Plenty of passes - more AFCB chances needed

You can't help but agree with Harry Redknapp that this Bournemouth side plays some beautiful football in games. They are easy on the eye and can pass all day long it would seem, but they do need to have an end product as we have often said before. Against Sunderland there was a finisher on the pitch in Afobe, but the side did not find him easy to find when he was being so well marshalled.

Stanislas and Afobe linked up well for AFCB's goal in the first half at Sunderland.

I don't blame AFCB from playing their passing game and trying to keep the opposition on their heels for as much of the game as they can. Other teams can't hurt you when you have the ball. But many sides this season have found that playing more on the break has been profitable and when Sunderland started to come forward and attack the Cherries more in the second half, I thought it would help AFCB's prospects for winning the game.

Sam Allardyce is not stupid though ad he made his side sit fairly deep and John O'Shea kept a close eye on Benik Afobe for most of the match. AFCB probably needed a bit more trickery and that special bit of magic like Ritchie provided in the home match if they were going to win up at the Stadium of Light. It may be that in future games that Eddie Howe uses Juan Iturbe to try and turn these kind of close encounters, but I don't think there was a great deal more the manager would have done differently up at Sunderland as it was an important game not to lose as it was to try and win.

Picking moments to put certain players on the pitch is a chance to change the pattern of play and to try something different. This was not a game though where Eddie wanted to experiment too much. The side was well in the game and but for one moment could have easily come away with all three points. The possession game was almost a total success and there will be other days when it is more advisable to take more of a risk.

Transfer Watch
Well we did not have to wait long to see where Lee Tomlin would end up. A season-long loan to Bristol City is pretty swift action by AFCB.

Cherries have to be positive for Sunderland game

There aren't too many teams below the Cherries in the table but Sunderland are of course one of them. That doesn't make this next encounter an easy game for AFCB. If anything it makes it a more difficult game as Sunderland have everything to gain by getting a result at the Vitality stadium.

Sunderland's last defeat was not exactly showing a team that were despondent or feeling down on their luck. They gave Spurs a good battle and only shed one goal on the day in the last 10 minutes. They also got a draw in their last away game against Aston Villa and showed that they could get on the score sheet. So are we seeing a resurgent Sunderland?

Jermain Defoe is getting opportunities and should have scored against Spurs when through one on one on Hugo Lloris. Jeremain Lens was the man of the match against Spurs even though he was on the losing side and manager Dick Advocaat said that everyone played well, but they were just short of some match fitness and out of luck. Yann M'Vila is another player AFCB will have to be aware of when it comes to free kicks as well, having scored a beauty against Villa before the international break. Midfielders  Ola Toivenen and Jordi Gómez have also been a preferred choices with several more well known players left out of Advocaat's side who are looking at this game to start their season.

The Black Cats have other star names too like Fabio Borini, Jack Rodwell, Seb Larsson, Lee Cattermole, Adam Johnson, Steven Fletcher and John O'Shae. Don't tell me that Sunderland don't have some quality, they just have not clicked as a team to a high enough level yet. Advocaat admitted that he as only seen deadline day loan signing full-back DeAndre Yedlin play on TV!

John O'Shea remembers his time at Dean Court fondly.

So it's important that AFCB try and keep them on the back foot - they have to be positive. I'd like to see Elphick and Cook meet the challenge of Steve Fletcher with determination, if he is Advocaat's plan B, as we know he is back from injury and I believe Gosling is a good pick to come in for this match as a former Newcastle player who will run his socks off to get the upper hand in midfield.

Dan could come in for Eunan O'Kane on current form.

My Cherries team
Boruc, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Daniels, Ritchie, Gosling, Surman, Stanislas, Kermorgant, Wilson  

AFCB subs: Federici, Smith, Distin, MacDonald, Pugh, Tomlin, Murray 

Sunderland last time out:
Pantilimon, Jones, O'Shea, Kaboul, van Aanholt, M'Vila, Gómez, Lens, Toivonen, Borini, Defoe

Sunderland Away Form
LDL

AFCB Home Form
LD

Cherries to chase special defender?

So far the transfer window has just seen attack-minded players come into the team. AFCB will surely add a left back but there has also been rumours of right back Kieran Trippier being on AFCB target list, although Spurs and Liverpool are also supposed to be keen on the Burnley defender. Whether another experienced centre back would also improve the side is also a consideration and while Silvan Distan looks set to go back to France rather than join another Premier League club from Everton, he is the kind of player that would add quality and confidence to a newly promoted side like AFCB.

Central defence is an area where I feel all three recently promoted clubs from the Championship could benefit from a major signing. If the Championship was all about scoring lots of goals, the Premier League will shatter teams that can't keep clean sheets. Elliott Ward is the experienced hand at the back, but his lack of games last season puts a lot of pressure on Steve Cook and Tommy Elphick to continue their good form in a more difficult league. Tommy is a good organiser, but this will be a bigger test. Individual mistakes will cost teams and I'd like to see another experienced player come in if the club can find one. Martin Skrtel at Liverpool is likely to sign a new contract at Anfield, Ashley Williams at Swansea City is already their captain and would not entertain a move, nor would captain John O'Shea at Sunderland who signed a two-year extension in October 2014, and I'm not to keen on that many more central defenders in the Premier League (including Jose Fonte) . 

Perhaps Eddie and Jason are happy with what they have. Jason Shackell at Burnley is a player that they know well, but did he do well enough last season? Some say yes. The Championship does not offer many alternatives and not many of the Championship defenders did well at keeping out AFCB's strikers last season. So it is rumoured that AFCB among other clubs (Saints) have been looking at Nantes centre back 27-year-old Papy Djilobodji.

If you look at the bottom six finishing Premier League teams you might find it hard to find many centre backs in those teams that you would give much confidence of doing better next season. Even WBA who finished 13th with experienced defenders like Lescott and had a minus goal difference of 13. Liverpool and Spurs only just managed a positive goal difference despite finishing in the top six, so keeping out goals is going to be just as important as finding goalscorers for AFCB. The keepers that Eddie has brought in have both been to the Premier League grounds and know what it will all be about though and that has to be a help.