Is it too soon to say Mourinho has turned it around at Spurs?

José Mourinho has had a good start at Spurs. A 2-3 win away at West Ham's London stadium and a 4-2 home win to Olympiakos would seem reasonable to most people looking at Spurs' results, but in both games Spurs have conceded goals and Mourinho won't always win games if his team continues to concede two goals a game.

Can Bournemouth replicate their 1-0 win against Spurs last season or are Spurs much too strong?

The form of Dele Alli has seen a sudden revival under Mourinho and if the so-called special one can get Erickson to stay at Spurs then he is probably already going to be adorned by the home crowd. The feel good factor will be starting to grow, but there will be those that don't like Mourinho no matter what he achieves for his new club. I suspect those tensions will be just beneath the surface, and if a team like Bournemouth can frustrate and get on top of Mourinho's team in the early part of the game, we could see a very different opinion form of Mourinho's first few games in charge.

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Bournemouth will go to Spurs knowing that they beat them 1-0 at Dean Court the last time they played and yet were hammered 5-0 in the away game last season. This will be the first time the two teams have played at Spur's new stadium. The big  pitch at Wembley was not a happy hunting ground for Bournemouth, but they can feel they have a clean sheet to defend at this new stadium with no past history there
.

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We know Spurs are a good side and have been out of sorts under Pochettino. It is probably a harder game now than it would have been if Spurs had not parted company with Pochettino. But it is what it is. Bournemouth only sit a point below Spurs in the table and Eddie Howe should be using that as an incentive not to lose ground on Spurs but to get into the top 10 by beating them.

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Spurs form is not great with four wins and five draws. At home they have beaten Southampton, Aston Villa and Crystal Palace but have drawn with Sheffield United and Watford and lost to Newcastle United. So, if Bournemouth can get to half-time on equal terms, it could start to play on the Spurs' players' minds that they are struggling to beat sides at home. Bournemouth themselves have to make themselves harder to beat after last weekend and we could find that Mourinho has not yet corrected all of Spurs' failings.

Spurs' Home Form
LWWDD

AFCB Away Form
LWLDL

In other news, no Rival Lines this week as the Spurs' podcaster has not come back to me in time.

Howe among leading candidates for Newcastle job

It was a bad day for Newcastle United fans yesterday as Rafa Benitez's reign at the club came to an end. But now it will probably be bad news for another club as Mike Ashley looks to grab a proven manager in the Premier League. While Gary Monk and Jose Mourinho are the leading contenders, Bet888 make Eddie Howe a 9-1 shot for the vacant position, while the BBC had Howe as second favourite in the first few hours after the announcement that Benitez was leaving.

Eddie Howe is one of the favourites with the bookies for Newcastle job.

I was surprised to even hear that Howe was on any of the Betting boards for the Newcastle job. I have to say that Newcastle is a big club and for Howe it would be great for his CV if he moved there and did well, but Eddie has not had the best of seasons and there are several other candidates who should be well ahead of him for consideration.

There will come a time when Howe does look at a new challenge. We may or may not like that when it comes, and even now some might consider that Howe is keeping AFCB afloat in the Premier League, but hasn't managed to build the club into a consistent top 10 side. If that is success for AFCB then Howe is on the verge of repeating a top 10 finish, but keeping there is not easy. What he does have is the backing of the board and owner at AFCB which is half the battle for a manager.

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Whoever steps into the Newcastle job will have to work with the notoriously difficult Mike Ashley and the availability of funds for transfers looks doubtful considering that Benitez couldn't get his hands on any money. So AFCB fans can expect Howe to slip further down the prospects for the Newcastle job. To me it says that there aren't many managers that haven't got a damaged record, but Chris Hughton would be my bet for a return to the Toon.

If Bournemouth go fourth they have to be taken seriously

There would be few regular football fans expecting Bournemouth to get the better of Man Utd, even if Bournemouth are at home and United have had their problems. But with the early kick-off there is a real possibility that the Cherries could be in fourth place by the time the three O'Clock games kick off.

Eddie Howe is within touching distance of the top
four places - can AFCB make history today by getting there?

