First goal-itiss - did it contribute to AFCB downfall?

Steve Cook was clear that he felt a lot of the poor results that AFCB had in the season were not helped by conceding the first goal. Even when Bournemouth did score first that didn't always hold on to a lead. It was curious how well the team could play at times when they were really up against it, like at Man City and Everton and yet they couldn't perform at home after the restart with the exception of the Leicester City game, when even then, they didn't score first.

The first goal didn't come often enough for AFCB.

I am not sure what was happening in the players minds after the restart. They still had a good opportunity to beat the drop, but only mustered seven pints from nine games which is relegation form. West Ham pulled in 12 points, as did Brighton and Aston Villa won 10 points, only Norwich and Crystal Palace gathered less points than Bournemouth and Watford, who bot took seven points.

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Scoring first was perhaps on the teams mind, but it just didn't happen. The crushing free kick that was struck by Crystal Palace's Milivojevic completely deflated any confidence that had been gained from the pre-restart games with Chelsea and Liverpool. it was a downhill spiral from then conceding first goals to Wolves away and Newcastle at home. The Man Utd defeat was different because the players did score first and came out fighting - they were just beaten by a better team. The writing was on the wall by then, but still Bournemouth could have saved themselves. The failure to either beat Spurs and Southampton at home proved very costly. The away form had been bad all of 2020, so it was likely to turn at some point and Everton was a game where Bournemouth couldn't afford to have nerves. They duly delivered, just too late.

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Of course, Bournemouth were considered a team that made great comebacks in previous seasons, but these didn't materialise in 2019/20. The worry is not for me that the first goal didn't always come, but that the players are perhaps burnt out and will soon have to play again as a new season gets underway.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth just weren't good enough

Why did Bournemouth get the last free kick so wrong?

Tiredness may have had a part in the equaliser from Leicester City. Bournemouth had been stretched for a log period of the game and when you are very near that final whistle you just want to hear it. It never comes though and there is still a job to do. Bournemouth just made a few too many mistakes in the final moments at the King Power stadium.

Asmir Begovic came within seconds o recording a clean sheet.

BBC Radio Solent kept shouting out that there were only three men in the wall. Were they the right three players? Was a fourth man required. Was Begovic at fault? Had Bournemouth had the moment again, I have no doubt the wall would not have had three men in it, but they didn't count on the technique and skill of Mahrez to bend the ball so precisely into the vacant area of the goal.

Of course, the manager will be more annoyed with the free kick being given away by Steve Cook in the first place. It only give Leicester a better chance of grabbing the equaliser. The problem was that I believe the Bournemouth players had lost all semblance of knowing what was right to do this late in the game. Instead of calm heads it was tired bodies and sheer panic and desperation. Hoping for a whistle that isn't coming is until you have been fully tested is never a situation that I feel confident about as ab AFCB supporter. We have seen late goals against our team on too many occasions.

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Bournemouth were not going to escape at Leicester either. On balance of play, Leicester probably deserved their equaliser but it came unfairly late and took away perhaps the most important points of the season for the Cherries. Safety was snatched away in a brief moment and the players know they'll need something even more special to defend better against the visit of Spurs to Dean Court.

Arter may have to put international career first

It was sad to hear that Harry Arter has been finding it tough this week yet again with a few injuries ahead of what was building up to be the final game of the season, and his chance to put in a big performance before joining up with the Irish squad. Ireland play Mexico (1 June), Uruguay (4 June) and Austria (11 June) and Arter will no doubt want to be given every opportunity to be in at least one of the starting line ups for his country, having missed out on the Euros last season. Arter has not been lucky with injuries on top of international games and he really needs to play some games for the Republic of Ireland to try and establish himself in that team.

We may not see Harry Arter today at Leicester.

Does that mean he should miss out today and rest up rather than risk his Achilles in the game against Leicester City? Personally, if I were Harry I would think about ducking out or at least asking to go on the bench so that if he was able to play 15 minutes he could do so, but by aggravating his injury further he won't be dong himself any favours. If he starts, he knows he will be putting another trip with Ireland in jeopardy and while I am a supporter of club before country, on this one occasion with AFCB safe and Harry's rotten luck in being involved in international squads, perhaps he deserves to be rested for all his god performances during the season.

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That would not make it easy for Eddie Howe. He has Andrew Surman apparently ready to come back and Dan Gosling who has also been out for a while with an injury who could be fit again now. But to risk two players coming back from injury in the middle of the park is not ideal for a match against Leicester City away, especially when the opposition will be fired up having had a rollicking in mid-week after their 1-6 thumping by Spurs in front of their home fans.

Other options for Eddie Howe no longer include Lewis Cook who is off to South Korea for England's U20s and he could be forced to play Junior Stanislas or Marc Pugh for instance in the middle if Surman and Gosling find it hard going.

In other news, it is interesting to hear that Harry Arter's Academy has inked up with the Cherries own academy. Dos this mean Harry is fixed on staying in Bournemouth no matter what offers could come in for him?

Enjoy the last game of the season today! I'm off to Leicester, see you there. UTCIAD!


Possible AFCB Team Line up
Boruc (GK), A Smith (RB), Francis (CD), S Cook (CD), Daniels (LB), Stanislas (RW),
Arter (CM), Gosling (CM), Pugh (LW), Mousset (FW), King (FW)

Subs
Allsop, Mings, Surman, Gradel, Ibe, Fraser, Afobe

In other news, AFCB's Lewis Cook captains England U20s to a 3-0 win against holders Argentina in the U20s World Cup in South Korea. Online season ticket renewal option announced by AFCB. 

We are in exceptional times

It may seem odd but AFCB have just beaten the Champions and yet if you think about it this is the second season in a row that they have done that. Marvellous! Eddie Howe felt that he was finding that every week he was having to say these are exceptional times in AFCB's history, but writing a new chapter in the Premier League is an exciting project that will define how the club is viewed to many new supporters.

It's no longer unfashionable to be an AFCB fan.

Eddie also made reference recently to being pleased with the owners not making high demands on him and he seems keen to praise the owners who have of course made a lot of this possible for AFCB and Eddie to achieve what they have. While the club keeps winning, other problems don't seem to matter quite as much, but the pressures of this league are huge on everyone working at the club. I hope they all get a minute at some point to say we are putting smiles on faces.

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I also think AFCB fans have become accustomed to the stability and calm way that Eddie Howe goes about his business. We are lucky to have him and the sacking of Gary Rowett at Birmingham City this week just shows how easy it is for a new board and a manager to part ways. AFCB have needed that stability to get where they are today and even though the club has problems, like the decision to look for a new ground, and trying to provide more supporters a way to watch the team, there are records being broken every day. It is a shame that some fans can't be in the stadium to see some of the epic performances.

The games with Southampton have not been exactly what I would call thrillers though of late. I'm looking forward to something rather special on Sunday. Southampton might not be the Champions, but they are another important indicator of how far AFCB are progressing if the side can beat them again.