Honours even in South coast derby

Match Report

3 December 2017

AFCB 1 v 1 Southampton

Attendance: 10,764

Francis looks to get Bournemouth kicking the
right way for the match against Southampton. 

Coming into this south coast derby, Bournemouth were really searching for something like their best form. For Eddie Howe to make five changes is rare unless the team is not functioning and it was a brave call that saw the Cherries play with a little more positivity in the first half. Despite Southampton having early opportunities it was Ryan Fraser that steered AFCB into a goal lead before half time, after great work from Josh King. Yet, it was Southampton that stepped up their play after the break and Charlie Austin put a way his shot with precision to make it 1-1 on the hour. Neither team really deserved a winner and both sets of fans will take some positives from the performances and result, although referee Jonathan Moss may not wan to see too many replays of his decision to deny Adam Smith a penalty in the first half.

The boys are ready to go.

Eddie Howe was fairly ruthless in dropping Harry Arter from the squad and putting Steve Cook, Callum Wilson, Marc Pugh and Jordan Ibe on the bench after their mid-week efforts. That meant Jermain Defoe would start along with Lewis Cook, Adam Smith, Junior Stanislas and Ryan Fraser.

There are more pictures on Match Day Gallery.

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Broomhill Garden Conservatories

The game started tentatively but Nathan Aké was taking no risks with Charlie Austin and getting in a good early tackle on him. The first big chance fell to the Saints when van Dijk came up for a corner and headed wide of the left post from eight yards, despite having a free header.

On 16 minutes another header from Tadic also failed to bother Begovic as it went over the bar.

A slow start from Bournemouth finally improved when Adam Smith drove a shot across the box that came off Defoe and forced a reaction save from Forster and a Bournemouth corner. Surman then floated another ball into the box and Aké forced another save from Forster with a diving header.

Lewis Cook was also now trying to get in on Bournemouth's attacks making a one-two with Junior Stanislas before thumping a shot over the bar. Southampton were far from quiet though and Pied shot wide of the left post on 28 minutes.

The big talking point came on the half hour with Adam Smith being tripped by Boufal in the right side of Saint's 18 yard box. Yet, referee Jonathan Moss read it as a dive and booked Smith as well as Defoe. It means Smith misses the next game.

Bournemouth kept coming forward and fans were treated to another Daniels' blockbuster of a shot that the left back drove through a wall of players and just wide of Southampton's right post. It would have been a screamer of a goal if it had gone in.

Moments later AFCB were a head, Josh King robbed Hoedt on the right side and Surman quickly fed the ball on to Fraser on the left. Fraser steadied himself before drilling the ball past Forster and into the bottom right corner of the goal on 42 minutes. There was just time for the Saints to have a go at getting a goal back before half time but Boufal fluffed his lines by smashing a shot over the bar from the centre of the box.

All is going well at half time.

Second half
Southampton made a sub by withdrawing James Ward-Prowse and putting on Nathan Redmond. The Saints wanted to get back at Bournemouth quickly and Redmond played in Boufal on the left and the shot forced a good save from Begovic low down.

Bournemouth picked up then with Defoe keeping the ball on the edge of the box well before King saw his shot dribble past Forster and inched wide of the right post as Stanislas slid in.

Lewis Cook then beat a couple of Saint's players before releasing Surman and then Adam Smith  on the left. He found Junior Stanislas who brought a good save from the Saint's keeper to his left.

Southampton then really began a period of dominance. Tadic had a rising shot from just six yards out which must have been deflected as a Saint's corner followed. Begovic could only punch and the ball soon came back.

Lewis Cook then lost the ball to Romeu and Redmond picked out Austin with a pull back pass from the right and the Saint's number 10 pulled the trigger effectively, beating Begovic with pace to make it 1-1 just after the hour. It was what the Saint's had deserved, but it didn't make it feel any better.

Southampton were out for the win now with Bertrand putting a shot wide. On 68 minutes Bournemouth made a double substitution with Defoe replaced by Wilson and Ibe coming on for Stanislas.

