Can AFCB stretch Leicester City?

Bournemouth are going to come up against a side that has had a confident start to the season and under Brendan Rodgers they have a manager that prepares well for every game. It's true to say that Bournemouth have always had good battles against Leicester City and this one is perhaps one of the most important games of the season for AFCB coming off the back of their first defeat against Man City

Fraser and co need to stretch the Leicester City back-line.

Leicester have only had one clean sheet which was against Wolves in their first game of the season, but they have conceded just two goals so the absence of Harry Maguire hasn't been showing yet. They have not been bagging a lot of goals, but Vardy has scored along with Ndidi. They've also had a youngster in Harvey Barnes stun Sheffield United with a late winner.

So I expect Leicester to be organised and trying to play to Vardy's strengths.The tricky James Maddison is the player that Bournemouth will hope to shackle right from the start as everything good tends to go through him while there could be another problem in the new record signing of Youri Tielemans who is no doubt eager to get his first goal at his new club.

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While Bournemouth do have some strong counter-attacking players, they will need to do much better in front of goal from what we saw when the team played Man City and Forest Green. Callum Wilson and Josh King are likely to start, but they have to put more pressure on Casper Schmeichel than we have seen Bournemouth do to other keeper's this season. AFCB's weakness is that they have not shown they can keep a clean sheet, and if their strikers are not able to find a bit of form in front of goal, it could be a time of major reflection for AFCB during the international break.

Leicester City are a good team, but AFCB will be left in the wrong half of the table with a defeat. So Eddie Howe needs to get the team working well for this match and while he is unlikely to change the team much from the Man City game, he needs more spark from players like Callum Wilson and Ryan Fraser who had such good seasons last year.

T-Shirt Competition

Try and predict the correct score between Leicester City and AFCB to win a Cherry Chimes T-Shirt. Send your prediction to @CherryChimes on Twitter. We will pick an entry from the hat if there are more than one correct scoreline prediction.

Rival Lines: 'You have always been our bogey team,' says Leicester Till I Die

Rival Lines
Leicester City v AFCB
Blogger Interview: Leicester Till I Die
Twitter: @Leicestertid

This week I spoke with Leicester Till I Die blogger Chris Forryan about his team's start to the season and the impact that Brendan Rodgers has had at the club. Leicester have also lost one of their main central defenders to Manchester United and yet they seem to still be able to get some good results as they sit fourth on the table.

CC: Were Leicester City fans annoyed at the lateness of the Harry Maguire deal to Man Utd going through or did you feel Leicester got the best of the deal with the final price-tag that was achieved?

LTID: To be honest, No. Deep down think we knew he was going would have been more annoyed to lose him last summer post world cup when he was playing better and err yes £80m+ for a player we paid £17m for and we didn't wear a mask lol.

CC: How do you feel the defence has done since Maguire's exit?

LTID: Maguire who? Soyuncu & Benkovic were bought last summer ready for a possible Maguire exit and Morgan retirement, so despite being linked with every defender available with two man of the match performances from Soyuncu, lets just say we havn't missed him.

CC: Were you happy with signing Ayoze Perez from Newcastle United for £30m and has he shown signs of repaying some of that yet?

LTID: Was a shock and very un-Leicester like. Target a player, check his get put price and pay it. He's being used as an Albrighton replacement at the moment, but has scored a few pre-season and may prove an adequate replacement for any Vardy injuries.

CC: Just how good is Youri Tielemans and are you surprised that Leicester beat off the competition for him and breaking the Foxes transfer record?

LTID: Watch out for the big boys knocking on our door next summer, this guy could be the new Hazard and I think it speaks volumes of our club that he WANTED to come to Leicester following his loan spell with us over some of the so called top six sides that were chasing him.

CC: How important was the win against Sheffield United and was it a harder game than expected?

LTID: Always hard against the new boys but that first win is always going to be important, and it keeps us unbeaten.

CC: Who do you see as the three weakest sides in the Premier League this season?

LTID: Wow that's a difficult one. I think it will be very tight down at the bottom, more so than for many a year. Brighton I think will struggle as will Newcastle who are like the Titanic looking for the Iceberg. Sheffield United will find it tough going and I hope to see Villa in the bottom three, but that is more personal.

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CC: What have you seen about Brendan Rodgers way of playing that has been better than Claude Puel?

LTID: We now play, fast, attacking, football aimed at getting the best out of Vardy. None of the aforementioned could be said in the same breath as Puel.

CC: Which player form Bournemouth's team would you happily have in your squad this season if you could and why?

