Rantie's continued absence will not help his cause

I read with great sadness the article on Tokelo Rantie's continued absence from pre-season training posted on Sowetan Community News. I can understand that Tokelo is disappointed with his lack of first team opportunities at AFCB and his injury in the FA Cup Third Round at Birmingham was a major disappointment for him and fans alike. Back in South Africa now, his continued refusal to meet up with Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall in the USA for pre-season training, according to the article. This would only be likely to harm his chances of finding a swift exit from the Cherries' hold on him.

Tokelo Rantie is still under contract as an AFCB player until August 2017.

Apparently Tokelo has not found it at all easy to settle in England and wants to remain in South Africa, according to the local newspaper article, even though the clubs there could not afford his transfer fee. There was interest from European clubs last January and if he could get himself fit this summer he could easily engineer himself a move. For AFCB though that might only be a loan spell at another English club and perhaps that is not what Tokelo is striving for.

Either way, he needs to talk to AFCB and sort out his future. It is a waste of talent for him not to be plying his trade with a team that can benefit from his services. Bafana Bafana also start playing their World Cup Qualifiers in October and he needs to be happy in what he is doing by then to give of his best for his national team.

If AFCB can sort out a move for Lee Tomlin then you would think they could put Tokelo Rantie's best interests at hear and find him a club that he wants to play for if he can't fit in at Dean Court. Leeds Utd are said to be interested in signing Tokelo.

Update
Rantie's Twitter feed has had a lot of support denouncing Soweto Community News as writing lies. I asked Tokelo Rantie to respond but received no answer. It is good to see there is a lot of good will for Rantie from AFCB fans and it is quite possible that like Max Gradel's rehabilitation in the Ivory Coast, Eddie Howe and AFCB have given permission for Tokelo to recover in South Africa.

Former AFCB player news
Congratulations to Jayden Stockley who scored his first goal for Aberdeen yesterday in a 3-0 win over FK Ventspils.

What are the lessons from the Tomlin debacle?

AFCB's transfer history has been mixed in recent seasons. While Eddie Howe returned to the club in 2012 with a new squad fairly freshly assembled, by Paul Groves and Shaun Brooks, it has been piecemeal additions to the squad since then with some excellent signatures like Callum Wilson, Josh King, Ryan Fraser, Adam Smith and Max Gradel, but also some less successful additions like Tokelo Rantie, Juan Iturbe and yes Lee Tomlin.

Lee had high hopes when he joined AFCB of being a top Premier League player.

The Tomlin signing should have been a reasonably safe squad signing. He played extremely well in 2014-15 for Middlesbrough and was instrumental in that sides fourth round FA Cup win against the stellar stars of Man City. But as soon as he signed for AFCB it was an up hill battle for him to recover his fitness and form, while it looked even harder for him to find a real bond with the team. His lack of games was ultimately unsettling for him and then his frustration came out.

Lee Tomlin is now set to join Bristol City if he agrees terms.

But what can AFCB take from the experience of Lee Tomlin's period at the club. It is easy to say very little, but picking players with the desire and ability to take on some of the feelings that AFCB is no ordinary club is not simple to get across to players that have come from bigger clubs. It is a warning that could well repeat itself more often in the future as AFCB are now in the market for signing players from Europe's elite, and even further afield. The pillars that are important to Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall, which are the roots of AFCB, have to be bought into if a player is going to succeed at Bournemouth. It has been a feature of the side that there are no real stars. No one gets above their station or has a right to feel that they are more important than anyone else in the team, and that is really some of the defining elements that have given AFCB that feeling of togetherness. Moreover, that success is better when it is experienced by everyone as a group.

There will be more Lee Tomlins and I only hope that fans recognise that there are no guarantees that everyone is a good fit for their club no matter how good a player they may be. Hopefully Bristol City is a better fit for Lee. 


Not sure who AFCB should sign this summer? Have a go at making your own player - see side bar for Qzzr player maker, then tweet or Facebook your created player.

How fast can AFCB's fan base grow?

The size of the Cherries' fan base is tiny against some of the mid-table sides in the Premier League let along the top ones. It is a disadvantage and yet getting a ground and the supporters to fill a stadium that would see 14,529 gathered to watch a game would have been progress, even if only a small advance. But now that has been put on hold and AFCB have held back on raising ticket prices even though other Premier League clubs will have bigger revenue streams with their larger fan bases. 

At least no ground expansion means AFCB fans can expect
little added problems in getting away from the ground after games next season.

This big hope is that the club may find that overseas support will also have its effect on how the club is viewed as it starts its second season at the top level. Merchandise like the new striped away shirt and kit will be available to anyone over the Internet and while walking down the street in Bournemouth might not turn that many peoples' eyes it probably would if you were in Kula Lumpa or Istanbul.

Official AFCB photo of new away kit.

