Who do you want the Cherries to face in pre-season?

The task of planning for next season has already begun with the release of seven squad players already but attention will soon turn to a summer training camp and a line up of friendlies before the new season kicks off. While it would be great to play one or two Premier League sides before the August date with destiny, it is going to be difficult to arrange such games when most of the Premier League go on the Far East, American or Middle East tours. I wonder if AFCB might even entertain the idea of a pre-season tournament as the best way to play a few top sides?

Of course AFCB don't have to play against Premier League opposition they could try and go a step further afield and see if they can get to take on the likes of a PSV Eindhoven, FC Basel, VFL Wolfsburg, Schalke 04, Napoli, Roma, Paris St-Germain, Monaco, or Athletico Madrid for example, but such prestige matches are only going to be effective if Eddie Howe can learn more about his players and they can benefit from the experience of going up against some of Europe's elite. Just as much planning will go into picking up fixtures against some of the local teams that annually like to see if they can get one over on the Cherries, and I like those games as the competition is friendly and yet usually a good price  to see, while you often see a few new recruits fitting into the team. The Development Squad also needs plenty of fixtures so there is a lot of work to do at the club at the moment.

Ronaldo might not be coming to Dean Court this
 pre-season but there might be some other big players
and European teams that would fit the bill.

Last season AFCB might not have had the likes of Real Madrid to warm up against, but looking at how the European club competitions have gone this season it would not be such a bad idea to see what some of the continental sides are like. The training camp last season was fairly relaxed and not a bad run out against the likes of FC Copenhagen. As recently as last April the team also enjoyed the facilities out in Dubai and I wonder if an excursion to Africa might be a destination the club would like to try soon. It is hard to imagine AFCB as a global brand but that is the next step of the club's progression. Last pre-season there was talk of Rangers coming down but perhaps Celtic would be a good option for the Cherries now.

Getting fit and enjoying playing as a team is what really counts though no matter who the opposition. Hitting form in early August will be the aim and preparation is something that Eddie and his coaching team have a knack of getting right. Lots of fun but hard work, I believe is the ethos. 

Who would you like AFCB to play pre-season? Leave a comment below. 

Seeing is believing and Bingham looked the part

It has been a long time since I have seen the Cherries kicking the ball about. The Millwall away games seems years ago, but it was a real treat to see the team play at Vulkanlandarena in Austria against FC Copenhagen. You could see that there is plenty of work still to do but in the first half I felt that Arter really got a grip of the game while Ritchie was trying to get in the ball as much as he could. The passing was what I looked most closely at and while there were quite a few long diagonal balls from one wing to another the movement of the players seemed fairly strong and FC Copenhagen took a while to match the Cherries' performance.

Kermorgant and Arter kept FC Copenhagen busy first half.

You can't put too much ficus on such games as they only give you a glimpse of how the players are doing. I thought Eddie Howe would have taken a close look at the play of Adam Smith who looked quite settled at right back. I did not see much of Pugh or Gosling although that might have been a bit down to the the camera being on the right side of the pitch and further away from them.

What I didn't expect was to be shown that we have a young striker who has such good control and a bit of confidence about him. Rakish Bingham looked the part and I expect even Eddie Howe will have been watching him with a smile on his face. Bingham is currently on trial with the Cherries but he is a Wigan player and played 11 games on loan at Falkirk last season. I thought he offered himself to the ball well and linked with Rantie especially well. He is only 20 years-old so a good potential signing for the first team let alone the Development squad from what I saw. Sticking a goal away in the FC Copenhagen friendly won't have done his case any harm. I'd like to see more of him and hope he plays in some more of the friendlies coming up.

Bingham was one of the more exciting aspects of the second half of the FC Copenhagen game, but the players on show in that half seemed to find it more hard going against the Danish team. Flahavan also had a bit more to do apart from picking the ball out of the net twice. I did not see FC Copenhagen's first goal or the penalty incident that led to the second, (O'Kane was said to be the culprit) but it is fair to say that the start of the second half was none too good for the Cherries as they conceded two goals in the space of a couple of minutes. Concentration was probably not what it could have been and we know what that is like when you are playing in the Championship so I hope Eddie makes the players switch on to such things. Gisalson and Mussis scored the goals for FC Copenhagen.

Last night the club put up the full 90 minutes again on the official AFCB website so you could see the goals but it appears to have been taken down again. Perhaps they don't want Championship teams making too many notes. I did find a back link to the first half though here while it is kept alive. Some how it still edits out Ritchie's first half goal!

After a bit of digging though I have found the match highlights with some goals for you all.

Kyle Cotter and his World Cup Watch is back to preview the third/fourth place play-off match between Brazil and Netherlands on World Cup Chimes - is it a waste of time?   

AFCB show first live match on YouTube 2-2 with FC Copenhagen

Match Report
FC Copenhagen 2 v 2 AFCB

AFCB offered supporters the chance to view this match live on YouTube for free which was another first for the club. The numbers steadily reached 500 then 1225 as we approached the 5.30 kick off and while all we could hear was the wind for a while the Cherries looked great in their new home kit, while FC Copenhagen were all in white. AFCB just had the names on their shirts and no numbers on their backs. The sound was a bit iffy and no commentary but we could hear the shouts of the players.  Alongside was a commentary box for fans and while there were some interesting comments I won't repeat any of them here.

