Scotsman has difficult season ahead for AFCB

Ryan Fraser may find it his hardest season in 2019/20.

There as hardly been a day when Ryan Fraser future hasn't been speculated upon in the national press. The media machine has finally got hold of the idea that AFCb fans had been told a couple of months ago, that Fraser was most likely to serve out his contract and leave on a free transfer next summer, but where does that leave last year's player of the year as he prepares for one last season at Dean Court?

Fraser has a very difficult period ahead of him in my view. His head may seem to be fully focussed on AFCB, but as soon as anything happens that is disappointing there is always going to be that question in people's minds of whether he is fully attuned to the AFCB cause. Ryan is as honest a lad as I could ever want as a fan of AFCB's players, but I expect he will come under pressure unless he can come up with another season that is as good as what he did last time out.

The fact that Eddie Howe hasn't so far brought in another left winger is perhaps surprising. Marc Pugh is no longer at the club and Connor Mahoney has left, which means that Eddie is hoping that Jordan Ibe, Junior Stanislas, and most likely Josh King, can fill in if there are any injuries to Ryan Fraser. I still expect Fraser to be the number one choice on the left, but AFCB need to be looking for another superstar as soon as possible to fill Ryan boots when he does move on.

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Liverpool's Harry Wilson is left footed but tends to play on the right to cut inside or play in centre midfield. Potentially he could be still on AFCB's target list, while long term Howe favourite Demarai Grey would surely be a player that Howe could bring on and perhaps turn into a bigger star, if the transfer fee was not too high.

Replacing Fraser will be tough and it won't be cheap, but AFCB look like they'll have to do it by next summer without having any transfer fee from a Fraser sale.

Fraser would deserve a big move

Don't get me wrong, I would love Ryan Fraser to see out his playing days at AFCB. He has been a breath of fresh air during his time on the south coast and I don't think there is a more consistent player in Bournemouth's team. But if Arsenal and Tottenham do come in for him with big money this summer, then he deserves his chance to play in Europe for a top six side.

Ryan Fraser is on his way to the top.

I can't think of any player in the Bournemouth team who has worked harder than Fraser. He will have overtaken most of the players at the club seeing that he was loaned out in the first season when AFCB were in the Premier League. Now he is being scouted by some of the top cubs in the country, according to tho Bournemouth Echo. It would be a big decision for Ryan to have to make, but I'd suspect he would be advised to take the transfer and increase his earning power as well as his reputation by playing for perhaps a London club. He may, of course, prefer to wait for a Manchester club anyway to be closer to Scotland.

Bournemouth has been a great proving ground for him. He has done all that has been expected of him and more. Having become the top left sided player, his only task that has escaped him so far is player of the year. He has been close a couple of times, but it may be that we don't get to see him try again after this season.

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Eddie Howe will do everything he can to keep Ryan at the club. Howe wants a young side to build upon and continue their journey hopefully into Europe at Bournemouth. But it is one thing to compete against the Brighton's, Burnley's and Watford's and quite another to try and hold off bids from Arsenal and Tottenham.

Replacing Ryan would be a challenge but Howe has proved that he can find wingers who he can develop and make internationals of. He may have to go back into the market again this summer and could have another go at trying to lure Damarai Gray away from Leicester. Whatever the case, Ryan Fraser has become one of the best left wingers in the Premier League for sure.

The Cherries should go back in for Leicester winger

Leicester City are said to be interested in bringing Andros Townsend to their club and said to be battling Newcastle for the privilege, according to the Guardian. The potential signing of Townsend at Leicester will reopen the debate as to whether Demarai Gray will seek a move this summer, after a lack of starting opportunities at the King Power stadium. AFC Bournemouth will again be at the top of the list for potential candidates to boost their squad with this long term target.

Is Demarai Grey more amenable to a move this transfer window ?

According to the Leicester Mercury, the Cherries made bids of up to £25m last summer for the wide man. That was despite Gray signing a new four-year deal at Leicester in November 2017. Last Season Gray played 35 games in the Premier League and scored three goals and one assists, but in 18 of those games he was a substitute coming on to play. Would Bournemouth be able to give him more starts? AFCB fans may question whether Gray is as good or better than Ryan Fraser, and I think they both have the attractive way of playing that excites Howe. Moreover, Marc Pugh has struggled more with injuries in the last campaign and Howe needs to put pressure on Fraser to get the best out of him.

Signing Gray would make sense in terms of another Englishman who has the ability to get into the national side and while Gray has done okay at Leicester, his career needs a boost to get him into the senior England squad. No doubt Howe would be telling the player that he can do that for him like he has done with Lewis Cook.