Southampton were still looking the stronger side with Boufal shooting over and getting another corner. Tadic was then replaced by Lemina on 74 minutes.

Bournemouth's best chance of a winner came when Daniels picked out King and his shot made Forster make a good parry to his left and Wilson could not find his feet in time to get the rebound, although he was flagged offside.

Lemina picked up a yellow card for hiding back Lewis Cook, but play was starting to open up. Austin put his header over on 81 minutes and he looked disgusted with himself at missing.

The Saints then took Davis off and brought on Gabbiadini with five minutes to go. Afobe also came on for Fraser injury time. The Saints then had a shot go over from Romeu. Bournemouth won a late corner with Ibe's persistence but Nathan Aké failed to hit the target heading over.

A draw was about right.

The teams shake hands on the result.

Summary
While a home win would have been fantastic, a draw was still a good point for the Cherries as they had caused the Saints lots of problems and had shown more desire to get stuck into the game than previous performances of late. Had they been given a penalty in the first half and had gone two up it may have been a different story, but one goal was always going to be fragile against a Southampton side who were not afraid to get shots off. Begovic made some good saves again and at times Bournemouth had been stretched, but they dug in well and could have been more fortunate with King's shot that trickled past the post in the second half. There still has to be more to come from Defoe, but Bournemouth looked creative again and goals look like they are just around the corner.

How AFCB lined up.

AFCB Ratings
Begovic 7, A Smith 7, Francis 7, Aké 7, Daniels 7, Stanislas 6, L Cook 7, Surman 6, Fraser 8,
King 7, Defoe 6

Referee Watch - Jonathan Moss: 2/10 strange call for a dive on Adam Smith's penalty and to book the player as well showed it doesn't pay to go down in the box these days even when you are clearly fouled.

Southampton
Forster, Pied, van Dijk, Hoedt, Bertrand, Romeu, Davis (Gabbiadini 85), Ward-Prowse (Redmond 45)
Tadic (Lemina 74), Boufal, Austin

Saint's subs
Targett, Yoshida, McCarthy, Lemina, Gabbiadini, Redmond, Højbjerg

Steve Cook just loves hitting the back of the net

It has been quite a while since Steve Cook scored against Norwich City earlier in the season. The goal he netted last night though against Southampton could not have been better timed. The pleasing thing was that when the ball came to Cook after Forster had made the initial save he just had one thought in his head and that was to make contact with the ball.

The shot itself was not perhaps that cleanly hit, but importantly it was hit down into the ground and that took it well away from the keeper and right into the corner. The most gratifying sight though was to see Benik Afobe be the first one over to celebrate with Cook having missed out on perhaps having a tap in himself. The knee slide from Cook as well was well mastered.

Steve Cook chips in with his second goal of the season.

It was quite a night for Steve Cook who had to win a lot of the aerial balls that were put into the box. Apart from one early moment when Charlie Austin escaped his attention, he and the back four did a pretty excellent job in getting a second consecutive clean sheet. That was almost stolen away when Saido Mane got through in the last few minutes of the second half, but Artur Boruc waned that clean sheet.

Robbie Savage on BT Sport named Steve Cook the man of the match and it was hard to disagree. To defend against Shane Long, Charlie Austin and then the power of Pelle was really a big step up from the last home performance and Steve Cook was central to most of the good work at the back. The task now is to go and get more clean sheets.

PremierTalk: What a night of football yesterday! Catch up on what it all means. They would all rather have a scrap for fourth place  

All Departments has released its podcast to review the South Coast derby win over Southampton.

The Saints can be beaten - tonight would be handy!

It would have been nice if Southampton had little to play for when they turn up at Dean Court. However, with their first defeat in seven still fresh in their minds and only three points outside the top six, there is every reason for the Saints to do AFCB no favours tonight.