In such a scenario, AFCB would not just have had a good start to the season they would have to be considered more seriously as a team that may well have enough about them that they could keep on the heels of the title contenders. In all seriousness, I don't think even the most optimistic Bournemouth fan really expected the Cherries to be in a position to perhaps deliver a massive blow to Man Utd's top four ambitions, but expectations are rightly growing about what Eddie Howe's team can achieve.

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While home record has looked like disappearing at times to Everton and more recently Norwich City, it is still intact. It is something that the players can really fight for on Saturday and may well give them the extra-incentive not to lie-down to Mourinho's men. Man Utd have shown an up turn in form which would make it all the more impressive if Bournemouth were to get the three points. I also expect Eddie Howe will have got into a few of the squad players after the midweek match against Norwich and he'll want to see far more quality from those he picks for this match.

Possible AFCB Line up

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Mings, Brooks, Gosling, Surman, Mousset, Defoe

The stage is set perfectly being the early kick-off. It is hard to imagine a week when the focus has been so much on Bournemouth since the Championship promotion run-in. But a win against United and I don't think we'll see Eddie Howe have much respite from the cameras next week.

AFCB TV Preview

Bournemouth can put themselves in dream land beating United

The prospect of chasing the top four at this stage of the season is already pretty crazy for Bournemouth supporters, but a win against Man United on Saturday and newspapers and bookies are going to have to shorten AFCB's price on being in Europe next season. The unbeaten home record is on the line and AFCB's players have to be determined to hold on to it against a Manchester United side that have not been consistent on the road.

We can't applaud the Cherries enough at the moment.

We have seen an improvement in Mourinho's team. Anthony Martial is certainly a player who is starting to find has goalscoring touch even if Lukaku hasn't. Steve Cook and Nathan Aké might be pleased to have Rashford rather than Lukaku, but an angry Lukaku having been dropped might be what Mourinho wants to unleash on the Cherries.

All the world's media though will be looking at the performance of Paul Pogba. What will they say if Lerma has him in his pocket? This could be Lerma's big moment to announce his claim to be one of the best central midfield players in the Premier League, and we know he wanted to play in this league to test himself against the best.

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The part of the game that may well decide the outcome though is how Man Utd cope with Fraser, Brooks and Wilson. Eddie Howe says King is unable to play which is a big blow. Smalling and Linderlöf played at centre-back against Everton and may get the gig again having only conceded from a penalty. But keeping Luke Shaw and Ashley Young pegged back will be a major challenge for AFCB that they must win to cause United problems.

AFCB Home Form
WDWWD

Man Utd Away Form
LWWLD

Cherry Chimes' T-shirt competition

Send in your score predictions for AFCB v Man United to @CherryChimes on Twitter. We will pick a winner from those who send in the correct score before 10am on Saturday morning. 

I keep dreaming of 40+ points for AFCB - is tonight the night?

It sounds easy. A win against Man Utd and AFCB can rest easy for the remaining games knowing that they have done enough. The final points are always the hardest to get and to be honest I'm not opposed to having some tough fixtures at the end of the season as I'd be even more stressed if the Cherries were not performing against the bottom sides. But by playing Liverpool and Man Utd before the last three matches, it should raise the play levels and if the points don't come easily in these games, the players know they have work to do in the last few games.

One more win and AFCB are out of sight

Players are often accused of switching off when they are virtually safe. AFCB's players are as honest as they come though and the word safe is no doubt banned for the halls of Dean Court. A gap of 10 points ahead of Southampton is good but not impossible to overturn (ever the pessimist!). Games against Liverpool and Man Utd are glamour games, but it won't do our players any good to suffer two big beatings. The Cherries need to give something back to the fans after the Liverpool match and to do that against Man Utd would put the team in a great position going into the Southampton game.

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In some ways the defeat that the Saints had against Chelsea has taken the pressure of AFCB. The gap could have been seven points to the bottom three, but with that lead still in double figures, two more defeats for Stoke City and Southampton and the Cherries will be uncatchable. But wouldn't it be better for the Cherries to do the job themselves of getting to safety? It would be more of a carnival if the Cherries can also do that with a win against a team such as Man Utd.

