places, while Bournemouth have slipped below them again. This game could catapult one of these teams into contention for an automatic promotion place, but the loser may well see a very difficult second half of the season.

The Cherries know this next game against Reading could 

see them put themselves back in contention for a high finish.

Reading are in relatively good form having won two of their last three games and having not lost in five if the FA Cup defeat to Luton is excluded. They have two more wins than Bournemouth and have Lucas João still banging in the goals - he's up to 14 now (17 in all competitions). He should have one more but missed a penalty in the Royals' last game against Preston North End. Michael Olise is also a winger who has several Premier League clubs looking on admiringly - including the likes of Man City, Liverpool, Spurs and Chelsea. Where Reading have wilted a bit is in their defence having succumbed to 28 goals against in their 25 games.

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All indicators are that this will be another high scoring game like the 4-2 result for Bournemouth earlier in the season. Clean sheets look rather unlikely. Reading haven't beaten the Cherries since winning 2-0 in March 2000. To keep that record going Bournemouth need to find something that has been missing for the last five or more league matches and that's plenty of shots on target. Keeping Jack Wilshere into the starting 11 may be one easy pick, but Tindall has to fathom a way for Bournemouth to be better in possession and prevent the number of shots that Begovic is being made to save currently.

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Winning the game would put Bournemouth back on track, but defeat now really will see them start to fall away from the top six if they are not careful. 

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Reading Home Form
WLLWW

AFCB Away Form
WLDWL

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Has Wilshere done enough to grab a starting place for AFCB in the Championship?

Has Wilshere done enough to grab a starting place for AFCB in the Championship?

The start that Jack Wilshere made for Bournemouth in the FA Cup against Crawley couldn't have been much better. He wanted to make an impact and he certainly did that. He wanted to score his first goal for the club and he wanted to start paying back the debt he perhaps feels he has to the club for how things ended in the past. He is keeping his end of the bargain but is he ready to take on the best in the Championship?

Is Jack ready to play his part?

It would be easy to give Jack Wilshere a ticket to start straight away in the next league match. Tindall will have to decide not only whether this is best for Jack, but also whether it will sit okay with the other players in the squad. Everyone says Jack is hard working and has been well accepted by the players at AFCB. But Jack doesn't want to sit around on the bench. He wants to be a force in the team and that will mean needing to accommodate him and in preference to one of the other midfielders.

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It is most likely that Lewis Cook's position would see the most immediate threat. Jack is similarly creative and yet has shown he can also skip past players and hit the target. His vision and understanding of the game are no doubt at a higher level than many of Bournemouth's players having starred in an Arsenal team and less so in a West Ham team. He is willing to teach what he has learned to other players like Lewis Cook who will be battling with him for the same place, and I expect he will do what he can to win as many people over as he can. But the best way for him to do that si on the pitch.

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If, on merit, Jack is the right and best option to start, then he should. It might be hard on the likes of Dan Gosling and Philip Billing as well, but Bournemouth need winners if they are going to climb back up the league and Wilshere is surely a winner. Just looking at the ease at which Jack scored his goal against Crawley underlined that he is a special player that can make the game look like child's play. Teams like Reading in Bournemouth's next match won't give Jack as much time and space as Crawley gave him, but I am sure Jack can step up a few more levels yet in his performances. It may take him a while to know what Josh King and Dominic Solanke's wavelengths are, but AFCB are only going to get the best out of Jack by playing him. So I'm all for getting him in the team, even if it is only for 40-50 minutes at first.

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In other news, the Bournemouth Echo reports that Jason Tindall believes Jack Simpson and Nnamadi Ofoborgh have made their minds up to joining Rangers either in this window or in the summer.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Wilshere scores first goal for Bournemouth in 2-1 cup win over Crawley

Wilshere scores first goal for Bournemouth in 2-1 cup win over Crawley

Match report

FA Cup Fourth round

AFCB 2 v 1 Crawley Town

26 January 2021

Bournemouth get back to winning ways.

Jack Wilshere scored his first goal for Bournemouth in the first half to put the Cherries in control, against Crawley but a second-half equaliser from Tom Nichols made it an intriguing cup tie. Bournemouth slipped back ahead with a Josh King goal that was just enough to get them a ticket through to the next round away at Burnley.

