This is a fan’s personal view of AFC Bournemouth from the outside looking in. It reports on the daily official activities reported by the club and comments made by individual fans on social media and fanbase websites. Life as an AFCB fan is never dull. As a life-long supporter of the Cherries, it is the friendliness of the staff, fans and my enthusiasm for the club that inspired me to write this blog.
Football Insider has claimed that Bournemouth have put a £15m price-tag on Lewis Cook as Leeds United are said to be interested in bringing him back to Elland Road. This would be a £9m profit for Bournemouth compared to what they paid for him, but would it be the right time to let Lewis Cook go out of the door at Dean Court?
Lewis Cook will surely be tempted to rejoin Leeds Utd.
I believe Lewis Cook would be the perfect English midfielder to help get Bournemouth into the play-off positions next season or even better. He has never let AFCB down and is tenacious in the tackle and insightful at finding through balls. For me, he'd be a player that fits the bill for making Bournemouth a class above many other Championship sides.
The boot is on the other foot now though Leeds United have the financial clout to meet the asking price and Lewis Cook would surely enjoy a return to his previous club and to keep playing Premier League football.
For Bournemouth's point of view, they ave to be careful who else leaves from central midfield. Andrew Surman has already been released and you have to worry about Lerma wanting away, while Billing and Gosling are perhaps the central midfielders who we might expect to be part of things at AFCB going forward although Aston Villa are thought to be interested in Philip Billing. S too lose Lewis Cook would leave a bit of a hole and I'd say £15m is not enough to put top clubs off picking him up. Lewis Cook was always under played I felt during Howe's reign and could easily want off himself. Of course, Bournemouth will have been impressed by what Nnamdi Ofoborh did at Wycombe Wanderes last season, and it could be in JT's mind to give him a run in the Championship. So perhaps the central midfield area is not looking so bad, especially if Lerma doesn't move. I think Bournemouth fans would be pleased to keep one of either Lerma or Lewis Cook. To lose Lerma, Billing and Cook would certainly be a major rebuild for AFCB.
When Simon Francis and Andrew Surman have been cut from the squad, there is a chance that Charlie Daniels will get to play Championship football for the Cherries, if he can prove his fitness says the Echo. It looks like the axe is falling on some of Eddie Howe's old favourites and the news that Surman hasn't even talked with new boss JT, but has been informed he won't be getting a new contract sounds pretty harsh for a player that has given so many years great service to AFCB.
One last crack at it for Daniels
Simon Francis seems to have been better treated in being offered a back room staff role to ponder, but the club is not hanging about in cutting off players that are reaching the end of their playing years and who are out of contract. The news we all want to hear is who will be brought in? If Daniels is being kept, then the chance of another left back arriving is slim with Lloyd Kelly, Diego Rico and Adam Smith able to play there. Daniels would have been gutted to go through all his recovery treatment, in the last year, to be told he isn't wanted anymore, so I can see why he has been given a chance to prove himself.
The squad was not a big one under Howe and it is getting smaller with Aké leaving and Ramsdale expected to go. Where are Bournemouth's new players? Is JT going to promote some of the U21s to the first team? It wouldn't surprise me if he is left in that situation with much of the money incoming not being respent on signings. JT needs to keep hold of one or two from Howe's era and Steve Cook and Charlie Daniels are two of the most respected names, but how far he can go in this first window to move out payers he doesn't fancy? We will find out not just about the players but what JT thinks of them.
Daniels looks like he has done enough to be involved next season. He might soon be wondering who he is playing next to though? At the moment we are only hearing about who JT doesn't want to hang on to, but things must turn soon to say who he does want.
When I saw what relegation meant to Simon Francis I was even more gutted from him than almost anyone else at AFCB. He has been battling with injuries since he had that terrible cruciate ligament break a couple of seasons ago on Boxing Day and he knows very well that time is running out for him to play competitive games.
Simon Francis has the desire to keep going - will Tindall use his services?