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Demari Gray could still holds a grudge over the way Bournemouth tried to constantly sign him when he was a Birmingham player. But the way Bournemouth have never lost interest in him must at some point make him listen to what the Cherries have to offer. 

While Rihad Mahrez has not yet moved from Leicester, it is expected that he will leave to join Man City this summer. Leicester will not want to sell Gray, but Claude Puel may feel with the cash from Mahrez and potentially Gray he could bring in three or more players to the King Power which would give him more of a chance to put his stamp on the team which is still largely dominated by the players that Ranieri had from the title winning side.

Dean Court Days- get a signed copy!
In other news, Michael Dunne is holding a signing day for Dean Court Days on Saturday 23 June between 1-3pm at In off the far post, 901 Old Christchurch Road, in Pokesdown BH7 6AX. Richard Cooke and Paul Morrell are also popping in to sign a few copies of the book.

Southgate's World Cup - Day 7

Transfer deadline day passes with no major traumas for AFCB

There was a good possibility that the Cherries would allow a couple of players to leave in this summer window and it was of little surprise that Adam Federici joined Nottingham Forest on a permanent deal, and Marc Wilson eventually beat the deadline to play for Sunderland. The first team was otherwise unscathed, despite Wolverhampton Wanderers putting in a £15m bid to try and recapture Benik Afobe. Aaron Ramsdale also attracted interest from Rochdale and Wycombe Wanderers, according to sports journalist Pete O'Rourke. AFCB did allow U21 Matt Worthington to join Yeovil Town on loan and U21 Mihai Dobre got to join Bury until January, but all the major gossip was on whether AFCB tabled a £25m or £27m bid (plus £3m add-ons), depending on which source you wanted to believe, for Leicester City's Demarai Gray.

Adam Federici has left AFCB to join Forest.

I took a passing interest in deadline day, checking in now and again to see if there was much movement, but with Eddie Howe reluctant to say much more than his business has been done early, there was little optimism of a big late deal stunning fans at Dean Court. A potential wow factor might have come from Jack Wilshere resigning, but that was a fairly long shot. 

Much better really was the news, earlier this week, that Josh King had signed a new four-year deal. AFCB have not got a big squad and it was crucial to ensure Josh King was made to feel appreciated after his goal tally of last season with Tottenham and Everton reported to be sniffing a potential striker signing. While Josh has not scored this season, his qualities and importance to the squad are highly appreciated by everyone at Dean Court and his signature would have been what sensible AFCB fans would have most wanted when the season ended last May, rather than hearing AFCB would smash its transfer record on a young Leicester winger who had previously turned the Cherries down when he had been at Birmingham City.

With Benik Afobe having started in two of AFCB's three Premier League games this season there was a clear indication that Eddie Howe sees the DR Congo striker as having a part to play in this season's campaign, so I felt Wolves' fans were always going to be disappointed if they saw Benik as the striker who would be prepared to drop down a league to rejoin them. It didn't stop Wolves from making a bid though, which hopefully makes Benik feel good about himself if nothing else. Any way we need him to be available to keep the Nathan Aké song going strong!

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In essence it was a quiet final day of the transfer window for AFCB, but at least it gave the club a chance to tell everyone that the new third kit would be out this week. They could have used Rhoys Wiggins, as he is still perhaps wandering what his role is at AFCB!

PremierTalk – The window shuts but not everyone got their move

Cherry Chimes' September Newsletter brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month.

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AFCB may move for Leicester winger if Gradel leaves

The fate of Max Gradel looks to be coming to a conclusion, as we draw near the end of the transfer window. Toulouse have put in what the Sun describes as their second bid for Gradel to take him on loan for the season with an option to buy afterwards. The offer may be great for the French side, but would AFCB rather sell now and raise some more transfer funds?

Max is very much in demand, but will AFCB be happy with a loan move?

The option of a loan rather than a sale could be a sticking point, as Gradel is a player that would command a reasonable transfer fee, and Eddie Howe may not wish to let him go on loan. While AFCB have suggested that their main business has been done, a transfer fee for Gradel could open up the purse strings again for a winger replacement.

SkyBet have quickly moved AFCB to the top of the odds to sign Leicester City winger Demarai Gray, who turned down the offer to join the Cherries from Birmingham when he joined the Foxes. Bournemouth are now 5-2 favourites to sign Gray. Would Gray be a good improvement to Bournemouth's squad? 

