Points against the bottom teams - signs AFCB are learning

The run of back to back wins against the two bottom sides has pushed AFCB into the higher reaches of the league, but had they lost those games it could have been a very nervy end to the season. Wins against the bottom sides were fairly infrequent in 2016, but the Cherries seemed to have managed these games slightly better in 2017 and I wonder why?

AFCB react when the pressure is on.

When you look back at how AFCB have gone against the bottom six they started in August with a draw against Crystal Palace when the team let in an added time goal, defeat against West Ham followed where the Cherries failed to score and Arter was sent off. The stand out result was the 6-1 win against Hull City, but it was soon followed by a 2-0 away defeat to Middlesbrough when the Cherries failed to score again. A defeat to Sunderland in November and an away win to Swansea in December meant that the Cherries accumulated six points from a possible 18 points in the early season fixtures. This is where AFCB have slipped up a bit this season.

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The New Year did not bring immediate improvements with defeat to Hull City 3-1 and a 0-2 home defeat to Crystal Palace. March saw the turnaround with a 3-2 win over West Ham and 2-0 win against Swansea City. April has also been fruitful with wins against Middlesbrough and Sunderland, making it 12 points from 18 in these bottom fixture games. So in all the team has only gained 18 points from 36 in games against the sides that are struggling and it is an area where Eddie Howe can look to make further gains next season if he can do better against the weaker sides. Swansea City have been the only side in the bottom six that AFCB have beaten home and away.

This gives me optimism that if the Cherries do not end up with 50 points this season, then at least there is room for improvement. Now that the pressure is off a little though for this season will AFCB be able o pick up more points in the remaining three games?

No hiding place for the Cherries

There is no where to hide now for AFCB. They sit tantalisingly close to safety and yet within shooting range for Hull City and Swansea City. The run of fixtures against the top six has finally come to an end and now the Cherries must be ready to take advantage of playing against a team that has found it hard to score and has been rooted in the bottom three for the last few weeks.

Let's give the team everything we can today to help them get this win.

Being at home is also a big advantage for the Cherries. They'll have a full crowd who want to see them bag three points against Middlesbrough and the players will feel that pushing them forward. Whether the side can turn on the style at this stage is doubtful as they know they just have to win. It won't be like a normal Premier League match as every decision will seem even more important than ever to win.

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There is no reason why the Cherries should feel anything but confident about taking on the Boro, but when things do go against you it can get tense in these sort of games. I'm sure Eddie Howe will ask his team to play at a tempo that Middlesbrough find it hard to cope with. There can't be any easing into a game like this as Middlesbrough are so hard to breakdown that it might even take the full 90 minutes to get a clear chance in front of goal.

Eddie will be counting on us to help lift his side over the line.

If things do go against AFCB early on there will be a nervous number of hand searching for their mobiles and the scores elsewhere. The good thing for AFCB supporters is that they have points on the board and Swansea and Hull are playing catch up. It doesn't make the waiting any easier but pundits will tell you that the odds favour AFCB to be soon thinking about a third season at the high table of the Premier League. UTCIAD!

Possible AFCB Team
Boruc (GK), A Smith (RB), Francis (CD), S Cook (CD), Daniels (LB), Fraser (RW), Arter (CM), Gosling (CM), Pugh (LW), King (FW), Afobe (FW)

Subs
Allsop, Mings, Cargill, L Cook, Stanislas, Gradel, Mousset 

AFCB have to start holding their leads

While WBA are recognised for their stout defence and being hard to breakdown if they go a goal up, AFCB have a long way to go to get a similar reputation. You can count all too many games where AFCB have had the lead - Arsenal, Hull City, WBA, Southampton - the list goes on, and yet the Cherries have not been coming away with wins and in some cases not even draws.

The first goal is not as important in games for AFCB at the moment simply because they are conceding two or three goals a game. The strike force just can't keep up with such a high rate of goals to get in every match, and until the side starts to find a way of getting clean sheets they will find it hard to keep any of their early leads in games for long.

Fast starters - but AFCB are not going the distance.

