Bournemouth fail to cope with Burnley's strategy

Eddie Howe agreed that there were no surprises in how Burnley set out to play against Bournemouth. The team knew exactly where Burnley's strengths were and yet they simply didn't deal with winning the knock downs from the direct play and couldn't get close enough to players when Burnley had the opportunity to shoot.

Burnley soon turned around AFCB's good start.

It was a pretty rotten display by AFCB and it follows several weeks of characterless performances. The manager is still struggling to see why there is a failure to keep to the club's high standards, and while it is unlikely that AFCB will get caught up in the relegation fight, there has to be a real back to basics week of working out why AFCB are leaking so many goals.

The return of Adam Smith didn't make the defence much stronger and with Nathaniel Clyne having to come off at half-time, it changed the balance again with Smith moving over to the right and Rico coming in on the left. So many changes were bad luck with Daniels having to have an operation as well, but the lack of depth n the squad is adding to Howe's problems.

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While Lerma was looking a class apart, he way Burnley countered him was simply to let James Tarkowski bash balls up the wings to get round the sides. Dwight McNeil's crosses were also very effective at cutting AFCB open and the heading ability of the Cherries was found wanting when Burnley did get the ball in the box.

Rather than adapt to what they were facing. AFCB tried to get the ball down and play but the passing was not on song and AFCB simply didn't get any passing going. It was a disorganised shambles of mis-placed passes at times and it got worse as the game went on. The team is not playing at anything like the levels it did in the first 10 games of the season.

To take a point of Dyche would be a big result for AFCB

Looking at the data for StrataBet, there is a strong indication that Bournemouth could well get a draw up at Turf Moor to complete their third season in the Premier League. Burnley are averaging 1.28 goals at home and Bournemouth are hitting 1.09 goals away from home. This might not be a goal thriller, but neither manager will like losing to the other in the battle of the two young British managers go head o head.

Eddie Howe has found it hard to get points against
his old team but today he can go all out to get a positive result.

While Sean Dyche has had the edge on Howe and many other managers this season, he hasn't seen his side blow many teams off the park in high scoring games. Bournemouth will have a game plan to try and hold Burnley early on and try and get their passing cutting through a defence that has only conceded 37 goals this season or one goal a game. It is a tremendous record and perhaps Eddie Howe should not be looking as far north as Scotland for more defenders, but should take a closer look at what a team in Lancashire is doing well.

The form of Tarkowski has taken him into the England World Cup squad along with Nick Pope and it's arguable that the midfield grit of Burnley's Berg Gundmundsson and Jack Cork is a duo that have given better teams than AFCB difficulty in breaking through.

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Burnley may not have strikers that excite for 90 minutes, but they do come alive in and around the box and any chance that Chris Woods has he regularly buries, while Ashley Barnes and Sam Vokes are powerhouses that will hold the ball up well and being others into play. Burnley overpowered AFCB to some extent in the earlier fixture this season, so it will be intriguing to see if AFCB have found a way to combat Burnley's strength better in this away fixture.

Burnley Home Form
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AFCB Away Form
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Tyrone Mings Tweeted yesterday that himself and Emerson Hyndman are ready for today - is that a hint that both could start?