Forest's former Cherries must be sent packing

Bournemouth seem to be on the right track after beating Reading, but now is when they need to make sure they are not complacent as they take on Nottingham Forest. The visit o Forest to Bournemouth will potentially see the return of a few former Cherries in Harry Arter, Lyle Taylor and Lewis Grabban. Managed by Chris Hughton, the former Brighton manager might have fewer fond memories of visiting Dean Court.

Harry Arter - one of the old boys who could be lining up against AFCB tonight.

Nottingham Forest have only won three games this season and while they have won two of their last three games those wins were at home. But it's just one point from their last three away games. Lyle Taylor is top scorer on four goals and he is now a well-travelled striker having played in Scotland for Falkirk and Partick Thistle, as well as having spells at Sheffield Utd, Scunthorpe, AFC Wimbledon and Charlton Athletic since his time at Bournemouth. He has also played 11 of Forest's 12 games and will be the main threat for Forest against Bournemouth.

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We have also seen Harry Arter move to Forest last summer. While he has only played six times for Forest, he will be pleased just to be in the squad if he can get back to see his mates at Dean Court. He was a sub in the last game against Barnsley, so could play a part in the game. 

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Forest also have former Brighton player Anthony Knockaert, who has had good Premier League experience at Brighton and Cyrus Christie who was in the Premier League with Fulham. Sammy Ameobi has been a sub of late, but he has also had top-level experience of the Premier League at Newcastle and is a nifty winger. Joe Lolley was also part of Huddersfield's team and will know Philip Billing well. Jack Colback played for Sunderland and Newcastle in the past, while defender Michael Dawson, was a regular in both Spurs' and Hull's teams a couple of years ago.

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Lewis Grabban has been injured, and the Forest website says he could be back to training next week - so this game comes too early for him. I think we are lucky that Grabban is not expected to play, as he would be hyped to play well against the Cherries.

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Hughton is not disappointed with the amount of chances that the team is creating, but they aren't taking their chances. Take Lyle Taylor's goals out of the team and they are really struggling. We know that Hughton's teams play good possession football and they will know everything about Bournemouth's game. The first goal as ever will be important and we need to see Bournemouth make a better start than they did in their last game.

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We could see Chris Mepham and Adam Smith come back into the starting line-up and the players to be rested could be Diego Rico and Junior Stanislas. Josh King is still sidelined having tested positive for COVID-19 after the international break, but Philip Billing is back in contention for this game.

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Bournemouth haven't had a good record against teams in the lower half with a draw against Derby and QPR and a defeat at Sheffield Wednesday. Coventry City was a good result, but Bournemouth have to keep their standards high against Nottingham Forest.

Nottingham Forest Away Form
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AFCB Home Form
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Possible AFCB line-up

AFCB Subs: Travers, Simpson, Rico, Stanislas, Billing, Ofoborh, Riquelme, Gosling, Surrridge

In other news, football fans in Tier 1 and 2 will be able to go back to see football games after 2 December. Up to 4000 fans at games in Tier 1 regions and 2000 fans in Tier 2 regions.

I spoke to @MrDore_ On Tour about the AFCB v Nottingham Forest game. You can watch the match preview here.

Forest will hope ex-AFCB forward can surprise the Cherries

Lewis Grabban could make an early reconnection with AFCB when Bournemouth take on Forest at the City Ground today. While Bournemouth fans have not seen much of Grabban in recent years he will have very strong connections still with Eddie Howe and the players and staff and will be looking to find a goal scoring touch for the clash.

Lewis Grabban is likely to line up against his old team-mates.

Grabban has already been in fine form scoring for Nottingham Forest in a 2-2 draw with Oldham in pre-season, as Football League World reports. With a transfer reported to be around £6m Lewis Grabban, 30, has arrived at Forest with a lot of pressure on him to get Forest the goals that are needed to get them into the promotion picture.

