Rival Lines: Pompey-Fans.com expect a Cup shock!

Rival Lines
Match Preview: FA Cup 4th Round
Portsmouth v AFCB
Blogger Interview: Pompey-Fans.com
Twitter: @Pompey_Fans

This week I tried to find my old friend at Pompey-Fans,com only to find he had taken a job at the club itself and so he kindly put me in contact with Steve Bone who writes for the matchday programme and the Sports Mail as well contributing to pompey-fans.com.

CC: Pompey beat Ipswich Town in the last round of the FA Cup after a replay. Did you always feel that you could beat them and just about any team at Fratton Park and in an evening game?

PF: I think many in the Pompey camp were confident, because we'd beaten Derby and run Reading close in early-season League Cup games under the Fratton lights. I must admit, I thought Ipswich would win the replay – we'd outplayed them at Portman Road and I felt they'd strengthen their team. But they didn't, and they paid the price – we deserved the win and it was a great occasion.

CC: Is it slightly more appealing to face AFC Bournemouth these days – even though we are not the Saints or the Seagulls – you have not had a result against us for a little while?

PF: No we owe you one – though it is not that long since we were doing battle with you in League One; now here we are three divisions apart. Pompey fans were delighted to draw Bournemouth – it's a Premier League team at home and, no disrespect meant to the Cherries, but it's one we feel we can give a run for their money. And I'm still smarting from the 2-0 home defeat you inflicted on us in front of the TVS cameras in October 1982!

CC: The season Pompey are having indicates that the P word may start getting whispered, but are you worried about having to catch up in games with the FA Cup run taking up some playing time?

PF: Some are worried an extended cup run will hit our league hopes, but I don't think it has yet, or would even if we got through this round. Any further (which is unlikely anyway) and it probably would. Promotion is the big hope for all Pompey fans this season – some say anything less will be a failure – but Paul Cook has enough decent players to rest two or three when he needs to, though he has played a virtually-full-strength side in the Cup so far.

CC: What main changes has Paul Cook made to the team since becoming manager?

PF: Just the goalkeeper, defence, midfield and attack! He has basically ripped up last season's squad and started again. Apart from a couple of players, the likes of Adam Webster and Danny Hollands [Ed- an AFCB legend!], last season's lot have either been released, sold or left to play for the reserves. Even Matt Tubbs [Ed- oh no, nothing he would like better than to score against an Eddie Howe team that he could not get into!], a prolific scorer at L2 level, has not played much as he does not seem to fit into Cook's preferred system. The squad needed a big overhaul and Cook has got on with it in a no-nonsense way.

CC: We have seen how good League Two is of late with teams like Pompey and Exeter playing well against higher opposition, but do you feel there are many players in each League Two team that could be playing at a higher level?

PF: It's a funny league. There are a lot of teams who are simply not very good and rely on the physical side of the game, while the teams pushing for promotion are all, I would say, similar in terms of quality. And I'd expect more and more Premier and Championship clubs to take a punt on L2 players because of the 'Vardy factor'. Even last week, we saw a couple of very good Oxford players – Liam Sercombe and Kemar Roofe – and they're the sort you'd expect to see play at a higher level. As for Pompey's better players, hopefully their higher-division chances will come with us.

CC: Who is Portsmouth's most dangerous player as it seems the goals are getting spread around the team this season?

PF: You're right – we don't have an outstanding goalscorer. Marc McNulty looked like he might soar to the top of the goal charts after arriving on loan from Sheffield United but his have dried up a little. Conor Chaplin has scored a good number for a player who very rarely starts. I'd say our most dangerous player in attack at the moment is Kyle Bennett, a skillful winger who has grown in confidence in the past couple of months and has racked up plenty of assists – though he'd probably admit he'd like to score more himself.

CC: What signings have Pompey made this January?

PF: All we've done at the time of writing is extended a couple of loans – McNulty and Ipswich defender Matt Clarke – while also recruiting 18-year-old goalie Ryan Fulton on loan from Liverpool. I understand we've been trying to get striker Caolan Lavery back for another loan from Sheffield Wednesday -–we had him from October 'til the start of 2016 and he's done really well, but he's currently back with the Owls. We have also recruited Sheff Utd full-back Kieron freeman on loan – it's popped up today. He can't play Saturday – appeared for Blades in R1.

CC: Do you think Pompey have still under achieved so far this season?