AFCB won the first two corners and looked threatening with Adam Smith having an early shot blocked. Matt Ritchie hit the deck twice in short succession but got up okay. AFCB's movement looked a class above the Danish side. AFCB had lined up 3-5-2 from what I could see and had a third corner on 12 minutes. FC Copenhagen had to play almost as a sweeper a couple of times to cut out through balls.

No22 got a yellow on 22 minutes for a two-footed challenge on Arter which Harry was none to pleased about. Wilson then had a long range effort deflected wide for another Cherries corner. FC Copenhagen then won a foul on the left wing as their no11 went down. The viewers were now up to 1473 as we approached 30 minutes.

Smith won a direct free kick then in a good position outside the box, but it was driven high and wide. It was at this point that I saw they were playing with a World Cup Brazuca ball. While AFCB had most of the ball there had been no clear chances up until this stage. Another AFCB corner came on 36 minutes but nothing came of it.

FC Copenhagen had a free kick on 38 minutes, but it was chipped straight out by No 24. Elphick was a bit more busy now making clearances as the Danish team got into the game. There were 1571 viewers by the time we had got to 40 minutes. AFCB then scored and because of the buffered streaming most of us probably missed it. Apparently Ritchie scored.

I turned on the link for the second half to see the score was 1-1. Then within a few second the ball was on the spot and FC Copenhagen had made it 2-1. Don't you just love buffered live streaming! I was then Re-tweeting the second half link as many fans had missed FC Copenhagen's link for teh second half. Flahavan, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Fraser, O'Kane, Pitman, Macca, Bingham, Rantie and McQuoid were on second half. It was the Danes now giving AFCB the run around. With the hour mark approaching FC Copenhagen's no10 tested Flahavan to his right, but Flav's got down well. Rantie stole in on the right wing on 63 minutes and pulled a good ball back but no AFCB player could get on to it. Flav's now down again to his left. Charlie Daniels seemed intent in running into people rather than going round them. Second half viewing figures were over 2000 now, so I think I did my bit in getting the numbers up.

Francis was chipping balls in deep behind the FC Copenhagen defence, but AFCB's midfield was struggling to keep the ball. O'Kane did not seem to be getting into the game much. We had reached the 70 minute mark. A free kick was pumped up to FC Copenhagen's no22 he twisted and turned and just smashed his effort over. Bingham then pounced on some sloppy play from the Danes and made it 2-2. Fraser then had the keeper at full stretch on 75 minutes after a great little run on the right. It was end-to-end now and 32 put in a ball across AFCB's six yard box that almost provided a goal, but it was put out for a corner.

Pitman was next to have a deflected shot go close on 77 minutes after some good work by Bingham. A sweeping move through the right side of the field then almost saw O'Kane trick his way through but his shot went just wide of the right post. It was good interplay with Rantie involved. Rantie was then taken down with just seven minutes left on the clock, but a long way out from goal. Daniels was having a bit of ball control issues, but the ball was mainly at AFCB players' feet as we entered the last five minutes. 

For all the moaning about the buffered streaming there were some 2276 dedicated viewers watching the game at this point. FC Copenhagen had a free kick 25 yards out wide on the right but only saw the ball quickly cleared by the reds. The whistle went with 89 minutes on the clock but we'll give the ref the benefit of the doubt.

Top of the AFCB goal scoring chart go Ritchie and Bingham - bet you did not expect that. You can still vote on our poll for first team top scorer by the way - see the panel on the right.

Summary
I thoroughly enjoyed the live stream as an experiment and I hope that AFCB consider doing it again some time. While I only saw two of the four goals go in it was entertaining and just great to see AFCB players back on the pitch. I thought Arter had a particularly string first 45 minutes and when Rakish Bingham came on in the second half he played very well. I am not sure how much Eddie Howe will have learnt from the game, but  at least those that played got 45 minutes under their belt against a competent side that caused AFCB plenty of problems. I am interested to hear what Tommy Elphick will say in his diary.

AFCB 1st half
Buchel, Smith, Elphick,Harte, Cargill, Ritchie, Arter, Gosling, Kermorgant, Pugh, Wilson

AFCB 2nd half
Flahavan, Francis, Cook, Daniels, O'Kane, Pitman, MacDonald, Bingham, Rantie and McQuoid.

The season starts against FC Copenhagen for the Cherries

While the match against FC Copenhagen tonight is a friendly its significance should not be dismissed as a mere prelude to the some of the matches that the Cherries will be playing throughout July and into August, before the league matches start proper. For the new signings of Stanislas, Wilson and Gosling this period is key for them to work out their partnerships with other players and to get a real understanding of the team's overall tempo and the movement of those who play around them. Existing players cannot rest on their laurels either as poor performances now will see them out of the frame for a squad place come August.