This is not a poor Man Utd team though. They sit second in the league and if one thing Mourinho has given them it is organisation. United are also playing in the FA Cup Semi-final at the weekend and the line up for Utd may reflect that with Man Utd having games in hand over Liverpool who chase them in the league.

Possible AFCB line up to play Man Utd - an unchanged team?

AFCB Subs: Boruc, Simpson, B Smith, Surman, Pugh,
Mousset, Wilson

Can the Cherries take advantage if Utd rest some players?

I get the firm impression hat Jose Mourinho has got his team playing reasonably well, but not as good as he wants at the moment. The win against Southampton in the League Cup final was something he can put on his mantelpiece, but he is really driving his players on to get into the top four and that is a big problem for Howe's players on Saturday.

Man Utd at the opening game of the season.

If we had any doubts over whether Zlatan Ibrahimovic was top-class or not, we surly have seen the evidence this season. He has mastered the English game and is enhancing his reputation all the time. United look half the side without him but luckily for them he hasn't missed many games. I also will be not liking the prospect of Juan Mata's name being on the team sheet as the hard working midfielder always pops up with goals and is excellent at timing his runs to tear apart defences. It should of course be Paul Pogba that sends shudders down AFCBs' players spine and yet he has found it harder to live up to his potential, although I am sure he is getting closer to what Mourinho ants from him.

I can go on looking at the possible scorers and yet I have my fingers crossed that Mourinho spares AFCB all of the first team squad at Old Trafford with important games coming up for the Red Devils against FC Rostov and Chelsea. Eddie Howe is probably looking at who didn't play against Southampton for Man Utd in the Cup final last weekend and one name kind of stands out - Wayne Rooney. Yes, he may have been disappointed not to play in that game, even if he did get to lift the cup as club captain and he probably wants to show Mourinho that he's still got it! AFCB are lucky to have a Wayne Rooney coming towards the end of his career potentially lining up against them though than a young terrier who used to gobble up any mistake a team made at the back.

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Add in players like Michael Carrick, Mario Fellani and Daley Blind who also did not start the cup match and just perhaps there is a possibility that Mourinho will take a bit of a gamble in this next game against the Cherries, leaving some of his big hitters on the bench. It may seem little relief to AFCB as they get ready for this match, but it is going to stop any Man Utd team playing at Old Trafford the week after they have won the first domestic cup competition of the season.

Man Utd Home Form
WWDDW

AFCB Away Form
LWLLL

Rival Lines: "I wouldn't mind Kasper Schmeichel at Utd," Old Trafford Faithful

Rival Lines
Match Preview: Man Utd v AFCB
Blogger Interview: Old Trafford Faithful
Twitter: @OTFaithful

This week I had a good conversation with Jason at the popular Old Trafford Faithful website ahead of AFCB's trip to the theatre of dreams. United are starting to get their act in order and a strong finish to the season could still see them winning three cups and perhaps a top four Premier League position, so the gulf in class to the Cherries seems as immense as ever. But does that make United fans pleased with Jose Mourinho?

CC: If Utd won both domestic cups, but didn't win the Europa League and come fifth in the Premier League, would you still see this as a successful season, having missed out on the Champions league again?

OTF: I think we’ve been so lucky as Manchester United supporters recently, and our hunger for success is huge. The last three years have been a real reality check for us, and winning the FA Cup after going trophy-less for a few years was absolutely superb. The EFL Cup win this weekend was so sweet, and I’d be overjoyed if we win retain our FA Cup title. Surely, that has to be considered a success?

CC: Man Utd have a heavy schedule and Jose Mourinho has not been slow in letting everyone know about it, but are their many Utd players that should be getting more game time who will benefit from this situation?

OTF: Jose has chopped and changed quite a lot recently and everyone is getting plenty of minutes. Sergio Romero has been the biggest benefactor recently and he’s more than taking those chances. I’d love to see Luke Shaw get a look-in, but Jose just doesn’t fancy him...

CC: When do you think the season rally started for Man Utd this season, because it wasn't a great start and why do you think the team were slow starters in the League?

OTF:  Zlatan Ibrahimovic without question. I dread to think where we’d be without his goals in the big moments. He’s been wonderful for us. In terms of someone who has really got things going for us, I’d look firmly in the direction of Henrikh Mkhitaryan. He’s brought some flair and creativity to the table, and he’s really began chipping in with goals and assists.