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The competition for wingers is already tough, but Gray is at a level that would challenge for a starting spot in my opinion, and would be favourable to Gradel in terms of age and potential. But with players like Pugh, Stanislas, Fraser and Ibe all wanting starts, it won't be easy for any new winger to walk straight into the side.

The transfer fee that Gray would cost is probably also in line with Nathan Aké's and Howe has already mentioned in the Bournemouth Echo that he is not comfortable with the high fees, but that is what players cost now.

The form of Gradel was excellent in Marbella, and while that has only heightened interest in Gradel, it could be best for AFCB if they hold out to see if a club is going to offer a permanent deal. That would give them a bit more cash for the Demarai Gray deal or another winger if Howe really feels he needs to replace Gradel.

HITC Articles
– Would Jagielka ease Leicester's centre-back problem?

Goals are not easy to come by at St Andrews

Birmingham City will provide stiff opposition for the Cherries in the FA Cup Third Round. While the Cherries will welcome a break from the Premier League, it is true that the Blues will also be able to play with some freedom as they get a rest from the Championship. What the St Andrew's crowd have not seen much of is a hat full of goals. Their team has only been averaging just over a goal a game and they'll probably need more than that to hold AFCB off.

AFCB fans can look forward to a return visit to St Andrews
but they might not see eight goals this time.

There have been 14 Birmingham goals at St Andrews in league and cup this season and while it has not been a hot bed of goals, Gary Rowett's team has been doing much better than it did at the start of 2014-15 when it could not win a home game. Birmingham's form at home has picked up of late with two wins from the last three, despite only scoring two goals in those matches. During November and October though the Blues only scored twice at home.

Clayton Donaldson has started most games up front and leads the goal scoring charts with five goals, but has had time out with a groin strain. Paul Caddis and Stephen Gleeson are also contributing goal though. Options for Rowett look a bit short though up top especially with Demarai Gray not hitting form and now on his way to Leicester, while James Vaughan has been on loan from Huddersfield. The batten has been handed over to Jacques Maghoma and he obliged with a goal against MK Dons in their last home match and against Brentford in the last league match for the Blues.

Meanwhile, AFCB will be working hard to get a clean sheet in this kind of match. The Cherries have not done that too often and while it could be an experimental back four for AFCB, it would be a good performance to keep Birmingham off the score sheet.

Birmingham's League Home form
LLWWW

AFCB League Away form
DWWLD

Probable AFCB team: Federici, Smith, Elphick, Distin, Daniels, Ritchie, O’Kane, MacDonald, Pugh, Tomlin, Rantie

Bench: Allsop, Cargill, Lee, Gosling, Arter, Iturbe (work permit dependant), Kermorgant

FA Cup: Birmingham will be sick of the Cherries

The Emirates FA Cup Third round draw did not do a lot for Birmingham City fans. While they have a home draw which AFCB don't seem able to get these days, they will be a bit more wary of having picked the Cherries out of the hat. A 0-8 pummelling in the Championship last season hastily saw Gary Rowett move into the manager's position at the club and since then he has done a great job in pulling the midlands side up to eighth in the Championship table.

Birmingham might just be hoping they do better than last time.

Now Rowett will have to see how far his side has come when they come up against Eddie Howe's team who are keen to have a good cup run to ease the pressure on their Premier League battles. While AFCB have given Birmingham some heavy defeats in recent years, Birmingham City will be keen to get a reverse just to wipe away the memories of those games.

Clayton Donaldson is their top scorer with five in the league, but while Paul Caddis, Jon-Miquel Toral and Stephen Gleeson have also been netting a few goals, last summer's winger target Demarai Gray has only scored once this season. The team is also on a bad run with no win in three and five defeats in their last seven. Birmingham have not won at home since a 2-1win over QPR in mid-October when they had gone second in the division.

Since Darren Randolph left the Blues for West Ham in the summer, the goal keeping duties have been taken over by Tomas Kruszczack.

AFCB are cracking deals early

The Cherries might be Premier League novices but they are playing the transfer market like old hands at the moment. The free transfers just keep on coming. While Sylvain Distin and Luke Garbutt are the latest player to agree to join the Cherries, I am starting to wonder where AFCB are going to keep all these new players and if the changing rooms are big enough!

The bonus of signing so many players may be that it gives Eddie a bit of time to have all the players together for a  few sessions before deciding finally on which players he is prepared to let go out on loan. I can't believe that the club thought that they would manage to bring in six players in under two months of the calibre they have now and mainly on free transfers. It keeps the books in good order and may yet enable AFCB to go after one or two more highly prized names towards the end of the window. Demarai Gray looks to be among those.

