Allsop will be glad to get Premier debut under his belt

Ryan Allsop will have been as nervous as anyone in the Vitality stadium when he knew that the injury to Adam Federici was going to mean he would get his chance to make his Premier League debut. There has been a lot of work done with Rocky since his difficult introduction to games in the Championship in 2013-14 when he just seemed to lose his confidence and to see him back between the sticks for the first team demonstrates Eddie Howe's desire to see players improve and comeback stronger when they have had a drop in form and confidence.

Building Ryan back up has seen him go out on loan at Coventry City where he saw plenty of action and it was no doubt helpful to him to have fellow team mates Josh McQuoid and Mohamed Coulibaly out there with him during that period. He has come back into the squad with several Development games under his belt, and I suppose if Ryan was going to have his first game in the Premier League it was easier to come on against Everton at Dean Court than it would have been if he had been in Federici's boots a few weeks ago at somewhere like the Etihad.

Now Ryan will be worked especially hard if there is worry that Boruc and Federici will still be missing games going into the Christmas period. The emergency loan option is there for Eddie Howe to bring in a keeper if he can find one of the quality he needs, but the Echo yesterday said this may not be easy to arrange with the Premier League and it is always hard to being someone in who naturally fits with the way the Cherries like to play from the back.

Ryan has had a taste of the big time now.

Finding more resilience in defence is hard enough when you have a settled side but Howe has to do that with keeper decisions now. If Boruc is 90 per cent fit does he play him? Can Ryan Allsop step in and do a solid job? The goal that Everton did score in extra time against Ryan was not a moment that will have pleased him, and whether Ryan might have done better is a question that only he will truly be able to answer. Ryan must have been feeling a lot better though when Junior Stanislas thumped home his last second header to make things 3-3 with Everton, and I hope that helps the whole team to believe they can stop these other sides when they play to their best.

AFCB spin the wheel with new shirt sponsors

I saw a bit of a mixed reaction to the news this evening that AFC Bournemouth would have a new shirt sponsor for the 2015-16 season. The Mansion Group is a bold and slightly controversial choice of sponsor for this club that tries to be family-orientated, but it is well known that online gaming companies are big investors in sport and the funds will be welcome in what is a competitive market. 

The Mansion Group will be sponsoring all three kits for AFCB as well as the training wear. So no matter who follows AFCB they are going to see Mansion Group very visibly whenever they see the team play or visit the club shop. I'm not sure if the club's trips to Las Vegas had something to do with their thinking but having been promoted from the SkyBet Championship it seems that football has a very close link with gambling whether we like it or not.  

What I did like about the training wear on show was a deep red which could well appear on next season's shirts if the club has continuity in its clothing lies and has to be careful about how it matches other colours against the Mansion Group logo colours.

The new deal brings to an end the previous deal of Energy Consulting which has been on the club shirts for the last three seasons. It is perhaps a sign that the Russian owners want to maximise the commercial prospects for the club by taking Energy Consulting off of the shirts and bringing in a new investor. There were no details about how much the sponsorship was worth but offsetting the costs involved of being in Premier League with larger wages and bigger transfer fees, I think we can see where the club is coming from.

Time will tell if the new partnership is a winner for the Cherries.

Meanwhile, the Daily Mirror is again pushing its view on who AFCB are chasing with Crystal Palace striker Glenn Murray touted as the latest transfer target for the Cherries. Meanwhile, the odds are shortening on Charlie Austin to come to AFCB. Josh McQuoid who was released by the Cherries in May is said to have joined Luton Town, according to Clarets Mad.

You can't reach the Premier League without investing

It is clear that clubs have to invest to make it to the Premier League and AFCB have had a helping hand with the financial backing of Maxim Demin. While the Daily Mail has reported that the Russian owner has stumped up around £25m in the form of loans the club was far from being a major spender in the Championship in the 2013-14 season. AFCB met the necessary Financial Fair Play regulations set for the Championship and a loss of £10.3m in the 2013-14 season will be swallowed up by the successes of the 2014-15 season, although further outlay will have been made in the second return season to the Championship. 

Dean Court has seen much improvement, but to reach the Premier League the club
needed to invest in players, training facilities and infrastructure to compete with the best teams.

Some will have seen Maxim's support as a gamble, but with the talent of Eddie Howe and his coaching staff and the quality of the players that are at AFCB it was more of a shrewd business decision to back a football club that was headed in the right direction. In the last season there has been player investment with Artur Boruc and Kenwyne Jones joining the club on loan and there have been wages to pay for last summer's free signings of Junior Stanislas and Dan Gosling. It has been sensible investment though and the sale of Lewis Grabban and funds from the Adam Lallana move from Southampton to Liverpool have to be noted as well for bringing finance into the club.