PF: I don't think we've under-achieved, or over-achieved. You can't expect to run away with a division when 80 per cent of your team have not played alongside one another. I still think a top-three spot is achievable, but if the play-offs end up being our route forward, we'll have to cover our eyes and hope for the best. Finishing outside the top seven probably would be rightfully called failure, given the size of the operation we are running.

CC: AFC Bournemouth are unlikely to play too many of their first team in this game and Pompey may rest some players too, but have you some good young players that deserve a go in such a match?

PF: You may well see any of the following either starting or, more likely coming on - left-back Brandon Haunstrup, calm and cultured midfielder Ben Close, winger Ben Tollitt, or pint-sized poacher Conor Chaplin. And Pompey fans won't mind at all if Eddie Howe rests a few – though they would like to see Sylvain Distin and Matt Ritchie, both of whom are much admired by Fratton fans and should get a great reception (along with Howe, who incidentally I've written fondly about in the matchday programme – yours for £3!)

CC: How do you see Portsmouth lining up for the game?

PF: At a guess – Fulton in goal, Davies and Stevens the full-backs, Burgess and Webster centre-halves; Close and Doyle deep midfield; Evans, Bennett, Roberts the three attacking midfielders, McNulty up front. But Cook may have a surprise or two in store for us at 2.20pm!

Score prediction? 2-1 Pompey with a late Tollitt winner.

CC: Thanks very much Steve. It is good to hear a confident Pompey fan. It sounds like the season has been pretty enjoyable down at Fratton Park so far and if promotion is gained there should be quite a party there. It's down to Cup business this weekend though and I admit that Pompey have a chance of an upset if AFCB's select 11 do not play with a cutting-edge. AFCB have had a bit of a run out though in midweek and some of the first team will be involved, so I think the Cherries in the away stand are also looking forward to this one – let battle commence! A fifth round draw would be very exciting for either club. Check out Pompey-Fans.com and their lead up to the south coast Cup tie this weekend.

Transfer watch
AFCB signed 18-year-old Lithuanian keeper Marius Adamonis on loan until the end of the season from Atlantas. Eddie Howe has been linked with Mr Abromovich's Chelsea manager wishlist by the Daily Telegraph - but we know that's a non-starter!

Howe wants more success with Cherries

It was very pleasing to hear that Eddie Howe confirmed that he was not interested in any job but the AFC Bournemouth manager's job having been linked to the vacant position at Newcastle Utd. Eddie has unfinished business at AFCB and if he can take the club further than it has ever been before he will surely be recognised as the club's greatest manager and to achieve promotion to the Premier League with Bournemouth and to go up as Champions is surely his short-term target for this season.  

Eddie Howe knows where home is. We are flattered
Newcastle Utd, but no thank you.

I expect many other managers who had Newcastle Utd knocking on the door would be tempted to jump ship, but what would that achieve for Eddie Howe. A move away from his beloved south coast and a fresh set of players to work with in a new environment and more than 10 times the amount of pressure to manage one of the nation's top clubs, knowing that he would not be given a great amount of time to succeed. It does not add up when you look at how settled he is at Bournemouth and how  well he and Jason Tindall works with Maxim Demin, Neill Blake and Jeff Mostyn.

In a few years time that decision may be one that finds harder to resist, be it Newcastle or another top side. At the moment though he has everything to gain by building his reputation with a side that he has taken on and developed, by adding a few players and forging them into a winning team. Risking all that to manager at a higher level, for a bug pay cheque, is not understanding Eddie Howe. Eddie has plenty of time to manage such clubs one day but he'll only ever get this opportunity to be the first Bournemouth manager to try take the club into the Premier League.

Even if it does not happen this season, Eddie has a strong bond with the players, staff and fans at AFCB. We all want to achieve together and Howe wants to get the very best out of his players. I also believe that many AFCB fans would value promotion under Eddie Howe as their ultimate desire and if any other manager came in to complete the job it would not mean nearly as much. AFCB needs Eddie Howe and it seems that Eddie Howe needs AFCB. Long may that continue. UTCIAD!

Matt Tubbs has also had his contract cancelled by Mutual consent. I wish Matt had been able to fit into Eddie Howe's plans at the club and wish him all the best at his next club.

AFCB on loan report

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

Jayden has been doing well at Cambridge Utd.

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

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

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

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

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

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

No hanging around for Tubbs, but what of others?

Tubbs is a great loan deal for AFC Wimbledon.