AFCB's starting 11 is going to include some new faces next season

I'm really impressed with the Distin signing as he has nothing to prove having had a great career. Yet, he still believes he can add a great deal to the squad and I have no doubt that Eddie has made him feel really wanted to get him to sign. The progress that AFCB has made though in the last few seasons must be a big incentive to sign for the club. With Distin and Atsu at the club now it seems that Luke Garbutt has the chance to also come to the Cherries on a season-long loan and feel that he could fit in quickly with a couple of former teammates already at AFC Bournemouth.

All Departments' latest podcast is out - Fan Tactics. I'll be posting on the sidebar of Cherry Chimes later but keep checking the All Departments' website for its release by Michael Dunne. Tom Payne explains how he analyses teams like AFCB on Spielverlagerung.

Demarai Gray is a wanted man - but will the Cherries land him?

The prospect of Demarai Gray still being a target for Eddie Howe at AFCB would perhaps not a massive shock had the club not already signed Josh King and Christian Atsu. The Birmingham City wideman is surely destined for a Premier League club this summer and AFCB don't seem to have allowed the big spending clubs much time to make their offers before going in again for the young winger.

There are a couple of interesting points that favour AFCB going back in for Demarai right now. Birmingham City will be after the best price that they can get for such a talented player but they are also looking to strengthen their side ahead of a new season and Gary Rowett will be wanting to put his imprint on a new Birmingham side, which is perhaps more financially constrained than some other clubs in the Championship. Demarai also can see the type of players that AFCB have already signed this season and that could persuade him that it is a club that will do all it can to stay in the Premier League.

Moving for yet another winger indicates that Eddie Howe sees this area of the pitch as a region where he can't afford to have inconsistent performances, and where he needs to be able to bring on players that can change games and win matches. If Gray does come to AFCB the squad will be front-loaded with players that are fast and comfortable at running with pace on the ball in the wide areas. It also gives the impression to me that Howe might not only be looking to make an impact in the League but also to have a serious go at getting even further in the cup competitions. 

Eddie Howe knows that Demarai Gray has a good temperament and with his contract expiring next year he would be a strong addition to the squad that fits the player profile of an eager English player wanting to succeed at the highest level. If as claimed £5 million has already been rejected for Gray last January, Birmingham City may yet decide to cash in before the start of next season if other Premier League clubs are no longer showing interest in the player.

Sylvain Distin ready to sign 'in principle' for Cherries

It would appear that Eddie Howe has been camped out at Everton's training ground with news that Sylvain Distin is another player on Merseyside who is linked with making a summer move to AFC Bournemouth. Both the BBC and SkySports have reports that the experienced centre back is ready to move in principle on a free transfer after becoming a free agent.

This means that AFCB have done some serious negotiation and enticing to get the Frenchman to agree to a move to the south coast as he was earlier reported this summer to be eyeing a move back to France to play out his career. The 37-year-old is lined up to have a medical and that should see him able to sign for the Cherries very soon.

Having played in the Premier League for many seasons at Newcastle, Man City and Portsmouth as well as Everton it is hard to find a more experienced centre back to join newly promoted AFCB. While he might not be as quick as he used to be Sylvain is still recognised as a top defender and AFCB will need some steel about them and more know how. I also believe it will be inspirational and beneficial for younger players like Baily Cargill to see how a player who has been at the top for a long time goes about his work. He played 12 games last season for Everton in the Premier League, which indicates he will be cover for the centre back positions along with Elliott Ward. Distin also played in two cup games and three Europa League matches and in previous seasons he has managed in the region of 30 games a season.

My only concern is that such a signing could give other Premier League sides the signal to try and entice Steve Cook away from the Cherries. Reports last week about QPR's Steven Caulker joining the Cherries also seem less likely now with Distin choosing to the join the Cherries.

There is also a report on FLW, but unconfirmed that AFCB have made a new bid Demaria Gray of Birmingham City.

Could Albanian left back be Harte's replacement?

Eddie Howe is going to have to find another left back to fit into the squad now that Ian Harte has been released. There are many aspiring British left backs that Bournemouth could seek out now that they have money to spend in the Premier League. Upcoming Championship stars include Tyrone Mings at Ipswich, Jake Bidwell at Brentford and Declan John at Cardiff, but what of Bournemouth's scouting overseas? 

The search to replace Ian Harte is on.

Eddie Howe was in Italy last week at Empoli FC and I was interested to see that on their books is a young 21-year-old called Elseid Hysaj who has been talked about as one of the best young players in Italy at the moment. He has now made more than 100 caps for the Serie A side and has amassed 11 caps for Albania. Priced at around £3m, he would be a valuable addition to the Cherries who need to push Charlie Daniels in the left back position.