Moreover, Eddie Howe and Jeff Motsyn have reiterated how the club could not have got where they are now without the support of Maxim Demin. AFCB still has to operate according to its means and player recruitment we have already heard from Eddie Howe will not see him spending 'silly money', which is not his. It is now important as it always has been to bring the right players in for the right amount of money and the club has announced today that seven players are being released by the club - Ian Harte, Josh McQuoid, Benji Buchel, Joe Partington, Mohamed Coulibaly and Miles Addison, while Darryl Flahavan has asked to seek first team football elsewhere. 

Maxim Demin's financial support will not be forgotten by fans just as the club will not forget the fans that gave all they had to keep the club in business during the dark years. This is a new era and AFCB have the opportunity to secure the club's future. The wage bill is going to be bigger in the Premier League, but as long as the club structures its spending and keeps within its means I expect to see some additions in the next couple of months that will give AFCB every chance to fulfil its next dream of surviving and possibly thriving in the Premier League.

Finally, a big thanks to those players that are being released by the club who all made contributions to the team and all the best for the future.

What are the options if no striker can be brought in?

With Eddie Howe looking to find an emergency striker I believe he has a fall back option of Junior Stanislas partnering Yann Kermorgant in the front line if he can't get a suitable transfer sorted. Junior is essentially a winger but I don't see why he could not play off of Yann in a forward role. He has good pace and while he is not as string in physique as Callum Wilson he is not smaller than Tokelo Rantie.

Could Junior do a job up front?

Junior also has a reasonable scoring record and is already wanting to play more games. It is difficult for him to squeeze into the side with Matt Ritchie and Mac Pugh doing so well, but a couple of games as a short-term striker would not be such a bad option in my opinion. 

A second option could be to recall Josh McQuoid from Coventry City. Josh has not been in inspiring form though and it looks like Eddie Howe is ready to let him go as AFCB push for higher quality. That also seems the case with Matt Tubbs at AFC Wimbledon. Jayden Stockley also has not impressed Howe enough to bring him in closer to the first team squad. II have heard Ryan Fraser also being mentioned but I feel Junior is the more likely candidate.

If none of the above please they way Eddie Howe wants to set up the team it could well be that Pitman and Kermorgant have to carry the fight to Millwall. That will nullify the threat of pace through the middle which is essential for stretching teams at the back. The other possibility is for Yann or Brett to play as a lone striker and bring an extra midfielder into the team like Gosling or O'Kane, so Eddie has a lot of thinking to do if Callum is not 100 per cent fit for the Millwall match.

AFCB on loan report

I thought it would be good to catch up with a few AFCB players that are currently at other clubs on loan to see how they are faring. Top of my list were those at Coventry City as I had seen that the Midland's club is only sitting mid-table and I wondered how much game time some of the AFCB players had been getting. I also wanted to see how much news there was on Miles Addison's injury and how Jayden Stockley and Matt Tubbs were doing in League Two and what of Stephan Zubar after his Scottish adventure?

Jayden has been doing well at Cambridge Utd.

Coventry City are one team that you can't help but keep one eye on now if you are a Cherries fan. With Ryan Allsop, Josh McQuoid and Mohamed Coulibaly at the club it is by far the team most supported by on loan AFCB players. Tonight, the Sky Blues will finally play their first game home back at the Rioch Arena. It will been quite an occasion for the home fans as well as for Coventry players and with Gillingham the opposition it was a chance to leap frog them in the league table. Coventry have gained six points before the game and Josh McQuoid is beginning to look the part for them having scored two league goals this season in his forward role against Barnsley and Swindon, plus a goal in the Football League Trophy against Wycombe Wanderers. Keeping out the goals has been a test for Ryan Allsop who has done reasonably okay just letting in six in his first five matches, while he earned a clean sheet against promotion favourites MK Dons. Mohamed Coulibaly has made the subs bench against Swindon, MK Dons, Barnsley and Sheffield Utd but has yet to make his debut for the Sky Blues from what I can see. Maybe he'll get his chance tonight.

Miles is back in the treatment room and may need an operation.

Miles Addisson has had even worse luck at Scunthorpe as he is now back at AFCB receiving assessment after injuring a knee against Walsall which was the Iron's first three points of the season. Miles loan spell was due to end at the start of September but probably would have continued if he had not have got injured. I expect Miles to go back out on loan as soon as he is fit again (perhaps six to eight weeks) and you'd expect Russ Wilcox to have the first say on having him if he is wanted back at Scunthorpe who are really short on numbers. 

Another defender we have not seen at AFCB for a while is Stephan Zubar who was on trial at Cambridge Utd at the end of pre-season and then went up to Partick Thistle for three days to try and get some games. He played for Thistle against Sunderland in a 3-1 pre-season win, but transfer deadline day has passed without any news on a potential move, although he is now reported to be heading to Crewe Alexandria for a trial, according to the Echo.