Jason has a hard decision to make on whether to keep Francis going for another season. If any of the senior players such as Surman, Francis or Daniels runs out in an AFCB shirt again, I think most of the fans will be very impressed that they want to continue. Francis is the captain though and to lose him now might be a mistake with such a tough campaign ahead. If Bournemouth were still in the Premier League, I don't think Francis would find it so easy to make a case. However, his experience would be helpful in the Championship, even if the number of games he could play might be limited.
With Nathan Aké leaving the club, there is more room in central defence. Steve Cook and Lloyd Kelly would be hard for Francis to shift, but he could probably battle with Jack Simpson for a place behind Chris Mepham. It is not much for an experienced captain but we know how injuries can mount up and being fourth or fifth choice might be enough for Francis if he makes five or six appearances in a season.
Tindall has similar decisions to make with Andrew Surman who has been a stalwart midfielder for Eddie Howe. Surman will also feel he is down the pecking order a little. That is not quite the same with Charlie Daniels who has been injured, but was the number on left back before his injury. Only time will tell if he is still the player he was before that Man City home game last season when he was last injured.
If Jason Tindall sees how much Francis and Surman want to keep playing for AFCB, I believe he ill give them contracts. If not to say thanks, then because he won't want to bring in three players just to replace them when he will probably already have to look for replacements for Aké, Callum Wilson and Josh King, if they go.
The season quickly got away from AFCB. The injuries have limited the choices that Eddie Howe has had, but Lerma has played 24 games and Philip Billing has racked up 27 appearances this season. Are these two players the best two central midfielders or the best combination for AFCB?
Lerma and Billing have been central pillars for AFCB in Howe's thinking.
I'd like to think that Eddie Howe knows his best team. He clearly has indicated by his selections that he values Jefferson Lerma and Philip Billing as his best two central midfielders. But how good are these two players? Billing has had one goal and one assist, having had 29 shots, creating 12 crosses, four blocked shots, 88 clearances with 49 headed clearances and 59 interceptions, according to the Premier League stats.
Compare this with Jefferson Lerma's record. He has one goal and two assists, with 21 shots, creating nine crosses, four blocked shots, 34 clearances, 22 headed clearances and 44 interceptions, according to his Premier League stats. It would appear by this that Billing is the stronger player in what he offers the team in performance stats and as a pair we might assume they are the top choices that Howe could make.
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But other players like Dan Gosling, Lewis Cook and Andrew Surman might have been hard done by. Dan Gosling, for example, has made just 16 appearances this season and yet he has two goals from his nine shots, although he has made just one cross. But his 20 clearances and eight headed clearances certainly start to rival Jefferson Lerma, although his interceptions are less than one a game at 12. Andrew Surman may have only made five appearances but three of those games AFCB have won, and he made three crosses in those five games, while his clearances are minimal at four and three headed clearances.
Lewis Cook is an interesting one as may fans favour his attacking play. He has 20 appearances with 6 shots and one on target, but managed eight crosses and 14 clearances, eight clearances were headed and interceptions were at 15 which is well below the rate of Lerma and Billing.
Passing ratio and tackling are also big stats to look at but out on top come Lerma and Billing for passes per game Gosling makes 22.75 passes a game, Billing 37.7, Lerma 43.13, Cook 26.8 and Surman 25.4. On the tackling form, Gosling has a success rate of 34 per cent, Lerma 59 per cent, Billing a majestic 65 per cent, Lewis Cook 53 per cent, and Surman 50 per cent.
It's striking to me that Billing has perhaps been a stronger player than I would have believed in 2019-20, and that the tackling of Dan Gosling, low clearances of Lewis Cook and passing ratio of Andrew Surman have perhaps held them back from being more front line choices ahead of Lerma and Billing. There are many more stats you could look at and this is just a quick observation, but it also tells me that Lerma might not be as dominant a player as I would have expected him to be, even if his passing ratio is higher than most. In other news, the replay of AFCB 4 v 3 Liverpool last night was joyous just to see Steve Cook's turn and volley to bring the scores level - does he every score ordinary goals? Previous post to Cherry Chimes - How fit can the Cherries be for the resumption of games?