Forest have also scouted abroad to bring in Portuguese U21 playmaker João Carvalho who joined from Benfica. Another foreign name is Hillal Soudani who is an Algerian international striker who signed in June from Dinamo Zargreb.

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Pre-season has gone well for Aitor Karanka with a 5-0 thrashing of Lincoln Red Imps of Gibraltar, before going out to Marbella to play top Spanish sides Real Betis which was a 1-0 defeat followed by a 3-0 win over Malaga.

Bournemouth will be seen as a big match for Forest's warm up and Eddie Howe is likely to play a strong team as the Cherries preparations for next season start to heat up. The performance against Bristol City was not that inspiring so he'll be wanting to see a lot more enthusiasm for a win in this game from his players.

Likely AFCB team.
Boruc, Francis, Simpson, Aké, Daniels, Brooks, Arter, Gosling, Fraser, Mousset, Wilson

Don't expect too much from Brooks too soon

The signing of David Brooks has a lot of the local media going a bit hyper about the youngster having broken Sheffield United's transfer record. While I am as hopeful as any AFCB fan that Brooks is going to be a great success at Dean Court, a bit of realism is needed before people get carried away. The midfielder has not played in the Premier League yet and it will take him a little while just to get used to his new surroundings on the south coast. 

David Brooks is the first summer signing for AFCB.

It would be great to find out a little more about what Eddie Howe sees as Brooks' role. If it is going to be a similar signing to Lewis Cook, then we can expect David to spend much of next season on the outskirts of the team. But Brooks is already a Welsh international player and he know doubt has aspirations of getting straight into the Bournemouth team to get that Premier League experience.

I get the feeling that much of Brooks first year at the club will be about learning from just being around players like Andrew Surman, Lewis Cook and Dan Gosling and trying to get up to their speed as soon as he can. Last season was Brooks' first season in the Championship where he played 30 matches. He had three goals and made four assists and it is asking a lot for him to immediately jump up another level again so quickly. 

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What we can see is that he has a bit of attitude and gets stuck in with his five yellow cards last season. He'll need to have no inferiority complex when he steps out at Dean Court, because he'll be up against some of the best players in the world. The likelihood is that Brooks will get his taster in the first couple of rounds of the League Cup and I don't think that is a bad thing.  


In other news, Mikael Ndjoli joins Kilmarnock on loan and the Sun links Lewis Grabban with £5m transfer to Nottingham Forest.

Is Grabban the perfect striker to have in the Championship?

Both Nottingham Forest and Leeds United are said to be keen on getting Lewis Grabban into their side for the start of the new season. Other Championship sides might also be looking on enviously about the striker by the Bournemouth Echo has said that Grabban's wage demands could cause a stumbling block for clubs like Leeds Utd.

Lewis Grabban - where will he end up?

What people can't argue with is Grabban's record at Championship level. While he was instrumental in helping get AFCB out of the Championship he was spectacular last season in scoring goals in a Sunderland team that was ultimately relegated without him and also scoring goals on Aston Villa's race to the play-offs.

Is there anything Grabban needs to prove at Championship level? No, he has done it all. Whether he plays in a good side or a struggling side he gets goals, it is just a shame that he hasn't been a player that has been able translate that to the Premier League with Norwich or Bournemouth. It is strange how the Grabban story has progressed through the years. Had he joined Brighton when Bournemouth were in the Championship he might have been a big player for them.

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He has done all he can to win back some of the reputation he had earlier in his career and I hope he gets a good move this summer. I would not be at all surprised if we are talking again, next May, about Lewis Grabban playing in a play-off match in the Championship or even being in a promotion winning side at that level. He is a prize asset for a Championship club but teams like Leeds United and Nottingham Forest also know he will cost top dollar. 

Southgate's World Cup - Day 19 England win a penalty shoot out! 

In other news, Stoke City have completed the signing of Adam Federici. TalkSport has also linked AFCB to defender Marvin Plattenhardt of Hertha Berlin.