The Empoli FC full back is cool under pressure when going forward and scores some great goals himself as you can see in this YouTube clip where he scores the second goal. A plus point for Elseid is that he can play at both right and left back and he is well known for his short passing which fits into AFCB's style of play. His contract at Empoli is said to run out in 2016.

Okay, Albanian Serie A players might be just a bit optimistic but at least the club has more ability to look further than just the home leagues now. Eddie Howe has long stated that he wants to buy British but the cost of some of the players he may want could force him to look abroad, and while language could be a problem for many foreign players coming to the club, there is no doubt that AFCB are looking for quality players in the top flight. Current favourite to come in at left back is probably Everton's Luke Garbutt but AFCB face competition from Swansea and Watford.

How much the club spends though is also being kept very quiet and while we saw AFCB make a £5 million pound bid last January for Demari Gray, anything over £3 million would be a record signing for the Cherries in the summer. There may still be some bargains about though. The Premier League release list comes out soon. Last season AFCB brought in Dan Gosling and Junior Stanislas on frees - watch this space! 

The Championship Run-In sees Norwich book their place in the Premier League.

Blackburn's Josh King - a risky signing for the Cherries?

Earlier today, Sky Sports was first to break the news that Josh King was thought to be a target for AFCB having not renewed his contract with Blackburn Rovers. The left-sided winger only made 19 appearances for rovers last season and 11 of those were from the bench. With a total of four goals for the season I suppose that you could say it could have gone better for him last season and AFCB were said to be interested in him last January.

King is an international player for Norway and having come through the Man Utd academy he certainly has pedigree but the presence of Jordan Rhodes and Rudy Gestede have limited his chance of making a bigger impression at Ewood Park. I do remember him scoring a stunning hat-trick in the FA Cup against Stoke City in February when he tore through the middle of the Stoke defence with great speed and power to take Rovers to the quarter finals.

How much of a risk though would it be for the Cherries to bring King into a 25-man Premier League squad? Frankly, I believe Eddie Howe has to take some risks and if King comes on a free transfer, financially it will be a good deal for the Cherries. Ensuring that King is over his injury problems will be key. In January he suffered a hamstring injury, he also missed the league match at Dean Court for the same reason and March he missed the sixth round tie with Liverpool with another hamstring problem. He did get back into the side as a sub for the Huddersfield game in April and Blackburn's last game of the season against Ipswich. While we know he can score against Premier League teams, Howe will need to know if he can give him enough minutes on the pitch.

A change in scenery for the 23-year-old could help his injury problems and get his career back on track. There has to be a reason why he breaks down so often and a change in training methods could help him to overcome some of his problems, but it would be a risk if the Cherries take him on. AFCB would need game time out of King and the medical could well be the most difficult thing in getting him to Dean Court. If King does come to Bournemouth though it would probably kill off any hopes of Demarai Gray coming to the club, but that would be a saving of £5+ million. 

All eyes on Demarai Gray at Dean Court

There was no secret about AFCB's interest in Demaria Gray during the January transfer window. He was certainly the main target and while Birmingham City did not accept any of AFCB's repeated bids it is likely that both the management at Bournemouth and the fans of the Cherries will hope that he plays so that they can have a bit of a closer look at this talented youngster.

Things may of course become a little more complicated if the Cherries make further offers in the summer, but for now Demarai Gray is a Birmingham player who will know doubt be just concentrating on his football. In his last away match against he played for 65 minutes but was replaced by ex-Watford winger Lloyd Dyer and it is possible that Demarai will have quite a battle just to keep his place in the Birmingham side for the visit to the Cherries having scored four goals in the league this season. On Friday too, the young international was subbed on 67 minutes against Rotherham for Lloyd Dyer to come on.

Demarai recently played in the England U19 team that beat Denmark 3-2 where he scored after 44 minutes in the European qualifier. That side is of course managed by Sean O'Driscoll and I am sure that Eddie Howe is kept informed of how Demarai has been playing by Sean.

Whether Gray is worth as much as AFCB seem to assess him is hard to know at this stage in his career, but Birmingham City are clearly wanting to hold on to him. AFCB fans might just find out what the fuss is all about when the Cherries take on Birmingham City on Easter Monday.

AFCB fans will also hope to see the home debut of Kenwyne Jones who is already a favourite having rescued a point for the Cherries at Ipswich, now we just want to see that back flip again.