LTID: Nathan Ake was linked during the 'will he won't he' leave Maguire saga and if we had managed to sign him I would have been very happy. Callum Wilson would be a good addition as we do struggle if Vardy is out, but that said I have never been happier over a LCFC squad going into a new season.

CC: Would it be disappointing not to get European football at the end of this season for Leicester fans?

LTID: Winning the League has meant we always start a new season thinking we can do it again. Blue tinted glasses off though, and yes it would be disappointing. Having a good, young, squad with an experienced attack minded manager, I think we could break into the top six. But then what do I know? Lol.

CC: How do you expect to line up against Bournemouth and has Leicester any major injury worries or long-term absentees?

LTID: Nothing long term from the main squad Ndidi, & Chilwell short term worries but -

Schmeichel

Pereira, Soyuncu, Evans, Chilwell/Fuchs

Chowdry/Ndidi, Praet

Perez, Maddison

Vardy

CC: What is your score prediction for the match?

LTID:You have always been our bogey team but I think we might just have too much for you this game so I'm going a 2-1 win to the Foxes.

CC: A big thanks to Chris who is no doubt feeling pretty good about the table at the moment and the prospects for Leicester City. Fo Bournemouth, this is a chance to go up against a side that is likely to finish in the top 10 and to try and get against a team that is unbeaten so far. Such games between Leicester and Bournemouth are usually tight, so it is bound to be quite a nervy watch this weekend. To read more about Leicester City and to see my answers to Chris' questions on AFCB Bournemouth, head over the the Leicester Till I Die website.

Bournemouth have to find out way they've been out of sorts

The AFCB away fans have been treated to some pretty abject performances this season. The defeat at Leicester was disappointing not because the team were heavily beaten, but more because they had very little to offer as an attacking force with eight shots and two shots on target.

Can AFCB get back on the -pace this weekend? 

To be fair, Leicester played well and dominated in midfield. They stopped Bournemouth from playing in short. But AFCB didn't look like they were up to a fight. After the first 45 minutes the team should have come out with more determination to get forward and impose themselves on the game, but they just didn't get up for it.

Whether Bournemouth lacked ambition and belief that they could win at Leicester is difficult to believe. After all, Bournemouth swept Leicester away in the early season fixture, but none of that swash-buckling forward play was on show at Leicester. Bournemouth looked short of energy and ideas and were mainly running around just to try and slow Leicester down.

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It may be that Eddie Howe also has to ask himself why he hasn't got close to getting a result against Brendan Rodgers? He was out thought and Rodgers used Leicester's strengths to take the game to Bournemouth. Once ahead as well, Leicester didn't have any doubts that they would get more opportunities to extend the lead. That kind of confidence has been missing in AFCB's away games and they must ensure they find it for their home matches to make sure they don't yet end up in a last-minute relegation fight.

Can AFCB catch the Foxes?

Leicester City have pulled themselves ahead of AFCB and yet, at the start of the season it was AFCB who were on top form against Leicester when they played at home. The return fixture is a very enticing match, not only because Leicester have a new manager who Eddie Howe is yet to beat, but a win for Bournemouth would put them level on points with Leicester.

Can AFCB play as well as they did at home against Leicester City?

The fate of Bournemouth's season rests on these last few games. Either we write it off as a good start, but a missed opportunity to have the best season so far in the Premier League, or the team gets back to it's early season form and heads into the top 10. One of the teams Bournemouth have to try and get past is their next opponents. Leicester have ambitions of their own to reach the top seven places, and yet they have found it hard to get back to back wins of late. Their home form is good though with wins over Fulham and Brighton in their last two home games.

Jamie Vardy is again getting on the score sheet and he heads their goal chart with 12 goals form his 27 appearances. Vardy's pace is still upsetting teams and while Bournemouth have usually had Steve Cook playing against him they will have to see how close Chris Mepham can get to Vardy in this game. This should be a good test for Mepham.

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Another key battle will be between Wilfred Ndidi and Jefferson Lerma in midfield. Both are very mobile players and it will be important to prevent  Ndidi from getting too far forward. Ndidi has a good record of influencing games from the middle and isn't afraid of getting shots off.

Leicester still have the same defenders though who will find it hard to compete well against the pace of Wilson and King. Bournemouth should have a stronger bench as well now that Dan Gosling, Adam Smith and Junior Stanislas have been training this week.

Leicester City Home Form
LLLWW

AFCB Away Form
LLLLW

Score Predictions
If you fancy winning a Cherry Chimes' T-Shirt send in your score prediction for Leicester City v AFCB to @CherryChimes on Twitter or email Cherrychimesblog@gmail.com with your score. I'll pick a winner from the correct entries.

Possible AFCB Lineup

AFCB Subs: Begovic, Simpson, Rico, Gosling, Surman, Mousset, Solanke.

