AFCB reach the bottom three with 4-0 defeat at West Ham

Match Report

West Ham United 4 v 0 AFCB

1 January 2020

Attendance: 59,917

The London Stadium

The trap door is open large and wide for AFC Bournemouth now. They fall into the bottom three and find their way there on the back of a pitiful performance at West Ham. On 17 minutes Mark Noble fired West Ham ahead seeing his shot deflect off Lewis Cook. It was 2-0 when Haller smashed a volley into the net from Frederick's cross, and a clumsy challenge by Harry Wilson on Snodgrass gave the Hammers a penalty for 3-0 before half-time. Things didn't get better when Anderson beat Francis in a foot race to make it 4-0. Creswell was the recipient of the red card that never was, as his foul on Ryan Fraser was reduced by VAR to a yellow card. Bournemouth are in big trouble.

This was a relegation all right and Bournemouth named as strong a side as they could with Simon Francis coming into the right back position. Lerma and Lewis Cook came into the starting eleven along with Callum Wilson. Injured was Jack Stacey and Josh King, while Fraser, Billing and Stanislas were dropped to the bench. It was a game neither side dared lose as it would mean a place in the bottom three.

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Match Description
It was a patient start by both teams with AFCB just happy to keep possession. Rico put a good cross in but no Bournemouth player gets close to it. Mepham did well to cut a ball out.

Solanke wins a corner on three minutes. Bournemouth's first chance to get something on target. Lerma has made a mess of his pass.

Mepham and Haller in a race and Mepham may have hand balled it. Corner to West Ham but Ramsdale takes it. Lewis Cook loses control in the middle.

Still, Bournemouth are pushing on. Anderson comes forward looking for support but the Cherries get back in numbers. West Ham have a corner on eight minutes. West Ham are enjoying some possession, but have no end product.

Noble into the box and Fornals shoots over. Bournemouth are dropping back. Harry Wilson has taken a knock. Free kick to West Ham as Harry used his arm to block a cross. Gosling clears.

Creswell has an injury. on 15 minutes. Some poor passing from Bournemouth. Sondgrass gets in behind and there's a goal from Noble it's deflected in, 1-0 to West Ham. Lewis Cook clipped the ball and Bournemouth are a goal down on 17 minutes.

A push on Harry Wilson in the box and no penalty. VAR is checking. Nothing doing. Lerma has lost the ball in the middle. West Ham have a corner. The header goes wide by Ogbonna.

Steve Cook gifts the ball to the opposition. Gosling has lost it now. Snodgrass is fouled by Rico who is carded. Rico kicked out his legs. Just too many mistakes by Bournemouth at the moment. Snodgrass' free kick is out for a corner.

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A cross from Fredericks on the right and Haller has buried it in the bottom left corner 2-0 on 26 minutes. Great Volley for West Ham.

Lewis Cook drives through to Callum Wilson and his shot is saved, but the flag is up for offside. Francis on the overlap can't get his cross in.

Francis, he only hits Creswell with a cross. Harry Wilson can't get his cross in deep enough. Bournemouth can't clear from their own box. A corner to West Ham.

Noble is in behind and Harry Wilson has clipped his heels in the box - penalty! 34 minutes gone. This is game over if this goes in. Noble sends Ramsdale the wrong way 3-0.

Bournemouth are all over the place. It's getting embarrassing. Haller versus Mepham. Mepham gets back but Haller had a yard on him from a long ball - same old weakness for AFCB. No shots for Bournemouth yet and we have had 38 minutes.

Steve Cook has overrun it. Mepham covers. The confidence is shot for Bournemouth players.

Rico has a shot which is parried away. At least AFCB have had a shot. Just a minute to half-time. Corner to Bournemouth. Three added minutes.

3-0 down at half-time.

Second half
Fraser and Stanislas are coming on for Harry Wilson and Diego Rico. Ryan Fraser was ill overnight but is okay to come on as a sub. Stanislas is on the right.

Francis gets an early cross in. West Ham win a corner and Fraser comes away with it. The ball is coming back at Bournemouth just as soon as they try and play it up field. Gosling is the latest player to lose it.