Grabban has done himself and AFCB proud

It's a big day for Lewis Grabban today as Aston Villa take on Fulham in the Play-off final for the Premier League. Lewis Grabban has been quietly going about his work in the Championship. To score 12 goals at Sunderland who have been relegated and then to join Aston Villa and score a further seven goals in the second half of the season, he has proved that he is still a top Championship striker. I wouldn't be surprised if Aston Villa want the Bournemouth striker to stay on whether they go up or not.

I wish Lewis the very best, but I would be even
happier if Fulham win promotion this Saturday - sorry Villa!

In recent days Nottingham Forest have been inked with a move for the striker and under Steve Bruce and Chris Coleman, Grabban has re-found his goal touch. It means that Bournemouth can probably hold out for more or less what they paid for him, when he has bought from Norwich City, and while Grabban has not made his name in the Premier League, sometimes players find their level and have to be content with that.

Lewis had some difficult times and could have messed up his chances when out on loan but he got himself together and did the business. Travelling up to play in Sunderland might not have interested many player after the team was relegated from the Premier League, but he went in there with the right attitude of making a fresh start.

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The Aston Villa move was perhaps even more impressive, as he had to score goals to stay in a team that was seeking promotion. He has not looked out of place and has scored some important goals. Why he was not able to do that at AFCB is a real shame and I was looking back at least season's first game to see that he started against Man United, so it could have been a very different outcome for Grabban, if he had take his second chances at AFCB in 2016-17.

With Villa now in the play-off final in the Championship, AFCB may be hoping that Villa do get promoted and take Grabban, but they may well have the money then to decide they can do even better and leave Grabban to other Championship teams to squabble over.

In other news, Rhoys Wiggins retires after his troubles last couple of years at AFCB.

Has interest in Bournemouth striker disappeared?

It  has been almost a month since Lewis Grabban was recalled form his loan at Sunderland and yet he has not been able to play a game for Bournemouth or find another club yet in this window. That might seem a big issue at first glance if Lewis wants to be playing somewhere, but with Bournemouth's current situation with Jermain Defoe still in a protective boot for his ankle, would it be such a bad idea for Bournemouth to hold on to Grabban for a little while longer?

Is Lewis Grabban an unwanted player?

I reckon Grabban wants a move more than anything and he has proved that he is a good Championship player during his time at Sunderland. But that has not gotten him anywhere yet and it does seem rather strange when Cardiff have been after a striker and are pushing for promotion. The asking price might be around the £5m to £7m mark, but his wages would not be at the top of the scale in the Championship.

But if Lewis does remain on the shelf, should AFCB try and get him to a level where he can come off the bench for the Cherries? I personally feel that if he can't be sold and can't find a loan club, then there is little harm in seeing if he can be of use to Eddie Howe. If he scored the goal that kept Bournemouth up this season then he might even receive some praise from AFCB fans who, let's face it, were none to interested when he was resigned from Norwich City.
Some will say that he would only be taking a place away from Lys Mousset or Benik Afobe but these two players might actually find something else in their game if they suddenly found that they were no longer getting on the bench anymore. If AFCB also can't sell Grabban but could find a buyer in Afobe, would it be such a worry to keep Grabban until May and pocket the cash for Afobe?

Lewis needed to go on loan at Sunderland to get his confidence back and prove to himself that he can still score goals. He has done that now, and even if the Premier League is difficult for him to be as effective, if he is as good as other forwards AFCB have on the bench he may yet have a role to play.

In other news, AFCB are said to be keen on Brentford centre-back Chris Mepham, according to West London Sport. Jack Hendry is also a centre-back that AFCb are said to be interested in say the Dundee Evening Telegraph.

Will we see a large exodus of AFCB players in the next week?

I've been studying the transfer rumours with some disbelief and some nods of that could happen as the Internet rumours abound around AFCB's players. Sadly, there is not a long list of talk about any incoming players but Bournemouth could have to fight to turn down a few bidders on heir players.

Junior Stanislas is suddenly of interest to Premier League clubs.