Dropping down a division it is worth having a quick look at Cambridge Utd and AFCB Wimbledon. Jayden Stockley has been on target twice against Carlisle and has helped united up to ninth in the division. Meanwhile, Matt Tubbs has been hitting form and is already up to five goals, four of which were in the league, so AFC Wimbledon are going to be pleased with him.

Torquay Utd is another club with strong links with the Cherries as the manager their is Chris Hargreaves, former AFCB 1st team coach. Josh Wakefield has just gone to the Conference club and played a few late minutes against Dartford and 45 minutes against Lincoln, but was taken off as Torquay changed their system at half time. A few more matches at that level though should give Josh invaluable experience. It certainly was a good club for Bailey Cargill and Jayden Stockley last season.

McQuoid surplus to requirements?

Despite the long held desire for Josh McQuoid to fight for his place at AFCB it seems that he has not managed to hold a squad place for the coming season and will now go to Coventry City on loan, according to the Bournemouth Echo. It was going to be an up hill task for him to force his way back into Eddie Howe's plans but Josh played quite a few times over the summer as he regained his fitness and tried to sharpen his aim in front of goal. Looking at the AFCB goal scorers chart though for pre-season you won't see Josh's name among them and with Junior Stanislas and Callum Wilson bolstering the team the time seems right for Josh to see if he can play regularly elsewhere.

McQuoid is said to be set to join Coventry on Monday.

Coventry's manager, Steven Pressley has made no secret of his desire to capture McQuoid and it looks like he will have quite a strong AFCB second eleven playing for the sky blues with Allsop and Coulibaly already at the club on loan. Josh's contract will run out in may next year and it would be good for AFCB if they can recoup some money from his sale and the only way that has a chance of happening is if he is playing. Whether it leaves space for another player to come in at AFCB is not known but if anything I would not be surprised if one or two more could still go out on loan.

I think if Howe knows that a player is not going to be a big part of his plans then it is best that they are moved on and by doing that it opens the door for players like Sam Matthews, Josh Wakefield and Josh Carmichael to start trying to get appearances. It is a competitive world and not everyone is going to be able to get into this AFCB team. The signs are that a bit of trimming around the sides might not be such a bad thing.

Josh may leave space for others to come in.

Can Stanislas be the sparkle in the diamond for Cherries?

While we have not seen Stanislas kick a ball yet for the Cherries, there is already keen interest to know exactly how he might be used in the team. I am hoping that Eddie Howe does not put him wide on the wings but gives him the chance to play just behind the strikers, so that he gets opportunities to strike the ball just outside the box. We have seen how good he is at long range shooting and it is an area of the game that many Bournemouth supporters were calling out for our players to do at the start of last season.

The player that AFCB have that most often unlocks defences with his shooting from range is Matt Ritchie when he cuts in from the right, but Stanislas has the pace that could really trouble central defenders and it will be exciting to see how he links up with Kermorgant. With the wealth of wide players already at the club I would like to see a powerful runner just behind the striker or strikers. We have already said that McQuoid and Ritchie could do that and Stanislas is certainly another contender. How similar these three players are will be interesting to see and what formation Eddie is most wanting to use next season.

Ritchie and Stanislas pushing on from midfield
will be strong attacking options for AFCB.

There is no longer a missing piece in the jigsaw upfront alongside Kermorgant. Rantie and Wilson are likely to fill that duty with the latter most likely to start games in my opinion. AFCB will certainly have more pace in the team this time around and we'll have to see whether these players also bring greater shooting accuracy.



Kyle Cotter previews the first semi-final of Brazil v Germany on World Cup Chimes. You can watch the semi-finals at De Vere's Village Urban Resorts in Bournemouth -  check out the complete game planner for the Victory pub and kitchen. 

Make sure you also get your World Cup bets on with Free Bet Negotiator to receive free bet vouchers.

Could AFCB play with interchangeable forwards?

Eddie Howe will look closely at how the Cherries take their game to other teams now that Lewis Grabban has departed. Watching the World Cup I have enjoyed seeing some great attacking play. The young promise in England's national squad has not been successful yet but the forward play is surely headed in the right direction. Along with teams like Chile and Costa Rica, they have tried to make their forwards interchange positions during games which is something that you don't see so much in leagues like the Championship. But how easy is it to be expansive in your play?

Can Rantie develop more variety to his game
so it is not simply pace in straight lines?