With a positive goal difference of nine and plenty of goals coming from the feet and heads of Shane Long and Charlie Austin, there is an an unease about facing the Saints at the moment. Long is an injury doubt but the Saints have other options and the Cherries are likely to have to be wary of James Ward-Prowse who has shown he is starting to grow at this level, while Dusan Tadic is also worth attention for his ability to pop up with goals. At the back too they are strong with Fraser Forster having just set a club record for not conceding, even though Chelsea got the better of him in the end at the weekend.

Eddie Howe has to find some way of playing positively against the Saints from the start. Their quality in the last third is excellent and the battle for possession in this game could be key as if Southampton get a platform they have the players to find a finish in a snap moment if they are controlling the game. 

Arter made his Premier League debut against Southampton in November.
Can he have more of an impact now on this game?

The Cherries record against Southampton is pretty poor, but that mental block has to be overcome sooner or later. We have not seen many dominant performances from the side at home this season and when they have played well like against Norwich, for example, it was the finishing power of Afobe that mattered. Getting him on the ball and running at goal is going to be important. Gradel (or Pugh) and Ritchie must also take the fight to the Saints. We have seen the Cherries' finishing more than anything costing them points of late and a goal rush now would start to build some momentum which is what the side needs most of all right now.

One win at home in the last five for AFCB is not something that the players can be too pleased about, but they can do something about that tonight. UTCAID!

Possible AFCB team (4-1-3-2)
Boruc (GK), Smith (RD), Francis (CD), Cook (CD), Daniels (LD), Ritchie (RM), Surman (CM), Arter (CM), Gradel (LM), King (FW), Afobe (FW)

Subs
Federici, Elpjick, Distin, Gosling, Iturbe, Pugh, Murray   

Saints Away Form
LLWDW

AFCB Home Form
DLWLL

AFCB are set to help raise funs for Wimborne Town on Wednesday with a friendly. Remember The Back of the Net podcast is scheduled for release later today. 

The Cherry Chimes Newsletter is also out today.
Cherry Chimes' March Newsletter brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month, plus there is a special Newsletter article entitled: Afobe underlines lower league quality.

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Who do Cherries need on deadline day?

The fans always want one more signing and while the injuries have complicated the final moments of the transfer window for Eddie Howe it is likely that there will be more than one addition to the squad come 6pm tonight. All the talk though has been about strikers and midfielders coming to AFCB.

Things certainly started moving last night. Crystal Palace have been rather keen to hold on to their players and even though they have strengthened. Alan Pardew looks set to keep Dwight Gayle but Glenn Murray has been allowed to talk to AFCB for some £4 million. As long as personal terms and the medical is passed Murray should be revealed as a Cherries player later today.

One signing that has been quite a tussle between the Cherries, Everton, Hamburg and Sunderland is Napoli's midfielder Jonathan De Guzman, who is set for a season loan move to AFCB with the option to buy him next season, but the midfielder was said to go missing yesterday when he was supposed to catch a plane for his medical at Dean Court. Apparently he wanted more time to think over the move.I expect we'll hear more on this later today.

But what other signings might AFCB make today - Charlie Austin, Lewis Grabban?

Eddie may have his eyes on more targets yet.

The need for another striker of note is perhaps the tantalising signing that may just be out of reach if the left defensive side of the team is now more important to reinforce. Man Utd were suddenly made favourites to land QPR's Charlie Austin over the weekend, but the connection with the Cherries has never really died down despite Eddie Howe saying it's is not possible for the club to bring him to the Vitality stadium. Such a statement from the manager was so strong that I feel those that have stacked their money on it happening may well be disappointed by the end of this evening - but I'd love to be proved wrong. The Daily Mirror seems to have the Austin move nailed on for AFCB.

Do you want him back? AFCB fans' conscience might be tested if Afobe 

goes to Norwich and Grabban is surplus to needs in East Anglia.

More likely perhaps is the return of Lewis Grabban, despite his foolish attempts to force a deal through last week which only ended in him being suspended. Whether Alex Neil would want rid of the striker now is intriguing, because of the baggage now surrounding Lewis Grabban - is he really wanted at Carrow Road anymore? His previous history may not make him among the most popular returnees if Eddie Howe decides to go back in for him. Norwich could play hard ball as well just to remind Lewis that he must honour his contract with the Canaries. Any deal is perhaps dependent on Wolves, who have repeatedly turned down Norwich's target - Benik Afobe. Unless the Afobe is allowed to talk to Norwich, there could be no move for Grabban.