It is clear that Matt Tubbs is not one who likes being a bench warmer and with Eddie Howe already dabbling in the transfer market to bring in more striking power to the Cherries Matt Tubbs is ready to go on loan to AFC Wimbledon, according to SkySports Transfer Centre. That may seem like a waste of talent to some League One clubs who you would have thought would have been interested in the former Crawley Town hot shot, but either his wages were not liked or Matt himself wanted to take the AFC Wimbledon offer in a hurry to get his pre-season off to an early start. Whatever his reasons for going out on loan again so quickly, I hope he does well and enjoys his football. AFC Wimbledon have a player who will score plenty of goals for them I am sure.
We know Matt is not part of Eddie's plans and has not been for some time, but the loan move indicates that it was probably not possible to find a buyer for Matt this summer. Whether AFCB considered trying to sell Matt is not clear and he is expected to move today for an undisclosed fee. Recouping some of the transfer fees that ACB paid for players like Matt Tubbs and Miles Addisson are perhaps not so easy. We have also seen Stephane Zubar back in training this week which is excellent news, although I wonder if Bury who showed an interest in him when he was on loan there will see if they can take him back. I would still like to see Stephane try and get back into the team but I fear that he is well down the pecking order in Eddie Howe's thinking.

Miles Addison will be looking to play his football somewhere new.

Whether Miles Addison also decides to move on loan or permanently we will have to see but it is difficult for these players to reinvigorate their careers at AFCB having been out for so long and it will be great if they can play regularly again somewhere soon.


Word Cup Chimes previews my thoughts on what I hope to see from England tonight and through the tournament - see World Cup Chimes.

World Cup viewing
De Vere's Urban Village Hotel in Bournemouth are sponsors of Cherry Chimes and are getting ready for England's first game. 

Next Carnival Day Saturday 14th June England v Italy
- Live DJ, Brazilian Carnival Dancers & children’s face painting.
- Entertainment commencing from 19.00, kick off at 23.00

Food service extension
- The Victory will be serving food until 22.00 for the entire duration of the world cup with the exception of England’s first game (Saturday 14th June) which will be until 23.00.

Download the complete game planner for the Victory pub and kitchen.

Time for a clear out

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

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

Tubbs in his way out?

No need for Addison.

Is MacDonald happy to stay?

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

Leyton Orient or Rotherham to complete the Championship

The new look Championship will soon be in place. Following QPR's promotion yesterday and Derby County's unlucky day at missing out, Leyton Orient and Rotherham United will fight it out this afternoon at Wembley for the final place in next season's Championship. While we have seen Jalal and Stockley go to Orient on loan this season and former Cherry Mathieu Baudry is still playing for the London club, my preference is certainly for the London club to make the leap up to the Championship. Orient have been up and near the top two for most of the season and I would like to see Russel Slade take his side up a division.

AFCB players could be warming up at Leyton Orient again next season.
This picture sees the AFCB players at Brisbane Road
in 2012/13 - do you remember Jalal's indecision during that game?

The difficulty is that Rotherham stand in their way and Bournemouth have other stories there in the shape of Wes Thomas, Miles Addison and Matt Tubbs. Thomas scored in the play-off semi-final against Preston and is finding his form again after his long spell without a goal at AFCB. Addison only made six appearances for the Millers when he was there on loan, but Matt Tubbs was also at Rotherham for a while on loan before joining Crawley for most of last season. So AFCB have played their part in the fortunes of both clubs last season.

Whichever team gets up they will have a good chance to follow in AFCB's footsteps, but they too will be looking to strengthen their squads and some of our players that have been out of favour could well be seen as possible fits for such clubs.

This match hasn't hype associated with the play-off for the Premiership, but it will be no less appealing for the fans of Rotherham and Leyton Orient. It would be great if either Mathieu Baudry or Wes Thomas get the winning goal today and for one of them it will be a fabulous prospect to know that a win will see them get the chance to meet up with old colleagues next season.

Last season's home fixture pictures against Brighton & Hove Albion on 30 November 2013 have been uploaded to Cherry Chimes Facebook page. You can download the phone app to quickly see the pictures or do a search on Facebook for Cherry Chimes.

We also have a new story on World Cup Chimes - All Roy needs to do is to get to penalties. Enjoy the sun today!

Have we seen the best of Tubbs?

It has been said that Matt Tubbs is somewhat cool on a return to Crawley Town unless they involved in a promotion season and he seems clear that Eddie Howe is unlikely to need him back at AFCB if he can add one or two more to the squad. I think that is perhaps a bit of a shame because with teams like Cardiff City, Fulham, Middlesbrough and Crystal Palace pawing over our first team players it just could be that some holes appear that need to be filled. The forward line is by no means confirmed yet at AFCB and after Lewis Grabban has been allowed to talk to Cardiff City it is fairly clear that the same front two won't be there at the start of next season for the Cherries. 