Firstly, you have to ask do the Cherries have the players to add this type of interplay to their game? I believe we have already seen some of this type of play at Dean Court and in Yann Kermorgant Bournemouth have a player that is very capable of being comfortable of taking the ball in tight areas and manoeuvring play bringing others into the game. He is the kind of player to release quicker runners like Rantie and McQuoid. But can Rantie ever be as effective running wide rather than through the middle? I don't see Rantie as being at his best out wide. His direct style makes him more of a player to play on the last man. But McQuoid is a player who I believe can be effective in several positions across the front line and is one player that would be a contender to be able to switch positions during a game as the gaps appeared.

McQuiod has the legs to stretch teams.

Kermorgant is quick thinking enough to take up
positions that make defenders feel uneasy.

I would like to see Eddie Howe work with the players in seeing AFCB's players add the movement that we have seen from England players like Lallana, Stirling and Sturridge who interchange so effectively. We have seen Ritchie and Fraser swap wings during a game but it would be good to see them moving frequently into wholes in front of defences and turning them as well as getting in behind. It would require a lot more work from AFCB's forward players, but it has been exciting to see in England's performance against Italy and something that would confuse and stretch defences in the Championship.

I like to see Ritchie cut in side to rifle his shots in at goal.

At the moment though, the Cherries are one or two players short of having the pace up front to make such a system truly effective at the moment, but maybe Ryan Fraser and Josh O'Hanon could develop their game in this way and other new striker signings could be looked for who show the potential for such movement as the Raheem Stirling's of this world who are just as comfortable on the wings as they are in the number 10 role. 
World Cup Chimes previews Germany v Ghana which kicks off at 8pm tonight.

The Cherries don't want to get hung up on Lallana deal

Apart from Dan Gosling there has not been much evidence on the surface of new acquisitions for the Cherries although I am sure that many potential offers are in the pipeline. Getting transfer business done early though is a perennial headache and it may make a huge difference this summer on whether Adam Lallana's deal with Liverpool goes through or not. Waiting on such a development is not brilliant news if the Lallana deal is spun out and the same sort of drawn out scenario occurs over Lewis Grabban with several clubs also interested in him. Still there are quite a few players that AFCB should be looking to move on and yet there are no confirmed offers for players like Tubbs or Addison so far. Moreover, not many players have been released either, although Shawn Jalall has left the club and we have had Stephen Purches and Richard Hughes stop their playing contracts.

Eddie has plenty of decisions piling up.

So what do fans really want Eddie to do this summer? Is it simply bring in a striker even though we don't know if Grabban is to leave for sure? Unless Josh McQuoid or Brett Pitman are to leave the club I don't see the need to go quickly into the market unless there is a player who Eddie knows can be a partner for Yann Kermorgant that is better than Rantie or Grabban. There is no guarantee that another striker will hit it off straight away and Rantie may just find top gear which he looks capable of doing in small glimpses. There are other questions too. How much better is Jayden Stockley now after another year out on loan? There is a lot for Eddie Howe to weigh up in his mind about which strikers are going to feature next season and who he has to build the team around.

Moreover, what should the club do if it does get a payout from the Lallana deal? Should it be partly or fully be used to clear losses or should it be reinvested in players? If the deal doesn't go through does it mean more player sales from the Cherries? With the free transfer of Dan Gosling snapped up it is perhaps significant that no more players have been signed yet and that many things are in the balance. Getting the team right though this summer is crucial going forwards and if funds do suddenly come through I hope it is not too late to land the one or two new players that I am sure Eddie Howe is keen to bring on board.

Time for a clear out

With John Gregory being quoted this week in The Argos that he'd love Matt Tubbs to be with Crawley next season it appears that AFCB are now trying to clear out those players who have been surplus to requirements. It's really a question of how many players that the Cherries can move on now as they try and get the club more ship-shape for the books. The difficulty with layers like Tubbs is that they are being well paid and they cost the club a lot to bring in in the first place. But perhaps Crawley or another team will be wiling to offer market value.

Miles Addison is another that is said to be likely to move away as he has not been able to win a place in Eddie Howe's side. But there are others too who you can question if they are getting enough games like; Darryl Flahavan, Joe Partington, Shaun MacDonald, Josh McQuoid and Brett Pitman. I don't think all of those will move, but the Cherries can't afford to simply release many players either.

Tubbs in his way out?

No need for Addison.

Is MacDonald happy to stay?

Over the past few months the Cherries have already been doing a lot of house cleaning. Wes Thomas, Wes Fogden, Shwan Jalal, Richard Hughes and Stephen Purches have all come off the player wage bill and the possibility of more is fairly high. I don't think the club is as lean as it perhaps could be yet but with a few more going out the door it will leave some room for a few new faces which is what the Cherries will need if they are to challenge for a play-off spot next time around. Even just staying in the Championship is something that will be hard to achieve if you stand still. The challenge is that there are many other clubs out there trying to off-load players as well and they will be in similar positions looking to get some return on assets that no longer feature for them.  

