Bournemouth can expect a barrage of bids for strikers

The dice have been rolled for Callum Wilson and it wasn't Spurs, Man United, or Newcastle that have stirred the pot, but Aston Villa has seen the first bid for Callum rejected. According to SkySports, Bournemouth has rejected a £15m bid from Villa for Wilson and, it's likely, this will only add more fuel to the fire with other clubs now alerted to the fact that the bidding war has begun.

Could a deal for Callum Wilson be sorted this week?

I imagine it is quite a nervy time for the player. While he has the ultimate decision of agreeing his own personal terms with clubs, he could well find that Bournemouth agrees to a transfer fee and he is forced to go to talk with a club, despite wanting a move elsewhere. Callum Wilson would surely love to play Champions League or at least European football, but if Aston Villa is the first to make a formal bid, then it will be intriguing to see whether the big six clubs are interested in Callum or not.

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I am not sure what Aston Villa was hoping for by making such a low bid. Perhaps they are trying to force the hands of others to see if they are keen on Callum? Anything under £25m is unlikely to attract any interest from Bournemouth, as Callum signed a new contract at the start of last season. Whether Aston Villa will make a serious bid will reveal the club's true intentions. They won't get Callum for a steal.

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Callum may have to wait on the likes of Spurs to see other sales go through before they can respond with a bid for him, but Newcastle United or West Ham United might feel forced to act now. The wages that Wilson said he wanted may not have frightened of clubs, but the heavyweights have refrained from bidding early.

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The transfer money is what AFCB will need fairly soon though if they do want to reinvest in new players. JT will want to make the squad his and put his mark on it, and he'll only do that by bringing in new signings, or else AFCB will be viewed as Eddie Howe's depleted squad.

In other news, AFCB plays West Ham today at the London Stadium.

Striker hunt for AFCB - a priority?

With rumours about Callum Wilson and Josh King potentially leaving the club for the likes of Spurs and PSG respectively, it currently rests on Dominic Solanke and Sam Surridge to form a partnership and get some goals if Bournemouth's main strike pairing do leave.

Have we seen Callum Wilson and Josh King in an AFCB shirt for the last time?

Bournemouth have not been linked with many strikers. The news that Aston Villa were interested in Callum Wilson did mention a possible swap with Scott Hogan. I am not sure if the Cherries have a big potential list of strikers, but I would hope that they do have some on a list that they are looking to go after. My worry is that they will leave it late in the day to try and bring in signings and by that time AFCB's squad could have been reduced by three or four more players.

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While we haven't seen much of the Sam Surridge/Dominic Solanke potential strike force, I think it could work reasonably well in the Championship. We know that Sam can score goals at the level and the probability of Solanke being the senior partner in the partnership might just give him the focus and drive he needs to continue his recent good form.

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Ideally, AFCB will need four or five strikers in the Championship with the amount of games they'll have. They picked a real class act with Yan Kermorgant last time they were there and that kind of powerful striker would be a good addition. Bournemouth may have to be a bit more adaptive to seeing some more headed goals than we have been used to in the Premier League, and I think the squad could do with a few more robust players anyway.

Hopefully, Surridge and Solanke get a chance to show their abilities but the search for one or to more strikers surely has to be a priority for Tindall.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Was Tindall the best choice for the Bournemouth job?

In other news, for Cherry Mark Molseley becomes the manager of Southend Utd

An AFCB compensation claim against Hawk-Eye wouldn't sit well

Yesterday, TalkSport was one of the first media outlets to announce that Bournemouth were considering a compensation claim against the Hawk-Eye technology or the Premier League for being relegated by a point, when goal line technology failed to register a valid goal in the game between Aston Villa and Sheffield United, which would have made Bournemouth safe.

Bournemouth will hopefully accept their fate.

The world of sport is a pretty unsavoury place. We know the Premier League is ruled by money, and for a club like Bournemouth to fall out of it, when 85 per cent of its outgoings go on player salaries, is going to be a catastrophe. But there is honour in the game and sportsmanship which are much better values to uphold, and if Bournemouth did launch a compensation claim, it would reek of sour grapes for many, rather than a valid claim to seek justice.