If Matt is still out of favour then AFCB really
need to get there money back on him soon.

As for Matt Tubbs, he is one of the players that perhaps AFCB have been looking to off load if a credible bid comes in from Crawley or another team. But Matt did fairly well back at Crawley and I don't see why he should give up on trying to make a name for himself in the Championship. A new strike partner with Yann Kermorgant is suddenly a priority for Eddie Howe. It may be that in training Matt Tubbs can show that he could do a job there with Yann. 

Matt Tubbs is also going to be on fairly good wages and if he is not one of the players that is moving on then he has to benefit the club in some way whether it is playing for them or going out on loan. AFCB have a squad of strong players now who will be battling for a place again over the summer and while Eddie Howe has a good idea of the ability of who has the best chance of being in pole position for a starting place next season, many things can yet change over the summer months with moves and injuries and failed bids for new targets. If Matt wants to play though I hope he gets a move to a good club as I think he can make the difference to a team that is struggling to score goals.

If you have a company that might consider advertising on Cherry Chimes, please head over to the Marketing tab where we have a special free subscription May Newsletter that details how Cherry Chimes has been attracting more and more new readers from the Bournemouth area. 

Grabban has made the grade

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

Lewis receives the Junior Cherry player of the year Award.

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

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

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

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

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

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

I've loved coming down to Dean Court

Saturday afternoons are going to be a bit quieter in the coming weeks. As the football season draw to an end I'll be putting my feet up a bit more often rather than travelling the miles to and from Dean Court. I have always looked forward this season to making the journey down to Dean Court. Just the see the crowds assemble outside the ground and to know that there is another match soon to kick off has been fabulous to see, because we all know that we have a special team.

There's no better place to be.

There are bigger grounds and more expensive teams that have been assembled in the Championship, but Dean Court has an atmosphere that is all its own. What is more it is great to see that the team responds to the crowd which physically lifts the team's performance. That hasn't always been the case in the past, but as Eddie Howe has been commenting, there is a united force that is propelling this club forward. It is not something that you can put your finger on or tap if you are another club. It is to do with the experience that we have all gone through in the last few years that hasn't come to a conclusion yet. There is a sense of unfinished business even though the club has completed a season in the Championship near enough.

We all know we'll be back for more next season and the anticipation will build over the summer. While everyone starts from zero points again in August I feel that AFCB is already pointing towards another successful campaign to come and that makes the summer all the more enjoyable for me. 

There was one Forest supporter who tweeted me after their recent defeat at Dean Court. He could not understand why AFCB fans had a pitch invasion to celebrate finishing outside of the play-off places, even though he understood it was the club's highest ever points tally in the Championship. He probably didn't get the fact that we are a close-knit club with a real appreciation of our players and staff, and the feeling of togetherness that was made even stronger through the difficult years is still galvanising us today to achieve greater things. I actually felt sorry for the Forest supporter because he will probably never have that family club feeling that AFCB have and, while it is great to see the club grow I hope we don't lose sight of where we have come from.

Finally, having read that Matt Tubbs could be offered a permanent deal by Crawley according to the Bournemouth Echo and that Shwan Jalal could be on his way to Bury, there could be a lot of coming and goings over the summer, so if I was after a quiet period I might just have to think again!

Can the Grabban and Rantie partnership work?

Eddie Howe has changed the way the team is set up in recent weeks with Grabban playing his loan striker role to great effect. But do we already have the perfect partner for Grabban at AFCB? The Rantie and Grabban partnership has not really worked and Eddie has given it a good go. While Pitman and Thomas have also played as a partner to Grabban, it always seemed that Rantie was the one that Howe wanted to use with Grabban. Is it a case of these two not being able to play well together?

Grabban and Rantie. Can they get on the same wavelength?

I'm not so sure. I still think it is early days for Rantie and that we won't see the best of him for another few months. When he can start to be stronger on the ball and make more of a presence with his frame, he could yet become a strike partner that Grabban could work with. The speed and flexibility that Grabban has mark him out as something special in my mind. He is may be under valued by the fans even if not be Eddie Howe.