The long-term target for Cardiff City is Lewis Grabban and it is somewhat surprising that Lewis has not already decided on which Championship club he is joining this window but he must be the favourite player to secure a move by the end of he month.

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Meanwhile, Eddie Howe hinted before the Arsenal match that Emerson Hyndman cold be given another loan spell and Sunderland and Celtic seem keen on the player. Whether Hyndman would prefer the Championship to another Scottish Premier run out might well be the decision he has o make. One man who is not likely to leave now is Benik Afobe which will be an annoyance to Wolves, but they can probably attract even better payers looking at their strong position in the table.

The surprise talk has been about Junior Stanislas. He has only just come back from injury and is probably one of the players that Eddie Howe rates among the highest of his wingers but it hasn't stopped West Ham from thinking they might entice him back to their club and Newcastle Utd also think they can grab another AFCB winger having taken Ritchie two seasons ago. Sadly for these two clubs I doubt very much that Stansials is even up for sale and to sell to one of AFCB's competitors in the Premier League at this stage of the season would be madness unless here was a notable replacement coming in. 

So AFCB's transfer exodus may be redefined as a loan out for a couple of players, as Eddie Howe will be well aware that he needs numbers for the run-in and can't afford to lose too many players now.

Daily Mail Fans' verdict - West Ham 1 v 1 AFCB 

Match Report for ASKFans - West Ham 1 v 1 AFCB

The Cherries are a bit short of being at full pelt

Eddie Howe gave an honest interview after the Pompey game and drew attention to the game being a tough fixture, but perhaps not quite the match that he might have been expecting. While the limited ground capacity will have made it a smaller game in terms of fan participation, the players on the pitch for Pompey tested Bournemouth well enough.

In fact Eddie said: "I don't think we are at full pelt yet, but I don't think we would want to be. We still have some time left, so hopefully we will get it right."

Eddie Howe is not too concerned that AFCB are not quite on their top game yet.

AFCB will have to raise their game against QPR and even more so when it comes to Valencia and Napoli. But last season took a lot out of the players and the way that Eddie has been picking his teams over the last couple of matches is certainly designed to ease the players back into the routine, rather than being too punishing on the regular starters who need time to recover from their niggles and stresses.

It's refreshing to see players like Lys Mousset and Max Gradel get a bit more of the limelight and show more of what they are about. The big hitters have remained on the bench, but their time will come and it's probably in the next two weeks when things will start ramping up on the training pitches with more competitive training.

Begovic certainly appears up for the challenge with Boruc and Federdici, and I already believe that he has upped the profile of what level the goalkeepers are at. With Allsop also going out on loan, there is an underlying strength in depth beginning to emerge at the club that hasn't been evident before.

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AFCB are in a position now where they have a good squad and can decide if they want to release any players on loan or to be bought. The planning appears much more precise in the transfer market, and it is one area where the club has had to improve with the massive fees now going between clubs.

AFCB might not be at full pelt on the pitch yet, but the signs are that the club is moving ahead in every aspect as it comes to its third season in the Premier League.

In other news, Lewis Grabban has joined Sunderland on a season-long loan. ACB's new away kit has also been revealed - it's stunning!

Sunderland to give Grabban another chance to find form

The Daily Bournemouth Echo has been reporting that Lewis Grabban is set to leave for Sunderland over the last few days and it's not going to be a big surprise to AFCB fans. A loan deal suits the Black Cats, and Eddie Howe will have to see what Grabban can do this time in the Championship to see if he can improve his value come January or next May. 

Lewis Grabban looks to be headed up north.

Grabban signed a 3.5-year contract in January 2016, when he rejoined the Cherries from Norwich for a fee thought to be around £7 million. Coming back to Bournemouth could have been amazing if he had stormed back into the starting line up and scored some goals, but Grabban never seemed to be in contention to make an impact in the side with just three Premier League appearances last season from the bench.