It is a tough market out there and deals are seldom simple. So it is at this time that Eddie Howe may also be thinking if he can attract an extra player by giving a club a player or two in return to secure a new signing. That could mean loan moves for players like Stanislas, MacDonald, Camp, Rantie (a loan target for Reading, says the Bournemouth Echo) or Kermorgant. It should be an exciting day and if no one comes in but AFCB keep their current squad I will not be too disappointed with that.

If AFCB can put funds into the Development squad to bring on home-grown players for next season I would be even prouder of the club. But the financial implications of falling out of the Premier League are now so huge that if it means the club needs to sign more players in this window then so be it.


Out today - Cherry Chimes' September Newsletter brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month, plus a special Newsletter article entitled Tactical battles have to be won.

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Upton Park was just one of the ground on weekend our hit list

As the first away match of the season for AFCB fans to go to on a the weekend, the West Ham match was the ideal opportunity for me to take my two sons, Robert and Stephen up to the capital and to take in a few sights before heading to the match. We caught the train up to London from Redhill and had the usual standing only place reserved specially for us as we headed up to Victoria station. 

The three amigos looking for an AFCB win - Stephen, Robert and Peter (left to right). 

On the train we met up with quite a few England cricket supporters who were trying to forget about Friday's batting collapse against the Aussies and were hoping that the side would bat all day long on Saturday (nevermind - at least they won the Ashes!). We talked quite a bit about the differences between cricket and football with the sponsorship and how the beers are on tap at the Oval and how we would all do that day under the intense heat that was already racing up in the train carriage - it got up to over 30C on the day.

Victoria station and no other footie fans in sight yet.

Stephen finds the first Chelsea store shut!

We spot the bigger main store at Stamford Bridge!

Once in London it was Stephen's big desire to head to Fulham Broadway as he was keen to see the home of the Premier league Champions. While it was going to mean catching the tube in the opposite direction our main destination of the day we were all rather keen to see what we could look forward to visiting later on in the season when we might not have as much time to get a good look at Stamford Bridge. It was quite a short work from the tube station along the main road to the ground and while Chelsea were playing on the Sunday against West Brom it was a good chance to see what the club shop was like and how big the stands were. Tours were going on all day with prices around £22 for adults and £15 for children under 16, if I remember correctly. We did not really have the time for all that but when we saw they had two club shops we were pleased that just one was open - the big store on two floors.

Stephen eyes up what cups would be better placed in AFCB's trophy cabinet.

Fabio (centre) shows Stephen, Robert and me around the shop.

Peter Osgood - one player Chelsea had that didn't cost £1 million. Weren't the 1970s great!

There we met Fabio who was keen to come right over to us having seen our AFCB shirts. "Welcome to the Premier League," he enthused with a big beaming smile. We told him that we were on a detour to Upton park and  that we didn't want to miss the chance to visit another ground on the way. Chelsea was the ideal choice to put us in the Premier League mood as the home of the champions we explained. The trophy cabinets with replica miniature trophies came under close inspection and we were a bit shocked at the amount of different shirts that were available to buy, let alone the key rings, badges and masks of players and the manager. Fabio explained that the new mega store had only been there a few weeks and was finished in time for the new season. 

Up stairs we saw the European Champions League trophy which I explained to Stephen had been won by Liverpool some five times. I didn't shout that out too loudly! Having talked with Fabio about Jose and what he was really like - friendly and shy and a big family man - we were told! That sounds more like Eddie Howe! Stephen found something to buy and was pleased to get a Chelsea bag. We took a quick photo with Fabio, before telling him AFCB were coming back for three points in December. As we made our way back to the station we went past the Peter Osgood statue and took photos of some of the player posters around the ground. 

Fulham Broadway underground station - waiting for a train.