Rantie is the one with the big price tag and the player knows it. I don't think this has helped, but Rantie has to show more if he wants to be part of the side going forward. Pitman has not made a massive impact either and Eddie Howe may still be looking to supplement the forward department with Thomas likely to leave and Matt Tubbs now out on loan again at Crawley Town. 

So it is down to Rantie to try and make sure that he is the one that makes the partnership with Grabban work. If he can't do that there are others who will surely come to take his place and the next five months for the South African are probably the most important of his career. The others that might partner Grabban need not cost AFCB more money though, because Surman has been doing okay behind Grabban, while McQuoid and Coulibaly may provide more goals.

If you still don't think I write enough each day, you can get a little bit more out of me if you visit the Jesus Was a Wiganer site. I return a few answers on the Cherries ahead of the match with Wigan at the weekend. Don't worry, I get to shoot some questions back at Dan Farrimond on Friday for our Rival Lines feature.

Make or break time for some AFCB players

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Do fans get too close to players?

It as this time of the season that fans get quite emotional about players who leave their clubs and mainly for good reason. After seeing a player do well for your team and then perhaps have a period when they fall out of the team is difficult. There is a bond between players and fans, I am sure of it. We all want the best players to play for our club, but at the end of the day football isn't just a sport - it's a business.

We follow AFCB players around the country. It is no wonder that we
feel that we get very close to them and find it hard to let go when they move on.

That means managers are paid to make not only popular but unpopular decisions with regard to footballing matters. A prize player of yesterday may not be such an asset today or tomorrow. That makes it hard on players who also form a close knit camaraderie at clubs like AFCB. I think AFCB is all the more special because the players do seem to form very close friendships. 

Sadly these playing bonds can't last for ever even if the friendships formed can be life long. Fans have to realise that as well. I always find it hard to see players leave our club even if they want to go. In the past, many of those players left because they had done well and could move up the leagues. Now it is perhaps more likely that they will not have made the grade, as AFCB has many players that have not featured in the first team this season.   

This is not like the sale back in 2010/11 when much of the team was sold, because they probably over achieved by getting to the league One play-offs. The squad has needed trimming for a while and Eddie Howe has had lots of time now to work out which players are most important for him to keep hold of. It may be that some players need to move on for their own reasons and we should respect that. Today, we leaned that Miles Addison has gone on a loan until the end o the season at Rotherham, while Matt Tubbs has joined his old club Crawley Town for a month. I hope they both do well.

So do us fans get too close to players? Yes, of course we do. And some players we will not get the chance to say goodbye to this transfer window. So it is understandable that fans should feel upset when they players they like are no longer at the club. As fans we live and breathe AFCB and always want the best for our club, so there is nothing wrong in that. UTCIAD!

Will the Cherries allow Wes Thomas go to Swindon Town?

The January transfer window looks like it is starting with a bang as far as AFCB are concerned. Interest in our players is likely to be high and while fans might expect bids to be coming in for the players who have been regular starters for the team, however the first bid has come in for Wes Thomas, according to the Swindon Advertiser.

Does Wes Thomas want to stay at AFCB?

Wes Thomas has had a chequered career at AFCB. He was sensational at first when he came from Crawley Town and found it easy to score at League One level. A couple of loan spells at Portsmouth and Birmingham City and his calls to stay at Birmingham City signalled to most Cherry fans that he would be on his way, but with Eddie Howe building a team for the Championship Wes' experience was seen as too valuable to let go. While fans expected bids to come in for him over last summer Swindon were the only club to show some interest but were rebuffed twice.

Now Swindon are said to be making another bid to land the striker and this time they may have timed their approach well. If AFCB free up some funds to bring other players in themselves it may be a good move for the Cherries, while Wes Thomas would get more of a chance to play regularly again. But does Wes want to continue to fight for his place at AFCB?

With Matt Tubbs returning to AFCB this January, Eddie Howe may surely decide to let Wes Thomas leave if the price is right.

Can the Cherries succeed without spending big in January?

Eddie Howe has said in an interview on the BBC that he is not sure if he will have any money to spend in January, but that he hopes to strengthen. Be careful Eddie, some managers in Wales have been told to resign or get sacked for less!

While I am not surprised that Eddie is in the dark over any potential available funds he has to be trying to make things work out well with the players he has already. If he and Jason can get enough points with the players we have to ensure that AFCB are in the Championship next season, I would be pleased that AFCB hadn't spent a stupidly huge amount of money this coming January window.

Rantie was Eddie Howe's last big spend and Tokelo is still trying to
prove his transfer fee. Spurs fans know spending is no guarantee of instant success.