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There are 38 games during the Premier League season for every team. Wrong decisions can be highlighted in just about everyone of them, even with the level of technology that is employed today. Nobody believes now that the technology is infallible, but all the clubs signed up for its use at the start of the Premier League season, and it is the best added help referees have to try and make the correct decisions. There is injustice in sport and there always will be. If clubs can make claims against wrong decisions, it would open the flood gates.

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Bournemouth must move on and focus on getting back to the Premier League rather than waste their energy on legal cases. They will gain more respect and retain dignity if they accept the decision, when everyone knows that they were unluckily treated, and were a plucky team during their time in the Premier League. There is a legacy of reputation and I don't want that spoiled as many more people have a high respect for AFC Bournemouth now, and that has been hard earned over the last five seasons.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - First goal- itiss - did it contribute to AFCB downfall?

First goal-itiss - did it contribute to AFCB downfall?

Steve Cook was clear that he felt a lot of the poor results that AFCB had in the season were not helped by conceding the first goal. Even when Bournemouth did score first that didn't always hold on to a lead. It was curious how well the team could play at times when they were really up against it, like at Man City and Everton and yet they couldn't perform at home after the restart with the exception of the Leicester City game, when even then, they didn't score first.

The first goal didn't come often enough for AFCB.

I am not sure what was happening in the players minds after the restart. They still had a good opportunity to beat the drop, but only mustered seven pints from nine games which is relegation form. West Ham pulled in 12 points, as did Brighton and Aston Villa won 10 points, only Norwich and Crystal Palace gathered less points than Bournemouth and Watford, who bot took seven points.

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Scoring first was perhaps on the teams mind, but it just didn't happen. The crushing free kick that was struck by Crystal Palace's Milivojevic completely deflated any confidence that had been gained from the pre-restart games with Chelsea and Liverpool. it was a downhill spiral from then conceding first goals to Wolves away and Newcastle at home. The Man Utd defeat was different because the players did score first and came out fighting - they were just beaten by a better team. The writing was on the wall by then, but still Bournemouth could have saved themselves. The failure to either beat Spurs and Southampton at home proved very costly. The away form had been bad all of 2020, so it was likely to turn at some point and Everton was a game where Bournemouth couldn't afford to have nerves. They duly delivered, just too late.

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Of course, Bournemouth were considered a team that made great comebacks in previous seasons, but these didn't materialise in 2019/20. The worry is not for me that the first goal didn't always come, but that the players are perhaps burnt out and will soon have to play again as a new season gets underway.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth just weren't good enough

AFCB still have everything to play for

This is it then. One game and a definite must win against Everton to stand any chance of staying in the Premier League. Lose this one and there is no excuses, Bournemouth will have had their opportunities. All we can ask is that the players pick up three points. Anything after that is down to bad luck if Villa or Watford pick up points or a point. Bournemouth should have done more earlier.

Bournemouth have to give it one more go.

It is surprising that it has come down to the last game. I don't think many Bournemouth fans would have seen the team only pick up four points from the last eight games, and to still be without an away win in 2020. It would be a great time to get rid of that away record, and just to reach 34 points would help the players go into the next season knowing they did all they could on the last day to try and stay up.

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The stress and nerves should really be gone now for this game. Bournemouth have a clear directive what to do and the ayers know they either do it now or will be down if they can't beat Everton. I'd rather the team had drawn level with Watford and Aston Villa on 34 points already, but this way Bournemouth are the underdogs and the pressure is really on Aston Villa and West Ham, who have it all to lose, if they put in poor performances.

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I am sure Eddie Howe will tell his players to look at it in that way. A win is the object of the game. Whatever comes after that is either a bonus or something that we couldn't do anything about, so the players can't worry about it. If the boys go out in that frame of mind we may see more of the flowing football that we saw at the end of the game against Man City. If the shackles are off, it might surprise a few people how well Bournemouth can play.