Bournemouth took Crawley very seriously after their conquering of Leeds United and named a strong team. There were only four changes, Jack Wilshere, Arnaut Danjuma, Philip Billing and Lloyd Kelly started. The players taken out were Adam Smith, Josh Solanke, Jefferson Lerma and Cameron Carter-Vickers. It looked like the Cherries really wanted to progress to the next round.

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Bournemouth got Wilshere on the ball and the first corner came after five minutes. Steve Cook headed wide after Rico had followed the corner with a cross.

Billing made a chance for Danjuma shortly after from range, but Morris made a save in the bottom left corner. Bournemouth stepped up their efforts with another corner when Philip Billing's header hit the post. 

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Crawley's first shot came from Nadesan who forced Begovic into a save on 11 minutes. Lewis Cook saw an effort go over as Bournemouth kept regained possession. Rico then missed a half chance following Danjuma's pass. Bournemouth continued to shoot on sight with Brooks firing over.

The goal finally came when Jack Wilshere shot from outside the box having taken the ball from King's clever back heel. The shot flew in the bottom corner. Luton were guilty of giving Bournemouth far too much space. Wilshere's finish was so calmly taken with his left foot from the edge of the D.

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Tsaroulla was subbed for Josh Wright. Bournemouth kept up the pressure with Brooks shooting wide of the left post. Brooks also saw a further chance go wide following a corner.

The second half began with Adebowale being carded for a foul on Danjuma. Steve Cook was doing his best to get on the score sheet putting another header in the danger area from a cross from Rico. Jack Wilshere couldn't convert the flick from Cook as Morris made a great save.

Danjuma then smashed a shot wide. No shortage of effort, but Bournemouth needed to keep testing the keeper. Crawley subbed Adebowale for Sesay. Josh King hit a shot on target, but there was not enough power.

Begovic makes a mistake and gifts the ball to Nichols but the keeper makes the save for a corner. Bournemouth escaped there.

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Nichols and Nadesan received yellow cards. Crawley then got level with Tom Nichols scoring from close range. Danjuma picked out Wilshere but the shot was weak and the keeper saved.

Bournemouth struck again when Josh King put the Cherries 2-1 up on 66 minutes. Danjuma raided the penalty box and found King who stroked it into the bottom corner 2-1.

Bournemouth subbed Billing, Wilshere and Stacey to bring on Solanke, Smith and Lerma on 67 minutes. Smith hits a shot well but Morris saves.

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Rodari is on for Matthews. Brooks has another attempt from 25-yards that is saved. Riquelme replaces Danjuma. Josh King gets a good shot away but the keeper saves. Into the last 20 minutes. Surridge is on for King.

McNerney has a header saved. Lerma has been booked. Rico finds Brooks and his shot goes narrowly over. Kelly is booked. Riquelme has a shot blocked.

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Summary
A solid performance by AFCB. They worked the keeper but will probably be thinking that they should have been a bit sharper in front of goal. Still, there wasn't a great deal for Begovic to do and it's clear that Wilshere is a massive addition to the team. This result will have boosted the confidence and they won't get carried away having seen Crawley also get on the score sheet,

AFCB lineup

AFCB Subs: Dennis, Carter-Vickers, Smith, Kilkenny, Lerma, Riquelme, Anthony, Surridge, Solanke

Crawley Town: 1 Morris, 17 Adebowale (Sesay 51), 19 Tunnicliffe, 5 McNerney,
6 Dallison-Lisbon, 20 Matthews (Rodari 69), 39 Hessenthaler, 8 Powell, 25 Tsaroulla (29 Wright), 10 Nadesan, 16 Nichols

Crawley Subs: 18 Sesay, 21 Bulman, 27 Khaleel, 28 Kowalczyk, 30 Wright, 35 Rodari, 37 Nelson, 38 Tilley, 44 Wright

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Crawley - a great game for Wilshere to step up

Crawley - a great game for Wilshere to step up?

Listening to the pre-match press conference from Jason Tindall, TalkSports the Ian Abrahams was clear that he felt Jack Wilshere should start for AFCB against Crawley. I wonder if Jason might even give Jack the captaincy if he plays a very youthful team against Crawley.

Jack is about to extend his AFCB career file.

There are no shortage of players for Tndall to pick for in this game. Wilshere comes to mind as he hasn't had hardly any minutes, and he needs to get up to speed if he is going to help Bournemouth get out of the Championship. It might be even more interesting to see who Jack is paired with. It may well be Philip Billing who had a bit of an argument over hist fitness with Tindall last week. Whether that has annoyed Tindall further, or whether he gives Philip the go-ahead we will have to wait and see. Dan Gosling has done nothing wrong and might be the preferred option in any case.