Having got the bug for visiting grounds we decided that Robert's second club QPR also deserved a visit, so we hopped back on the tube and managed to get to Shepherds Bush by 11am. It was then a walk down the high street in the stifling heat that caused us to stop off for a drink before making our way onto the ground where preparations were already underway for their game against Rotherham Utd. A picture of Stan Bowles was on the front cover of their programme in tribute to him and his battle with Alzheimers. The club wanted to bring awareness to the condition and the need for more research to find a cure. 

Closing in on Loftus Road.

Robert outside QPR's stadium. I'd only been there for a night game
before so it was good to see it in daylight hours.

QPR still have plans for a new stadium but Loftus Road has all the memories.

Sign on top of the club's shop.

Robert stops to get a picture will midfielder Michael Doughty.

The club shop is situated right on the road side and is narrow and quite a different set up to something like Chelsea's grand building. Still it is home to QPR and was no less packed with hooped shirts and goodies for their fans. Robert picked up a wristband - most things were on discount - and we managed to find QPR midfielder Michael Doughty on his way in to the game. He posed with Robert for a photograph and was very pleased to do it even though he had an AFC Bournemouth shirt on.  "What are you doing over here?" he asked. "Your playing West Ham today aren't you?" He soon had a smile on his face when we told him it was Robert's birthday tomorrow and QPR was his second team. 

We should have asked if we could take Charlie Austin back with us to have a chat with Eddie Howe but I think QPR were in need of his services that afternoon and he scored a goal for them of course.

Having had our fill of football grounds for the moment we then decided to head to Kings Cross station and a certain platform in particular - 9 and 3/4. Yes, we were off to see the Harry Potter shop and to work out if we could buy some special wizard spells that we could cast on the West Ham players - 'stupify' should do it. It was a sign of how popular the children's spin-offs for Harry Potter were as we had to queue just to get into the shop! We didn't have that problem at Stamford Bridge or Loftus Road.

Robert checks out the Harry Potter goods.

Stephen couldn't resist getting a packet of Bertie Bott's
every flavour beans - whatever they are?

Come on you two! We have a match to get to.

After a quick bite to eat the time had moved on to 1pm and we needed to get the tube again on the Hammersmith and City line. In our hurry though we sat on a Circle line train (big mistake!) and started chatting to AFCB fans John and Adam who were also going to the game. John was from Blanford Forum and his son was up in London studying and they knew an awful lot about the Cherries with John having sponsored them many years ago. We talked so much that it was a shock that we finally realised we should have changed at Liverpool Street station and had to jump off quick at the Mansion House stop as we had started to head west when we needed to go East! Back on the right train though we soon reached Upton Park tube station by 2pm and passed the Queens Pub nearby, with hundred's of fans of the Irons taking on some liquid refreshment. Along the road there were loads of stalls selling Hammer's merchandise and we decided to follow AFCB fans the back way to the Trevor Brooking Lower stand. 

I just had time to meet my friend Damien Hill and grab the Cherries DVD from last season off of him (I still haven't had time to watch any of it yet) as well as the Liverpool match day programme that he got for me. Then it was a quick interview with a West Ham fan on Chimes' FanCam before making our way inside the ground and finding some shade while taking a few photos of the players on the pitch warming up. It was a great first half for us and the thrill of the first Premier League goal for AFCB was brilliant even though it would have been nicer if it had been up our end though in front of the fans. Two goals to the good at half time was great and I thought going into work Monday morning would be very satisfying with my boss being a West Ham fan.

AFCB players do their warm ups.

Someone does not enjoy our singing very much.

Photos before the start of the match.

Little did I know that West Ham would come storming back and I'd have several panic attacks before the Cherries finally got that all important win 3-4. That was entertainment! What a pleasure it was to be a part of that and to see the players come over and thank the crowd. it was like the Charlton game at the end of last season in terms of celebration all over again.

Robert believed this message was just for
him as it was his birthday on the Sunday.

What a great win!