The appeal of AFCB is unlikely to diminish while it keeps upsetting the odds. The Americans in particular like the underdog and I am not surprised that the club has found new supporters over there. They may have to watch games streamed on TV but they are knowledgeable about the players and the way the team plays. 

I'm evening starting to wonder if AFCB's players will be targets for foreign-based clubs rather than just the domestic competition. Every time that AFCB play games though that are shown on global TV screens that fan base will rocket and we could be on the verge of seeing a very different AFCB in only two or three years from now. Eddie Howe still believes we are at the start of the journey and I suspect that there are many more that will tag along for the ride yet.

I'm also like many fans who want the club to keep playing its games in Kings Park and that it has managed to do so at this level I think is tremendous. The improvements are likely to keep coming though if the side can prolong its time in this league and there will be decisions to be made over how to attract more fans and how to ensue that they can come and see games. The expansion may be on hold this summer but success on the pitch will make it more and more difficult to ignore that something has to be done about getting a wider audience to see home games.


Transfer News and gossip
Sky News announced that a bid for Lee Tomlin had been accepted last night by AFCB. While the amount is undisclosed it has taken a full month of rumours before Bristol City came up with a bid, but an escape for Tomlin can be no surprise for AFCB fans.

The Daily Express insists that Potruguese star Raul Meireles has agreed terms with AFCB, but the Daily Echo dismisses claims that the Cherries are interested in the Fenerbahce midfielder.

Meanwhile, Tokelo Rantie is being linked with Kaiser Chiefs in South Africa and SonderjyskE in Denmark.

Tomlin can go at cut price

Watching all the gossip on Social media and the Bristol Post it would appear that Lee Tomlin won't be at AFCB much longer. It is clear that the Robins' fans are keen to land their man even if AFCB have not been in a hurry to cut ties with the former Middlesbrough striker. 

Lee Tomlin has made no secret of his dissatisfaction at not playing games at AFCB.

Whether the price is £2.5m or £1.5m I don't think Cherries fans are that bothered. Tomlin's signing was not good for the player or AFCB, and if the striker can find employment elsewhere I don't think too many would be upset at Dean Court. I had kind of hoped that Middlesbrough might even come back in for him but even Aitor Karanka has higher targets now that the Boro have been promoted.

Arguably Tomlin never got a run in the team at AFCB. He didn't recover quickly from injury and never looked fully match fit, but he did okay for Bristol City with six goals in 18 games. His decision to speak out though about what should or should not be happening with his playing or not last January was a mistake that looks like it has cost him his Premier League dream for the moment. He may even be kicking himself that he did not bide his time at Middlesbrough a bit longer rather than jump ship to AFCB. You can't have regrets though in football. AFCB will move on and so will Lee.

The main thing is that Lee should get an opportunity to play his football for someone and if that is Bristol City I hope he does well for them. Any reduction in wages due to players being taken off AFCB's books is just business. 

Friendlies
Last night Matt Ritchie turned out for Scotland in a friendly against Euro 2016 favourites France and the Scots were well beaten 3-0. Adam Federici was an unused sub in Australia's friendly against Greece which the Aussie's won 1-0.

Who is for the chop at AFCB?

There has been no announcement of which players are not going to be wearing an AFCB shirt next season but we can guess that one or two are more than likely packing their bags in anticipation of a sharp exit.

Top of the pile has to be Lee Tomlin who has done really well since he went out on loan in January to Bristol City. While there was the complimentary acknowledgement that Lee announced that he wants to prove himself at AFCB, he has probably seen a great opportunity melt away at AFCB. Lee has shown that when he concentrates on his football that he is a player that can do the business, at least at the Championship level and Fulham or Newcastle might well be in need of his services.

I don't think there will be too much delay on Glenn Murray also hanging around as he did not join the Cherries to miss out on match day squads or to sit on the bench. The signing of Benik Afobe really sent out a signal that his days are numbered and I wonder if he will entertain a return to Brighton where he did so well before.

The interesting striker who AFCB may have trouble in shifting is Tokelo Rantie. There was talk last winter that Malmo might be interested in having him back, but a string of injuries and non-appearances will make it hard for the club to demand a fee for him even though he still has a year on his contract to run. Maybe Russell Slade at Cardiff City will take him as he is said to be an admirer but Slade himself is linked to the manager vacancy at Blackburn Rovers.

Lee Tomlin probably tops the list for most AFCB fans to be sent packing.

There has to be a question mark over Bailly Cargill as well, because he needs to bring into the first team and to play regular football. With Simon Francis moving across to centre-half there is one less space available and it may enable Championship sides to consider trying to make a bid for the talented AFCB Academy graduate. I hope Bailly continues to fight for his place, but another long season on loan is surely on the cards for him. And what of Rhoys Wiggins? He has singed a two-and-a-half year contract but is he going to play any football at Dean Court? As soon as Tyrone Mings is back in full health surely Rhoys Wiggins will be looking for a fast train out of Bournemouth.