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It will be strange to see the players either in agony or ecstasy at Goodison Park come the end of play. But perhaps we should be thankful that the team did pick up some points against Spurs and Leicester, which was unexpected out of all the games that Bournemouth had to play since the restart. It is those points that have given the team an outside chance of staying up.

AFCB Away Form
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Everton Home Form
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Opposition view - Cherry Chimes spoke with Royal Blue Mersey to preview the Everton v AFCB game

Tomorrow we will have a Rival Lines wth Royal Blue Mersey

Delight and agony - AFCB fans see relegation battle go to last game

Bournemouth fans could rub their hands with some glee again and go and get their hidden scarfs and shorts out of the dustbin, as the unlikely escape was back on after Man City thumped a demoralised Watford 0-4. There was some caution though as Bournemouth fans still had to wait to see what Arsenal would do against Aston Villa. It was a flat Arsenal performance and Aston Villa kept a 1-0 lead to also go three points ahead of Bournemouth, but we knew that the relegation battle would now go down to the last game no matter what.

Destiny is not in AFCB's own hands but at least they are not out of it with a game to go.

There is every chance now that the 17th place in the Premier League this season could be decided by goal difference. We could have three teams  on 34 points. Arguably none of these teams have played well enough to stay up, but there is a place for one of them. A 1-0 win for Bournemouth and two 1-0 defeats for Aston Villa and Arsenal would save Eddie Howe's side. But a draw or a win for Aston Villa or Watford and Bournemouth will have to adapt to life in the Championship.

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Bournemouth fans could just peak from between their closed fingers again and start to imagine again what a win at Everton would mean. It is the hope that rally hurts and yet Bournemouth fans have to believe their team has been given yet another opportunity to climb out of the relegation places.

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The pole position is held by Aston Villa now, who may only need a point against West Ham to secure their Premier League place if Watford can't beat Arsenal.  Is till think it will be between Bournemouth and Watford. The way Arsenal played against Aston Villa, you have to fancy Watford to get something in their last game. It is going to be nail biting, but Bournemouth have to beat Everton as their first job, to stand any chance of avoiding the drop. After that they can worry about goal difference and goals scored if Aston Vil and Watford have not added one or three points to their totals.

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Think everyone knew Watford would lose to City, it was always going to be down to how Arsenal do these last two games #afcb

— Will Partridge (@AFCBWILL) July 21, 2020

Not tweeted about them before but #mancity are an absolute joy to watch when they’re not playing us #afcb

— Sophie 🍒 (@sophiebmth) July 21, 2020

Not tweeted about them before but #mancity are an absolute joy to watch when they’re not playing us #afcb

— Sophie 🍒 (@sophiebmth) July 21, 2020

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Regardless of what happens in the last 10 minutes, Villa have been excellent tonight. They knew it was a huge game and the players have responded. If we’d shown this level of urgency and intent against Saints, we might not be relying on others to slip up #afcb

— Rob Meech (@RobMeech) July 21, 2020

So will the championship class of '15 be taking a step down together five years after making the step up? #afcb #WatfordFC #ncfc

— Darryll Brewer (@djbsleepy) July 21, 2020

...if Villa win by one goal tonight but lose on Sun while we win, then again the -26 and -27 (us) would change around anyway. Any more than a 1 goal win for AV tonight and it gets complicated.
But we're not beating Everton anyway so it will all be moot!

— Jim Smith (@Jim_AFCB) July 21, 2020

Bournemouth have to hope for one more chance

Tonights night's games take on even more importance for Bournemouth, if that is possible, after the defeat to Southampton. In a way, looking at the bottom teams of Aston Villa, Bournemouth and Watford, they are all as bad as each other. None of them deserve being saved, and to me,  it wouldn't be unfair to see all three along with Norwich City being relegated.

AFCB still hope they have something to play for come next weekend.