I also feel that it may be that Eddie can start to trim some of the squad who he feels will not be in his plans. If AFCB can cut the wage bill a bit it has got to be good for the club. Does Wes Thomas have a long term future at AFCB and are there others who could be on their way?

It hasn't escaped my notice that Matt Tubbs will also find his loan period coming to an end at Rotherham. Stephane Zubar is also still on the clubs books and he told us back in October that he would be due to be starting some kind of training at the end of this year. I hope he is recovering well.

We also have players who have not really featured this season like Joe Partington, Wes Fogden, Donal McDermott and Miles Addisson. We have already heard that Shwan Jalal can leave and it may be that Lee Camp does not get the move he wants to AFCB with West Brom's new manager. It is understood that Eddie Howe has also been looking at Swindon's Wes Foderingham.

The situation seems very fluid with regards players at the moment, which I hope does not have an unsettling feeling on the squad. I am also keeping quiet about the possibility that some players could also be targets of clubs in the January window. 

The question is though do AFCB need to spend? I feel that a player or two will be bought to make the team a little more solid. That could be in midfield or in defence, but I personally don't think Eddie will buy another striker until next summer when better deals are available. I may be wrong but I still feel leaking goals is more of a problem for AFCB than scoring them at the moment.  

Vote for what position you feel Eddie Howe most needs to strengthen the team this January. See the poll on the right hand side of the blog.

Yesterday Cherry Chimes spoke to Owl Alive about the Sheffield Wednesday squad prior to today's match. Check out how Wednesday fans are feeling about their team by visiting Rival Lines.

Would big offers tempt players away from AFCB?

In the last couple of weeks some media reports have said that Championship and Premiership clubs are said to be taking a keen interest in some of AFCB's players, which needn't be seen as bad news for AFCB fans. Indeed, Eddie Howe even says it's a compliment. And why am I not not displeased? Well, because if AFCB's players are attracting attention and did become transfer targets they would not be going for small fees anymore. 

What kind of price would you put on Steve Cook or Lewis Grabban? If Tokelo Rantie is worth £2.5m is Grabban a £3m or £4m striker? And in Steve Cook do we have our first £1m+ defender? The values are of course anything that AFCB want to put on their players and negotiations will always go on before clubs can agree a fee. The Cherries are also in a strong position with the players under long contracts. 

What worries me is the Financial Fair Play stipulations. I don't really get them, but I hope they don't make it necessary for AFCB to sell some of their best players for less than the going rate. A quick sale would boost the club coffers, but I hope AFCB don't have to sell for those kind of reasons. The fire sale after 2010/11 was difficult enough.

Steve Cook could get the chance to play at a bigger club in January,
but if he is content at AFCB I hope he stays.

We know AFCB is a club that does not tend to stand in the way of a player if they want to move. AFCB is not yet a big club and sometimes you can't fight off the larger ones who come in for your players, but I believe AFCB are looking to build a long-term presence in the Championship which is harder to achieve if you are continually selling your best players. Moreover, the Championship experience is only just beginning for the club, supporters and many of the players. Don't underestimate the feeling that goes around being part of a progressive family club that is doing well.

Still, it is only natural for some to see the bright lights of the top division as their main ambition and to be interested in moving on. Players of course only have one career though and the chance of playing in the top division has to be a big pull. The timing for those moves though has to be carefully considered. So many English players have made big moves to top clubs only to be a squad member and to have a lifetime in the reserves. It is up to the individual what you want out of a career, but I think most of our players are still growing at the same pace as our club. 

Grabban remains key to AFCB's future plans. 

But if a Premiership club comes in with a ridiculously large figure for one of our players this January do AFCB sell? I think it comes down to only if Eddie and Jason know of better players they can bring in and want to work with. Such interest from other clubs if unwanted could unsettle players, but Eddie Howe is a manager that seems to embrace any situation with a positive outlook and he will do what is best for the club and the players. That is why I don't think AFCB fans should worry.

Personally, I don't see it happening for too many AFCB players this January, even for the much admired Steve Cook. He will know that staying at AFCB does not give him a guaranteed place every week, but he would perhaps have even less certainty of playing many games at a Crystal Palace, Norwich City or Cardiff City for example. It also seems that fewer English players are getting moves to the Premiership these days, because Championship teams raise the transfer fees knowing that the top clubs have big pockets. A Nottingham Forest, Leicester City or QPR could be more likely to be interested in picking up players from a younger Championship club like AFCB. But if AFCB don't want to sell they can turn all offers away.