While Ryan Allsop has been on the loan track it is getting harder to see an improvement in his performances and it could be a parting of the ways this summer. Personally, I'd like to see at least one new keeper. Sylvain Distin had retirement already on his mind before coming to the south coast and I can't see him wanting to bench warm for another season down here. Juan Iturbe we can add to the list with his limited number of appearances that should alert clubs of the calibre of Malaga waiting in the wings. 

My gut feeling is that Eunan O'Kane and Shaun MacDonald will manage to stay around but still find it more or less impossible to get int the side, especially if Howe strengthens this area as expected. As mentioned before though in previous posts, there could be a surprise release from the squad that has served the club so well if Eddie Howe can find higher quality players within his budget - so watch out Elphick, Federici, Wiggins etc...

Euro 2016 - England trundle along with no organisation against the Turks

Is Lewis Cook an ideal candidate for the Cherries?

There has been significant chatter about Lewis Cook since last January and while the 19-year-old Leeds midfielder has signalled his desire to develop at the Yorkshire club it is apparent that Eddie Howe rates him highly and is looking to add more strengthen to the midfield area of the team. 

Being another young British player in the Championship will no doubt raise his price, but Eddie has always talked well of Leeds manager Steve Evans and, if he could drag Steve Fletcher way from him when he was at Crawley, believe me Eddie will be respectfully listened to be Steve Evans, as they both know that Lewis Cook is destined for the Premier League and they may both agree that AFCB is a good place for him to start that education if Leeds can't offer the player that.

We have seen how difficult it is to integrate foreign players into the team in recent season and the home-grown players are stronger in AFCB's side than just about any other Premier League club. The incentive for Lewis Cook is clear if he wants to play at the higher level and the Cherries have been more vulnerable when Harry Arter picks up injuries. 

Eddie appears to be changing the team by bringing in mainly young energetic players now. The players at the club will have had a season in the Premier League and can help those that have not yet experienced that. The next season in particular is the best time to pick the riches of the lower leagues as AFCB's players still have clear knowledge of the difference between League One, the Championship and the Premier League. When you have seen it and done it, it is far easier for young players to take the leap and come on board, and like Dele Alli we have seen that some players can quickly adapt to the top league if they are given the chance.

There is also another factor that I believe makes Lewis Cook tan ideal man for Eddie Howe to go after. It is the dressing room. We have seen with Lee Tomlin that when players fall out of line they are quickly moved on, and there is a better chance of integrating players that want to prove themselves and don't believe they have already made it, just because they are at a club like AFCB. Lewis Cook will hopefully have a long career ahead of him and while Leeds fans won't want to lose another quality player like Sam Byram, who went to West Ham Utd, it will be hard for the player to keep resisting the attentions of AFCB and other Premier League clubs this summer, while Leeds Utd can almost name their price this summer.

Is time already ticking down on Glenn Murray's AFC Bournemouth career? See my latest Shoot article.

Premier Talk - Newcastle's biggest mistake was taking their time to replace McClaren

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.

Anyone know where Tomlin will be Saturday?

Lee Tomlin has had one of those weeks. I can't say if he has blown his opportunity to play at AFCB again or not, but if the club does not include him in the squad at Fratton Park then we'll know the reason why.

Social media is not always a player's friend these days and if Lee has fallen foul of it he won't have been the first or the last to have misjudged the situation in a rash moment of finger typing. Lee would certainly be a strong candidate to be picked for the FA Cup against Portsmouth if he was fit and was in everyone's good books. He needs games, everyone understands that, but I wonder if he'll be able put his head down now. Josh King was picked for the U21 match in midweek along with Juan Iturbe who rattled in a hat-trick, so with that kind of competition for places Eddie will not be short of options for Saturday's match if Lee is given time out to reflect on matters.

Out of favour Lee Tomlin is already being linked with
Leeds Utd and Hull City of the Championship and now Bristol City as well.

While the FA Cup may be seen as a proving ground for players though I'd like to see some of the other youngsters get a chance on Saturday. Jordan Green or Brandon Goodship could be among those who could make the bench and might get some exciting news this week if they train well. Now that Yann Kermorgant has departed, and Tokelo Rantie was injured at Birmingham, there should be doors opening for others. It is only right that hard work and ability be rewarded and we have already seen Jordan Lee and Matt Butcher benefit from playing in the last round of the FA Cup. We can see that Callum Buckley had a few minutes in midweek against Gillingham's U21 side as well as Keelan O'Connell and Jordan Lee. The big plus points though was to hear that both Josh King and Tommy Elphick came through the game okay.