AFCB TV Preview

In other news, AFCB announced financial losses of £10.9m this year - See SkySports

Rival Lines: "Puel was given a poisoned chalice," says Leicester Till I Die

Rival Lines

Match Preview: Leicester City v AFCB

Blogger Interview: Leicester Till I Die
Twitter: @Leicestertid

While AFCB were soaking up the hot temperatures in Dubai, I sent a quick request off to Chris  Forryan at Leicester Till I Die to answer some questions ahead of the game with Bournemouth. Leicester City have had am improving season and yet have still changed their manager as well as suffered a horrible tragedy losing their owner. So are their fans confident they can finish the season in good for with a tilt at trying to get into Europe?

CC: Has the mood changed much around Leicester now that you have a new manager?

LTID: OMG YES YES & YES!!!  The atmosphere was flat under Puel. Played like crabs side to side nothing to get the crowd excited, but a top manager has been appointed and the future looks bright with the exciting players we have in our squad.

CC: Do you think Brendan Rodgers was the right appointment?

LTID: Personally yes, sooner have had Rodgers then Benetiz, as did the majority of the fans so they can’t complain if it goes wrong, that said we are football fans so of course we will.

Puel was given the poisoned chalice of breaking up the old Premier League winning squad bringing through and in the youngsters which to be fair he had started to do. But the results were not there as the changes were made. Rodgers likes young attacking teams, hopefully will be a perfect match – time will of course, tell.

CC: Are Leicester strong enough to play in Europe next season if you do finish seventh?

LTID: Were we strong enough to play in the Champions League when we won the title? Nuff said.

CC: Has James Maddison been one of Leicester's best buys in a long time?

LTID: Was overjoyed when we signed him, I think Rodgers will give him more freedom to express his natural talents.

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CC: The home form has been good but clean sheet seem to have escaped you, but can you see the team keeping more clean sheets in these final games?

LTID: Our back 3/4 is a work in progress. Maybe not this season but once Rodgers gets his best players in the positions he wants I think it will come but maybe it will be next season.

CC: Leicester had a strange match at Bournemouth earlier this season, but Leicester fought back to get two goals. Do you expect Leicester to be better organised to deal with Bournemouth's pace this time?

LTID: I’ll let you know at 5pm on Saturday!! Rodgers came in to steady the ship till the end of the season and see his squad in competitive games, but I really do hope so.

CC: Have Leicester got any major player injuries?

LTID: Albrighton who is out till the end of the season.

CC: How do you expect Leicester to line up for this game?

LTID: Its anyone's guess as Rodgers is experimenting, but Morgan should return to defence to cover Maguire’s one game ban. But would like to see Gray get some more time under Rodgers as he is one player that could benefit form Rodgers coming in and he has great potential.

CC: Where do you think Bournemouth and Leicester will finish in the table?

LTID: Top 10 for us which I would take after the season we have had to endure, and if you can get your early season form back no reason why you couldn’t join us.

Thanks for the answers Chris. I'd like to think this will be an entertaining game with plenty of goalmouth action at both ends. It could be one of those games which just comes down to who finishes their chances better as the league table shows there is not much between these two sides.

To read more of Chris' views pop over to Leicester Till I Die .

Cherry Chimes also previews Leicester v AFCB on Leicester Till I Die.

Score Predictions
If you fancy winning a Cherry Chimes' T-Shirt send in your score prediction for Leicester City v AFCB to @CherryChimes on Twitter or email Cherrychimesblog@gmail.com with your score. I'll pick a winner from the correct entries.

Klopp's Liverpool are on the upward path

We know next weekend's foe very well, perhaps even too well now. Klopp's Liverpool are better organised than Rodgers' team even if they are basically the same players. Already making their way in Europe and closing in on a top six finish there is much to be respectful of the team from Anfield that is finally beginning to gain some direction.

When AFCB played Liverpool back in August they could count themselves unlucky not to get something from the game and even in the Capital Once Cup they gave the Reds a difficult match. But holding them is not something that Eddie Howe has achieved yet and while points are still vitally important to pick up, there is a sense of AFCB need to beat a team like Liverpool at some point if they are really to start being seen in a different light among the Premier League's elite.

The Cherries at Anfield earlier in the season.

The league positions may look close with 11th playing eighth and the difference between the teams of seven points is not what many would have guessed at with so many games having been played in the season. Liverpool, like AFCB, have had players out though for much of the season and they have not only begun to get acquainted with their German manager who has already given them a new mentality and resolve that has given them some big wins over teams like Man City and Chelsea on the road. Those were without Daniel Sturridge too who is fit again now and looking for form ahead of the Euros and it will be tempting for Klopp to play him alongside Divock Origi in a new look stroke partnership. The quick forwards have become a signature of Klopp's reign and with the intelligent Coutinho and Firmino adding some Brazilian sparkle to the package, there is much to like about the way Liverpool have been going about their business of late. 