Having been held back in the ground for some time there was no rush for the tube. We looked around West Ham's shop and the main entrance to get some more photos and to savour the moment of the big win. In the car park we met Marius Rave who reads Cherry chimes over in Norway. He saw 'Afcbchimes' on the back of my shirt and enquired if I was the writer of that blog. It surprises me how far my words and thoughts sometimes travel! But it is great to know that AFCB fans in other countries also follow the blog with such enthusiasm.

Robert in teh Boleyn ground with loads of empty West Ham
seats behind him as they all got let out first.

Gates in front of the main reception - a lick of paint might be required.
Good job they are only here for one more season!

Stephen and me celebrate AFCB's victory - not sure the
West Ham fans were that impressed.

That's it Robert, I think they know who the Cherries are now. 

 Marius and his friend enjoyed AFCB's win and even loves Cherry Chimes! 

Having seen the queue at the Upton Park station going around the block, we walked to the end and then decided to walk on to the next station as it would be quicker than sitting waiting in the hot sun to get on a tube train. We weren't alone. Loads of fans had the same thoughts as us and when your team wins it does not really matter that you are walking through streets full of opposition fans that are just pleased to see you leaving.

You can read my Shoot article that was out yesterday at Wilson shows he is ready for the top level

What do we make of West Ham?

A club with a clear plan built on the West Ham Way or a Premier League club with ambition but not knowing how quite to get there? It is easy to cast aspersions on rival clubs, but that is not why I am talking about West Ham who have done well to establish themselves in the Premier League and even to win a place in the Europa League at the end of last season, albeit on fair play rules. But what are we to make about the start to this season? A Europa League exit to Astra Giurgui, then a dramatic two-nil thumping of Arsenal on the opening day, a 16 -year-old who makes the first XI, Joey Barton's deal then no-deal, the Charlie Austin saga and a manager that must try to ensure that the club reaches the Olympic stadium while still in the Premier League. It's not exactly quiet down the East End at the moment.

West Ham players at Dean Court a couple of years ago
for Stephen Purches' Testimonial match. They've signed a few players since then.

West Ham have always had aspirations to be more of a major force in the capital and now is their time to kick on and ensure that they have the team and the manager in place to become a Premier League club that is no longer looking over its shoulder at where the relegation places are. It will have been considered a risk by many to have parted company with Sam Allardyce for the bullish swagger of Slaven Bilic, but perhaps the bold move was the right time to take a gamble. Judging by the start against Astra Giurgui some will have predicted the worse this season and yet Bilic turned this around with one brilliant away win against Arsenal and everything appears fabulous now at Upton Park, even if Leicester City got the better of them last week.

There is a new Reece Oxford on the scene at 16 who has belied his age to turn in a stunning performance against the Gunners and there are signs that the West Ham Academy is doing very well again. While the injury to Enner Valancia was a big blow in pre-season, they have Andy Carroll on the path to full fitness again and up front they will certainly have Diafra Sakho this weekend who is likely to be even better this season than last, if they can keep hold of him before the transfer window shuts. 

It is a little harder to explain some goings on at the club like the Joey Barton escapade, but I guess all clubs will look at players with Premier League experience when they could come in on a free transfer. I can see the attraction for Barton but the Hammers probably made the right decision eventually.  

Meanwhile, chairman David Sullivan's intervention this week on the possible transfer of Charlie Austin rather scuppered that target if Slaven Bilic really wanted Charlie to join them. It appears that Alex Song is likely to join the Hammers soon if everyone can stay friendly and West Ham actually decide they don't want to scupper another deal, but you never know what is really going on at Upton Park.

But looking at the positives, what about that win against Arsenal! West Ham did what the Cherries didn't in their first game and took their chances. It is such a simple game when things go right and the boost that will have given the Boleyn ground faithful should make it easier for Slaven Bilic. Yet having slipped up at home against Leicester, another defeat against the new boys from the south coast and a lot of the good work will have been undone. The strength and physicality of the Hammers side worries me a little, but AFCB have to find a way of dealing with that and standing up to such teams. 