The management of players is always a key aspect of running a successful football club and while Eddie Howe must reconcile the desire for the club to progress in every competition, he also has to balance that with giving the players that deserve it the opportunity to play. I think the squad selection for the Pompey match will be keenly observed.

Transfer Window swaps!
Just in case you do want chuck a few AFCB players out of the squad, have a go at the betway Premier League 16 Swap Shop. You can Tweet and Facebook your three swaps - not sure about the starting 11 for AFCB or the limitless budget, but it's just a bit of fun.

Is Lee Tomlin on the way out?

Earlier in the week, Neil Perrett at the Bournemouth Echo broke the story that Lee Tomlin could be offered in a player/cash deal to attract Leeds' midfielder Lewis Cook to Dean Court. Social media seemed to be driving this rumour though, with Alex Nixon of the Sun only writing that AFCB were renewing their interest with a player and cash for the talented 18-year-old at Leeds. Now the Daily Mail has identified Leeds Utd and Hull City to be definitely interested in the former Middlesbrough striker.

Is Lee Tomlin facing the exit door at AFCB?

Tomlin’s fortunes have not been a big success yet at Bournemouth, but he has only just really come back from injury and has not had a series of games to get match fit. While the signings of Lewis Grabban and Benik Afobe have perhaps pushed him further down the pecking order, he has only been at the club some six months and such a fast turnaround would suggest that Lee is not the player the Cherries expected him to be, if they are not going to give him more of a chance.

Even though Eddie Howe is keen to keep as many of his squad as he can, while hoping to make progress in the FA Cup, as we as bolster options for the Premier League run-in, we have already seen Yann Kermorgant and Elliott Ward depart the club this week and there could be more out-goings this January. 

It does appear that the squad needs trimming, perhaps as much for financial fair play as much as for the wages. While Josh Wakefield is having a trial at Walsall and Filippo Costa has gone back to Chievo with his loan cut short and Joe Bennett returned to Aston Villa, there have not been more than a trickle of players coming off the wage bill. AFCB have spent big already this week and some balancing of the books is probably in order.

While a move up to Yorkshire would perhaps be closer to the northeast and Lee Tomlin's former Middlesbrough haunts, any move for him at this stage would appear to admit that it has not worked out for him moving down south. As a club that prides itself on bring on players and getting the best out of them, I think it would be a real shame if Lee's time with the Cherries is cut short. Yet, if he has been told chances for him will be limited then he has every right to try and get some games elsewhere.

Tomlin's off the mark

Lee Tomlin has probably not had as good a start to his AFCB career as he would have liked. He simply has not played many games and has been suffering with little niggles early season. It is an important time for Lee with Benik Afobe joining the club and other players coming back to fitness. He needs to get regular games and the pressure for Lee to get more involved is something he should relish now.

Lee Tomlin got hi AFCB scoring record going with a powerful
 spot kick against Birmingham City in the F Cup.

During the game against Birmingham I thought Lee made a few trademark dribbling runs and started to look a bit more like the player who had such a strong influence on the Middlesbrough side last season. He has tough competition for a place now and Eddie Howe has been building a team that is fit for the second half of the season when goals are going to be needed if the club is to avoid the bottom three. Lee is a player that unlocks doors for other but he also needs to get on the score sheet and having not started since the Stoke away game in September he will have been delighted to have slotted away his penalty against Birmingham.

Yann Kermorgant who also played against Birmingham would perhaps have been the more expected penalty taker but Lee showed how much he wanted to get off the mark by getting the ball and blasting his kick down the middle. His reaction was very much as if he was putting some demons away as he punched the air in celebration. It felt to me like Lee was saying he is here now and ready to play and contribute. 

I think Eddie Howe has a difficult job to keep players like Yann Kermorgant, Lee Tomlin and Tokelo Rantie getting minutes in games, but there should be some opportunities for them to impress from the bench and who knows whether that could lead to some starts. 

However, it seems that far from being satisfied with just adding Benik Afobe in the front line, Eddie Howe is now going back after Lewis Grabban, according to SkySports.

The Cherries leave it late to squeeze past Birmingham 1-2

Match Report

FA Cup

Third Round

9 January 2016

Birmingham City 1 v 2 AFCB

Attendance: 13,140

The players greet each other at St Andrews.

The Cherries returned to winning ways with a close game in the third round of the FA Cup against Championship side Birmingham City. St Andrews was fairly empty as the Blues fans may not have seen AFCB as the big draw they may have wished for, but the crowd had plenty of good football to see with Birmingham scoring first from a free kick after 40 minutes that was headed in by Michael Morrison. The lead did not last long though as three minutes later Eunan O'Kane was taken down in the box and Lee Tomlin scored his first goal for the Cherries from the spot. Birmingham squandered a great chance to take the lead on 59 minutes after Kieftenbeld had been fouled in the box and new signing James Vaughan blasted his penalty over the bar. Glenn Murray then made the Blues pay for their wastefulness by stabbing home from close range in the 86th minute to put the Cherries through to the fourth round.