This summer Andrew Surman's contract comes up for renewal. I am not sure if he will get another contract, but I hope he does. He has been nothing but a true servant of the club and a real gent when ever he appears in front of the camera.
Andrew Surman with Eddie Howe.
Surman might be just as highly respected at Norwich City where he also played in the Premier League, but his presence in the Bournemouth team really gave them them the experience they needed to help lead them out of the Championship and the solidity to survive in the top league i those first couple of seasons.
He does have a nickname of 'Sideways Surman' but his passing game has always been to keep things ticking over and moving. While he was never a big risk take he has been good for Bournemouth in keeping them concentrating on the job at hand and moving into space. It is a simple game when it is played well and Surman always managed to look like what he has done on the pitch was second nature to him.
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His influence might have started to fall away a bit with recent signings, but Bournemouth don't have a more experienced head than Surman in the middle of the pitch and his time at the Cherries has been well spent in my mind. I hope he does get the tributes he deserves when he does call it a day as he is another player that Bournemouth haven't found easy to replace.
We are in unprecedented times and with the Premier League looking to extend the season indefinitely it does pose the question, what are clubs going to do about players that are out of contract come 30 June 2020? AFCB have their own list of players in this situation which the Bournemouth Echo lists as; Artur Boruc, Simon Francis, Ryan Fraser, Charlie Daniels, Jordan Ibe and Andrew Surman. I'd also imagine that Harry Wilson's loan deal would also come to an end, so the return of David Brooks will be essential and for him to get up to match fitness quickly.
Ryan Fraser might not be the only player likely to leave this summer.
It is possible that not all of these players will be retained by the club, but I'll be surprised if the club does not want to hold on to Simon Francis, Artur Boruc and Ryan Fraser for the last nine games of the season. Whether that means signing a special COVID-19 extension contract for remaining games or sorting out complete new contracts will be between the club an the players, but they'll need to sort something out and the players will want a wage, which they won't have if they are out of contract.
Simon Francis has been very open in saying he is not pressing for answers at the moment, and for players in the lower leagues it must be much more difficult as they are not on the same kind of salaries. But it is a problem that will become more obvious in the coming weeks as players need to find new clubs to support their families and to pay their mortgages in the long-term, even if the government might be able to support 80 per cent of wages.
This season is already unique and it is only going to get stranger I would think. The players and clubs are in limbo at the moment and I don't think anyone can plan ahead. It is a day-to-day existence, and while it is ideal for the authorities to say we will finish the season, there are a lot of issues to sort out to make that a reality.
Eddie Howe had been asked in his press conference before the Liverpool game if he might be tempted to rest Jefferson Lerma and leave him out for the games against Crystal Palace and Wolves, where Bournemouth might be expected to have a better chance of winning. Howe was adamant that it didn't come into his thinking and that he'd pick his best side, although 10 minutes from the end of the Liverpool game he made a tactical decision to sub Lerma to protect him from getting a card.
Lerma is vital to Bournemouth's hopes of staying up.
A two-game ban will hit Bournemouth pretty hard as Lerma is such an influential midfielder. But I suggest Lerma doesn't concern himself too much about the possibility of picking up a card, as it would impact on his game. Bournemouth need a Lerma that launches into tackles and looks to dominate games. If you take five or 10 per cent of his game away, he just won't have the same impact.
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It may be that Lerma avoids a booking anyway. But it's only a silly booking that would annoy Eddie Howe. As long as it is an important challenge to stop a team from scoring, we can't be overly concerned if he is doing his job for the team. If he misses the Wolves and Newcastle games so be it. I am sure Howe would live Lerma to be available for all of the next three games, but he is on a tightrope.
Bournemouth are not so stretched in central midfield and have the likes of Dan Gosling and Andrew Surman to come in if Lerma does pick up his next card. It might not be ideal, but every player will want to do their absolute best to try and keep Bournemouth up and they all may need to play their part.