I expect West Ham to try and make it a tough battle, but they can also play great football on the floor so the Cherries are going to have to play with a lot of thought. We could find that West Ham are the Jekyll and Hyde side of the division, they could be the team that blow hot and cold all season as Bilic looks to get a consistent formula. I just hope Bournemouth get them on a day when they are feeling slightly below par.

Injury worries for West Ham mean Mauro Zarte is out with a pulled hamstring, while keeper Adrian is of course suspended for his straight red card against Leicester City.

Enjoy the game if you are going. It should be an entertaining on as Slaven Bilic has already said with both teams having attacking set ups. Perhaps this is a score draw on your scorecard? My boss is a West Ham fan, so do us a favour AFCB - Monday mornings are hard enough as it is. UTCIAD!

West Ham probable XI selected by Evening Standard:
Randolph, Jenkinson, Reid, Ogbonna, Cresswell, Kouyate, Noble, Payet, Nolan, Maiga, Sakho.

My AFCB probable XI:
Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, O'Kane, Surman, Gradel, King, Wilson

AFCB Subs: Federici, Smith, Distin, Gosling, Pugh, Atsu, Tomlin

Personally, I'd like Pugh to start for the Cherries as I think he could stand up the the physical side of West Ham's game better than Gradel, but I suspect that Eddie will want to give Max another opportunity with his second start.  

Gradel inbound to AFCB and one or two others?

Eddie Howe was confident enough to suggest that more signings would be on their way to AFC Bournemouth before the start of the season as long as they could get the right players for the right prices. On a day when Stoke City can sign a Barcelona midfield player, it may be comforting news for Cherry fans to know that while the south coast side may not be the biggest spenders in the division at least they will attract players that will be given every opportunity to perform at their best and learn from a manager that will develop them into a team player that is going to form a competitive side.

But who are the targets? Max Gradel is my favourite pick as a colleague of mine had a talk with a journalist at L'Equipe today who said Max would more than likely be headed to the Vitality stadium. What niggles me is the pace of Harry Arter's potential return. The central midfield area is one place where Eddie Howe has not done any business yet and I'd expect that to be the area that he concentrates on in the next two weeks if he does want more players to come in. There are plenty of names out there like QPR's Junior Hoillett, Abdisalam Ibrahim of Olympiacos and Aldene Guedioura at Crystal Palace.

There is also a shortage of strikers at the Cherries in my opinion. While Wilson, Kermorgant, King and Rantie fall into that category a fifth out and out striker would be a massive bonus if AFCB can get one in. Whether Crystal Palace hold the key with Dwight Gayle and Glenn Murray is not really clear, but there has been so much talk about Palace players that something is surely going to happen there in the next few days while Liverpool are still keen to move Rickie Lambert and Fabio Borini. I know, you're still holding out for Charlie Austin - aren't you?

Still, we'll watch the transfer window eagerly in the next few days and it may mean that one or two of AFC Bournemouth players are also allowed to move on if Howe can find the right replacements, just not at any price though Eddie.

Austin - too expensive for the Cherries?

The bidding war is off! No sooner had Leicester City announced their intention to bid for Austin than the Sunday newspapers were full of gossip on the next round of bids likely to take place. But with so many clubs interested in the former Burnley striker, do AFCB have a realistic chance of landing him and are they after him at all? Last night the Bournemouth Echo was suggesting that there was no foundation to the Sunday Sun's article that suggested AFCB were preparing a £14 million bid for the QPR striker.

The record transfer fee for AFCB has already been shattered this summer with the signing of Tyrone Mings at £8 million, but to secure Charlie Austin against the other Premier League hopefuls AFCB might have to part with more than £14 million. If the Cherries were targeting him then it would be quite a task to get QPR to agree to a lower bid than others might be prepared to offer for the striker. With the likes of  Newcastle, West Ham, Crystal Palace and Leicester City all said to be in the chase for Austin, it would be quite a scoop for the recently promoted Cherries to see Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall renew their working relationship with Charlie.