The biggest pressure though I think is on Eddie Howe. He will be hoping that he has bought well and that his messages are getting across to the players. What can look good on the training pitches might be far from right when playing real matches and FC Copenhagen will be stiff competition. One player they will be without is striker Igor Vetokele who Charlton bought last month for an undisclosed fee, but perhaps we will see Igor when he turns out for the Addicks in the Championship. The Danish outfit have been busy this summer though themselves and have picked up defender Per Nilsson from Nurnburg. They also beat Liverpool to the signature for Ghana midfield youth international Daniel Amarety. Their strangest signing though or should I say re-signing is that of Andreas Cornelius from Cardiff City. The striker returns to the Danish capital club having moved for £7.5m in the January transfer window.

Rantie has no time to lose now if he is to make an impression.

It's AFCB's line up though that should interest us most and how many subs Eddie will make during the game. I don't think we will be able to read too much into it but the starting 11 will probably be those he is keenest to see and the ones that are showing good fitness rates. I believe that Tokelo Rantie is with the AFCB tour party as there is no Bafana Bafana friendlies listed and, if so, I am expecting him to get some minutes and will be interested to see how he gets on knowing that he now has big competition for a place in the side and an opportunity with the exit of Grabban. At the back you might wonder which of the two centre backs Eddie will go with (but Elliot Ward was seen at Dean Court yesterday so it should be Elphick and Cook for this match) and whether he starts with Stanislas and Ritchie in the same team. 

While there was no news feed for the AFCB Development match against Hamworthy Recreaction I sincerely hope the club at least tweets feedback on the FC Copenhagen game as there is an audience of AFCB fans who would love to know how the first team will do against quality opposition. I can now gladly update this with news that AFCB is to show the game live on its YouTube channel from 5.30pm today.

If you missed the score in the Development squad game it was Hamworthy 0 v 3 AFCB at half time. Ben Whitfield scored first and then Jordan Murphy scored two more. In the second half Brandon Goodship added a fourth and the Cherries ran out 0-4 winners. Zubar and Addison also played in the game.

A busy July schedule for Cherries

The Cherries pre-season really gets up a head of steam in the next few days. They have a five-day training at Bad Waltersdorf in Austria, which they fly out to on 8 July, and will face FC Copenhagen on 11 July at the Vulkanlandarena in Austria. Matches against Salisbury Town (or Eastleigh FC I am hearing today), Dorchester, Southampton and Portsmouth follow and there are games against Swansea and Oxford in the first two days of August. The Development squad will also have a full fixture list as they prepare for their season in their mini league.

AFCB players at the Valley last season. I think AFCB's new
pitch will turn out a lot better than this, but even Dean Court
has had drainage problems so a higher profile will be given to the pitch. 

During July the players will be clocking up the miles and have plenty of minutes on the pitch to get ready for their first league match against Huddersfield Town. It will be good when all the talking and training is over and the players can just go out and do their thing. But I find this period very exciting as you know that the team is working hard and will be in public view again very soon. What I don't like is the thought of injuries and strains but it's all part of the game and it is very rare for any squad to have everyone available for their first game.

I am desperate to know how the team will line up for that initial game and we will have to analyse what Eddie Howe does in the next few weeks in these pre-season friendlies with his line ups. While the goal keeper and first choice back four almost pick themselves there will be a decision to make at centre back as to who to leave out and the options for the top half of the team will see more intense competition this coming season.

I see the Southampton, Portsmouth and Swansea games as the key matches for the Cherries in the upcoming period of games. They will be tough games and the two derby games will perhaps have a bit of bite to them whereas the Swansea match should be a littered with great passing moves. We are getting nearer to kick-off. UTCIAD!

Does it matter who the Cherries play in pre-season friendlies?

There has been plenty of early talk flying around about just who the Cherries will be lining up against in the summer months before the start of their next Championship campaign. Speculation has at least been heightened after last year's game against Real Madrid and while it might be hard to generate the same kind of surprise excitement there is no doubt that the pulling power of Maxim Demin's Bournemouth side, or perhaps Maxim's purse strings is likely to make it another memorable pre-season.

Any one got any objections to Real Madrid turning up again?

Ozil and Renaldo at the Goldsands stadium last summer.

Already I hear confirmation of Glasgow Rangers - 30 July, and also on the cards is talk of Everton, Portsmouth, FC Copenhagen. Perhaps they will provide the kind of games that will give AFCB players a good competitive work out. But last year, if we put the 0-6 Real Madrid friendly to one side, the other difficult  pre-season games were against teams like Woking and Salisbury, so perhaps the prospect of matches we hear against Dorchester and Yeovil will be tougher games than the likes of Rangers, oh and don't forget the traditional match against Poole Town. Much of these matches are just about fitness and trying players in positions where they may need some extra tuition, but as fans I suppose we all want to see some big named teams with star players if at all possible.

So while Eddie Howe and his team juggle with what the players need there are club considerations for having a few big gates with eminent teams. Personally, I do not mind that much who the Cherries play as I will be more concerned with how the Cherries are shaping up themselves ahead of the new season. That will be made even more exciting if the club can sign a couple of new players early on in the summer months, so that we can see how Eddie will be building on last season's success. I don't know about you, but unlike Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, I'd quite like to see Lewis Grabban running out in an AFCB shirt quite a few more times.