While I thought, last month, that he could be going up north to Scotland, he isn't going to stop far shorter than that at Sunderland, and I think a big location move was certainly on the cards having already had a loan period at relatively near-by Reading. Sunderland are going to be a bit of an unknown quantity under Grayson in the Championship, but they must halt their slide ,and I'm sure many AFCB fans will be keeping just an occasional glimpse at how Grabban is doing on loan.

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This is a new start for Grabban and he really needs to take it now. He might have interested Reading if they had won promotion, but now he has to try and do it again with a new team that has a club pedigree of the Premier League in its history and facilities, so it is a big club for Grabban to play his football for.

If he does well then doors will open for him again and that's really what Grabban needs. There may be too much familiarity about AFCB to do well again at Dean Court, but he has a clean sheet now to go and impress.  

HITC articles

Does Grabban go and seek another Championship loan?

The end of Lewis Grabban's loan at Reading was a blow for the striker who may well have had a glorious day at Wembley, if he could have helped the Royals win promotion. All options would have been open to him then, but it wasn't to be.

Lewis Grabban at the FA Cup game against Millwall last season.

Lewis Grabban is under contract at AFCB until the summer of 2019. His second period at the club though has not been a stirring success to date, and the Reading loan was s clear sign that Lewis needed some games and to get his desire back for scoring goals, which had been drained with his disruptive and combative times with Alex Neil at Norwich City. The break from Norwich and return to Bournemouth should have been a favourable move for Lewis, but the Cherries are now a side that is pushing to get to the very top of the pyramid structure and Lewis has found he needs time to get his momentum back.

Lewis may feel he has not managed to do enough last season by scoring three goals in 16 games. The Championship is really where Lewis has played his best football during AFCB's promotion winning 2014/15 season. He couldn't quite find that magic scoring grove against despite playing with former strike partner Yann Kermorgant at Reading.

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So what of the future? The striker bench at AFCB is becoming rather crowded at the Cherries. If Lys Mousset is viewed ahead of Lewis in the pecking order then Lewis would have to consider having another loan period to ensure he got playing minutes under his belt or a new start somewhere else. I feel he needs a new challenge and may be not in the south of England, but he should consider a move that's a real change if his family life can allow it. Scotland could be a break with the past and a chance for him to get his confidence back at a big club like Rangers, where Emerson Hyndman fitted in so well last season. I just thing he needs to try something new. Visiting old places in the Championship hasn't really shot him back into the limelight and he could play in Scotland knowing that if he did well he would still get major headlines and coverage, especially if he could play for an old firm side. Whether such clubs would be interested in a striker that had lost his sharp scoring finesse though is another question.

Other news, some fans have informed Cherry Chimes that Andrew Surman has signed a contract until 2019, and this was confirmed in a Bournemouth Echo article today which is great to hear!

Lewis Grabban sees loan end disappointingly with Reading

Lewis Grabban joined up with Yann Kermorgant to walk out at Wembley yesterday. It was a massive occasion being the Championship play-off final and hopes were high that another southern-based club could join AFCB in the Premier League. But it was Huddersfield Town that came out on top after a penalty shoot out which leaves Reading back in the Championship after a fourth play-off final defeat in a row, and Lewis Grabban will be treading the road back to AFCB with two years still left on his contract.

Lewis Grabban could find his stay at AFCB limited.

So what next for Lewis? Eddie Howe brought him back from Norwich City in January 2016 but Lewis failed to make an impact in the squad and a loan move to Reading a year later appeared to be a way out for him, and yet another chance to get promoted with a Championship club. On the day though, Yann Kermorgant and Lewis Grabban had fairly few opportunities. Grabban had the best shot from outside the box for Reading in the first half, but the former AFCB strikers had little to grasp hold of during the match and Grabban was subbed before the penalties arrived. Yann Kermorgant scored the first penalty for Reading, but it was not to be the Royals day.