Are Collison and Cole worth trying to grab?

We know that Eddie Howe likes Jack Collison and was pleased to have him on load at AFCB in the early part of the 2013/14 season. As a free transfer Collison is likely to be looking at possible moves to where he has recently played on loan with Wigan also possibly a potential move for him. Whether Eddie Howe believes that the central midfield area needs further strengthening is anybody's guess, but goal power is something that is most desired and Jack may not quite have enough to excite Eddie this time around.

Another prospect must surely be Joe Cole, who has also been released by West Ham, and at 30 he still has a few years of quality football to give and has the experience that may be of great value to a team like AFCB. Watching Joe in Stephen Purches' testimonial match for 20 or so minutes gave AFCB supporters enough to know that Joe Cole is still able to dominate proceedings when he is on the pitch.

Collison has age (25) and experience on his side but does he shoot enough?

Any number of released players from the Premiership will be linked with possible moves to teams like AFCB, but value for money and quality is what the Cherries need. At the moment though the transfer market has not really started to bubble. The Cherries are not sure if they are going to lose many players or not and the decisions as to where to strengthen will be crucial. If Grabban does go, you would expect them Cherries to bring in another striker, although I could see McQuoid and Kermorgant perhaps being tried as well as Rantie being given more games. The midfield has already been bolstered with Dan Gosling and I am not certain that more wide players are needed which would mean Joe Cole is less likely to of interest.

It's in defence where I believe Eddie will possibly have to do some more business. Steve Cook may well stay but the team let in too many goals last season for a big promotion tilt and  I believe another central defender could be a must considering that Ward and Elphick missed several games last season.

So for me Collison and Cole are not as high on the agenda as they might have been last year, but I bet AFCB are pondering over some of those who have been released this week from the top clubs.  

Improving Development players is slow but worthwhile

While Premiership teams ponder over Greg Dykes Team B Division 3 league proposals, teams like AFCB in the Championship are said to be not effected by such ideas at this stage and yet even Bournemouth have a group of Development Squad players that need games and experience. How these players are best served is a question for Stephen Purches and Joe Roach and Eddie Howe, but the fact that players are keen to come to Bournemouth in their teenage years means that the club is attracting young players that it needs to develop and integrate into the first team.

Ryan Fraser stands out well ahead of other
young players at AFCB at the moment.

While there are some league, cup and friendly games for the Development squad there is little opportunity to give youth their chance in the Championship. What I do like is the opportunities they have to play in and around the first team especially when first team players are recovering from injuries and need to come back steadily by playing in some Development Squad games. It must be great as a non-first team player to get the opportunity to be an equal on the pitch with some players that have already made it and to learn from them. Ryan Fraser has shown that if you have the ability you will be played at Championship level, but getting a train of players through the system is what the Cherries need if they are to keep their costs down on player transfers and develop players that are ultimately good enough for the first team.

It is clear that the club wants to take as many players forward as it can and if Development players are to be given new contracts that gives some indication that the club is pleased with their progress and there is a chance that some of them will make the grade either at AFCB or at another club if they are sold for the right price. The potential sale of Adam Lallana with a 25 per cent sell on clause coming to AFCB shows one of the merits of having an academy even when we see players finish their development elsewhere. 

The loan system currently seems the best way though for many of these players, like those pushing for first team action such as Jayden Stockley and Sam Matthews, for example, to get some regular competitive football. But even then it is important that AFCB put such players with clubs that play in the way that improves development. I must admit I would have liked to have seen more players come through in the last five years at AFCB, but I am sure we will eventually get more players like Danny Ings and Josh McQuiod on the conveyor belt.

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Is McQuoid off to pastures new or staying put?

Josh McQuiod has had a difficult time since coming back to AFCB. He is another player who would have been keen to have played in our final game of the season as an ex-Millwall player but has been out on loan at Peterborough since January. He has been lucky enough to play in the FA Trophy final at Wembley and even scored the first goal on Peterborough's way to a 3-1 victory against Chesterfield. Having helped Posh into the play-off places he could not get them to the League One play-off final. Now his loan period will be up and he'll return to the Cherries. 

Josh still has a year to go on his Bournemouth contract and while he might find that the Posh are interested in him of they get promoted through the play-offs, I believe he still has a shot of playing a part in the Cherries forthcoming season. He was injured for the first part of the 2013/14 season and Eddie Howe has only used him sparingly since Eddie Howe came back to the club, but with Andrew Surman looking like returning to Norwich permanently, Josh may well be given an opportunity to add some of the goals that are needed from that area of the pitch.

Josh will need a good pre-season to push
for a place in the Cherries first team.