BB: Has all the talk about Rooney's record club goal talk and media gossip about China actually taken some of the attention off of how well Mourinho now has the side playing?

OTF: First of all, I’m delighted that Wayne Rooney has broken the record. He’s given his absolute all for this club for well over a decade, and he deserves it. Jose is the master of distraction and taking the eyes of the media off his players and it seems to be working well right now. With that said, I wouldn’t mind Rooney leaving for China as the performance levels haven’t been there.

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CC: Has Mourinho fully won over the Man Utd supporters or does he need a couple of good seasons to be considered a special manager for the Red Devils?

OTF: We love him. Since the day the appointment was made I think we all knew he’s the right guy for the job. His track record speaks for itself and he’s already one of the best bosses this country has ever seen. We’re lucky to have him, and I’ve no doubt the glory days will return under his guidance.

CC: If David de Gea leaves this summer would you be in favour of Kasper Schmeichel being signed by Utd?

I like Kasper Schmeichel and I think he’s a proper top quality goalkeeper. The thought of David de Gea leaving is absolutely frightening though. In my eyes, he’s the best in the business and it’d be impossible to replace him. I wouldn’t mind Kasper at United, and he’d surely attract a lot of attention if the unthinkable happens at Leicester.

CC: In the last three Premier League matches for Man Utd you have faced mid-to- lower placed teams in Watford, Leicester and Hull. Clean sheets have followed in these games, so the real test for Utd will come when they play the top five - or do you worry about them slipping up against a side like Bournemouth?

OTF: We’ve dropped plenty of points against those lower placed teams. Look at Stoke City both home and away, and even Burnley at home earlier in the season. There is always a little bit of a worry but that’s just the pessimist in me!

CC: Ibrahimovic never seems to do much running, but the ball comes to him like a magnet in the box, so do you see younger strikers at the club picking up things form him or is he just unique with a very different game to the likes of Rashford and Lingard?

OTF: I think one of the reasons we brought Zlatan in is purely down to the effect he can have on our youngsters. Imagine being a 19-year-old kid like Rashford learning from one of the best in the business? It’s insane.

CC: Who would you say has been Utd's best defender this season and is it an area where you'd like to see changes next season?

OTF:  Eric Bailly. 100%. I didn’t expect much from him when Jose made the move over the summer, but he’s been absolutely sensational. He’s quick, always on the front foot and he just doesn’t give the opponents a sniff. That said, we look rather light in that area with just Bailly, Jones, Smalling and Rojo - particularly when Rojo and Smalling have been playing so poorly recently.

CC: What do you make of AFC Bournemouth's prospects for staying up this season?

OTF: Ask me this a fortnight or so ago and I would’ve said it was a foregone conclusion that you’d stay up. Now, I’d be a little concerned to say the least. Their form has to be alarming for the fans, and they haven’t been good defensively recently. Now I’ve said that, put your money on Bournemouth keeping us quiet this weekend...

CC: I don't think Old Trafford Faithful are alone in not wanting to bet who is going to face the drop this season - hopefully AFCB will put in an inspired performance to get more points on the board soon. I was glad to hear that Kasper Schmeichel is now seen as a worthy keeper to come to Man Utd now, at least in the opinion of Jason at Old Traffod Faithful, but I wonder national papers have not pressed this question a bit more of late - especially seeing how well he has played in the Champions League. AFCB of course are perhaps thinking of a change in the goalkeeper line up next season and we could do with Artur Boruc marking his retirement from the Poland team with a shot stopping master class in front of the Red Devils. Many thanks to Jason and please see what he makes of their League Cup win at Old Trafford Faithful - I get the feeling he fancies Utd beating two south coast teams back to back!

AFCB have to believe they can live with Man Utd

We know that Man Utd will be big favourites to beat AFCB on Sunday. Paul Pogba is certainly out of contention to play but the Red Devils have plenty of stars to get their campaign off to a good start. They have the quality and experience to trouble every team in the division and it is perhaps not so helpful to think about their strengths, but more about what AFCB can do to hurt them. Believing that AFCB is equal to Man Utd is not what the Cherries are about, but what they can be is confident that on their day it is possible to upset a giant and they've done it before.