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Lewis will know that AFCB will not stand still, having had a ninth place finish, and he is probably seen as a very likely candidate to be offered in either a swap deal or simply offloaded by the Cherries, if they want to strengthen their attacking options with new players. Grabban scored three goals in 16 appearances for Reading and was looking more like his old-self at Wembley, even if he did not get the breaks.

The Premier League is cut-throat though. Josh King has shown how you need to take your game forward and Grabban may well have run out of time to enter into any long term thoughts of the manager. It is unlucky that Reading did not get promotion as they may well have been interested in Lewis, if AFCB were willing to cut his price a bit, but now Lewis may be looking to find another Championship club if there are any takers.

In other news, Asmir Begovic is expected to sign for the Cherries this week after his medical, says the Daily Star.

Callum Wilson's injury is a devastating blow

Callum Wilson's bad luck continues with this latest cruciate ligament injury announced yesterday and sustained on the training pitch last Wednesday. I had to check the source when I first saw the social media tweet just to check it was not an old message dating back to last year. It has happened though – again, but to his left leg this time. Now the club has to cope without the ex-Coventry man for another long period, perhaps as much as six months, while he recovers from another injury that would be career threatening just a few years ago.

We wish Callum a speedy recovery.

The decision will no doubt quickly be made as to whether there is a player that Eddie Howe would like to get in as an emergency loan option, but during January window this did not materialise and clubs will be reluctant to let good goal scorers go now. He may have a clause in Lewis Grabban’s loan deal to bring him back from Reading, but the focus will surely be on getting the best out of Benik Afobe and Josh King.

It does mean that AFCB were wise to not let Lys Mousset go out on loan and he will probably get a bit more opportunity from the bench now if AFCB don’t immediately find a striker to bring in. At least the club is experienced in having to play without Callum and in the last month it has been Benik Afobe who has been the first choice for many of the games, which means he is now going to be feeling that he is going to be highly needed from here on in. In some ways that may ease his thoughts. Benik will know he is the guy that AFCB are relying on to get goals more than ever and he just needs to concentrate on his finishing, rather than worry about keeping his place every time he puts a shot wide.

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AFCB are at least adept at providing different goal scorers and rather than feeling that everything is going against them, this latest incident could yet be the trigger that gets the players back on their 'A game', as they look to win a match for Callum Wilson.

Have Bournemouth got enough quality to survive in the EPL?

The question of whether the Cherries have enough quality to see them safely through a second Premier League season suddenly seems apparent, after an ineffectual outing against Crystal Palace that left them just seven points off the relegation zone.

The Cherries need to halt their slide soon.

Home defeats will see teams relegated if they continue at this stage of the season. Eddie Howe has been able to rely on reasonable home form to see the Cherries keep their distance from the teams in major trouble, but Dean Court is no longer a venue that is ensuring the Cherries perform at their best. The shadow of the team that saw AFCB make a stirring comeback against Liverpool was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday night. The players that Eddie had consigned to the subs bench for not keeping the team on winning ways in previous game were needed to try and install some get up and go in the side for the second half against Palace. Encouraging though it was to see Jordan Ibe come on and make progress against Palace's back line, the player that I thought might come closest to scoring was Steve Cook.

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What does that say about the Cherries? They are not only finding it hard to stop goals at their won end but are out of sorts themselves in front of goal. The luckless Jack Wilshere may wonder if he should shoot more often, as he usually makes the keeper have to make a save, but the quality of AFCB's forward play in recent weeks has been largely allowed to go unnoticed because the side has been letting in two or three goals a game.

While it was perhaps not healthy to have players hanging on that were not getting in the squad, there have been no replacements for Lewis Grabban, Marc Wilson or Emerson Hyndman. Now Eddie Howe needs the players to start defying the odds and get these last few wins to ensure another Premier League season. The training ground has to provide the answers as he has to go with what squad he has now after a disappointing January transfer window.

Emerson Watch
Emerson Hyndman rattled in a second Rangers goal last night even though Rangers were well beaten 4-1 by Hearts.