Former AFCB striker, Danny Ings is another player that Klopp is likely to want to keep this summer as his energy is just what Klopp wants from his forwards, but luckily for AFCB he won't be back yet.

So Liverpool are in good shape having just beaten Stoke 4-1 and even without their captain Jordan Henderson, Eddie Howe will know that this Liverpool side is better than what he has faced in recent encounters. Liverpool have learnt to play to their strengths and they have youngsters coming through like Jordan Ibe, Divock Origi and Kevin Stewart to join established players such as Adam Lallana and James Milner.

Once they have won some silverware, I see them starting to challenge for the top four places. Under Klopp Liverpool are getting back to where they once were and AFCB will have just as hard a game against them as they had against Man City at home in their last game at Dean Court.

Liverpool Away Form
WDWWL

AFCB Home Form
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AFCB have to meet Liverpool challenge head on

The match against Liverpool will be extremely hard. AFCB can either try and hang in and defend their goal while hoping for a break up field or they can go and play their positive pressing game and look to shut Liverpool off at their source. Both scenarios have risks and knowing Eddie Howe he is most likely to go for the positive option as if it pays off the Cherries would give themselves an even bigger boost if they could come away with three points having played the game in their usual expressive way.

At least Daniel Sturridge won't be playing.

A lot may depend on how much Eddie has confidence in Callum Wilson to lead the line on his own at such a venue. It is the easier option to play this way and to pack the midfield behind him if AFCB want to be solid. It's not AFCB's approach though to be overly negative and having played Liverpool a couple of times in the last few months it maybe that Eddie wants to try something different and to see his players get behind Brendan Rodgers side rather than have them play in front of AFCB and see them looking to pick holes through the Cherries lines.

I'm sure Eddie will use pace to cause Liverpool problems. Going at Liverpool will be difficult but it is the way this Bournemouth side plays best and I think it is the best chance of them getting a shock win. When Liverpool are stunned early in games they don't necessarily come back. Get a lead though and Liverpool have the players to close out games easily.

My predicted team to start against Liverpool

Probable Cherries' team: (4-1-4-1) Boruc (GK), Francis (RB), Elphick (CD), Distin (CD), Daniels (LB), O’Kane (DM), Ritchie (RW), Tomlin (CM), Surman (CM), Pugh (LW), Wilson (FW)

Subs: Federici (GK), Mings (LB), Cook (CD), Smith (RB/RW/LW) Gradel (RW/LW), Atsu (LW/FW), King (FW/LW) 

I have left out Kermorgant and Gosling after last week's performances! Will Eddie Howe remain loyal to them and will he give Mings or Gradel a start? I only suggest that Tomlin might come in along with Distin.

Cherries may need two goals at Anfield just to get a point

AFCB have to find away of getting closer to Liverpool this time. 

Anfield is not a happy hunting ground for away teams at the best of times but taking a newly promoted team there is quite a task. Last season Leicester City were the only side coming up from the Championship to get a point there with a 2-2 score draw, while Burnley were beaten 2-0 and QPR lost 2-1. Two goals seems to be the average we can perhaps expect from Liverpool on Monday night but what can AFCB do?
Eddie Howe will have been fairly pleased with the defensive efforts of his team in the first game. One mistake and one goal is what he would have expected at this level. Thin margins can ruin a season, but there is reason to believe that Liverpool won't keep a clean sheet if they are pressed at times by the look of their record against the smaller teams last season.

Yes, they have a different squad now and many new players so it will be new to those players being at home and taking in the sound of the Kop as well. While there is pressure on the Cherries to be playing at such a famous ground, there is also huge pressure on the new Liverpool players who are expected to brush aside Eddie Howe's men. Even Liverpool's new players were given a training session at Anfield on Friday night just to get used to the surrounding. From past experience, when playing at Dean Court, it was not a foregone conclusion that Rodgers team would be easy victors. AFCB had chances and sooner or later they should start taking them against these big teams. It's only going to take one big result to catapult the Cherries into knowing that they are a side that can hurt any team in the league.

If the players think it is going to be any easier when they play West Ham next week then they would be mistaken. Every game is massive with a 38 game season and there are few games when any team can afford to be under par and still expect to get anything. Even on the top of their game the Cherries will be pressed to get away scot-free from Anfield. Yet, they have to know that it is possible to do.