Baily Cargill takes on captain duties.

See more pictures on Match Day Gallery.

Anyone who picked the same side as Eddie Howe before the game did extremely well. He mixed things up with several U21 players such as Baily Cargill, Jason Lee and Matt Butcher making starts, while Elliot Ward was back from his loan at Huddersfield to fit on the subs bench. AFCB set up as a 4-4-2 with debutants Butcher at right back and Jordan Lee in the left back slot, while Tomlin started off on the right wing and Pugh on the left with Kermorgant and Rantie up front.

Gary Rowlett put out a reasonably strong team with new signing James Vaughan leading the line with Andrew Shinnie and top scorer Jacques Maghoma on the bench.

The early part of the match was dominated by Birmingham as Solomon-Otabor was putting in some devilish crosses and giving Jordan Lee a hard time at right back. Shinnie should have done better with Solomon's first minute cross, but he hit his shot straight over. Sylvan Distin than conceded the first corner after six minutes.

Birmingham were coming forward with good strength and Shinnie put in a great cross across the six yard box, but there was no Birmingham player around to get on the end of it.

There was plenty of banter between the two sets of fans with the Blues predictably singing "you're going down with the Villa."

But Macca was starting to get hold of the game and with Pugh switching to the right side much of Birmingham's attacking play became more controllable. Sylvan Distin was unusually finding it hard to get his passing accuracy going though and when closed down by Shinnie and Kieftenbeld, the ball ran to Solomon who had his shot blocked by Cargill for another corner. The resultant volley by Kieftenbeld went well wide though on 15 minutes.

Bournemouth were making more progress though and Pugh had a shot saved after good work from Lee Tomlin. The Cherries came closer still on 21 minutes when Yann Kermorgant got up well and crashed his header against the bar with Legzdins then saving the second attempt. Lee Tomlin was also looking to run past people and was getting into shooting positions. Birmingham were blocking well though and the biggest gasps came when MacDonald drifted in from the left only to shoot just wide of the right post.

Birmingham fans were not so happy with the AFCB chanting for Eddie and Tindall to give the away fans a wave, but when they asked for Gary to wave to them the AFCB fans said that he could not hear them and chanted themselves for Gary Rowett to wave, which he duly did to much applause and laughter from both sets of fans. How many mangers would do that? Good on Gary Rowett.

Tomlin and O'Kane were quick to get Pugh cutting in from the right and he ran across the box before letting a shot go back towards the right post that was deflected for AFCB's first corner. Pugh again came close on 36 minutes when he hammered a shot over when coming in on the angle fro the right.

The deadlock was broken though when Birmingham won a free kick on the right wing. Rantie had meanwhile sat down and had to come off with Matt Ritchie coming on in his place. Cotterill then delivered his cross and Michael Morrison headed the ball wide of Federici to the bottom right corner of the goal and Birmingham were 1-0 up.

The response was pretty immediate with O'Kane getting knocked by Grounds in the penalty area and Lee Tomlin was given the task of scoring. He had to wait a while but slammed the ball right down the middle to make it 1-1 just before half time.

All Square.

The players are out for the second half.

Second Half
Birmingham made two subs at the start of the second half. Cotterill was replaced by Maghoma and Eardley made way for Lowry. AFCB started the second half much better and quickly won a corner from Tomlin's goal attempt. MacDonald volleyed over from the corner.

It wasn't one way traffic though. Shinnie was given space by Solomon and shot just wide. AFCB were trying to step it up though with Eunan O'Kane making Legzdin save low down to his right. An even better move followed with Pugh putting in a low cross that MacDonald attempted to score from with a back heel just like Rooney did last week, but Macca's did not quite get enough on it and the ball went wide of the right post!

Just when AFCB seemed to have a hold on the game though a rash challenge from O'Kane on Kieftenbeld saw the referee point to the spot. James Vaughan's big moment had arrived. It would mean everything for him to score but with AFCB fans chanting for Adam Federici and the tension building, Vaughan hammered his penalty miles over the bar! 

There were 30 minutes to go and the rain was coming down heavily now. Pugh was looking AFCB's best hope as he put another shot wide. Birmingham almost benefited from the referee getting in the way and Kieftenbeld and Shinnie breaking, but Distin got a tackle in. Then Maghoma caught out Cargill at the back and broke into the box where he beat Ritchie and shot against the far post! Then Shinnie hit the post on the follow up! And as Toral shot Distin ensured it went wide, as the offside flag went up.

Rowett brought on John Toral for Solomon on 68 minutes.  Toral wasted no time in getting a shot in but Distin sliced his clearance for a corner.