Lewis Grabban has four months to deliver

Lewis Grabban played for 90 minutes for AFCB in the cup against Millwall without causing too many moments when fans were getting off their seats. He has been said to be training very well and doing all the right things so I'm hoping Lewis is back on track again.

Lewis Grabban has emerged again, but can he deliver?

There was one shot in the game against Millwall when Lewis did remind fans of what he can do with a shot that scraped just over the bar in the second half. We did not see enough of that kind of ferocity and endeavour from Lewis though, and it's apparent that he is not yet as sharp he might be. If he can start to find some fitness though, it will not be a surprise if we see him on the subs bench in the next few games. With Max Gradel on international duties there is some room on the bench for another attacker and Lewis' battle will be against players like Pugh, Fraser and Ibe as well as Callum Wilson, Lys Mousset and Benik Afobe. It's probably true that Grabban has fallen to the back of the pecking order, but the important thing for Grabban is that Eddie Howe still has faith in him.

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While fans will have mixed views about Lewis, I just want him to show us again that he has not given up and wants to do well at AFCB. If he still has that drive, let's see it on the pitch. Lewis has not shone in the Premier League and he has a big question mark over whether he is a Premier League striker or a good Championship striker. It would be an easy choice for him to go out on loan and drop down a level and he may even do that, but if he is keener on being in the Premier League with Bournemouth he can't have much time to impress Eddie Howe. The next few months will be huge for him and every five minute of 10 minutes that he is on the pitch will be just as important as if he is given a 45 minute chance.

Lewis in action at Millwall.

Come the summer the squad will be changed and Lewis Grabban's place in that squad is going to look fragile on his current record. it's time for Lewis to deliver.  

There are reports today that Lewis Grabban could be being lined up with a loan to Preston North End.

We just may see a bit more of Lewis Grabban in 2017

I'm not sure quite what the injury has been with Lewis Grabban, but he has been out of the side for a long time. It is possible that with Eddie Howe saying that both he and Lewis Cook are training again with the team that he could feature perhaps as a sub as early as Tuesday night and certainly could be in contention for the FA Cup match against Millwall.

The door of opportunity is still open for Grabban at AFCB.

I imagine that there is a special bond between Howe and Grabban. The kind of highs and lows that Lewis has had make him a player that needs to be treated with careful management. With Alex Neil it certainly did not work out for Lewis, and I hoped things would turn around quickly when he returned to AFCB. Yet he has become the forgotten man with just three appearances as substitutes for the Cherries in the 2016/17 season. That could all be about to change.

Many will advise him to go out on loan and build his career again that way, but I believe he still has a future at AFCB if he can find some confidence and start contributing to match days. It is ultimately up to Lewis to convince Eddie that he can be a positive force for the team, and if he has not been right in the past you'd kind of suggest that this could be his last opportunity to prove his worth at this level.

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While the door seems fairly shut for Lewis with Callum Wilson, Junior Stanislas, Josh King, Jordan Ibe etc pushing well ahead of him in the appearance charts, it is uncertain what may happen in January, and there could be the need for a new pair of legs to suddenly make an impact. We have seen it with Ryan Fraser and Junior Stanislas. Some of you may have given up on Lewis along time ago, and you may well be among those who feel the same about Beni Afobe. Yet, every player can go through personal problems that affect their game and I just wonder if a returning Lewis Grabban may finally have everything sorted and now going in the right direction, which would help him to play at his very best - and at his very best Lewis is a goal scorer.

Should Ibe start against Liverpool?

There will be a big expectation of Liverpool fans to see Jordan Ibe run out against their side on Sunday at Dean Court. They may hope for that and yet they could be disappointed if he is left on the bench as I half expect.

Jordan Ibe was able to play against Arsenal, after coming off the bench to replace Junior Stanislas, but his chances of starting have diminished with the availability of Jack Wilshere again. The competition for the left midfield role has increased greatly with Pugh, King, Fraser, Gradel and Grabban all able to give Ibe a problem. 