Dean Court is the last place Liverpool should want to visit

You have to fear for Liverpool a bit. Coming to Dean Court in a game sandwiched between Man Utd and Arsenal is perhaps not going to be such a simple game as Brendan Rodgers would have hoped for. AFCB are scoring heavily at home even if they are also allowing the opposition some joy as well, in recent matches, in their inability to keep clean sheets. But confidence is sky high among the Cherries squad and Eddie Howe knows that whatever team he puts out against Liverpool is going to be a team that has an excellent chance of winning the game.

I don't believe that AFCB fans have really considered that the team is really in touching distance of a semi-final tie in the Capital One Cup. It is just a great pleasure to play a team like Liverpool once again having enjoyed the spectacle last year. A win though is something that the fans are starting to feel is really possible against Liverpool. I don't even feel that it matters whether it was Liverpool or another team in the Premier League. Forget Liverpool's poor run, AFCB would give in inform Liverpool side a difficult game at home and being an evening match just adds a little more excitement to the tie and a better possibility of a home win in my book as the atmosphere will be something special.

Liverpool players warming up at the Goldsands stadium last January.

I don't think Eddie Howe needs to over complicate sorting out a plot to get the better of Liverpool. The players have already shown that they can dismantle sides when they are on their game and the fact that it is Liverpool in the other half will be enough to get AFCB's players doing everything they can to hit that top form. 

Gerrard and Skrtel may do battle again against AFCB.

Could Liverpool be embarrassed on the night? It is possible and it is what makes this particular game a real marker to see just how far AFCB have come. 

Breaking News: Mario Balotelli is out with a groin strain for this match, says the Liverpool Echo. Perhaps Rickie Lambert will start up front for Liverpool.

Do we want to see Gerrard - yes please?

The national papers have been full of columns devoted to the form and abilities of Steven Gerrard (Stevie G) in the last few weeks and months to be fair. Ever since he hung up his England boots, the media have been questioning how long the Red's favourite son of Merseyside can play two games a week and whether he needs to play further up the pitch or for less time each match. Stevie G has been an amazing servant to Liverpool FC and their supporters should savour every minute of games when he is still giving 100 per cent for them to win games. As a Bournemouth fan it was fabulous to see him play in the FA Cup against the Cherries last season and while he may not feature in the Capital One Cup match against the Cherries this week, I for one will be hoping he can come on if only for a few minutes.

Steven Gerrard is not a spent force yet
and his experience is important while Liverpool
go through this difficult spell.

The day when players have to reduce the amount of games they play for their team is always tinged with sadness, but their have not been enough greats like Steven Gerrard who have been the first thing you think of when a certain club on Merseyside comes to mind. He is the midfielder that many school children in England, and further afield, have looked up to for a generation and we have all been mesmerised by his long passes and forceful runs into the penalty area over the years.

To see him run out against AFCB again is being greedy I know. It is time that younger players for Liverpool showed that they have the quality and skill to be able to takeover from the legend more often now and that is what I expect for Brendan Rodgers to think. Yet, only last week we were reminded that Steven Gerrard can still hit an amazing free kick when he dumbfounded the FC Basle keeper with a stunning goal. I am glad he saved it for that game and hope AFCB learn that around the box, Steven Gerrard can still pick his spot with great accuracy.

Gerrard is a leader and Liverpool player's will look to him when he is on the field.

What scenario would pan out to give us a chance of seeing the great man on Wednesday? I would guess that AFCB would either have to be winning in a tight contest by a goal up and with 10 minutes to go for Steven to be risked. With another big fixture for Liverpool against Arsenal next weekend there is no need for them to make Gerrard play in the AFCB match, but not surprisingly I would be very pleased if the match pans out in the way I have described and we get to see a bit of Mr Gerrard at Dean Court.  

Even if Gerrard does not stretch his legs at the Goldsands stadium but does pen a new deal at Liverpool for next season, perhaps there will still be a chance that AFCB can make the jump to the Premier League, so that AFCB fans can get another chance to see him once more. I'll settle for that.

Hear what Anfield Online has to say about the Capital One Cup Quarter final tie between AFCB and Liverpool by visiting Rival Lines.

Howe the apprentice can beat Rodgers the master

Eddie Howe will pay Brendan Rodgers all the respect that he and his team deserve when they come to take on AFCB this Wednesday evening. Brendan has always given huge compliments to Eddie Howe and the way he asks his Cherries to play and Eddie has been keen to accept any advice and knowledge that Brendan has offered, even from the time when Brendan Rodgers was at Swansea. In some ways Rodgers has been the master, the model that Howe could look up to as a British manager that has demonstrated that teams playing in the English leagues can play from the back and can build attacks with possession football. Now we await to see how well the apprentice has taught a talented crop of his players to compete with and possibly even out shine a Merseyside team that have lost their way a little of late. 