The AFCB team to play against Luton Town in the FA Cup could be a very experimental eleven. Eddie Howe has full license not to pick players who have been playing with knocks and who need the rest before the all important home game against Watford next weekend.
Bournemouth will have a keeper change today.
I am not sure if I want Bournemouth to do that well in the FA Cup which seems criminal. But if the club's Premier League status is under threat, then it is important to protect the players that don't need to play in the Luton game. For once defeat would be accepted if it meant a win against Watford the week after.
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But Eddie Howe has to pick a team no matter what. In goal it could be Mark Travers or Artur Boruc, but it is probably wisest to give the younger keeper the game for the experience. I'd be inclined to leave Simon Francis at right back, but Jack Simpson could come in to partner Chris Mepham, and perhaps we will see an U21 player at left back. Andrew Surman is the only central midfielder that Howe has with experience who has not been getting games and I'd expect him to start, perhaps with Matt Butcher. Gavin Kilkenny is surely also a right wing starter for this match, and the left wing is another position where an U21 could come in. It looks like Sam Surridge will start up front along perhaps with Alex Dobre, as Dominic Solanke probably needs to be protected with Josh King out and Callum Wilson needing rest.
I am not optimistic of a win for the Cherries, but we are certainly going to see some young players and perhaps the fans will enjoy that rather than seeing the regulars struggle again. Luton Town are bottom of the Championship and were beaten 3-1 by Millwall last time out and have not won an away game since 28 September, when they beat Blackburn Rovers 1-2. They have had just one win in December against Wigan, but it's one win in seven games.
Form aside, Luton Town do have some senior professionals like Marek Stech in goal and Kazenega Lua Lua who is perhaps well-known from his Brighton years. Bournemouth may have to be more aware of James Collins who has eight goals this season and former Cherries Academy player Harry Cornick who has six goals. Callum McManaman is another winger who has scored three goals this season and has played for Wigan, WBA and Sunderland.
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A win would be a bit of a morale boost, but little more than that. If Luton had any form, this could be a great game for them but I imagine they are the best team Bournemouth could have drawn at this stage if they were going to get a Championship team. But lose to Luton Town and it is probably another invitation for the papers to tarnish Eddie Howe and the players for this season. Let's get behind the players today and try and start the recovery. We have had our moan and it's time to try and give the players something to work with. UTCIAD! AFCB Home Form WLLLD Luton Away Form LLLLL In other news Sam Surridge has signed a new four and a half year contract with AFCB - he is likely to be a massive player next season for the Cherries.
While Andrew Surman is not seen as a match winner these days, he still has plenty to offer and could be part of the solution that Eddie Howe calls upon to try and get a result against Everton. This week we have seen that Lewis Cook is taking part in training and getting close to match fitness, but the bench is probably the closest he can get to playing at the weekend.
Andrew Surman still has some big games left in him and Sunday could be one of them.
That puts the focus on Philip Billing and Jefferson Lerma. Are they strong enough to stop Everton in their tracks? I think Billing is still finding his feet in this team and is a bit of a follower rather than a leader at the moment. Billing and Lerma have only won the one game at Aston Villa, and Surman played in the second 45 minutes of that game when Billing lost his control and almost got sent off.
What we know about Surman is that he has a tremendous amount of experience. He will do a job if Eddie Howe asks him to play a role that keeps AFCB ticking and hinders Everton. Bournemouth's pass completions are not particularly high (15th highest at the moment) and Surman has the ability to move the ball confidently in possession, even if it is renowned for being sideways in the main.
Bournemouth have not had a clean sheet yet and have not won at home, so they need to re-establish themselves against Everton, and get a result that would push them back into the higher placings. If that means Howe needs to look at stopping teams and being a bit more cautious now, rather than being open and too attack-minded then buckle yourself in for a tense game at the weekend. Three central midfielders, could be Howe's thinking against a team that is already three points better off than the Cherries. The friendly against QPR in mid-week would also suggest that Howe is contemplating this as he played Billing, Surman and Lewis Cook in that match.