Solanke comes forward. Fraser and Gosling join in. Steve Cook is beaten by Haller in the left back spot and Bournemouth are lucky to get away with a corner. Lewis Cook made a saving intervention. Ramsdale catches the corner.

Anderson tries to trick his way though the box but is just stopped in time. Solanke beats Noble but can't keep hold of it. Francis and Lerma loses it.

Haller beats Mepham, Snodgrass is held up. Anderson's cross is cleared. Lewis Cook fouls Snodgrass. Creswell hits the free kick miles over. The whole game has become very slack. The passing is pretty appalling as neither team are capable of keeping the ball for long.

Bournemouth manage to get the ball up to Solanke but he's faced with two West Ham players. Bournemouth have to defend another corner.

Anderson is in the clear but hits his shot against a Bournemouth player. A good chance for 4-0. Rice with a long ball out to the wing, Anderson is in this time against Francis and it's 4-0 on 67 minutes. VAR is checking for offside.

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The goal is given and Anderson is subbed for Lanzini. Gosling is subbed for Jack Simpson on 68 minutes. West Ham have a free kick. Mepham pulled a shirt.

Stanislas gives a free kick away. Callum Wilson on the right is stooped by Ogbonna. 17 minutes to go. A red card for Creswell, Fraser is down injured. Creswell went right through Fraser on 75 minutes. The decision has been overturned by VAR to a yellow. How has Creswell got away with that?

Great ball in the box by Bournemouth but West Ham defend well. Solanke is down in the box after bumping into Creswell. Stanislas to Fraser and the header from Solanke comes off the post and straight into Fabianski's hands! Ridculous, that should have gone in.

Stanislas is taken off the ball by Rice. West Ham break. Snodgrass is stopped. West Ham come again a cross from the Hammers and Lanzini saves it on the line as Steve Cook is out jumped.

Sondgrass is subbed on 83 minutes for Masuaku.  Creswell on the left pulls it back for Fornals but the shot is saved by Ramsdale. Lewis Cook is booked.

Bournemouth are losing the ball as soon as they get into the last third. Can't wait for the final whistle. Masuaku's shot is held by Ramsdale. Wilson to Fraser and it's a tame shot to the keeper.

Four minutes of added time and West ham waste a chance to make it five with Fornals shooting over. A ball over the top to Callum but he can't get it down.

Summary
Bournemouth look flatter than flat. They had nothing to offer in this game and their current form is deserved of the bottom three. Eddie Howe has an injury crisis and a relegation place. How Bournemouth are going to get out of this I don't know. The team had literally nothing in the tank.

AFCB

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Surman, Stanislas, Fraser, Simpson, Billing, Dobre

AFCB Ratings

Ramsdale 4, Francis 3, S Cook 3, Mepham 3, Rico 3, H Wilson 2, Lerma 3, Gosling 3,  L Cook 5, Solanke 3, C Wilson 3

Cherry Chimes MoM: Lewis Cook - he kept trying.

Ref Watch: Graham Scott 5/10 - Not totally convinced abut the penalty decision and I thought he was correct to send Creswell off for the manner of the challenge on Fraser. 

West Ham United: 1 Fabianski, 24 Fredericks, 21 Ogbonna, 4 Balbuena, 3 Cresswell, 41 Rice, 8 Anderson (Lanzini 68), 11 Snodgrass (Masuaku 83), 16 Noble, 18 Fornals,  22 Haller

West Ham Subs: 13 Jimenez, 5 Zabaleta, 10 Lanzini, 15 Sanchez, 23 Diop, 26 Masuaku, 27 Ajeti

Rico is starting to step up his game

I might not have been too enthused about Diego Rico in many games, but I feel he is starting to add some positive things to the team. He is contributing especially well when defending and is reading the game much better now that he has got up to Premier League speed.

Rico has got up to speed.

I do believe he just needed a run of games and it has so happened that he has been given a chance. Now he is looking more the part and is even looking up and trying to pick out a man when making his crosses. I am sure the match he had against Everton was a big help to him, as he kept a cool head at the back and was sensible with his forward runs. Getting that balance right is essential, and while he perhaps has been concentrating more on getting his position right in defence it has been the left side that has been a bit better in stopping the opposition of late.