While Eddie Howe will never want his side to be boring and ultra defensive there are key moments in games when they have to be more focused on keeping the opposition out. There are individual mistakes that Howe says only come with teams that are in bad runs, and while the team takes these blows week after week as a combined set-back, I wonder if the individuals are really getting the arm round them and a word in their ear about the problems. Building players back up is something that everyone takes for granted, but we have seen individual errors from just about all of the back four and the goalkeeper this season. They need to look at those clips, no matter how hard that may be and work out why they made the wrong decision at the time.

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Putting yourself in the moment again may seem painful and counter-productive at first, but it can be a good medicine for when your out on the pitch and about to do the same thing again. You try something different and at that moment, AFCB need to have a few game plans for when they do get ahead and are not inviting pressure on themselves by over thinking or complicating passes, when all they need to do is play through the phases and get the ball up the pitch. 'Keeping the foot on the gas' is the well-known phrase when you get ahead and we need to see more of that in the next few matches for the Cherries.

In other news, Stephen Purches has been promoted to first team coach.

The Cherry Chimes' Newsletter is out tomorrow.

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: What does the Spring hold for AFCB?

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Can Francis' return bring more leadership to the back line?

Simon Francis has been out for three games now and is eligible again for selection against Crystal Palace. He is surely keen to get back into the side, and won't have enjoyed sitting this out while the team has continued its low points return with one win in the last six games.

Simon Francis will be aiming to lead his troops to another victory on Tuesday night.

The back four has come in for a lot of criticism in that time and even in the last three games that he has missed there have been eight goals conceded. But will Francis be such a big influence when he returns? Well, he can be. Just having him on the pitch will breathe a bit of comfort into some that the team is as strong, as it can be at the back and that he is back for an important game which can put distance between AFCB and the bottom three.

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Francis will be worked harder than most though in these coming days. He has to get back up to speed quickly for this game and will want to play positively on his return. Bournemouth need some positive energy at the moment and seeing a player return tends to add that. Whether the mistakes at the back can be reduced though is down to how the players react on the day. I thought Watford were good at putting the press on Bournemouth and the Hornet's worked hard at that as they have seen in previous games that it brings rewards against the Cherries, like when Ighalo grabbed an easy goal at Dean Court last season.

Looking back at the games, when Francis has been suspended though, you can say there has been slack defending at Hull and Millwall and those away performances to some extent have continued to have transmitted nervy play at the back at home games. But the Cherries have to draw a line under that at some point and look to find their way to a clean sheet - the last one was back on 31 December against Swansea City.

How to lift the away day gloom?

The away record of AFC Bournemouth is a shadow of what was being achieved in 2015-16. Wins have come at Swansea and Stoke, but Eddie Howe would have expected a better return from the 10 away games than eight points. Defeats at Hull and Middlesbrough were also against teams that have had poorer starts to this season and they are games where AFCB can ill afford to drop points.

AFCB walking out at Stamford Bridge this season.

Sitting nine points above the relegation zone may seem healthy at the moment, but the club would only sit 14th in the table if we were judged just on its away performances. The upcoming away games against Everton, WBA and Man Utd don't offer much hope of an improvement in AFCB's points capture as all three teams have better home records than the Cherries.

Another fact that Eddie Howe can't ignore is that the side has often had good starts in away games and yet has fallen behind and has been unable to recover in some games - Hull City and Burnley. Even in the two drawn away games against Watford and Crystal Palace, the Cherries had scored first and failed to hang on to all three points. Half time talks and second half subs have not been instrumental in getting the Cherries the points, and there has been a trend towards conceding goals in the first 10 minutes of the second half of late.

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In essence the team has been playing well for periods of games, but has ultimately not been able to keep its foot down for the whole 90 minutes in many games. There have been a few exceptions like the Swansea game, but building on a lead has been a weak point for this Cherries side. 

There may have to be a change in the way AFCB approach away games. Being more solid is not easy, but the Cherries have to find ways of defending better when they are away from home.

Where are the tough defenders for AFCB?