It is wise to remember that AFCB do want to try and reduce some of their debts and constantly buying new players while also paying others not playing on their books is a good way of increasing debts. I would hope that Josh would want to prove himself at AFCB and the fans should be generous to give him all the support they can if he lines up again for the Cherries. Josh will only be 25 in December and sometimes we forget how young he is as a player having left and returned to the club. He knows the club inside out and will have been taught be Joe Roach as well as Jason Tindall and Eddie Howe and knowing the club's style of play so well should give him more ammunition than most to be able to get into the side. I don't think that Eddie Howe has felt that Josh has been fully fit for much of the last few months but having got some games in at Peterborough and hopefully got a taste for contributing again I would like to see Josh prove a few people wrong having had a good pre-season.

Can Josh step up his performances?

Finally, the news today is that Stephen Purches is to hang up his boots which is sad to hear but perhaps not that unexpected. We wish him well with everything he does in his coaching capacity with the Development squad and perhaps he can inspire more AFCB players to do as well as he did for the club. 

Grabban has made the grade

At the start of the season not everyone would have put Lewis Grabban as the most likely to be AFCB's top scorer in the Championship. It was Brett Pitman who had been the sharp shooter in the previous campaign and the competition from Wes Thomas, Matt Tubbs and Josh McQuoid during preseason could have seen a much different front line from what we see at the club today. Yet, Lewis has gone on to cement his starting place in the team and to have scored 22 times with one game to go is a tremendous achievement for him.

Lewis receives the Junior Cherry player of the year Award.

Lewis picks up the supporter's player of the year Award.

Don't get sidelined by thinking many of the goals were scored from no more than 12 yards. Scoring from the spot is no simple task - ask any England fan. Lewis seems to like the pressure though and when he is on the pitch he has little problem in shutting things out to concentrate on putting the ball in the back of the net. While he did miss a spot kick against Watford he can even claim that that one was saved rather than missed. 

At the moment there are only two player names above him in the Championship scoring chart. Ross McCormack and Jordan Rhodes are the players he chases while Troy Deeney has the same number of goals as Lewis. To be in such company is fantastic for Lewis but I do fear that it will attract the eyes of Premiership clubs and hungry Championship sides that will be able to splash large sums of money for such talent. Having rebuffed an approach from Brighton already it is clear that Lewis is a commodity that is already a prized possession of the Cherries. His price tag is certainly high now but he seems to like the club and Eddie Howe will be in no mood to see any more offers for him coming in.

This season Lewis has improved immensely with his off the ball runs and his holding up of the ball to bring in other players. It is the all round ability of Lewis that we could see developing last season and now the whole package is what Lewis will be working to make even better. The snap shots he takes from outside the box and his one-on-one forays can be areas where he can add goals and perhaps he can learn from Yann Kermorgant how to score even more goals with headers. There is always things that players can do better and Lewis seems to have the right attitude. As winner of the Supporters Player of the Year Award, the Exiles' player of the year Award and the Junior Cherries Award, Lewis Grabban can look back at a job well done for this season.

For those of you who also saw Lewis' post-Forest interview there was also a wry smile on his face when he mentioned how nice it would be to score against them on Saturday - so maybe there is still some unfinished business for Grabban. 

If you would like to recall a couple of earlier 2013/14 games I have uploaded the Bolton wanderers and Derby County home game pictures to Cherry Chimes on Facebook. You can search Cherry Chimes on Facebook which will get you to the page or download the Cherry Chimes Android mobile phone App and click on the Facebook symbol.

McQuoid should get the games at Posh

So Josh McQuoid has managed to get a good loan deal until the end of the season at League One side Peterborough. The timing of the loan window is a good opportunity for him though to show Eddie Howe and other interested parties that Josh has plenty to offer. It should be a good move for him playing in a league has experienced with Bournemouth and where did so well. He has had a chequered career in the Championship at Millwall and Burnley and has not been able to break into AFCB's team following his comeback from injury, so I see it as a positive spell for him to get some matches under his belt with a team that are going well, but need more impetuous.

Josh gets a new project until the end of the season at the Posh.

Josh has only made the AFCB squad a couple of times on the bench at Middlesbrough ans away against Wigan and at the recent home match against Huddersfield, plus in the FA Cup third round Burton game and appearance at home against Ipswich Town. Andrew Surman seems to have the vote at the moment to play off Lewis Grabban. So opportunities were really limited for Josh and he probably needs a run of game to try and get some form going. Now that Yann Kermorgant has joined the team and Rantie and Pitman are also vying for a squad place it must have looked pretty hard for Josh to get a chance at AFCB. A good spell on loan though could help him for next season and when you look at the squad you wonder if Donal McDermott and Mohamed Coulibaly may also look to do something similar.

Josh talks to Peterborough and explains his loan move.

Can AFCB add more teeth to their attack?