Filipe Anderson was up against Rico for much of the game against West Ham, but Anderson didn't have one of his best games. The understanding with Aké seems to be coming along. Whether Aké finds Rico easy to work with is not clear, but the two of them certainly helped each other out a lot and made good angles to enable some simple passes which is half the battle.

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Rico looked shocked to get booked in the first half and was perhaps a bit unlucky as he was rather bundled over himself. Still, defenders don't tend to get the benefit of the doubt when they are running back towards their won goal to defend.

Rival Lines: West Ham finish top six? 'No chance!'

Rival Lines
Match Preview: West Ham v AFCB
Blogger interview: West Ham Till I Die
Twitter: @WestHamTil

Well, Rival Lines is back. Yes, we'll be chatting to fellow bloggers and podcasters about their teams for as many away games as we can for another season. We kick off with a friendly chat with West Ham Til I Die correspondent Jeff who hopefully has already gotten over the first week match that he saw up at Liverpool.

CC: Which summer signing that West Ham made are you most excited about?

WHTID: Felipe Anderson, for sure. Issa Diop in defence looks a good buy for the future.

CC: What do you know about your record signing Felipe Anderson?

WHTID: Well, I know he had a really good season last year in Serie A. He is skilful and hard working and looks to be a great buy.

CC: Was the club right to spend as much as it did on new players this summer and is there any worries about integrating them into the team quickly?

WHTID: Well they obviously had to give Pelligrini some money to spend as part of the terms of him coming to West Ham, so yes. I’m not worried about integrating them into the team, although we appear to be left with a bit of a top heavy squad.

CC: Many pundits have suggested that West Ham could even challenge the top six this season, what are your thoughts on that?

WHTID: No chance!

CC: What do you feel about the striker situation at the club now - who is going to get you the goals?

WHTID: Arnautovic started hitting the back of the net last season, and we’ve always got Chicarito in reserve if required. What we need is for the likes of Antonio and Anderson to score some back-up goals from midfield.

CC: Manuel Pellegrini has had plenty of experience with Man City, are the fans more expectant of Pellegrini to do better than David Moyes?

WHTID: David Moyes did what he was asked to do, which was to keep us up. At the end of the season he had us playing quite well also, so I’ve no problem with him. If our ambition is to do more than just stay up, then expectations have got to be higher.

CC: Are you feeling any more confident about winning games at home?

WHTID: Not really! But I’m hoping we can get off to a good start on Saturday.

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CC: What did you make of the team that was selected to play Liverpool?

WHTID: Before the game I thought. It looked a reasonable side, after I had changed my mind. Obviously Noble and Wilshere do not look to be such a great pairing.

CC: Was it a risk to buy Jack Wilshere with his history of injury problems?

WHTID: Yes. Definitely. I hope it pays off, because a really fit Jack Wilshere would be a great addition to our squad, him being a Hammer and all. However I fear that players with a bad injury record over three or four years often never return to earlier heights.

CC: Do you think the bench for West Ham will be much stronger this season with players that can change games?

WHTID: Yes. I can see Antonio/Chicarito being on the bench raring to get on most games. The change being that Antonio is fit this year. Oh, and we’ll probably have ‘Big Andy’ on the bench at least 4 times this season.

CC: How do you expect to line up against AFCB?

WHTID: Fabianski / Ogbonna Diop Cresswell/ Fredericks Noble Rice Wilshere Antonio Masuaka / Arnautovic Anderson

CC: How important do you think a win will be for West Ham in this game?

WHTID: It will be nice if it happens. Too early to put a degree of importance on it.

CC: I felt a bit of lost optimism from Jeff after the first week of games, but trust me West ham and their fans will be another prospect at home to Bournemouth. It's a game they know they can win and will probably think they should win. But Pellegrini has to pick his players up and find a few solutions to the problems they are creating themselves as a team. He then has to set about a Bournemouth side who won't just roll over. With Jack Wilshere among West Ham's ranks, it is really set up to be a fabulous day that could get West Ham off the bottom of the league or could push Bournemouth up to top spot. Now I am dreaming! Read more about what West Ham Til I die thinks about the upcoming game by visiting their website. I also answer some of Jeff's questions on their site about AFCB.

In other news, AFCB will play Milton Keynes Dons in the Carabao Cup second round.