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It may be that Rodriguez Riquelme is given an opportunity, as we haven't seen him start too many games, and last time he started I believe he was subbed at half-time. Danjuma has also been short of games of late and he could be the big weapon against Crawley, although Gavin Kilkenny also deserves a run out at some point.

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At the back, we could see Chris Mepham make his return to the team having been injured for the last month. I would like to see Mepham lay with Cameron Carter-Vickers in a centre-back pairing. Bournemouth have looked a bit unstable in a three at the back formation so perhaps Tindall will go back to 4-4-2 for this game.

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It should be another opportunity for Will Dennis to show how he is doing in goal and Begivic deserves a break to be fair. The striker role will surely be led by Sam Surridge and maybe Jaidon Anthony will also be given a go. I don't mind Tindall taking risks in the cup, but if a player plays really well then they should be given a chance to play in the Championship. After all, AFCB have not been doing that well in the league and it will give a reminder to a few others if they find they have been replaced for not performing.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes -Will Crawley be a stern FA Cup test for the Cherries?

Will Crawley be a stern FA Cup test for the Cherries?

The FA Cup fourth round sees the Cherries take on Leeds United's conquerers Crawley Town on Tuesday night. The West Sussex side are in good form having knocked out a Premier League team 3-0, even if it was mainly Leeds Utd's youth players, and they sit 12 in League Two where they have won their last two league games.

How far can AFCB go in the FA Cup this season?

Suddenly, playing a League Two team that is in form doesn't look like a pushover for AFCB. The Cherries could well be pushed all the way in this fixture. Crawley's main striker has been Max Watters, who was free-scoring, having netted 15 times in 18 games this season and he has been well supported by Tom Nichols who has scored 10 times from 24 games. Luckily for Bournemouth, Cardiff City came in for Max Watters on 16 January and he is no longer a Crawley player. Ashley Nadesan could fill his place or Crawley could turn to  Sam Ashford. Less likely are forwards Ricardo German or Brian Galach. But Crawley have goalscorers in their defenders too - just watch back the goal that defender Nick Tsaroulla scored as the opener against Leeds in the last round of the cup. Defender, Jordan Tunnicliffe also scored against Leeds following a free kick.

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How Crawley do in front of goal without their leading League Two striker decide their fate in this game. Crawley have also signed Mark Wright in this window, a defender who is best known for his TV role on The Only Way is Essex. Crawley have also signed James Tilley from Grimsby Town during January, another forward. Winger Jordan Maguire-Drew has also joined Crawley on loan until the end of the season. Several of them may well be cup tied.

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It may well also help Bournemouth that Crawley haven't played since 10 January when they knocked out Leeds Utd. They have had to postpone fixtures against Bradford and Stevenage Borough as well as rearrange this FA Cup match because of the COVID-19 outbreak at their club. Their away record is not too shoddy though. They beat Bolton Wanderers in their last away match 0-1 as well as Forest Green 1-2 and Leyton Orient 1-2, the last two both held in December. 

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The winners of the tie will play Burnley after they beat Fulham yesterday.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Could Bournemouth o for Burnley swap deal?

 

Could Bournemouth go for Burnley swap deal?

The noise in the transfer window is growing for Burnley's interest in Josh King as cited by Lancashire Live. But while Sean Dyche might not have the budget to lure King away to the Lancashire club in a money-only deal, he might be able to do a cash and player swap deal with Matej Vydra who is looking for a move from Burnley.

Burnley are keen n attracting Josh King.

The deal may seem odd at first with Bournemouth perhaps ousting King to a club that can't afford the price-tag, but replacing him with a striker who is perhaps more of a hard-nosed number nine could be something to consider. Bournemouth haven't had a really strong centre forward for a while. In the Championship back in 2015 it was Yan Kermorgant that did most of the spadework for Callum Wilson to flourish and perhaps Vydra would be a good foil for Dominic Solanke. Vydra is hardly prolific in scoring three times in 14 games for Burnley this season, but a change of scenery for him could be just what he needs and at 28, he still has a few good years left in him.