Jordan Ibe started from the bench last match.

While Ibe would be keen to get a point across to his old team in that they should not have let him go, Eddie Howe may well think that the Liverpool defenders would know and understand what Jordan likes to do when he is on the ball and to play him might not be an advantage for AFCB. In essence Jordan might find it hard to play his normal game. The only way Eddie will know how Jordan is feeling about such a game is to talk to him though and find out how enthusiastic he is and what the young player is capable this season. If Jordan has a mature head and realises the challenge he faces and is eager to impress that will have to be considered.

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I personally would hold Jordan back and let the game unfold before giving him a chance. Of course that would mean he would get a reception that could be difficult when he came on, but the game is at home and not at Anfield so I would not expect that to disturb him. It would be fantastic if he could come on and get the winning goal though. You can imagine the headlines would be great for him and really give him a boost, and he could probably do with a bit of good fortune so I have my fingers crossed for him.

Potential move for Grabban may give AFCB busy transfer deadline day

The rumour that Lewis Grabban could be a target of Derby County in the Championship may lead to a hectic deadline day for AFCB. The likelihood is that if Lewis would be interested in the move and AFCB can agree a fee (the suggestion is £6m according to the Daily Telegraph), it would have the Cherries potentially seeing if they could find another striker before the window shuts.

While Derby are believed to be keen on adding Lewis Grabban to their squad, I somehow doubt that Grabban would be able to leave Bournemouth, unless there is a suitable replacement lined up, as Lewis has been involved in AFCB's three Premier League games so far. Lewis himself may have reservations about a move back to the Championship, but he could also feel that it would give him an opportunity to make a fresh start. While Grabban has not yet scored on the Premier League for the Cherries, Derby will be well aware of what he has done to Championship sides in the past. A transfer fee that matches or is close to what AFCB payed Norwich for Grabban would probably get the attention of the Cherries, so it will be interesting to see if this one develops.

Is Lewis Grabban open to a potential move?

The move would also push Lys Mousset closer to the bench for his Premier League debut which may not seem a bad thing from the views of many Bournemouth fans. AFCB will have a list of strikers that they are keeping tabs on, but whether any are available at the right price when the window is about to close is a bit of a poker game. If AFCB were looking at the Championship it could be a costly replacement for a young striker - like Britt Assombalonga, a for example, at Forest.

AFCB have to up the goal count

The Cherries may have played two top-end sides from last season, but they have not managed to score more than one goal, despite all that summer spending. That is not great reading for the fans that want to see the net busted a few times to get the Cherries on their way. It is hoped that tonight's League Cup match will see the goals start to flow, but the match against West Ham really should have seen more goals.

More shooting practise is required.

Whether Jordan Ibe was caught up in the moment or not, he will be wishing he had taken on the shot himself when he was through against Adrian. Instead he chose to pass and while that was unselfish, it didn't bring the result that he or the team were expecting in that position. James Collins made the block and the chance was gone. Wilson may need goals more than most to get himself going, but AFCB are not good enough to pass up opportunities that were as open as that opportunity.

Josh King's following long-shot may have looked spectacular, but it didn't ultimately trouble Adrian enough and there has to be more efforts on goal earlier in the match. There was a typical rally right at the end where AFCB could have got off the hook if King or Francis had found the net, but why did it take until the 90+ minutes for the side to get that close to scoring? It would be easy for Eddie just to change things and give Benik Afobe a go but the root cause of the side's failure to score at the moment is the fact that it is not creating many chances.

I'd like to see Andrew Surman getting on the ball more and seeing Ibe, King, Wilson or Grabban making decisive runs. Yet, the movement has been fairly pedestrian in an attacking sense and central defenders have not found too much difficulty in holding AFCB at bay. Taking shots earlier and when not always fully set is not always a bad option. AFCB have to up their desire when they get to the opposition's box. perhaps some new faces will do better against Morecambe tonight. UTCIAD!