While the away game at Old Trafford reminded everyone of what a big gap there is between these two clubs, it will be in the minds of many of Man Utd's players that they did not do well last time they visited Dean Court. It's human nature. Even Mourinho will be nervous that he didn't beat Eddie Howe at his first attempt and will want to do a job this time with his new team. Setting a marker down is what Man Utd may well believe they can do in this game and if they come with that attitude and find that the game starts to unfold very differently it could be a big problem for them.

Man Utd will bring a stronger squad to AFCB than they did last season.

Some times it is easier to let a team beat themselves. Frustrating and denying Man Utd room to play will probably be part of AFCB's tactics. Not staying in a game for longer is something that Howe was not pleased about when the teams last met at Old Trafford. This is another test to see not only if AFCB can do that but also if they can take the game to Man Utd on home soil. They may not get the lightning start that Junior Stanislas gave them last season at home to the Red Devils, but AFCB must believe that they have the weapons to win. Even Man Utd players playing their first Premier League games will be nervous and that could well be the new signings that didn't come cheap - Eric Bailly (centre-back from Villarreal £38m), Henrikh Mkhitaryan (winger from Borrusia Dortmund £26.3m) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (striker from Paris St-Germain (free).

I don't think Eddie would have chosen to have such a hard test first game, but you never know. In fact it may be the best time to play Man Utd before they get into any rhythm. 

Probable AFCB team:
4-2-3-1
Boruc, A Smith, Francis, Cook, Daniels, Ibe, L Cook, Surman, Gradel, King, Wilson

Subs
Federici, Aké, B Smith, Arter, Pugh, Mousset, Afobe


Premier Talk - The unpredictable Premier League kicks off

Jose's Man Utd will be a huge test first game

Jose Mourinho is probably smiling at the prospect of facing AFCB in his first game next season. It is quite likely that he will spend a large amount of dosh over the summer and he will come to Dean Court with quite a different side to the won that went down 2-1 in their last visit to the stadium.

Man Utd last visit to Dean Court. Now AFCB will finally
be able to welcome Jose Mourinho to the stadium.

There is some reason for Eddie Howe to be pleased though that he has such a hard test for his side in the first game. Let's face it there won't be many teams that finish above Man Utd if any and it will set the standard right from the start. Eddie will know his team have to be prepared right from the first game and seeing that fixture list doesn't half concentrate the mind. The cameras will be very much on what the new Man Utd are about, but wouldn't it be good if we could spoil Jose's party!

Eddie has made it clear that the side has to do better in home games and having lost the first game last season he will want to do better this time. But if AFCB start with a defeat and then have to go to West Ham facing the prospect of another hard game being their first in the Olympic stadium, then so be it. The Cherries have to make themselves harder to beat than last season and if they can get something out of the first two games it will be a fabulous start. Even though AFCB won both of these fixtures last season it shows how huge those six points were.

AFCB have a couple of months though to work out how they can get off to a good start and maybe they can find a few surprises before then to upset the big guns. It's a clean sheet and we know that everyone has to play everyone else, so getting results in these difficult games is what it is all about if the side wants to improve its position in the league. The good part in the football fixtures is that AFCB's run in looks much more favourable than it was in 2015-16.

Euro 2016 - Sometimes you get what you deserve

The fixture list we want to see

While a computer is left to run off the fixtures for the 2016-17 season, you know that it has been programmed by human hands and even with the best intentions, there will be some games that fans will look and stare at and say why do we have to play them then? AFCB did not get pulled around with many mid-week fixtures last time around and I'm hoping for something similar this time, but you can't pick when you play clubs in European competitions and these are going to be games that often get moved to a different time slot.  

We will soon be able to plan our football year.

When the fixtures come out it certainly focuses the mind on the new season. AFCB will have a sudden up surge in those season ticket holders finally booking their seats and we will be keen to find out when we are playing the big teams and that other team down the road. But have you considered what Edie Howe and Jason Tindall have on their minds when they see that fixture list? Last season it was certainly the painful run of fixtures at the end of the campaign that worried them. This next season they will equally be looking for a good start and a more favourable back end to the games, while fans will probably be looking at the big lot of fixtures over the Christmas period.