Kermorgant was also replaced by Glenn Murray with 13 minutes to go and Baily Cargill won a corner at the other end. It was end-to end. AFCB brought on Steve Cook in place of Jordan Lee at right back. It was a good call because Cook's cross moments later caused mayhem in Birmingham's box with O'Kane making a great diving header that Legzdin could only parry out and Pugh tried to knock the ball in, before Murray found himself in the right spot to stab home from just a yard out before Legzdin could get hold of it - 1-2! 

That was not the end of the excitement. Ritchie almost made it 1-3 when he jumped on to a Mac Pugh cross and headed it against the foot of the left post. Up the other end Vaughan had his shot blocked and then won a corner. Vaughan had an even better chance to come but when Maghoma got his cross in Vaughan did not manage to get a shot away, perhaps with the slippery conditions just putting him off. 

Ritchie applauds the fans as Distin gives his top away to a young Cherry fan.

Full time- AFCB make it through to the Fourth round.

Summary
This was a very entertaining cup match. Birmingham fans will feel they were robbed and you can't really disagree with that. They played well enough for a draw and while AFCB had to resort to players like Ritchie and Murray coming on to win the game, it was a good experience for the young players that came into the side and brave of Eddie to play the youngsters at the back. The encouraging performance was that of Marc Pugh for me who just got stronger as the game went on. Shuan MacDonald also showed he is the true professional and could play far more games than he does for this AFCB side.

AFCB Player Ratings
Federici 7, Lee 6, Cargill 6, Distin 6, Butcher 7, Pugh 8, MacDonald 7, O'Kane 6,
Tomlin 6, Kermorgant 6, Rantie 5 (Ritchie 6)

Referee Watch: Mike Jones - 5/10. Not sure how clear-cut the penalties were but he was fairly even with his decisions.

Birmingham City
Legzdins, Eardley (Lowry 45), Morrison, Spector, Grounds, Cotterill (Maghoma 45), Davis,
Kieftenbeld, Solomon-Otabor (Toral 68), Shinnie, Vaughan

Blues' Subs
Kuszczak, Gleeson, Donaldson, Maghoma, Toral, Lowry, Brock-Madsen

AFCB
Federici, Lee (Cook 84), Cargill, Distin, Butcher, Pugh, MacDonald, O'Kane, Tomlin, 
Kermorgant (Murray 78 ), Rantie (Ritchie 39)

Cherries' Subs
Allsop, Cook, Ward, Murray, Ritchie, Wakefield, Green

A win would make Eddie Howe's birthday

I was very honoured as an AFCB fan to be invited to my first press conference yesterday as I listened to Eddie Howe preview today's match against Everton and to shed some light on how the training had been going this week. There were only a few journalists present as a Friday conference does not attract so many media contacts when they just have an evening before the game. But there was one impression that certainly came across clearly to those hanging on Eddie's every word - he won't have much of a happy 38th birthday on Sunday if his team does not come away from the Vitality stadium with three points against Everton.

It was also Junior Stanislas' birthday on Friday and Eddie Howe was first to say that he hoped he had a big game. I imagine scoring a goal on your birthday must be better then ever for a footballer and the Cherries certainly need more good fortune in front of goal than they had last home match. Eddie might not be able to score the goals himself, but he'll be celebrating if he wins this one and he feels AFCB are edging closer to a win when considering the last two games.

"Those two games have been right up there in terms of our performances in a long, long time. Dominant with the ball, dominant in terms of chances, just haven't got the elusive goals when we've needed them. Unfortunately we have shipped a couple in when we looked totally safe. So it's frustration on our part, as we feel we are close to winning games but obviously that has to be proved. We have to go out in the nest few games and put that right," Eddie commented.

I was so keen on listening to what Eddie had to say that
I never get round to taking his photo but hey, I'll get hime next time.

"Definitely the effort is there. I've always complimented my players on work ethic, their professionalism, their desire and motivation levels. We hit top marks for all those points. I think where we have mainly fallen down this season is a couple of incidents where luck has certainly played a part and we've been on the wrong side of that for the majority of the season. A few decisions have gone against us and all these things play big parts in games. And, at times we've made individual mistakes that have cost us," said Eddie.

That is not to say that the team is down or not believing in itself. Eddie continued,"I don't see anything other than this team improving and getting better as the season progresses."

Eddie realises that it won't be easy though to upset the likes of Everton. "When you watch them play as we have, they are very impressive which is no surprise under Roberto Martinez. The job he has done at Swansea and Wigan and the way he has stuck to his football plan. He is now developing that at Everton and they are an enjoyable team to watch, " added Eddie. 

AFCB's players are in the background just finishing off their
training before Eddie gave the press conference. Lee Tomlin has recovered but
Pugh and Boruc won't take part in the Everton game.

"For us I'd like to think we are on an upward curve and this will be an exciting game.