The Cherries are conceding a lot of goals in games - three a match at the moment. We can argue that changing the personnel is not helping the team, and yet the teams that AFCB have been playing are not sides that should score three goals every week. Still, Arsenal, Millwall and Hull City found it no problem to find the back of AFCB's net. John Terry might not be the right answer, but the Cherries must find more resilience or prepare to be sucked into the scarp down at the bottom.

Can AFCB get away with not adding another defender to the squad?

The absence of Simon Francis is a cruel blow that has been a double forfeit with the return of Nathan Aké to Chelsea. These things can't be changed, but the defenders that are available at the club have to show more metal than we have been seeing of late. Where is the pride in obtaining the clean sheets and why is it so easy for teams to score against AFCB at the moment?

I'd say that how to unlocking the door of AFCB's defence has been well noted - aerial goals are becoming common place. If the central defenders are not going to win their headers and the keeper is not bossing his box, there is an open opportunity for the opposition to get a strike on goal. Against Hull City the first goal was an excellent cross, but Adam Smith was nowhere near tight enough to try and stop it, and Boruc was sucked in underneath the cross, while Tyrone Mings didn't get ahead of Hernández to clear the ball. It's not just one mistake, but a series of details that have been misjudged. 

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I don't expect Tyrone Mings to be perfect yet at this level and he'll look back on the second Hull goal with a big disappointment. He may not have felt that he was getting pushed back, but his failure to commit made the attacker's decision for him of when to shoot. Even the third Hull City goal was a calamity with a poor defensive header and no desire to win the second ball. Huddlestone had time to get the ball under control and to hit it towards the goal, and AFCB were just off the pace for this one.

AFCB need a commander at the back. In Simon Francis' absence they seem fragile and unfamiliar with each other. Someone has to be barking orders and setting the standards and it starts from the back. AFCB's defenders are knocked down too easily and the fans need to see more defiance than this from the Cherries.

Tyrone will have better games

Last Saturday wasn't the game that Tyrone Mings will want to remember for long. While it marked his return to the Premier League, following his cruciate injury against Leicester City last season, there were few moments that will make him feel he hasn't really fully returned yet.

Tyrone has had a rough ride to make it back to the first team. He had only just made it on from the subs bench before and has never been a nailed on starter for the Cherries, so the game at Hull must have been massive for him. I don't think the goal that went in off him will cause him sleepless nights, but he won't like the defending he did for Hernández' second goal. He is experienced enough to know that he backed off too much and gave the striker the space he needed to score.

Tyrone is likely to get another game against Watford
with Simon Francis still being suspended.

The positives he can take from the game though is that he has got this game out of the way and he has started a partnership with Steve Cook. Eddie could easily have played three at the back, but he wanted to introduce Tyrone. In the long term, it will be good for the squad that he had this game and the next one I'd imagine against Watford, while Simon Francis is out. Yes, he can improve and do things better, but he'll be able to see the standard that he needs to get to now. I have no doubt that Tyrone can be a fantastic Premier League player.

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The one moment all AFCB fans probably winced was when Tyrone went down in the second half following a corner. For a moment it looked pretty serious as he held his knee and struggled to move. Thankfully he was okay, but I guess he will need to get many games underneath him before he is going to feel fully confident about his recovery. This game was a start and there's more to come from Tyrone.

No spark in the Cherries as they fall behind

Eddie looked very concerned about the team's
inability to summon any fight once Hull had scored their first goal.

Eddie Howe was gutted that his side fund that they could not respond to going behind up at Hull City having set the pace for the first 30 minutes. It was perhaps hard to understand as his sides have always fought for everything they've got and yet coming up against this determined Hull City side they seemed to lose their pattern of play,  and I wonder of some of the Cherries' identity was lost as the game wore on.

By that I mean, the core players that have taken AFCB up the divisions have fought hard for each other and their manager and the bond has magnified itself. Yet, when major names are missing from the line up, it becomes difficult to pick up the tempo when there hasn't been great consistency in selection. It's hard to accept because the team had the perfect start against Hull, but there are basics that are not getting done. 