Lewis Grabban I believe is even more vital for AFCB to hold on to than Steve Cook. Finding a regular goal scorer at this level is difficult and Lewis has scored goals in whatever division he has been in. That is going to be tempting for clubs come January, but is six months in the Championship enough experience for another club to be sure he is worth a high fee?

While the financial rewards of the Premiership are significantly better than those in the Championship, I also feel it will be hard for any of AFCB's players to turn away from the club at the moment, after the kind of seasons that the club has been having in recent seasons. The team spirit among the current squad seems excellent, so it would be a blow if our best players were picked off, but the bigger picture is that it could make the team even stronger in the end with new recruits.

However, if there are any unhappy squad players AFCB should let them go. Around the fringes of the team you can see players like Miles Addison and Wes Thomas or Matt Tubbs (when he comes back from Rotherham) possibly looking for teams that could give them more regular football after January. If that allowed AFCB to get a top player in, then I suspect most supporters would understand that.

The January transfer window could be interesting.

Tubbs needs to get his form back at the Millers

I expect many of you have not forgotten about Matt Tubbs who is up in Rotherham and trying to make an impact on their team. Matt is on loan at Rotherham until the end of January and the move was no doubt designed to give Matt more playing time opportunities and to recover some of his goal scoring form. 

While the Millers have been finding life in League One more than okay, Matt has been battling to get minutes on the pitch. He has not scored yet from what I can see since his time at Rotherham. Matt did get 62 minutes against Brentford in the last league match, but had just one shot on target according to the Miller's website. He has also had starts against Shrewsbury, Crawley and Preston back in August, but many of his appearances of late have been as a sub for either Agard or Revell. 

Steve Evans knows Matt Tubbs' game inside out and you have to say if Steve can't get Matt scoring then it may not have been the best move for Matt. He still has more than three months to make an impression at the Millers, but if Evans is not setting up his team to play in a way that would suit Matt it is likely that he will only be used as a sub. Matt's stats for the season stand at three shots on target and five appearances as sub. He has some work to do.

While it many not seem to matter to AFCB fans that Matt is not getting as many minutes as he might and is not scoring bucket loads of goals, we should remember that he will come back to the Goldsands stadium at the end of January and will be training again with the Cherries. It would be good to have a confident and happy Matt back with us and not one that is questioning himself and his abilities. Whether Eddie Howe decides to look for another loan move for the striker or not remains to be seen, but unless Matt's form picks up it is unlikely that many clubs will make a significant bid for him and Bournemouth still have a long contract on him.

AFCB's agent topping payouts shows its rising stock

While the BBC's report on agent's fees from last season has some startling results for AFCB fans to consider I expect most fans bemoan agents taking vast sums of money out of the game as payment for their services. The good news is that these substantial fees have been coming down because most club's either can't afford them or won't pay them anymore. 

Last season's League One figures though do reveal that AFCB paid out a staggering £688, 666 in fees to agents over player transfers, loan deals, contract negotiations and terminations. In total, the League One's spending on agents' fees was £2.2 million. AFCB were the top payout merchants for agents in League One which perhaps shows you why other clubs were so quick to call us money bags. Still, if it was a gamble to pay out on rebuilding the squad it certainly paid off. The BBC report says the Cherries outlay was the ninth highest in the football league for agent fees. If you overhaul your team, expect to be hit by the agents working on the transfers. Not all of the agent's work goes noticed by the fans but they have to be rewarded for the work they do, it's the rates that perhaps need to be looked at.

We were told that financial fair play regulations would impact on the Cherries spending this current season and yet AFCB has still managed to break its record transfer fee by bringing in Tokelo Rantie. In a way I see it as the more successful you are the more you are likely to spend on such things as agent fees, because when you look at the Championship last season those teams spent £18.6 million on agent's fees. 

While AFCB may not look to strengthen any further in January one would expect some players to leave and come in next summer. The trend is for agent fees to be dropping, but it is not known how AFCB will look to make its future signings and if it can start to at least reduce the amount of agent fees it has been handing out. Eddie Howe told the Bournemouth Echo that it would seek to lower its payments to agents in future. 

The players that have come in are certainly more valuable than previous squads. However, Matt Tubbs is out in loan at Rotherham, Ryan Allsop, Ryan Fraser and Brett Pitman have featured more regularly, but Matt Ritchie is another big signing that fans are still waiting to see this season.