Roy Keane was pretty brutal in his assessment of AFCB's attack in the last third against Liverpool last weekend, but I guess you can't expect many positives from Roy. In a way I like the way he gives his opinions in a forthright manner with no hesitation and stern belief that he is right. You cannot disagree though that AFCB did not have the tools to hurt a team like Liverpool on the day, but can Eddie Howe strengthen this transfer window?

The main attacking threats AFCB currently use - Grabban, Pitman and TK.

Whether the attacking threat AFCB has changes in the near future is a question that AFCB fans will be keen to know. If Eddie Howe is going to dip into the transfer market for a striker this window he is leaving it late. There has been speculation that Yann Kermorgant is the man that AFCB could be after if Powell does not stay as manager at Charlton. While Josh O'Hanlon is reputed to be joining the club from Longford Town in Ireland, I imagine as a Development squad player.

At the moment 34 goals from 27 games is not strong enough to challenge for the play-offs. It is the most difficult area to strengthen as we have seen. Some may have hoped that Tokelo Rantie would have provided more ammunition than he has so far in front of goal, but perhaps last night is all that he needed to get going. It is good to see a smile on his face any way, even if he was not pleased to miss out on a second goal last night. But it's not just Tokelo that needs to find the net regularly. Brett Pitman and Andrew Surman need to be doing better in front of goal and they will want to be doing better, while Josh McQuoid is still waiting to get a run in the side. Surman is starting to be more involved and getting into threatening positions and Eddie Howe seems to like him above Josh McQuoid and perhaps Pitman with the 4-1-4-1 system.

Andrew Surman is yet t score this season.

What was a little surprising was to hear TK say that Eddie Howe should not be changing anything and that the team is best using him as a second half sub at the moment. If that suits AFCb and TK has more success that way then surely it is a good thing as Rantie gets used to playing English football.

Tokelo Rantie score his first home goal for AFCB.

The Seagulls will be scoring well if Grabban signs for Brighton

At first glance the news that Brighton have triggered Lewis Grabban's release clause is a blow for AFCB's Championship challenge. However, it may well mean that AFCB decide that significant investment is required to take the team forward if Lewis does indeed decide that a move up the south coast is best for him. The fact that Bournemouth would have found it too difficult to hold on to one of their most promising talents is slightly worrying for fans as it will give the signal to other clubs that other players at the Cherries might be tempted away more easily than perhaps is expected.

Lewis Grabban has been in sensational form this
season and he would be a big loss, but it gives an
opportunity to others if he does move on.

At the end of the day it is player choice that determines whether players stay or leave most clubs and it is no different with Lewis. If he decides to leave then we should wish him all the best for the service he has given. This season he has developed into a terrific striker and I believe that he can go higher still. I must admit that I will not look forward him to being on the other side of the pitch trying to score against the cherries If the deal goes through. I suspect that even if the Brighton move does not come off then others will soon be in to try and attract him now. Leicester City are one of the clubs that are also believed to be tracking him.

AFCB have to look forward though if Grabban goes then the search for a partner for Pitman or Rantie has to be stepped up. This could be a very exciting time when the club is able to invest more than fans think possible so I am holding an open mind on what may transpire this transfer window. There is still a couple of weeks to go and time to find a quality replacement, even if Eddie Howe says that it is difficult to find players to improve the team.

The fact that Grabban has attracted interest should be considered a good thing. The team has been playing well and while Grabban is AFCB's lead marksmen and not a player that I believe the club or fans want to see leave, it is simply the economics of having done so well that has led to this point. If Brighton do land lewis Grabban for £1.1 million you do have to say they have a bargain buy. UTCIAD!

If you have not yet listened in to All Departments website where there is the latest Kangaroo Court on AFCB's triumph over Burton Albion in the Cup then take a listen to the podcast which is located in the side bar on Cherry Chimes in the right panel.

Fan momentum grows for Joe Roach return

AFCB fans saw the door open for someone to replace Chris Hargreaves at the club this week and with Shaun Brooks and Paul Groves also leaving there is a ground swell of opinion for the return of Joe Roach. In the last few days the Twitter trending for Roach to come back has been strong and the talent spotting experience and teaching ability of the master trainer is something that Eddie Howe will know all about and hopefully will not ignore.

Having overseen the development of players like Sam Vokes and Danny Ing that are doing so well in the Championship at Burnley, as well as Josh McQuoid and Brett Pitman at AFCB and many others, it is easy to see why Joe is so much in demand by the fans. 