There is no shame in falling behind to teams that are playing well, but you need a response. You need team-mates to help pull you out of a fix and perhaps the side had been diluted a bit from the side that has battled through difficult periods before. Each defeat will teach the players something though and I still feel that the Hull result was a bit of a hangover from the Arsenal game. The effort was there in the early stages of the game, but it quickly disappeared when questions were asked of the team. From the moment Hull City went 1-1, there was no spark that the Cherries would recover from the turnaround when the score went to 2-1. 

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It was a downhill performance in terms of belief as the game went on. The substitutions of King and Wilson might have made a difference on another day, but they could not create anything. It was only Marc Pugh who did come on and looked like he was making inroads against Hull City. But you need 11 players with spark to mount a comeback and the other players were like wet matches on this occasion.

Missed chances and poor defending killed AFCB's prospects at Hull

It was one of those Jekyll and Hyde performances from AFCB up at the Kcom stadium. AFCB began as well as they have in any game this season and to be 0-1 up in those first five minutes, it didn't look like it would be a bad afternoon. Yet, the dark clouds soon arrived and  they mounted as AFCB didn't slot home any of the openings they made after the spot kick.

The Cherries fail to find their form in front of goal.

We can look at several instances when the Cherries might have scored further goals in that first half. There was a superb ball from Jack Wilshere that singled out Benik Afobe. While the defender let the ball bounce, Benik gambled well and managed to get in front of the central defender but the keeper was virtually on top of him and he couldn't get a great connection on his shot.

Another moment that might have hanged the outcome of the game was Harry Arter's first half drive that just evaded the right post and went wide. Harry still hasn't scored this season and he's not really given himself many attempts to score.

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Others will look at the late not given penalty call on Marc Pugh. Another day AFCB might have been given the decision, even if it was already in the game by then. But all the missed breaks kind of add to the despondency and the team did not pick up enough in the second half to really put Hull City under pressure. They needed to make Hull City feel about their precarious position in the table and a second goal would have done that, but it never came.

Added to that we have the poor defending. It was especially bad on clearing and blocking crosses. As soon as Hull got width in their game the ball could almost be guaranteed to be crossed in and it caused havoc at times in Bournemouth's defending. With these kind of problems it is no wonder that the Cherries might even consider themselves lucky that Hull only scored three against them.

Hernández wrecks AFCB's visit to the City of Culture 3-1

Match Description

Hull City 3 v 1 AFCB

14 January 2017

Attendance 17,963

The Cherries found the bottom team too strong for them despite being an early goal up through a Junior Stanislas penalty, following a foul on Ryan Fraser. Hull City came back with a headed goal by Abel Hernández and some poor defending led to Hernandéz extending the lead in the second half, as he cut inside to bend his shot past Artur Boruc. A third goal was no injustice to the way Hull had fought and that it deflected in off Tyrone Mings summed up his and the Cherries day. It was a very bad afternoon for the Cherries and reinforcements look a real necessity this January, as AFCB look like they were running on empty.

Eddie Howe decided to play four at the back despite the loss of Nathan Aké. In came Tyrone Mings at centre back to replace Nathan. Josh King, Dan Gosling and Callum Wilson moved to the bench. Simon Francis served his second of three match suspension and Jack Wilshere, Adam Smith, Andrew Surman and Benik Afobe returned to the side. Artur Boruc also made his 100th Premier League appearance.

Hull City kept Harry Maguire in the team from the mid-week game. Meyler and Henricksen were dropped and Livermore moved to the bench.

Official AFCB tweeted team news.

Match Description
AFCB looked comfortable in the opening minutes and with Fraser running into the box Maguire made a silly late challenge, taking his legs and the ref pointed to the spot. Junior Stanislas made no mistake and it was 0-1 to the visitors in under three minutes - what a start!

AFCB have time to knock the ball around comfortably on this big pitch. Hull City are not closing down quick enough.

Diomande loses the ball on the edge of AFCB's box and Fraser races away. This game is very open very early - could be a lot of goals here. There is some lovely passing by AFCB in midfield. They look very assured on the ball and everyone is getting a touch.

