Bournemouth have to peak if they are to beat Watford

While some may believe that Watford have gone off the boil, following their 2-0 away defeat against Arsenal, I don't share that view. At Vicarage Road they remain a difficult proposition having only lost there once this season to Man Utd. Their form of late has been checked slightly, but this is a confident team that was very unlucky to lose to Arsenal last week when they were dominating the number of chances.

Watford have been string at home.

Watford may find it hard to score on the road, but they are doing very well at home. What has affected them is not being able to name a same starting 11 in games. The balance of the team may just have been altered with players like Janmaat now missing and Prodl, Miguel Britos and Gerard Deulofeu have been out in recent weeks.

It's the defensive qualities of Javi Garcia's side that has impressed me. They don't make it easy for teams to score and Ben Foster is rejuvenated having joined the Hornets in the summer. Holebas and Cathcart might not excite fans, but they get the job done and will make life difficult for Wilson and King. Decoure and Will Hughes have been a main part of the midfield, but Pereyra has the player that has been getting goals by his clever positioning and sharp shooting.

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Up front, Troy Deeney continues to use his power to make space and keep Watford high up the pitch and we have seen some good sub appearances form Andre Gray. Getting a draw against Watford would be a good result with the way the Hornets have started the season and it may be that Howe will try and make the team compact and hard to beat, while he tries to get the Bournemouth players to take some of the heat out of the game at Watford. But attack could well be the best way to unsettle Watford, even though it has a high risk factor.

These games are usually tight. It will be a high-tempo game and Bournemouth will need to test Foster with some direct shots if they are going to upset the Hornets this weekend.

AFCB possible line up

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Rico, Mings, Gosling, Surman, Stanislas, Defoe. 

AFCBTV game preview

AFCB have to be mindful of Watford's ambition

Last week was not a great start for Watford or AFC Bournemouth. A home draw, salvaging a point in the last minute to Liverpool will be seen as the better result, but Marco Silva will have imagined an even better start and he'll bring his Watford side to Dean Court knowing they can win.

Watford will have a few familiar faces but they have brought in some good new players.

While the return to fitness of Troy Deeney is one concern for the Cherries, Watford have done some summer recruiting that has been less Italian driven than most recent summers for them and it's probably given them a better balance in quality in every area of the pitch. While Gomez still started in goal against Liverpool, the Hornets have brought in Daniel Bachmann as a back up along with Pantilimon and in midfield they now have Nathaniel Chalobah from Chelsea, Kiko Femenia from Alaves and Will Hughes from Derby County. Fermenia is still waiting to make his Premier League debut having been a sub last match.

André Gray is their big summer signing from Burnley, which Sky Sports say was worth £18m. It's a staggering amount for a striker that is still learning his way in this league but such are the prices now and Gray will just have to concentrate on his goals. Having worked his way up from non-league Hinckley, he'll know how hard AFCB's players have worked to get where they are today and he'll be eager to impress for his new club.

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Italian, Stefano Okaka only played 18 games for Watford last season but he's already got a goal in his first match this season and should keep his place for this match. Frenchman, Abdulaye Doucouré was also in the team for half of last season on loan and was their standout player in midfield last weekend, with lots of flair and trickery. Tom Cleverly also signed permanently for the Hornets over the summer.

So they have a good mix of players that have something to prove and experience of the Premier League. Watford can't be underestimated and their ambition has already been seen in battling for a draw against Liverpool. 

ASKFANS match preview with CherryChimes

In other news, Joe Quigley has joined Newport County on loan until January.

Connor Mahoney and Emerson Hyndman played in an U21 game against a Brentford side yesterday so Mahoney is likely to be uninvolved in today's game. Marc Pugh will probably have a spot on the bench. A win for AFCB today is already seeming very important with Man City and Arsenal coming up! UTCIAD!

Rival Lines: Burnley have played best against top sides, says No Nay Never

Rival Lines
Burnley v AFCB
10 November 2016
Podcaster Interview: No Nay Never
Twitter: @NoNayNever

It's time to catch up with Burnley FC supporters ahead of our game at the weekend and who better to ask about what is happening at the clarets than our old friend Jamie, at the excellent No Nay Never podcast. There is an up to date episode on the No Nay Never podcast that talks about the Bournemouth game so do have a listen. But in the meantime, here are the questions I put to Jamie and his responses.