It's not just the players that benefit from playing
 teams like Liverpool. Eddie Howe keeps gaining experience. 

This is not a game that can be easy for Brendan Rodgers as he is expected to win and win comfortably. Football is not a game though that has any guarantees and the run of form that Liverpool are currently on will not give the journalists much room to hold back if the Reds do come unstuck against Championship opposition in the Capital One Cup. Would it even be much of a shock? Middlesbrough came as close as a penalty shoot out from knocking Liverpool out of this competition at Anfield and the task facing Rodgers' side is likely to be harder away from home to a side that has only lost twice at home this season.

How would it look though for Liverpool to fall at Bournemouth when they are only a few games from the final of another cup competition? The papers would not be kind and for that reason this is almost the ultimate test for Brendan Rodgers as a manger. Neither manager will be sending out their first eleven in my mind, but Rodgers position at Liverpool is being questioned and those players he sends out either play with the passion that has become synonymous with great Liverpool teams over the years or they could well be swept aside by a southern tide of eager Cherries that already know that they are a very good side.

The Capital One Cup is still a great competition, especially when new young players get the chance to come up against established names in the game. This match though could be remembered just as much for the two managers and perhaps the coming of age of Eddie Howe.

All Departments has released its latest podcast on the 5-3 win against Cardiff City to send AFCB back to the top of the table. Visit the All Departments' website or scroll down the right hand panel on the Cherry Chimes' site to the sound bar for All Departments and click on it to listen.

"There's more to come from this team," says Eddie

Ritchie bags two more goals against Reading last
 night as Bournemouth climb within two points of sixth place.

What has this team got that the other Championship teams are struggling to deal with? I think it's a real combination of things which have transformed the Cherries into a bit of a giant. The players are no longer seeing a team in front of them who can do them harm but are playing to their strengths and letting the opposition worry about them. They are creating so many chances that there is also a feeling of we can score at least one more than however many you can score. It's not a gung-ho style because the back four are very much aware of how important clean sheets can be.

So when Eddie Howe says "there is more to come from this team," what can we expect? I already can see that there is more movement up front than in any other Bournemouth team in the last few years and set-plays are actually becoming a valuable asset to the team, which has been unheard of in recent seasons. Getting even better though will only come with playing more games and this team has had quite a few new recruits this year with Camp, Kermorgant and Fraser not having played much or in some cases any part in last seasons promotion run. 

Yann stooped in with a great header last night to add
Bournemouth's third goal in a 3-1 win against Reading.

The speed in which Lee Camp and Yann Kermorgant have fitted in is remarkable. Yes, they are very experienced players, but other teams have added players since January and not had anywhere near as big an impact as Bournemouth's additions. I loved the way that even Nigel Adkins said he loved the way Bournemouth are playing and that they are a pleasure to watch. He may not have enjoyed Tuesday's game too much but there is no doubt that the Cherries are pleasing on the eye.

They said during the FA Cup game that Bournemouth were perhaps too nice to win games against the big clubs. It was shouted down quite rightly by Brendan Rodgers. Nice guys like Eddie Howe can be winners and his team's attractive football has an added bite to it now and the jaws and teeth look like they are getting bigger still.

AFCB don't have to be over reliant on Ritchie

Matt Ritchie was on target again to register his sixth goal of the season at Birmingham. There is no doubt in my mind that he is one of the best players at the club and has been at times the player that others have looked to when the team has needed something special. While he is still able to do that it is great to see that Bournemouth now have other players who look equally threatening in attack.

Matt Ritchie has shown his quality with two League
players of the season awards in consecutive seasons and
has still done well despite missing several games this season.   

If Matt was out of the team at any point in the past it was a no brainer that AFCB were weaker and to some extent I think this is still true today, but the other wingers are playing well and no one player is standing out above the others. I think that is what is making AFCB different to many of the other teams pushing for a place in the play-offs - oh, no sorry Jeff, mentioned the 'P' word! All the players at AFCB are playing to a high standard and the work ethic is tremendous. They have gelled in such a way that when one player is out of the team another just slots into the line up and you hardly see the difference.

The goals are coming from various players now and before it was Ritchie and Grabban that posted the most over the Christmas period. I don't see that anyone is seen as being the star player in the team as each of them work so hard for one another. This seems to come out in the passing and movement which is not seen at any other ground. It's pure football and every coach should be looking at what managers like Eddie Howe and Brendan Rodgers are doing. They are light years ahead in their patterns of play.   