But one team out of Watford, Aston Villa and Bournemouth will survive. They may even survive on 34 points and with less than 10 wins in the season. That is looking quite likely now, as none of these teams has found winning easy. If the season does go to the last day, with Bournemouth still involved with a chance of staying up, then it is perhaps not a great advert for the Premier League. Yes it will be exciting, because any one of three teams could stay up, but it shows how poor four teams are compared to the rest of the league.

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There may be satisfaction if Bournemouth stay up. But the team will need a drastic overhaul no matter what happens. Of course, Watford can take it completely out of Bournemouth's hands, if they get a point against Man City. It will all end there and then, if they do. But if Villa and Watford fail to get above 34 points this season, Bournemouth fans will have another nail biting weekend to suffer.

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I am not sure if I want it to be all over. The suffering is never ending and in a way, it will be a relief when the season is over. I have been predicting relegation ever since Bournemouth lost away to Norwich City. They are bad enough to be relegated. If they stay up it will only be via the back door now. That might be good enough for Eddie Howe and the AFCB board, but this season has been anything other than fun to watch as a Bournemouth supporter. Yes, we are in the top league and it has been a pleasure to be a part of it for five seasons. But is it wrong to want more? Have Bournemouth overstayed their welcome? We may find out on tonight. Then again we might have to wait until next weekend. Drawling a line under this season might not quite be done this evening.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Harry Wilson puts his hands up

Will AFCB be under too much pressure for Newcastle game?

I am looking forward to the match against Newcastle United. It has been good to see that Matt Ritchie is back playing again and Newcastle don't really have any relegation worries anymore. They are the kind of mid-table team that haven't much to play for, so Bournemouth have to make the most of this game and that will mean they have pressure on them, especially after losing their last two matches.

Bournemouth have to deal with the pressure at this time.

It is how AFCB deal with that pressure that counts. They haven't done well since the restart in dealing with pressure, but to a large extent they are being helped by the poor results of others with Aston Villa dropping points against Wolves and Southampton taking the points off Watford. If Bournemouth can get a win, they would not only move out of the bottom three they would greatly improve their belief that they can stay up and give a damaging blow to West Ham, Aston Villa Norwich and possibly Watford.

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How do players deal with the pressure though? I think it is important that all the players talk about how they feel and what they feel like as the game approaches. They need to remind themselves of what they are playing for, and try and think of when they met with fans, had good games on the pitch, and when they were fearless at attacking teams. If they can surround themselves with positives, then they can get their game moving in the right direction.

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They don't need to think about the consequences of not getting a good result. It has to be all positive thinking now. They need a step up, and the only way they are going to get it is by playing well. So Eddie Howe must get through to his players that they are Premier League stars, that people want them to succeed, and that goals will come if they do their jobs well.

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They are getting paid for a job they love. It is so much better if they have that winning feeling. There haven't been many happy moments this season, so Eddie has to stress how enjoyable it will be if they can get a win. With a win the players will relax a bit and the pressure will come off for a few days. They need that relief of tension and to see a table where they are making progress. Newcastle United won't be an easy game, but it is a good game to have right now, and AFCB will want to make the most of it.


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Some positives for AFCB fans

While Bournemouth have lost their two opening games of the restart, there are a couple of positive thoughts that Bournemouth fans can take into the next few games. There have been a lot of negatives, but Eddie Howe needn't put his head in the sand just yet.

AFCB have too look at whatever positives they can find.

The first boost for the Cherries is that West Ham and Norwich haven't done any better in the first two games after the restart. Although Brighton look a win away from safety now, Watford and Aston Villa have only managed a point from their games, so it really is all to play for with four teams really battling it out to not go down with Norwich City.

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Another positive has been that the goal difference hasn't increased to such an extent that Bournemouth can't get ahead of West Ham and Watford in a few games time, if Bournemouth can get some positive results. Bournemouth also only lost by one goal to Wolves, whereas West Ham lost 0-2 at home which might give Bournemouth players a bit of confidence that they are doing slightly better than West Ham on current form.