"They have a good balance of physicality and pace. I think it will be a difficult game for us. They are a dangerous opponent," Eddie concluded.

A big thanks to Max Fitzgerald for inviting me to the press conference! If things work out I'll do a feature on the Man Utd press conference in a few weeks time. Enjoy the game today everyone. I'm looking forward to this one. UTCIAD!


Other matters
Kelly Somers (@Kesomers) at the club made me aware that Mike Parry of Talk Sport is going to make good his ill judged prediction that the Cherries would not get promoted last season by donating £1000 to Julia's House before the game on the centre circle. If you would like to also support the charity which Eddie Howe is patron of why not donate yourself by buying some brilliant locally scened Christmas cards from their site - just £4 for 10. 

The Newsletter will be out early as I'm travelling next week. Keep checking the blog as I'm not sure how easy it will be to post at my usual times. 

Look out tomorrow for the Cherry Chimes' December Newsletter which brings you the best stories on the blog and the thoughts behind them from last month, plus there is a special Newsletter article entitled: Has Rantie missed a chance?

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Urgent: AFCB need two strikers in January

If the January window is to be salvation for the Cherries then they'll have to be successful in that market with at least two strikers coming into the squad. We have seen Eddie look to find goals with Glenn Murray and with Josh King, Junior Stanislas, Lee Tomlin, Tokelo Rantie and Yann Kermorgant, but January offers an opportunity to restructure and it will surely be the most important part of AFCB's season in terms of deciding their fate.

The difficulty is in finding the right type of strikers and ones that come at the right price. Whether that means buying abroad or from a Premier League team, I think a pedigree striker or even two is really the additions that will be required to start getting the Cherries more results. It is not that the team's play does not control games or create chances. There are weaknesses in areas at the back, but if they have a goalscorer that can snap up chances they would be much higher up the table.

AFCB's forwards don't have long to impress.

Without more firepower it is hard to see how AFCB are going to buck the trend in the results that we are currently seeing. There is a financial structure to the Premier League and keeping ahead of that was always going to be very difficult but the team deserves an addition or two who can put away chances. The level of passing throughout the team is better than many in the league and yet some of the other teams have that striker that is able to put away the odd chance that keep them out of the bottom three.

With the news that Peak6 has joined the investors at the club it is now possible that Eddie Howe will have more spending power in January, but who does he go for? Charlie Austin is keen to stay at QPR, Dwight Gayle has Norwich City watching him, Lewis Grabban is finding it hard to get games at Norwich, Jordan Rhodes is wanted by Middlesbrough. Eddie has to find a striker that can take to the Premier League straight away and someone who is prolific - he may not go British this time.

Whoever Eddie gets in will be a gamble, but it is hard to see how the team won't be hoping for a very productive January window to boost it's chances of beating the drop.

Why are subs struggling to make an impact?

The Cherries toiled away against Newcastle last week creating plenty of chances to score. While they did not take them in the first 70 minutes, it was expected that the substitutions with 20 minutes to go would make a difference. Eddie Howe seemed bemused why the changes though had not sharpened the scoring edge of the team. Fresh legs alone should have had some kind of effect, but Newcastle looked more comfortable in the last 20 minutes than at any other part of the game.

AFCB subs are struggling to make an impact. Without as much pace in
the team, and on the bench, it has been difficult to transform the team.

That is not great news for the players that came on. However, Lee Tomlin, Yann Kermorgant and Tokelo Rantie may not individually been at fault. If the team stops functioning as a whole in pressing forward and making opportunities, then it is hard for those coming on to lift everyone else. Firstly, the new players need to be able to get on the ball. They also have to be comfortable in fitting into the system that is being played and with Yann Kermorgant initially playing on his own up front, the team did not manage to find him enough. When Rantie entered the game and went up front on his own, he found himself drifting out to the wings a bit and had a difficult take trying to hold the ball up.

It should be remembered that McClaren also made changes in the second half. Cisse came on for Mitrovic as early as the 63rd minute and Thauvin replaced Perez on 77 minutes. This seemed to make Newcastle more sturdy and Cisse had quite a few runs at the Cherries eve if he did run offside more often than not.

I did wonder if anything why Howe did not make his subs earlier. The team was creating chances at the start of the second half, but on 60 minutes the game was crying out for a change and it is the usual time when a change is made by AFCB. Giving Rantie just 11 minutes though is not giving him much opportunity to make an impact, and if he had been given longer and a few chances to run at the Newcastle back line, he might have had the chance to get that vital goal. Still I am sure Eddie Howe will look at matters in that second half and try and fathom out why the game died away so easily, and how the subs might make more of a difference next time. UTCIAD!