Possible AFCB line-up
AFCB Subs: Boruc, Rico, Stacey, Kilkenny, L Cook, Ibe, Solanke
In other news, Cherry Chimes is going to be fed on to a website called Football-addict for French readers. Check out the site to see all its Premier League news and more.
What Eddie Howe does in the next match will be very interesting. He may go back to his 4-4-1-1 set-up, or he could change the personnel. Harry Wilson is going to be keen to play and Howe obviously sees him playing in the team and it was perhaps the creative spark that Bournemouth really lacked against Sheffield United that started to get the home crowd annoyed about the performance.
Does Harry Wilson get a run out this weekend?
When you see some great attacking talent sitting on the bench and not getting used it is hard not to feel that the manager is being too cautious. But some of the players on the bench might not have been in the physical condition to be given more than a few minutes if they were needed, or Eddie may have been concerned about who was on the field and might pick up injuries.
At 1-0 up I did expect Howe to bring on Andrew Surman to close up the match against Sheffield, but he didn't. The creativity on the day wasn't there for Bournemouth and protecting what he had might have been a good move for Howe.
What we'd expected to see was more attacking play and more waves of attacks from Howe's team at home. The system may have been good at nullifying Sheffield United, but it didn't get Ryan Fraser the space to operate, and Josh King also found himself running into a wall of defenders. Whether Howe rethinks his attacking options with Ibe or Harry Wilson, he has to find something that gives Bournemouth more of a spark in and around the box for the next match.
The summer signings are supposed to strengthen the team, and Howe wanted to bring in players that are at least as good, if not better than what he had to work with last season. But are any of the new recruits good enough to oust some regulars and claim a place in the first 11?
Which players will start off AFCB's campaign?
I fear we may have been robbed wholesale changes for a couple of reasons. Lloyd Kelly may well have got the nod against Sheffield United, if he hadn't become injured. Daniels is now being fast-tracked and will probably pip Diego Rico to the left-back position, as long as Adam Smith is kept on the right. Meanwhile, Adam Smith is the problem for Jack Stacey. Are we really saying the ex-Luton man is better than Adam Smith already? I want to see a right-back defend well as well as get forward, and it may take Stacey a little while to get the balance right in the Premier League, whereas Smith has plenty of experience now at the top level.
The central midfield position that Philip Billing will be after is going to be a close call. Does Eddie Howe trust the new player to be a step up on Andrew Surman or does he play it safe and give time for Billing to bed in? This one Howe might have to sleep on, and it could go either way I think, although it won't surprised if Surman is given the first match, as experienced heads are a good thing to have on a first day when some matches can get a bit overheated. Kris Temple also pointed out that Biling might not be as fit as he'd like having not done as much training as some of the other players while at Huddersfield. Billing could always be used as a sub to push the game in the second half.
The most difficult task for a new player to take on is trying to move Ryan Fraser from his role in the starting line up. Arnaut Danjuma is unlikely to walk straight into that position, but what a substitute he'll be for Eddie Howe to have when games are getting stretched. Arnaut will offer something different and it could be quite explosive if he gets off to a good start with a goal or two. He is one of the surprise players for AFCB in the Premier League this season - can he make as big an impact as David Brooks did last season? The other player who will also challenge Fraser is Harry Wilson. He could well make a start in the first game instead of Fraser on the left or he could replace Ibe with Fraser switching wings. Gavin Kilkenny also played amazingly well last week, but could he replicate it in the first game? I think he might have to wait a bit longer for his chance.
My prediction for the starting line-up is going to be playing the Howe loyalty card with most of the regulars getting the first game with perhaps one new debut - Harry Wilson. Whatever team Howe goes for the bench is going to be packed with more quality this season. Finally, between the sticks. I suggest Eddie will go for the safest pair of hands and that has to be Artur Boruc. But we could see that change as the season progresses. Cherry Chimes answers some questions on AFCB for Sheffield Utd web site S24SU.com