CC: Have you seen much difference in the side to how it went about games in the Championship?

NNN: The approach is fairly similar I think - we're trying to sit tight in most games and nick a goal somehow. But obviously the quality of opposition is a lot higher, so our defence isn't as strong and our attack isn't as effective. We need to be more flexible.

CC: Is it all about home form for Burnley or have you got the players and know how to get away wins in the Premier League?

NNN: It is so far! But we can't assume that we'll get 35 points or so from home games, which looks like what we'll need if we're to stay up. At the moment it looks like a different team away from home - there's no confidence and as soon as we go behind heads start dropping, the belief just isn't there. It seems to be a mental problem as much as a team selection or tactics issue right now.

CC: Have you been surprised to get good results against Liverpool, Everton and Man Utd?

NNN: Yes and no - we got results against top sides at home in our two previous Premier League seasons. United looks a bit like a fluke now - Tom Heaton had the game of his life and they missed a lot of good chances - but against Everton and Liverpool we played really well. In fact we've played better against good sides than mediocre ones so far this season.

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CC: Should Sean Dyche invest in another striker in January?

NNN: Goals are always key so it wouldn't hurt, but I really believe Andre Gray will score goals in the Premier League. For me, it's the supply line that isn't working well enough, not the personnel up front. Sam Vokes is on track to get double figures if he keeps up his form and Gray should be targeting the same. Jordan Rhodes has been linked in the press but that doesn't make a lot of sense to me - he's a one-dimensional player and Gray is better anyway.

CC: What have you made of Berg Gudmundsson?

NNN: I really like him. He had a pretty slow start but that was understandable as he was adapting to a higher league. But he's got a bit of everything. He's direct and a real threat, but also does all the defensive work we need from our wingers. It's a shame we don't have another like him for the other wing and we really missed him at Stoke - hopefully he'll be fit for Saturday but it looks unlikely.

CC: Which player is the one you can't afford to see leave the club in January?

NNN: Michael Keane is a key man and we're likely to have a lot of interest in him. But the club has already made it clear he is not for sale and Keane doesn't seem like the type of player to force a move, so I think we'll probably hold on to him until the summer.

CC: Are there any young players at Burnley that could break into the team in the next 12 months?

NNN: Dyche has no record whatsoever of bringing through youth at Burnley, so it seems unlikely. Teenage midfielder Aiden O'Neill had some game-time earlier in the season and appeared to be a decent prospect, but there's been so sign of him for a while now.

CC: Which side is the worst you have played so far and which three teams do you think will go down?

NNN: Hard to say really as all our wins have been close - we've not dominated anyone. Liverpool were pretty rubbish against us but we stopped them playing expertly and Crystal Palace were extremely poor defensively. I don't see Swansea staying up, Hull are going to find it hard and then anyone of about 6-8 clubs could be the last team to go. I'm going for Leicester though - their focus seems completely on the Champions League.

CC: What did you feel about the way the team played against Stoke City in your last game?

NNN: Pretty terrible really. Lots of fans thought the second half was positive and a big improvement, but Stoke shut the game down and we created almost nothing. It says a lot that a 2-0 loss with zero clear chances is being touted as a decent performance, given our woeful away form. There's a real lack of creativity in the team and nobody seems willing to take responsibility in the final third.

CC: How do you expect Burnley to set up against AFC Bournemouth?

NNN: No idea! Dyche went back to 4-4-2 last weekend and it didn't work, but 4-5-1 has served us quite well at home so it would be no surprise if it was Vokes on his own up front with Gray back on the bench. Whatever system it is, we'll stick a lot of players behind the ball and try and hit Bournemouth on the break.

CC: What is your score prediction for the game?

NNN: Despite being really poor away from home, we've been strong at Turf Moor so, as negative as I've probably come across here, I'm fairly positive for Saturday. Bournemouth can be got at if we press them right and we're due a clean sheet. 2-0 to Burnley.

Thanks Jamie for those answers. It is always fascinating for AFCB fans to see how Burnley are doing following Eddie Howe's association with the club and while it is a long way up to Turf Moor there will be plenty of hardy Cherries who fancy the trip to the northwest. These are three points which I think both teams will feel they can gain if they can play their best game, but it may come down to who can disrupt the other side best and knock them out of their normal game. I expect a close game but not many goals.