Arter is picking up the loose ball well. Fraser is showing well and the ball is being zipped around.

Hull finally get a bit of possession and win a foul off of Afobe. Mings has settled in and is directing where he wants players to run. AFCB are beautiful to watch coming forward. 

Snodgrass almost gets Clucas in. AFCB have to watch the quick thinking of Robert Snodgrass. 

Wilshere has a great run through the middle of Hull's defence and a block from Davies prevents Hull from going two-nil down.

Boruc is fouled by Hernández after Adam Smith messed up a defensive header. Wilshere plays a long ball to Afobe and Stanislas picks up the pieces for Arter to shoot!!! Just wide.

Snodgrass tries a speculative shot on the turn from a throw in on the right but it drifts wide. AFCB are making Hull doing a lot of running when the Cherries have possession. Surman and Arter are happy to play balls back as well as over the top. Daniels over cooks a cross.

Mason wins a free kick on half way. Mings comes away with the ball though and its quickly to Daniels and then Stanislas on the right. Fraser drifts across the front line but can't stop the ball going out.

Hull are resorting to long balls from the back. Mings tries a similar tackle and Afobe just has Dawson to beat, he gets round him, but Jakupovic makes the block and somehow stops Afobe from scoring - 22 minutes gone.

Adam Smith is fouled by Snodgrass. AFCB have a corner now - this is one-way traffic. Hernández concedes another corner. Afobe wins the ball back expertly from Robinson. Arter puts the ball through for Fraser and Maguire just holds him off.

Fraser is looking very sharp today. Huddlestone gets a shot away but Arter blocks and as Diomonde tries to nip in Boruc comes out and smothers the ball with the help of his defenders.

Hull ware on the ball more now as they try and repair the damage. Mings wins a header well and AFCB just play their triangles as they move forward. Huddlestone gives the ball to Fraser, Daniels crosses but Dawson puts it out for a corner. A second corner now. AFCB players are lining up to hit it but the ref has blown.

Snodgrass wins a free-kick off of Mings even though Mings takes a knock. Snodgrass won't shoot from here but it's coming into the box to Davies at the back post, but AFCB clear. Snodgrass hits a rocket from 25-yards but it's well over. 

Huddlestone and Robertson on the left and the cross lands right on Hernández's head to make it 1-1 on 32 minutes. Boruc got nowhere near the cross and Mings could not stop Hernández coming in behind him.

Hull come forward again with Diomande but he is stopped. Hull City are right n this game now. AFCB playing from the back set up another move. Daniels can't get the final ball in.

Surman is restoring a bit of composure to the Cherries game. Bournemouth put the press on, but Hull escape. Robertson in space has a lofted shot but that's easy for Boruc. Mason and Hernández almost get the one-twos going but they are stopped on the edge of the box.

Adam Smith again takes down Snodgrass. Another free-kick for AFCB to defend. Davies glances a header wide. Just four minutes to half time.

Hull are starting to string passes together now. Daniels has to clear a ball in from Maguire. Cook gets a defensive header away. Robertson wins a corner off of Adam Smith's block. Dawson and Mason try and get on to it but it's out for another corner. It's bobbling around the box, and Hull win another corner with Diomonde going very close to scoring.

Another corner as Cook puts the ball out. It's a real aerial assault. Surman heads out and that's half time 1-1.

Stats
Bmth possession 57%, shots 6, shots on target 4, corners 4
Hull possession 43%, shots 5, shots on target 1, corners 4.

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Second Half
There are no changes at half time. It's Hull looking comfortable here and Robinson tries to put in a deep cross but it's over hit. Hull come forward with Abel Hernández as he takes on Mings, who back pedals. The left foot shot is fired in around Boruc to make it 2-1 to Hull on 51 minutes.

What a turnaround. What can AFCB do about this? Hull have a free-kick on the left side of the pitch. Snodgrass to deliver. Davies gets a weak header to it and it's a goal kick.

AFCB are just pleased to get a foot on the ball. Afobe is isolated and can't keep hold of the vall. AFCB are going to make a change Callum Wilson and Josh King are coming on and Afobe and  Ryan Fraser are subbed on 54 minutes.