Silly season starts early

We have not even reached the end of the season yet and the gossip columns are already going crazy with highlighting Charlie Austin to AFCB and Matt Ritchie being a target for Hull City. It's good to talk of course and to mark out possible key signings, but I hate to tell everyone - the season is not over yet and AFCB's players have the biggest seven games to play in their careers to date.

That is the reality. I know Eddie Howe will be telling the players they can forget about holidays and transfer moves at the moment. If they are not 100 per cent focused on the task ahead of them, two weeks in the city of Hull might be their next reward and not Dubai. AFCB's players seem to have their heads screwed on though, and it is perhaps more a reflection on the journalists not having much to say until the football gets underway again.

Matt's in demand - who's next?

Still there is likely to be some movement of players both in and out. The months of June and July could be very busy, but our manager is not going to have much time before he is being questioned about player availability by the sound of it even if the Cherries do go up. The excitement about the Cherries squad is not just that they are good players but that so many of them are British home-grown players and with all the chatter in the last week about how Greg Dyke, chairlam of the FA, would like to bring in new rules to limit the amount of foreign players in the Premier League, all of a sudden those teams that are in and around the top of the Championship probably look like chests of gold to those already in the promised land.

Rumours are always going to be around, but one note of caution I should mention is that Birmingham City have been looking to see who they could replace Demarai Gray with should he chose to leave the Blues in the summer. Whether that indicates that AFCB are still keen on the young international is hard to say but if AFCB can't hold on to Ritchie it wouldn't be a great surprise to see Demarai Gray on the south coast at some point during the summer. Silly season - it's not too far away. 

Cherry Chimes April Newsletter - out tomorrow!

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The Cherries didn't want to come unstuck

This is the most difficult pint of the season for any team. The league has taken its shape and the need for wins is crucial because any slip ups seem magnified as everything is so tight at the top. I am pleased to say I have not wanted to check every game that Derby, Ipswich or Middlesbrough have coming up as it is all about AFCB now and the performances they put in. That is the beauty of being top of the league.

Okay, no new signings but the squad
has stayed together for a promotion push.

When we get down to the last 10 matches is when Willo traditionally says he looks at the table to see where AFCB might finish. I suspect that he might have already had a sneaky look and I don't blame him for that. The pressure on the players though is high enough. They know exactly where they are and how close they are to creating something very special. It's up to them to make it come true and I think the recent defeats against Leeds and Norwich City have refocused their mental drive to be on it for every game now. The players have seen their league lead come down to goal difference but they'll soon have more chance to widen the gap when they take on Derby at home.

The table could have looked much different had Watford won at Dean Court last Friday. The gap to seventh place is something that Willo said was important, as like all AFCB fans we are always looking at worst scenario first and the team has to try and be sure to at least get at a play-off spot. A few months ago that would have seemed unthinkable for such a club as ours, and yet now six place and a chance to go up through the play-offs is not something that we quite see as the main aim now. By the way Willo, you are busted if you know how many points clear of seventh place AFCB are!

It is the home form that needed to see an improvement for the Cherries, and now that it has I sincerely hope that some wins against the main rivals near the top of the table will see AFCB over that winning line come 3 May.

While some fans will be disappointed that no signings were made apart from Artur Boruc in the January window the important fact is that none of the first team squad was the subject of interest from other clubs and now the squad can concentrating on achieving what they want to this season. It would have been great to add some momentum with a key new signing like Demaria Gray, but sometimes a new player can spoil the balance what you already have. Somehow I imagine that the large amount of money being banded about could also be put towards some important ground improvements over the summer instead. The loan window opens in a week as well so there is plenty of options for Eddie Howe if they are needed.

Finally, let's hope that Eunan O'Kane recovers quickly after sustaining ligament damage in the Watford game.

Is another wide man winging his way to Dean Court?

I am hoping that Eddie Howe's target of a new arrival at Dean Court this transfer window will be a player that can make the challenge of leading the Championship a little easier. By all accounts that player will be Demarai Gray of Birmingham City who has not seen a valuation from AFCB yet meet his club's acceptance and the midlands club would seem in no desire to sell.

So where does that leave AFCB's January window plans? I don't think they are quite up in smoke. Reading between the lines of what Eddie Howe said there is a chance that he can get his man. "I'm hopeful," he said after the Watford match which would indicate that talks are still on going to get another bid in. There has been no news of the Cherries chasing any other player with such desire and if the transfer fee could be agreed and the player wanted to come to the club, I'd imagine it will have been one of the hardest pursuits of a player that AFCB have had to win a signature.