No wonder Ritchie is happy to be at AFCB, Eddie Howe can
take his game to another level.

Matt is even more of a team player this season. Look at the sheer joy on his face
when Ian Harte score last week at Birmingham - fabulous!

The beauty is that players like Matt Ritchie are getting even better with such coaching. Players that are looking for clubs in the summer will be only to please to join this group of players because you can see the progress that the club and the players have made in the last two years. Matt Ritchie is one of those who has become more of a team player in my opinion and it's an absolute honour to seem him play at AFCB.

Pre-Blues v AFCB: Made in Brum shot questions at Cherry Chimes

I informed you all that Cherry Chimes had spoke to Gabriel Sutton of Made for Brum earlier last week as a preview item for the Birmingham Fanzine. As many of you will not have had the chance to make the away trip and to read the copy I thought I would post the interview up so that you can see what Cherry chimes was asked pre-AFCB's great win at Birmingham.

Bournemouth Fan Questions


MIB: You’re eleventh in the table and seventeen points clear of the drop. Could your first season in the Championship have gone much better?

CC: At the start of the season I predicted a finish of 18th and half way through, having seen the other teams I thought 12th was possible with a good wind, so to see the Cherries sitting in 11th and still a good month or more of games to go is absolutely fantastic. The club’s best ever finish was 12th in the 1988-89 season, under Harry Redknapp. That will be the next target and who knows perhaps a record points total in the Championship. I think the play-offs might be out of reach but it was not about that this season – consolidation is what the club wanted and they have more than achieved that.

MIB: From what I can see, Eddie Howe has got you playing some good, possession football. If we want to see our country produce better technical players, do we need more coaches like him?

CC: I had a joke with my mates this week saying I’ll shoot the next person who says Eddie Howe should be an England manager one day. It’s not that I don’t believe his is good enough or that he has the talent to get there but I just want to keep him all to ourselves at AFC Bournemouth. When anyone mentions Eddie being linked with any move away from the club, I keep saying shush! We have lost him once and we don’t want to lose him again. I think Everton is one club he would consider in the future if they made an approach as it is the club he supported in his youth, but Eddie has just signed a two-year extension to his contract at Bournemouth and we are overjoyed to keep him for as long as he wants to stay.

Brendan Rogers gave an eloquent speech after the FA Cup Third Round tie we had with Liverpool where he pointed out that playing from the back with possession football was the way England players will progress. He also said that Eddie Howe is one of the coaches that players will learn a great deal from in the way he sets up his team to play, being brave on the ball and using movement and quickness to create space and opportunities. It is not just the first team that plays that way at AFC Bournemouth it is all the teams, from Development, to Youth and Junior squads. 

MIB: Only a few years ago, your club went into administration and could have dropped out of the Football League. Talk us through the journey the club has been on since then…

CC: It has been a remarkable experience to be a fan that has seen how close the club was to exiting the football league and yet, in just a few years, has mounted a strong challenge in the Championship this season, following two promotions. In 2008-9 we started with a -17 point deficit along with Rotherham and Luton on -30 points. Bournemouth employed the league’s youngest manager from its own coaching squad and then saw Steve Fletcher score his 100th goal with the winner against Grimsby to keep us up.

Move on a year and the team spirit that had been built up by Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall pushed the team to promotion in 2009-10 to League One. While Eddie and Jason left during the 2010-11 season, Bournemouth still reached the play-offs under Lee Bradbury and Steve Fletcher. But then most of the team were sold to balance the books and while the following season was disappointing and Paul Groves could not resurrect the good times, it was only in October 2012 when Eddie and Jason returned and things took off again. The club went from the bottom three to finish second in League One.

Credit should also go to Eddie Mitchell our former chairman who found new Russian investors to secure the financial future of the club and totally changed the landscape around the ground to make it Championship quality. Now that Bournemouth are in the Championship the ambition is still growing, because Premiership football is something that the club and fans feel can be achieved with this squad of players under Eddie Howe.

MIB: What did you make of the game back in December – a 2-0 win for Blues?

CC: I probably was not too complementary about Birmingham’s win as I thought the game really showed the naivety of Bournemouth at the Championship level at that time. The Blues showed us that you can defend as a team and just use your quality strikers to win the game as long as they can finish. It was a sucker punch job, but we’ve learned from that. It has taken until March to really get a few clean sheets but the team is defending much better now.

MIB: On my away day there, Bournemouth didn’t strike me as a town that especially welcomes football culture. Has it been difficult for the club to attract fans?