Eddie's still looking to get the balance right

Eddie Howe is still looking for the best way to set up the team with what he has both at home and away. He will have thought he had it right when the game kicked off at St Mary's, but it was not tilted in a way that would see AFCB able to have a threat of their own, as well as stave off attacks from the opposition. The Cherries are still in transition and looking to get the balance between a defensive and attacking team right.

In some ways you could say that the 2-0 defeat at Southampton was an improvement on the Man City away performance. There were no real individual mistakes though in this game, even if Distin was out powered for the second goal. It was more a case of quality delivery and execution on the part of Southampton. What was disappointing was the inability of the midfield to get up with Murray and to provide any sustained possession in the first half.

I think Josh King will look a different player if he can just get off the mark.

We are used to seeing Simon Francis and Charlie Daniels find their way up to and beyond the half way line and to overlap, but Pugh and Ritchie were having enough difficulty in getting into the opposition's half let alone the full backs. That was in some way down to a need to stay compact having suffered heavy defeats in the last few weeks. It's not the Cherries' natural game and Eddie Howe may have to rethink what he does away from home, especially after the dramatic improvement in the second half.

What Howe needs is options and with Tomlin, King and Stanislas now offering that there is a need to work out what will keep the team playing on the front foot when up against the strong teams. AFCB have difficulty in getting clean sheets, but they are not going to win many games if they simply try and defend for 90 minutes either. 

8 hours ago

My latest Shoot article is now online - The Premier League is relentless

A lack of inventiveness?

The team was said to perhaps lack a bit of inventiveness when Eddie Howe was interviewed after the south coast derby. That is not something very characteristic of a Bournemouth side and while I can see that Howe was not sure if that was point he wanted to stress after the second half of the match, he knows that the Cherries did not score and will be trying to see why that was the case.

Southampton did defend their box well even if they were hemmed in at times. Unlike the Saints, the Cherries did not find a way to get around the sides or behind the back line. By keeping play in front of them, Southampton were able to keep AFCB where they wanted them. Whether is was down to a shortage of pace or not enough clever play in and around the box on the part of Bournemouth is the question.

Can Lee Tomlin add more creativity to the team?

In the last few minutes of the game Southampton only had 10 players on the pitch. Still AFCB could not find that space often enough to take advantage. But it was during the last 10 minutes when they finally got two shots on target and so it was only late on when AFCB managed to find a way through. For a team that regularly gets at least one goal a game that is a surprise. Even against Tottenham and Man City the Cherries have scored, but they did not look like creating enough to worry Steklenburg in the Southampton goal last Sunday.

It was a great win for the U21 AFCB side, plus a few notable additions from the first team, against Luton yesterday and great to see Rantie, Tomlin and Kermorgant getting on the score sheet.

Please have a listen to the interview I gave to Michael Clair on the Socceretes' podcast site in the USA about AFCB's fortunes this season. You'll be pleased to know there is not one mention of the Saints on it either!

Cherries' glass should be half full not half empty

It is easy to get despondent when AFCB's last five results read no wins and four defeats. The Cherries can't feel down though after putting in the second half performance they did at St Mary's. If they had scored it would have been a wonderful second 45 and the fans would have been given more to sing about. But I think the pain of the two big defeats against Man City and Spurs made it absolutely vital for the players that they give a reaction to going 2-0 down at Southampton. They knew they would have to dig deep and they did, which should give fans a clear indication that the team is very much fighting to get more points on the board.  

Eddie Howe wanted the fans to be proud of the team in the derby and while they did not win I can't see any reason for supporters to not be encouraged by the fighting spirit we saw in that second half. Things weren't right in the first 45 minutes, but Southampton did not want the game to go the way it did after half time. Koeman was not impressed by his side's second half and he was quite right not to be overjoyed as AFCB bossed the half.

AFCB's players were caught off guard against
Southampton and Eddie Howe was not sure why. The second half was an amazing
turnaround though even if the Cherries did not score.

Yes we need to see that kind of performance for 90 minutes and not just 45 minutes, but against lesser teams than Southampton I feel the Cherries would have scored they way they played in that half. They must take that into the Newcastle game and look to control the game from the start. You forget that Southampton were at home and how do you think their fans felt about the second half at St Mary's. Their saving grace was that it took AFCB until the 87th minute to get a shot on target.

The positives were still many though despite another defeat for AFCB. Arter got another 70 minutes under his belt. Francis can fit in at centre back and Adam Smith was creative at right back, even if crosses from his side of the field led to Southampton goals. Eddie also now knows that he has to play with pace and I thought both Tomlin and Stanislas in particular came on wanting to prove that they were going to shoot whenever they could.

I was very sad to hear that an AFCB fan from Christchurch was badly injured after the match and ended up in hospital. I hope he makes a speedy recovery.

You can listen to a round up of the derby match with Southampton on All Departments now. Go to the All Departments' website to listen in or scroll down the panel on Cherry Chimes until you get to the All Department's sound bar.