Some may say that you have to play everyone twice so what does it matter? But I do believe that the timing of playing teams can have a big affect on morale and points during the season. No one wants to play the biggest four sides one after another and yet if you get a run of the lower quality sides you have to target that period as an opportunity to get some momentum in your season. 

So AFCB are first to take on Jose Mourinho's Man Utd and first to visit the Olympic Stadium - are you excited already?

AFCB's fans wait for transfer market to spark into life

This is certainly the calm before the storm. When Sun journalists are keen to follow Eddie Howe to town to see his wife buy a coffee you know that news is thin on the ground in the transfer rumour mill. At least we will no longer be linked with Jermain Defoe who has signed a new three-year deal at Sunderland and if Michael Carrick was a target he has escaped Eddie Howe's clutches for another year. But should AFCB fans be worried by the lack of activity?

Don't be fooled. Neill Blake, Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall will be extremely busy in trying to get bids for players ready. When you consider that Ronald Koeman has more than £100m to spend this summer and the likes of Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho and Jurgen Klopp will probably spend even more it is probably a waiting game that many teams are having to play at the moment until the big guns start splashing out. Whispers are that even Arsene Wenger may open his purse! Still, AFCB usually like to get their business done early so that players can be integrated during pre-season so I don't expect it to be long before the Cherries start to get some bids in.

How many new additions will AFCB bring into their squad this summer?

Of course, Eddie Howe may not want to bring in as many players as the fans might hope for this summer. He has after all spent a lot of dosh in the last transfer window and if the basis of the side can be kept together he won't have to find too many new stars. There is of course some anticipation over which players can secure lucrative transfers from playing at this year's Uefa Euro 2016 competition and it seems crazy but AFCB is a Premier League club that would have the kind of purchasing power to attract players that are performing at that level.

It is the British players though that I expect rate highest in AFCB's tick list for inbound transfers. The club has had mixed success in attracting foreign players that have flourished and unless they are U21 or full internationals it is hard to see how players can force their way into the side now. That means spending big bucks and the risks are greater now than they were in League One of the Championship. It is not about leaping first, it's about getting it right. UTCIAD!

Euro2016: Will Euro 2016 opener be a cracker?

Is an AFCB double against Chelsea unthinkable?

I guess before the start of the season I have to hold my hand up as an AFCB fan and say that I would not expect the Cherries to take maximum points out of the two games against what was then Jose Mourinho's side. But a lot can happen in eight months as we have seen. Not only has Jose departed and the Cherries delighted in getting an away win at Stamford Bridge, but a Cherries' win this Saturday would put them on the same amount of points as Chelsea after 34 games and that just seems crazy or does it?

It was okay at Stamford Bridge. We'll have some more of that.

The Blues have threatened to get back into form all season but they have never had a sustained period when they have looked like the side that won the Premier League last season. Now there is a definite rebuilding project for Antonio Conte to do at the Bridge and I imagine the side that Guus Hiddink puts out at Dean Court will look very different from that which starts the 2016-17 season for them. 

The form of Chelsea is something that should not hold too much panic for the Cherries. They may have spanked Aston Villa 0-4 on the road, but defeats at Swansea and Everton in the cup suggest that Hiddink is still looking to get the best out of this Chelsea side. Okay, they have had some injuries and the centre back absence of John Terry is perhaps the biggest quandary that Hiddink has had to deal with for most of the season. But this is not a fantastic Chelsea side anymore and it is up to the Cherries to find the weaknesses.

Of late Courtois form has been called into question but his misjudgement in their last home match against Man City saw him dismissed and he will not be in goal for Chelsea. It will be Begovic between the sticks. So there may be something to exploit there.

What was pleasing about the match against Liverpool was the amount of shots AFCB did get away in the second half. It may be that Liverpool were not really playing as forcefully by then, but the shot count on Begovic has to be high if the Cherries are to win the game.

Chelsea Away Form
DWWWL

AFCB Home Form
LWWLL

Meanwhile, Harry Cornick has signed a new deal to keep him at the Cherries into 2018 and Eddie Howe has been spotted at the Madejeski Stadium of late and is believed to be looking at winger Jordan Obita, central midfielder Oliver Norwood, defender Jack Coper and even Chelsea's centre back Michael Hector who is on loan with the Royals.