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The big positive though has been the form of David Brooks. Although he has not scored, he has looked Bournemouth's best attacking player and extremely lively. He should be even sharper as we come to the third and fourth games. and he doesn't usually go too many games without either making an assist or scoring.

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Aaron Ramsdale has played okay without having an absolute blinder yet. I get the feeling that Aaron may have a big say yet on whether AFCB stay up or not, and he could make some big saves yet that secure him AFCB's player of the year.

Bournemouth now have just one away game in their next four matches and they have to believe they can get points at home, no matter who they are up against, if they can perform at their highest level. These may not be that many encouraging signs, but AFCB fans need whatever they can hold on to at the moment to keep some belief going.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Why can't Kelly start for AFCB?

Super computer predicts Cherries will beat relegation

Fans of the Cherries can take heart that not every prediction expects AFCB to go down this season. TalkSports' super computer has looked at all the remaining games for the Premier League and it has come up with the Cherries finishing in 17th place and staying up by the skin of their teeth.

Some reason for optimisim

It is bad news for Norwich City, Aston Villa and Brighton & Hove Albion as far as the TalkSport computer is concerned, and I am hoping that the prediction comes true. How successful the super computer has been in the past I am not sure, but AFCB's players need every positive message they can get at the moment to fill them with belief.

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When I think of super computers I think of Tim Brooke-Taylor, from the Goodies, who sadly passed away this year, and the super Computer in Charlie and the Chocolate factory that wasn't very compliant in telling him where the last Golden ticket was hidden. All jesting aside, AFCB do have a chance of beating the drop, and like the super computer I think Brighton have the next hardest run of fixtures during the run-in.

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Bournemouth need to keep in contact with the three teams above them to make it a nervous finish to the end of the season. If they keep the likes of Brighton and West Ham in their sights then anything could happen, when it comes to the last couple of games. But Eddie Howe won't be relying on a super computer. The games have to be won on the pitch and it is a shame the computer doesn't tell you how you can win the matches.

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While we can all compute how we think the season will finish, some of us will get it right and others will get it wrong. I just with the anxiety would end soon. It is very much like when waiting for AFCB to win promotion to the Premier League, but this time it's not a happy feeling, just an uneasy worry about what life in the Championship would be like again.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Have AFCB got the goal power needed to stay up?

Where will AFCB pick up enough points to survive?

Viewing AFC Bournemouth's nine fixtures to go doesn't inspire me with great confidence that they can escape the bottom three. However, what does give me hope if that other teams are within a couple of points of being where AFCB are, and a win can give any team a massive step up towards safety.

Players will want to celebrate if they do stay up, but any celebrations will be muted.

Undoubtedly, now that there will be home games as well as away matches, AFCB's home games might offer the best chance of the team getting more points on the board. The games to come against Crystal Palace and Newcastle United probably give the Cherries their best chance of a reward, while Southampton match will be a big test as the Saints will want revenge for the defeat earlier in the season with the added bonus that they could help send AFCB down. If Bournemouth were to get nine points from those games they would be looking good for safety.

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However, the away fixtures look very difficult with the two Manchester clubs as well as Wolves and Everton. Bournemouth also have Leicester City and Spurs at home, but in all these fixtures AFCB would be doing well to get a point in any of them. It will be all about whether AFCB can put pressure on the teams above them - Watford, West Ham and Brighton. If AFCB can't put pressure on one of these teams then they are likely to go down. Aston Villa are far from being down yet as well.

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I don't know if the time lag before finishing the table will make things even more difficult. It is going to be very apparent very quickly after the first couple of games that Premier League status is very much in the balance and every game will be like a cup final. It is the immediacy and finality of these nine games which will probably capture fans memories for the next couple of seasons, as I think this season will be defined by these games. There hasn't been a season like it and let's hope we never have to go through this again. But if AFCB are successful and come out of this with their Premier League status in tact, what will the celebrations be like? It will be celebration at home for the fans, but social distancing will be almost impossible for the players when that final whistle goes. 

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