Any heads up you can give us on transfer news Eddie?
That looks like he's laughing and not telling.

Eddie Howe certainly like his wingers and it is clearly the factor he sees as the best way to ensure that the Cherries have all they need in the second half of the season. When creation of goals has been the key to see so many of the players scoring for the Cherries this season it does not look like Eddie Howe goes about goal scoring in his team in the same way as so many other managers who just want two strikers that can guarantee 40 goals a season. The Championship has long been said to be a league where you need a good strike partnership and lots of goals to win promotion. Well AFCB certainly have the latter and yet I feel they have something different in a crop of wide players that provide chances for just about everyone in the side.

Will another wide man be winging his way to Dean Court in the next few hours? That is the question we'll soon know the answer to.

Transfer Watch
AFCB have been widely reported in the media today to have had a fifth offer of £5m for Demarai Gray rejected by Championship rivals Birmingham City. AFCB were said on social media to have put a new bid of £6.5m in for the player just before 4pm this afternoon, but that was unconfirmed.

Benjamin Buchel has been made available for a loan. Josh Wakefield has moved to Bristol Rovers on a month's loan. Jayden Stockley has extended his loan for another month at Luton Town. Joe Partington extends his loan at Eastleigh until the end of the season.

Just before 7pm Kris Temple at BBC Radio Solent said he had spoken with Eddie Howe and there would be no incoming signings today. I can have an early night!

Operation Watford

I was sitting on the sofa on Saturday with one eye on the FA cup matches and another on the progress of Blackpool against Watford. I was astonished that the Seasiders had gone one-nil up and even more aghast to see them double their lead before half time. Coupled with the Brighton result against Ipswich the other day, I though the teams down the bottom are really turning their form around now.

Yes it's them again. Let's try not to get stung again this time.

The sudden realisation that Watford were far from destroyed or deflated by that first half hit me soon enough, as the Hornets were no longer behind but 3-2 up and scoring goals for fun. A beating of 7-2 was the last thing I saw coming for Blackpool, but it reminded me that this is a Watford team that are perennial Championship contenders and even with their managerial changes they are one of the teams that are always going  to be in and around the top of this table. 

Watford will also be buoyed by the arrival of Ben Watson from Wigan Athletic as if they were not strong enough in midfield already. Vujadin Savic is a player I know less about but the Serb defender could also be available to face the Cherries having signed for the Hornets. Another defender coming in is the Mexican international, Miguel Layun who was at Granada, another Pozzo family club.

Having lost to Huddersfield, Watford have scored 13 goals in their last two games and Troy Deeney has only scored two of those. Odion Ighalo is the new golden boy, a Nigerian who has now scored 11 times this season. Udinese's loss is certainly Watford's gain with the help of the Pozzo family.

It will be AFCB fans first sight of Slavisa Jokanovic as Watford manager and yet I imagine that he will set up his team with the same emphasis on attack as his predecessors. This is a very difficult game and AFCB certainly have to be at their very best to come out unscathed. What I will say is we owe this Watford team a beating having bossed the game at Vicarage Road. It's time to start taking apart these teams that have a habit of getting the better of AFCB.

I can see the doom-mongers already gathering and saying that the Cherries' bubble has burst if this game is lost and the fact that it is on TV will give the media plenty of opportunity to say AFCB surely can't stay at the top of the table. Well, why not? The players have been good enough so far, but they will know that they need to beat Watford and Derby in a few weeks time now. It is pressure but we would surely rather have this kind of pressure than being in Wigan or Millwall's position. Be positive is what I would say to the players. Let's get a result and show the TV watchers how good AFCB really are.

Watford Away Form
LWWWL

AFCB Home Form
DDWWL

Transfer Watch
I have not really commented on another failed bid for Demarai Gray as it has been well covered, but I do wonder at what point the Cherries decide he is either an asset they can afford or just too expensive at Birmingham City's valuation. I know a lot of work goes into scouting players and AFCB are clearly keen on the player. It is hard to see where Gray would fit into the team straight away though and if the transfer would cost more than £3.5m you would expect that player to be much better than most of those already at the club.

Finally well done to the AFCB team that beat Hordean 1-3 to reach the semi-final of the Hampshire Senior Cup.

Cherries likely to opt for experimentation in Villa match

Eddie Howe was quite precise in saying that he would like to see some other guys play against Aston Villa in the FA Cup from the regular starting eleven. That does indicate to me that he will make more than just one or two changes now having seen what happened at Leeds. I have a feeling it could be up to eight or nine.