We've got the special one

It reads well doesn't it. Eddie Howe 1, Jose Mourinho 0. A defeat of Chelsea though only brings three points in terms of the table and Eddie Howe has another game fast approaching with Luis vaan Gaal, who is another leading manager that has managed internationally as well as at club football. So what does Eddie Have to do to really become the special one?

Well beating Jose in his own backyard was an impressive start. Longevity in the game though is what Eddie Howe will have to aim for if he is to truly challenge winners like Jose and of course he needs to win silverware if he is to be ever judged against the best who have managed in the Premier League. The first task of just staying in the Premier League with AFCB this season is no less a task. We saw that Burnley's Sean Dyche could not manage it last season with his team, and in football there are no guarantees about what is around the corner.

Eddie Howe just keeps getting better.

It says much though that Eddie did not want to take any credit for the win at Chelsea for himself. Yet, the crowd only wanted to sing one name louder than any other, and to AFCB supporters there is a clear belief that what he has done for the club in the last seven years marks him out as the special one. Having already picked up the manager of the decade award from the League Managers' Association in 2015, Eddie has nothing to prove down on the south coast, but is still intent on challenging himself to get the best out of this current crop of extraordinary players.

In many ways Eddie is brave to continue to work at AFCB as he could look to work with a bigger club with a bigger budget. Eddie seems to want to build AFCB up though and as a result everyone is benefiting from the experience that Premier League football has brought to the Dorset club. If he can keep AFCB in the Premier League though, it will be the biggest achievement in his career.


AFCB have  drawn Birmingham away in the FA CUP Third Round. The ties are played between 8-11 January 2016.

Don't forget to get down to Altamira, sponsors of Cherry Chimes, to find that special Christmas present for your loved one!

What's wrong with Chelsea this season?

I suppose everyone at Stamford Bridge is asking the question of how last year's Champions have not managed to play with their winning panache that was so magnificent at times only a year ago. Most of the players from last season are still a the club and the manager has not changed. But has Mourinho's style of management worn thin on his players?

AFCB can look forward to a great day at Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea still have work to do this season.

At the end of the day it is Mourinho that will shoulder the blame for the results. He is certainly still in control of how he wants his team to play and who he wants on the pitch as Diego Costa found out in their last match against Tottenham Hotspurs. Some of the swagger has emerged in Champions League matches, but it is the Premier League form that is disappointing and it is baffling why Chelsea have not exploded back up the table yet.

Keeping Chelsea subdued for long though is unlikely to happen. The players are too good to be below half way in this league and Eddie Howe will have to remind his players not to get carried away, as Chelsea will surely punish a team that is too open sooner or later. Their best result at Stamford Bridge was probably the 2-0 win against Arsenal back in September, but Arsenal only had nine men on the pitch by the end of that game. Defeats against the likes of Liverpool and Southampton at home are probably not as shocking as a win for AFCB would be. Chelsea have only played Norwich and Aston Villa of the bottom six at home though and they dispatched both of them well enough.

What must be a concern though for Jose is that his top scorer from last season is only on three goals in this campaign. Does Diego really want to play under Jose at the moment? I can't help feeling that a parting maybe around the corner however much kissing and huddling the two do. Chelsea remains an unhappy camp and that just gives underdog teams like AFCB a slight chance that they could get something that they are not supposed to from a game like this.

In their last match against Spurs though, Mourinho feels his team played the best they have this season which is ominous to hear. "The team is back," said Jose. 

Eden Hazard is certainly playing his way back into form and AFCB will have to have do better than others who have failed to score against the Blues in the last three games. 

Chelsea Home Form
WLWLW

AFCB Away Form
LLLLD

AFCB will have to be at their very best for Chelsea

At some point the Cherries were going to have to play the former Champions and while the timing might not be the best with the Blues starting to improve their form, it should not be underestimated how Eddie Howe's side are now in full battle mode as they look to start getting the wins to prolong their time in the Premier League.