AFCB's assets are rising on the field and a successful season could see some big money moves for some of the players. It will then be down to the owners to ensure the fees agreed are not excessive and that the club can either produce its own replacements or find new faces again without paying through the nose.  

Making the most of away days

AFCB now has a massive period ahead in terms of trying to get points from away fixtures in the rest of the month. With two league games against Huddersfield and Doncaster and the Capital One tie against Watford it will not be easy to get momentum going but with the great home performances the team has had they should be able to take some confidence from that.

The games against Huddersfield have been titanic ties in the last few years. While most AFCB fans will think back to the 3:3 play-off match at Huddersfield as the game that broke our hearts we should not forget that AFCB did bring to an end Lee Clarke's great unbeaten record when he was at Huddersfield. AFCB tend to play well at the Galpharm stadium which is one of the best in the Championship. I will be asking a Huddersfield blogger how he thinks his team has been doing ahead of the clash with the Cherries.

Oh no, do we really have to go back there?

As for Watford which sandwiches the two league games, I had been in two minds whether to revisit the scene of our ghastly second half performance only a few days ago. The price of the tickets is a big pull factor and I would like to see if Eddie may play one or two of the players who have not really featured much yet like Sam Matthews and Eunan O'Kane, while Josh McQuoid, Mohamed Coulibaly or Matt Ritchie could make a comeback from injury. While it will be good to play most of the players who did not come out of the league game with much credit a few new faces would make it seem less like an action replay and perhaps give Watford some different problems. I've bought my ticket any way, so I am praying that I can come out smiling from Vicarage Road at least once this season.

Then we face Doncaster Rovers. I can already hear their taunts about winning League One last season in the final seconds at Griffin Park. I guess we kind of owe them one especially as they some how managed to beat us 1:2 in that fog laden match last season when Matt Tubbs had done so well to get us back level.

I certainly feel that the Huddersfield and Doncaster games are winnable and would hope that we get some points on the road in the league to wipe out the memory of the Watford away game. As for the Capital One Cup I really think it depends what kind of team Watford put out.

If you fancy predicting which the hardest game AFCB will face in the coming month put a vote in our snap poll (there are just two days left), which is at the top of the right hand column on the blog or Tweet to @peterbell19 which game you are most worried about out of the next six and I'll post your comments.

We don't want Zubar to swap Cherries for Bury

I would like to see Stephane Zubar in an AFCB shirt this season. I make no secret of the fact that I believe he was under used at the Cherries and could have been a mainstay of our defence if the dice had rolled more favourably for him.

It would sadden me to see him exit, but players come and go and I would wish him all the best if he goes to Bury FC. What also impressed me is you have never heard a bad word from Zubar when he has been out of the team at AFCB. He always got on with the job even if he was not selected and he followed a good number of supporters on twitter to show he was united with the fans in wanting to see AFCB do well. Even in pre-season he has been playing against the minor team fixtures to get his strength back up and to improve his fitness levels.

But will Howe have the means to be able to keep Stephane Zubar? Or is he one defender too many? Elliott Ward is supposed to be better than some of the defenders we have at the club already and yet he had a bit of a clanger against Real Madrid for one of their goals. I don't remember Zubar having any bad games for AFCB - quite the contrary.

I am hoping that the addition of Mohamed Coulibaly may provide a bit of a reason to keep Stephane as a French speaker he could help Coulibaly settle in more easily at AFCB. Kevin Blackwell has made no secret of his desire to capture Stephane having had him on loan at the club, at the need of last season. He is seeking quality and Zubar fits into that category for him in league two.

The decision on Zubar may come soon when Eddie decides who is surplus to requirements during August. We just haven't seen Zubar playing under Eddie Howe and I am one who believes Eddie could get more out of Stephane to show us that he is better than a league one player.

Via Tweeter Zubar intimated that he would be "looking forward to it" referring to his expected move to Bury on 15 July, but the deal is still waiting to be confirmed.

If Zubar does leave, the good news for the Cherries would be that we would have cut some of the wage bill and I expect a few more players to also be moved on in August. It intrigues me why more have not left the club yet. Only Jonathan Meades, Charlie Sherringham and Frank Demouge have trode this path over the summer and yet most of us expected a big trimming of the squad.

While rumours have come and gone about Tubbs, Arter and Ritchie being sought out by other clubs there have been no formal offers announced and the side looks a strong one that will enter the Championship.

Eddie Howe has even said that his business might not yet be over so you never know if a sensational signing is still to come to Dean Court.