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It doesn't look like Bournemouth are that keen on holding on to Joh King any longer if they can get a good fee for him, but if a player swap and some cash is acceptable, this move could be on in the next few days. It should at least force out any other clubs who are thinking of attracting King's services and the earlier a decision is made, the better for AFCB.

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If Bournemouth win their next FA Cup tie against Crawley, they could also be playing Burnley in the fifth round. The clubs seem linked at every turn, and while Bournemouth have been finding it hard to score goals of late, a change in striker may be an added boost just at the right time. Watford are also said to be interested in getting Vydra, according to the Watford Observer. We can expect something to give in the next few days on this either way.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Wilshere still feels he owes something to Bournemouth

Wilshere still feels he owes something to Bournemouth

Listening to the AFCB official podcast No3, fans got a good insight into what life has been like for one of the club's biggest names. Jack Wilshere gave an honest interview about his decision to come to AFCB and why he decided it was the right club for him.

Jack Wilshere is ready to play a big pat in AFCB's season.

For some, it might have seemed like Jack Wilshere lacks ambition signing for AFCB when he perhaps could still play at a higher level. The commentary that Jack gave underlines the importance of who you know and that he trusted Jason Tindall to get the best out of him. To Jack, it felt 'natural' to pick up the phone to Jason.

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It sounds like AFCB never shut the door on players that want to do something to improve their game. Jack Wilshere was oozing enthusiasm about the coaching staff at AFCB. We need Jack to help bring young players on as well. 

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The unfinished business is a funny point to me. Jack perhaps wanted to score for AFCB and he hit the post so many times last time out, he was unlucky. Perhaps going back to Arsenal, having been injured for Bournemouth, he feels he owes Bournemouth something. It was good to hear that he was just happy to get back on the pitch. While the Derby game was a disappointment, Jack at least got on for a few minutes. He'll need to push for his place now and perhaps he can lIft the fortunes of AFCB because they need something extra.

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It was pleasing to hear the way that Jack tried to explain why AFCB were different, even when they were in the Premier League. It is good to hear that AFCB is a unique club and has a culture that other club's don't find easy to build. Jack is clear that his family likes it at Bournemouth and that makes him happy to play here and Bournemouth puts a smile on his face.

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Best of all, Jack believes he is a player who can breakdown defences that sit back and look to hit AFCB on the break. Getting the confidence back is what he feels AFCB need to do now. If Jack truly feels he owes something to Bournemouth, let's hope he can score the winning goal in a Championship play-off final to take AFCB back up this summer.

Previous post n Cherry Chimes - Rangers could step in for AFCB players

Rangers could step in for AFCB players

While Bournemouth await further interest in their players, Steven Gerrard has not hidden his desire to bring an Bournemouth defender and midfielder north of the border to Glasgow Rangers. The Glasgow Times reported that Gerrard thought he might be too late to scupper Jack Simpson's move to Cardiff City, while he admires Nnamdi Ofoborh, but thinks it might not be realistic to get him to Rangers after the interest from English clubs in the player.

Jack Simpson's future is still up for grabs.

It looks like Bournemouth's fringe players are going to be prime targets for clubs looking to swell their numbers. How many players are let go by Neill Blake is what nobody knows, but I think we can expect Jack Simpson and Nnamdi Ofoborh to be two players who are likely to move in this window. Simpson has already had a fee from Cardiff City accepted by AFCB and with Charlton Athletic and Rangers looking to secure Ofoborgh's services, Bournemouth could soon be whittling down their squad.

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That might not be a bad thing if players are not getting games and it is leading to unrest in the dressing room. But getting a fair price is perhaps what AFCB need to be most concerned about. The players that are being targeted are very young and that may well concern the club as if they sell a few of their under 25-year-olds it does start to push up the average age of the group again which is something AFCB worked hard to get down in the last couple of seasons.

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Of course, we could see Tindall being given funds to go and get replacements. Somehow though I doubt there is much desire for the club to start spending at the moment with the possibility that it might not get in the automatic promotion places, and it could be gearing up for another year in the Championship. If that happens, AFCB may have to shed many more high-earners this summer. My worry is that by selling the young players now and keeping hold of the more experienced players, it will be the players that have been sold this January that AFCB really need in 2021-2 if they don't get promoted. We can be positive and hope for promotion, but when AFCB want to bring in more young players, we can expect selling clubs to ask high prices knowing AFCB's recent past.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - AFCB - simply 'not good enough'