For all the improvements that AFCB are now showing, they still only have two wins out of 14 games and that statistic will be difficult to improve on at Stamford Bridge. Don't be fooled by Chelsea's low league position they are capable of playing at Champions League standard at any time and this has to be one of the biggest tests of the season for Eddie Howe and his side. Should that frighten AFCB fans? No, but there has to be some reality about how huge the task is ahead of the Bournemouth players that have had moments when they have been shaky at the back even against Everton in their last game. Now they have a third choice keeper as well and Harry Arter might also be up against a late fitness test.

Cancelling out the nervous moments are something that the side just has to try and work at. It is simple to want to play at your best and yet it is another thing to do that when you have players running at you like Diego Costa and Eden Hazard. The aim though has to be to give Jose Mourinho another bad day at the office, and with Chelsea having already had three home defeats already at Stamford Bridge, there will be an edginess to the home crowd if things don't go according to plan for Mourinho's men.

The Cherries should enjoy the next challenge.

Chelsea play the power game and look to win set-pieces - a real weakness of AFCB to defend. They will try and dominate and force errors and so the Cherries will know what is coming. Finding an outlet will be crucial to relieve the pressure and the running abilities of Adam Smith and Junior Stanislas might be something that Eddie Howe employs from the start, as Chelsea's back four are no longer as quick as they once were. The pace of King will be a headache for Chelsea but the runs of Stanislas and Dan Gosling have to test Cahill and Terry if he plays.

At the back for Bournemouth, Distin has to have a big game. I would not be surprised if Simon Francis now comes in next to him at centre back again, as that would allow Smith to start with Ritchie on the right. Eddie must look to find as many problems for Jose as he can and by having a few more dynamic players who will run at defences on the pitch we just might see AFCB's A game prevail in a match that the pundits won't give the Cherries a hope of winning.

Probable AFCB team

Allsop (GK), Smith (RD), Francis (CD), Distin (CD), Daniels (LD), Ritchie (RM), Gosling (CM), O’Kane (CM), Surman (CM), Stanislas (LM), King (FW)

Cherries Subs
Holmes (GK), Bennett (LD), Cook (CD), MacDonald (CM), Tomlin (CM/FW), Kermorgant (FW), Murray (FW)

Eddie Howe can take on the best now

AFCB fans have been saying for years that Eddie Howe is one of the best young English managers in the country and soon I think even more people will be simply saying he is the best English manager in the country. Now Eddie has been named League Managers' Association Manager of the Year he also won Championship manager of the year. Eddie is only the second manager who was outside the top division to win the award since 1992 and now the Premier League beckons.

Can Eddie Howe keep the momentum going?

The Premier League gives him the opportunity to go hear-to-head against the big names in management that have come to dominate the game. While the likes of Chelsea, Man Utd, Arsenal and Man City have all gone with foreign managers it is pleasing that Bournemouth have had a hand in creating some great English managers and Eddie Howe is the next in line.

There was a time when Harry Redknapp was the only Bournemouth manager to get a mention TV. More recently it has been Tony Pulis that has been the saviour for Premier League clubs facing the trap door. Now we will see how good Eddie Howe is at leading a side in the top tier and I look forward to the day when AFCB go to the Hawthorns to take on base cap supremo Tony Pulis and his team. I back Eddie Howe and the Cherries to come out on top and looking at the Premier League as it stands he might not have to beat so many teams to be the top English manager at the end of the season. Gary Monk and Swansea are at the head of the queue at present, but it is a tad disappointing that it is hard for English coaches to get to this level in the game.

When you look at the managerial records of Jose Mourinho and Louis Van Gaal you have to say this is a real jump up in class. Eddie will not have the depth of experience of many of these managers but then again very few of them have really known what it is like to have your back against the wall, with transfer embargoes, docked points and knowing that you are 90 minutes away from going out of the football league. Eddie will draw on his experiences and will need to emulate something similar to his greatest managerial wins that he has had in cup competitions over a 38 game season if AFCB are to beat the odds.

I imagine that Eddie's notes over the summer will be running to several volumes. He'll need to asses every Premier League team with great precision and find more ways of making his own team harder to beat over the summer. Somehow, I reckon Eddie Howe will be like a kid in a toy shop.