Mason has a dig from outside of the box but it's wide of the goal. Mings gives another free-kick away.  Diomonde on the break puts the ball in but Hernández heads wide. AFCB have lost control of this game for all their pretty football. I'm not sure they know how to get back into this.

Adam Smith is yellow carded for taking out Clucas on the left wing. Wilshere tries to get AFCB going but can't find a Bournemouth player.

Adam Smith fouls Mason and it's another free-kick. The knockdown goes to Huddlestone it's there and it comes off Mings for Hull's third. Some 63 minutes gone and AFCB find themselves on the end of another comeback from a team.

The offside flag goes up for an AFCB break. AFCB's poor away record continues. Bournemouth are working the ball, but Wilshere loses the ball. Robertson takes on Smith but he has fouled Adam Smith. Arter and Wilshere combine but nothing is coming off for the Cherries. Marc Pugh is getting ready to come on.

Diomonde fouls Daniels which allows Stanislas to come off and Pugh enters the game on 69 minutes. Wilshere hits a straight shot at the keeper that is easily saved.

King now and Pugh is taken out and the shot comes in and the keeper saves. Pugh was chopped in the box by Mason and could that have bee a penalty? Mings is down injured in the box from the corner. He looks in trouble with his right knee. He's okay and up - thank goodness.

Mings shoves Snodgrass to the ground. Another free kick. This time Davies fouls Adam Smith with a kick in the ribs. Snodgrass is subbed on 76 minutes for Goebel.

Wilshere finds Smith on the overlap but the cross is badly hit by Smith. Adam Smith is warned again, jumping into Clucas.

Maguire puts a low shot across the box bit it goes straight out. Huddlestone plays in Hernández. Mings is holding him up and the shot is not too hard for Boruc to save. Callum Wilson has a fling at a Pugh cross but does not connect.

The long throw comes out to Wilshere but his chip is misdirected.

Hull sub Hernández for Niasse on 83 minutes.  Arter wins a free kick. Another Steve Cook long throw. Pugh turns his man and hangs up a cross but it's well caught by Jakupovic.

Hull make their final sub with Mason making way for Livermore on 86 minutes. There's no belief that AFCB can get back into this. Looking at the subs, King and Wilson have not made a big impact even if Pugh has been lively.

Cook puts in a long throw and it's cleared by Hull. Four minutes of extra time are being played. A break from Niasse is just thwarted as the offside flag goes up. Pugh's cross is headed out, but he'll try again - same result. 

Wilshere stands over a free kick. There goes the whistle.

Summary
The extra rest that AFCB's players had didn't give them anymore energy than Hull City that may have gone a goal down but weathered AFCB's first half attacks and came out the stronger side. The lack of ideas and ability to change things in the second half are not good signs for Eddie Howe to contemplate. Hull City were worthy winners and the aerial battles were well won by them. Tyrone Mings had an indifferent game and the sooner Simon Francis comes back the better. It;s another three goals conceded away from home and this time from a winning position. How can AFCB start games so well and fade so badly? 

Hull
Jakupovic, Maguire, Dawson, Davies, Clucas, Mason (Livermore 86), Huddlestone, Robertson, Snodgrass (Goebel 76), Hernández (Niasse 83), Diomande

Hull Subs
Livermore, Weir, Marshall, Niasse, Tymon, Bowen, Goebel

Bournemouth
Boruc, Smith, Cook, Mings, Daniels, Arter, Surman, Stanislas (Pugh 69), Wilshere, Fraser (King 55), Afobe (C Wilson 55)

AFCB Subs
Federici, Gosling, Pugh, C Wilson, B Smith, King, Ibe

Bournemouth Ratings
Boruc 5, Smith 5, Cook 6, Mings 4, Daniels 5, Arter 6, Surman 5, Stanislas 6, Wilshere 7,
Fraser 7, Afobe 5

Referee: Martin Atkinson 4/10 - he may have given AFCB one penalty but he missed another on Marc Pugh. I also thought Adam Smith was lucky to stay on the pitch.