Giving Aston Villa a problem though is less of a priority than getting everything right for the next league match against Watford. There were signs though that some players really need a chance to recharge the batteries and perhaps Matt Ritchie, Andrew Surman and Harry Arter will be among those who are given some time off, while Eddie brings in the energy of Ryan Fraser, Dan Gosling and Eunan O'Kane. 

Young Ryan is due a start.

Eunan could be one of the players that Eddie wants to cast an eye over at Villa.

I think the latter three in particular deserve more of an opportunity than they have had, and if they can get any kind of result against Aston Villa it will be a great achievement for a Bournemouth side. In away there should be no pressure on the Cherries as they go to Villa Park. if they do the basics well they could do better than they even might imagine. It will be good to see whatever side Eddie Howe puts out and how they go against quality opposition.

Those on the pitch can be assured of a good following of fans and as long as they give everything as Eddie Howe's sides always do it should be a good game to attend. What I do hope though is that the players can switch off from the last game against Leeds and meet the Villa game as a fresh challenge. Do that and get a win and things will seem totally different come next week in the build up for a crunch game against Watford.

Transfer Watch
It has been reported that AFCB have had a third failed bid made for Demarai Gray at Birmingham City. This bid was set at £3m plus add-ons, rising to £3.5m, according to reports in the media. 

Wilson can fire cherries to the Championship title

It the last few league matches Callum Wilson has not managed to find the net, but he will look to add hos 13 goals this season of which 11 have been in the league. His last goal came in the Blackpool rout where he scored in the first half on 20 December, and while he has been pulling defences apart to create space for other to exploit we know how annoyed Callum gets when he is not keeping up his high goal scoring prowess.

Callum will be looking to get on the goal scoring trail at Rotherham.

As far as the team is concerned it has not really been too much of a problem when Callum has a few blanks in front of goal when the other team members are in such a rich vein of form, but if he can start putting away a few chances his goals are likely to fire the Cherries towards their highest ever league finish. There are some 24 games to go and if Callum can repeat what he has done in his first half of the season he will have made quite an impact in his first Championship season.

Ipswich's Daryl Murphy leads the way on 17 goals so far followed by Derby's Chris Martin on 15. If Callum can keep anywhere near those two strikers then he will more than have repaid his signing on fee last summer.

Whether Eddie Howe is able to find another striker to come in this transfer window is the big question. Yann Kermorgant and Brett Pitman have shared the responsibility as a strike partner for Callum, but if AFCB are in any doubt whether they can get another 15 goals this season, we just may see a new face at the club this January. Personally, I think AFCB will go with what they have in the second half of the season and rely on a hard work rate, and the players we have at the club to try and achieve the best league position that they can.

Transfer Watch
TalkSport reported on the Radio this morning that AFCB had had a new £3m bid for Demarai Gray at Birmingham City turned down. We are still waiting for confirmation on this from a second source, but it seems that the Cherries are very keen on this winger and that they are going to keep asking the question.

Burnley may be in need of some good defenders after shipping four against Spurs last night, but Steve Cook has reaffirmed his commitment to the Cherries. 

Yann proves he can play as a lone striker

We have seen Callum Wilson play up front in his own but it was unusual to see Yann Kermorgant play in front of five midfielders at Rotherham. He is not pacey but can hold the ball up and win headers for his teammates which others in the team find harder to do.

Yann may still find himself on the subs bench this weekend.

Yann gets so momentum to his goal scoring.

While it is great to see Yann score two goals, I was also pleased to see that he made a great assist for Ryan Fraser. His flicks have been much in evidence in league games, but have not come off that much this season but the way he let in Ryan Fraser was a superb move and Ryan will feed off of those kind of balls all day long.

With many more games to come it is wise to see if some of the players can fill in in different places and to play Yann up front as a lone striker may be a tactic that is required later in the season. I felt that he was very ably supported though by Shaun MacDonald who was very prominent during the whole match with his forward runs and as long as Yann gets that kind of support he should not be too isolated in games.

Two more goals now take Yann up to eight this season now and it is helpful that these last two goals came in open play following the penalty spot kick at Millwall.

FA Cup The date for the Fourth Round FA Cup tie against Aston Villa has been set for Sunday 25th January at 3pm, which avoids having too many fans in Birmingham on the same day with the Birmingham v West Brom fixture being held on the Saturday .Apparently, Birmingham City won a coin toss to hold their fixture on the Saturday! The Leeds Utd match now moves to Tuesday 20th January, which means unless you take the day off it will be hard to make you way up to Elland Road for a 7.45pm kick off!

Transfer Watch
Second bid for Demarai Gray is turned down by Birmingham City.