What does all this mean for AFCB? It probably means that the club has more affordable targets to buy. AFCB will have a very explosive forward line whether they bring in another striker or not in my opinion. It's not the end of the word if AFCB are not after Charlie Austin either. One player alone can't keep a team up - unless you are Carlos Tevez! 

There are some great fan opinions on whether AFCB should or should not sign Charlie Austin - just look down the right hand panel on Cherry Chimes to see what fellow AFCB fans think of the possibility of Charlie coming to Dean Court.

Podcast All Departments has a new podcast out later today with Kevin Reeves - make sure you listen in by visiting All Departments' website where you can see lots of methods to tune in or simply listen by clicking on this link.

Is Charlie Austin the best option for the Cherries?

The long drawn out saga of where Charlie Austin is going to be headed is surely coming to a conclusion fairly soon. It probably really needs to as it is a move that is likely to be holding up other transfers. If Crystal Palace landed him then AFCB could move for Gayle or Murray. However, it's Leicester City that started the ball rolling with  a £12 million bid that was rejected and we now wait to see if the Foxes move again, or if Newcastle or West Ham come in with something like £15 million or perhaps even AFC Bournemouth? But would it be a good option for the Cherries to spend that kind of money for Charlie? For me, I would love Austin to come to AFCB I just hope that he does brilliantly if he does come and that the money is a good investment. 

Once the money has been spent it has gone for good. The prospect of recouping such large amounts of money will only materialise if AFCB can stay up and have a great season or two at the top level. Austin was the prolific goalscorer in a team that went down last season and while his record is great it will not be a season he wants to repeat from the performance point of view of QPR's ultimate fate - relegation. If AFCB signed Austin, I'd expect either Wilson or King to be among the substitutes and the instinctive way that Charlie plays on the last defender and predator in the box is perhaps a little more individual in its nature than how AFCB have been playing of late.

If AFCB are careful with their money though I believe the Rickie Lambert option would be a sensible addition. At £3 million there is already a big saving and Rickie is a natural team player who could fill the number 10 role as well if not better than Kermorgant. He may not have great pace, but he reads the game so well and is always a good assist player with vision and the ability to put the ball away when he feels that he is carrying a team up front. He'll happily take penalties and is unselfish enough to see when other players need the ball in attacking areas rather than the position that he might be in. AFCB have the speed and fire power of Wilson, King and Atsu. What they don't have is so many thinking players to ensure the right pass is made in the last third. Surman, Ritchie and Kermorgant are the main providers but I believe Lambert offers just the quality that Eddie Howe's team would thrive on.

Breaking News: The Sun on Sunday and Social Media are rife with reports that AFCB are putting together a £14 million offer for Charlie Austin.

Is Charlie Austin the right man for the Cherries to sign? Tweet me at @PeterBell and I'll post your views.

Monday night viewing for Liverpool v AFCB

I was braced to see a few unwanted fixture movements as soon as Sky and BT Sports were going to release their first Premier League games. The matches moved for TV in August and September have now been listed and three weeks earlier than last season - so perhaps the TV companies are starting to listen to fans' complaints and travel headaches?

Four our beloved Cherries a trip to Anfield will now be on Monday 17 August which probably means needing the day off work for most of us if we want to travel up to Anfield. While the younger fans may find they have to miss out on some games like this when they have school weeks (perhaps they can stay up and watch it at home dad?), it can't be denied that the Live TV games also make the Premier League thrilling to be involved in and the match against Liverpool should be a humdinger!

The atmosphere at Anfield is always special and with an 8pm kick off there will be a lot of excitement for this game, which is Liverpool's first home match of the new season.

AFCB have managed to avoid the Friday night fixture appointments so far, but will probably get caught at some stage during the season. I think Bournemouth fans will simply get used to seeing their team play on different days of the week and so far there is probably less disruption than last season with so many mid-week games. We now await the end of July when further movements of matches in October and November are announced.

Are you pleased witha Monday night game under the floodlights at Anfield?

Meanwhile,  Leicester City have had a £12 million bid for possible AFCB target Charlie Austin rejected by QPR.