This week the Echo reported that Joe Roach was among those being considered for a position at the club and it will be excellent if he does decide that he has unfinished business at AFCB. Joe resigned his position in June 2011, when Eddie Mitchell was chairman, having had more than a decade at the club. I only hope that there is no remaining issues between Joe and AFCB. Hopefully Eddie Howe can speak with Joe and get him on board, because this would be a very popular decision and I believe it would give the structure of the club much firmer foundations going forward with the youth squads playing the attractive football that AFCB supporters have known and become accustomed to.

It is also rumoured that Carl Fletcher could make a return to AFCB, having left Conference side Barnet FC, so it is hoped that there is some good news along these lines next week.

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Make or break time for some AFCB players

While Eddie Howe performed miracles with the team last season and has got the players performing at a high level in the Championship it could be a vital period for many of them between now and the summer. It is important that Eddie sifts out the players that are not going to feature in the first team as soon as he can. I had expected more to go last summer, but with the amount of injuries the team has suffered this season it has been good that the squad numbers were kept fairly high.

Still there are players that have not featured this season and perhaps are unlikely to. Joe Partington is a long term project and a young one for the future and his loan move to Aldershot should be just what he needs to get match fit. Jayden Stockley is another that we can put in this category and hopefully he does well in his spell at Torquay. It seems he will now been joined by Chris Hargreaves who becomes Torquay's new manager and leaves AFCB's backroom staff as first team coach. We all wish Chris the very best as his input certainly helped AFCB to the position it is now in with Eddie and Jason.

Looking after our young players is the way to go if AFCB can build a system like the Saints, where local talent is brought through the ranks. It is the big earners who don't quite fit that are probably the ones that need permanent moves.

Keeping the incentive going for our young players could mean loan spells elsewhere.

Yet the club has also bought big with Miles Addison and Matt Tubbs and while they have now gone out on loan, Matt for the second time, I can't see them staying at AFCB beyond the summer. Darryl Flahavan is on a one year contract and may be surplus to requirement with Lee Camp joining the team. At left back Ian Harte may just be here until the summer and Richard Hughes has been used sparingly. 

Ian Harte will still be hoping to play some more games at AFCB.

Other players that are also probably playing to stay part of Eddie Howe's plans going forward could include Josh McQuoid, Donal McDermott and Wes Fogden. None of them have had much time because of injury but they don't have long to impress Eddie before the summer arrives. There are already rumours that Pompey could be interested in Wes Fogden. I have heard nothing about Stephane Zubar who was linked with Bury last season, but he is also still on AFCB's books. Stephen Purches may also end his playing days this summer.

You could also say that there are question marks over Mohamed Coulibaly who has not really played yet and Tokelo Rantie who has not hit the ground running. It is an important few months for them as with all our players.

Whatever the decisions that are made, it is clear that a few players that may not be here much longer and that does not even include Wes Thomas, who has the opportunity to move this January. Andrew Surman is also on loan and will return to Norwich City in the summer.

When you look at the picture as a whole there will be a fair bit of rebuilding and it may be good to move a few out this window with gradual replacement. It should be an exciting period though because Eddie Howe has never really had the money to make his team, and this time around he is likely to be better funded than any Bournemouth manager in the past. Much of the building will probably come this summer, but between January and May it should be a real testing time for players who want to stay at the club.  

McQuoid will need to get up to speed fast

Eddie Howe loves pulling a surprise on everyone and while it had been strongly rumoured that Josh McQuoid was on his way back it was a slight shock to see him in the starting line up against Ipswich Town. Josh played just in behind Lewis Grabban and managed to play for an hour without any problems which was good to see. I expect that he would have liked to mark his comeback with a goal, but he did not have many shots that I recall. His linking play with O'Kane, Grabban and Surman was reasonably good and he looked like he was on his way to being sharp enough to contribute even more to the team.

Josh will have his eyes on more starts.

Can he find the clinical finishing touch to help the Cherries?

I don't think Eddie Howe could expect too much more from him in his first competitive match back in the Championship. Ipswich were hardly going to give McQuoid an easy ride and the good thing is that Josh did not look out of place in the side, because I think it was a big ask to make him come straight back in to the starting 11.

Next match we could well see Arter resume normal service in the middle which may mean McQuoid has to settle for a space on the subs bench, but I think he is a good option to have and on his day he can score some valuable goals. Firepower is something that I think AFCB will need to get them further up the league. While most of the top clubs have a striker who is getting the 20 goals a season, the Cherries will need to have many of their midfield players contributing to the goal tally because we don't have an £8 million striker yet. Hold that thought just for a year - Grabban is work in progress.

I think McQuiod has a few more gears which he can go through yet and when he does get to his optimum match fitness I believe he will surprise a few AFCB supporters. He is a quality player that has not been at his best in the past, but 2014 is a new year and a fresh start for Josh. He could have had no bigger incentive than his manager letting him go straight into the starting line up last match, so let's hope he can start to payback Eddie Howe with some memorable goals.