CC: The Saints down the road has a bigger population to pull from but with Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch being one of the country’s conurbations with good wealth creation and more young people now coming for the University and career opportunities in the south there are signs that things are changing. AFC Bournemouth attracted six thousand season ticket holders for the 2013-24 season and I believe the Junior Cherry membership has grown significantly from 303 in 2009 to 1400 in 2013. We average about 10,000 supporters for every home game now and will be looking to build that further next season.

MIB: You spent £2 million this summer on South African striker Tokelo Rantie. With two goals so far, the consensus seems to be that the club has been ripped off a bit. Would you agree?

CC: It is too early to say how good Tokelo Rantie is going to be. Very few players are an instant success when they change countries and leagues. He is a young international striker who plays for South Africa and is still learning his trade. Eddie Howe will work with him over the summer . It’s three goals I think, even if one was a bit disputed but you are right it’s not enough. He has to learn how to make a bigger frame and hold off challenges better with a good first touch. It’s a much more physical league than in Sweden where he played for Malmo. We have already seen that he can do the spectacular as seen in the Burnley away game. If he can start to put away chances from six yards as well he may yet prove to be a valuable signing within the next 12 months. And if the media reports are right, it was nearer to £2.25-2.5 million.

MIB: Time for your prediction. I’ve been looking through my record book, and the last time we scored a goal against you at St Andrews was from Andy Kennedy, a 1-1 draw back in August 1987. We’ve failed in five attempts since then, and with your defensive record of late, are we in danger of making it a sixth?

CC: I am writing this before the Leeds game which will take a bit out of our players. I know Birmingham will need the points perhaps more than us, but I can see more frustration for Lee Clark and perhaps another away win coming for our boys 0-1. We will bring good support.

I was a little out in my prediction, but at least I thought three points was something the Cherries could achieve and it has taken most peoples breath away just how well the team has played in the last two games - roll on QPR! 

I should have mentioned Jeff Mostyn as well who continues to work tirelessly for the cause of AFCB - we think you are great Jeff and we know you are always working behind the scenes to make the Cherries a success on and off the field. UTCIAD! Thanks again Made in Brum.

Liverpool and Brendan Rodgers showed their class

It was no easy victory for Liverpool FC against the Cherries but they had enough in their locker to see out a spirited Bournemouth team who had invention and determination, but couldn't quite manage a goal. I had thought that AFCB would need Brendan Rodgers to leave out three or so of his stars for the Cherries to have a good chance of progressing to the next round of the cup. But Rodgers chose instead to play all his top players, while still having a strong bench.

Lliverpool fans at Dean Court.

Considering Liverpool have a n important derby match against Everton on Tuesday night that was giving a lot of respect to the AFCB team and Eddie Howe. In hindsight it was the right thing for Rodgers to do, but it could have gone wrong if some of his players had picked up injuries. As it was only Skrtel suffered with a head injury and he went on to complete 90 minutes.

While Eddie Howe said he was not despondent, he may be slightly surprised that his team did not manage to score at home with the amount of chances they created. Converting those chances is something that they will hope to do on Tuesday night when they play Huddersfield Town. 

Brendan Rodgers speaks to Gabriele Clarke.

The game against Liverpool was very tactical and Liverpool got their goals at great times for them. Liverpool's early attack after 26 minutes and Sturridge's finish on 59 minutes were hammer blows. But AFCB's players kept going and ran themselves hard even though things did not work out quite how they would have liked. If they had just taken one of their opportunities early on it could have been a very different game with a noisy crowd behind the Cherries.

Still it was a special day for those who attended and for many more who will have been keen to watch the game on the TV. Liverpool were class throughout and that even extends to their manager who had some extremely kind and thoughtful words to say about Eddie Howe and his team. AFCB are headed in the right direction as an incisive, passing team. 

"Bournemouth are a very good side and I give credit to them first of all. It is a great idea to play the game... Eddie's similar to myself in terms of philosophy of football and it's not easy when you are a manager, especially a young manager and you stick your head out and get teams to play and to pass the ball but he certainly does that and you see the great work that he does with his staff on the training field," said Brendan Rodgers, Liverpool FC manager. "They were excellent."

When asked if the pitch was too nice and the way AFCB play was too nice to expect a giant killing, Rodgers replied. "When you have a team that want to play football, they are the most courageous players on the field. I don't think it's too nice. It's easy to coach a team to sit back and not ant the ball and defend and just wait for a hump up the pitch. The courage that the Bournemouth players showed today was fantastic. To get on the ball, the bravery of the players, the centre halves, to drop in a midfield player to get on it, to make the game, create chances and to create openings.. and they've got better at it as the season has gone on."

Listen to the Brendan Rodgers press conference video in full.

Brendan Rodgers applauds the way AFCB play their football.

Yesterday's photos around the ground are now uploaded at Match Day Gallery.