Birmingham are just as desperate as AFCB for a win

Birmingham City are sitting right above the Championship's relegation zone and maybe feeling they are in with a great chance in this game when look at how Bournemouth have been playing in their last few games. Aitor Karanka would love to get a win over Jonathan Woodgate, who he tutored while at Middlesbrough, and he'll know that a defeat could leave Birmingham in the bottom three. Bournemouth will know that if they can perform to somewhere near their best, this is a game they should win, but a new manager, new signings and a lack of confidence could make lead them to further turmoil.

Will we see a new and revitalised AFCB?

Birmingham have brought in a few new players in January. They picked up Rakeem Harper and Yan Valery on loan, while Keyendrah Symmonds and Sam Cosgrove have signed permanent deals with the Blues. Birmingham have been having trouble scoring goals. Jeremie Bela is top scorer with three, along with Scot Hogan, but Lucas Jutkiewicz could keep his place up front, while Jon Toral could play just in behind the main striker.

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A 0-0 draw against Wycombe Wanderers away in Birmingham's last match might seem like AFCB have nothing to fear. But Bournemouth will be doubting themselves with the run of results that they have had. You have to go back to 16 December to find Birmingham scoring more than one goal in a league match and even then they lost 3-2 to Cardiff City. Their last away win was against Middlesbrough on 16 January, but then you have to go back to 9 December when they got a great 1-2 win over Reading. Yet, if Bournemouth had to pick a side to play next, I think Birmingham would be pretty high up in their wish list as they have only won one of their last 10 games.

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Bournemouth themselves have a couple of injury concerns with Solanke a doubt and Stanislas, who has an ankle problem. It may mean that Shane Long is given a start and Brooks and Danjuma might take up the wing positions if Stanislas is struggling. It seems that Cameron Carter-Vickers was putting himself about in training and he must fancy his chances for replacing Chris Mepham who had a shocking moment last game to give Sheffield Wednesday their opening goal. Midfield could also see a change or two with Ben Pearson perhaps given a start after the flat performance of Wilshere last game when he was subbed at half-time.

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Everybody should start with a clean sheet with a new manager, but I am sure Woodgate will know Bournemouth's main players well enough to ask them for a reaction rather than make too many changes. Tindall couldn't make them perform, what can Woodgate do? We'll have a good idea after this game. He'll boost his chances of becoming permanent manager enormously if he can find what is missing in this Cherries side. Here's hoping, as it seems a long time ago when the Cherries last won a game.

Birmingham City Away Form
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AFCB Home Form
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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Terry, Vieira, Howe, Lampard - is Woodgate really top choice?

Possible AFCB line-up

AFCB Subs: Dennis, Rico, Mepham, Smith, Billing,

Wilshere, Riquelme, Surridge, Anthony 

Terry, Vieira, Howe, Lampard - is Woodgate really top choice?

The last few days must have been like a whirlwind move for Jonathan Woodgate. At first, he is coming in to be a first-team coach at a new club and the next moment he is thrust into being the favourite to take over the manager's position and is named interim manager at AFCB. Last time Bournemouth's board didn't look much further than their own backroom staff, but could things be different this time?

Who can get more out of this squad of players?

Woodgate has a good CV as a player. He has played for England, Real Madrid, Leeds Utd and Spurs as well as Newcastle and Middlesbrough and a few others. Looking at his managerial career though, it's clear that he has only just had his first taste of management and was perhaps lucky to be in the right place to get the Middlesbrough job in June 2019. He had Roy Keane as an assistant manager and perhaps the good cop, bad cop, duo appealed to Middlesbrough with Woodgate a local lad. But it backfired within a year.

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It's true that Woodgate had to make a huge cull to his player list and many players were released or left on free transfers in July 2019. John Obi Mikel, Jordan Hugill, Steven Downing, Randolph, Flint, and Martin Braithwaite all left the club and were not replaced. Woodgate was sacked with eight games of the season to go as he failed to inspire the players who fired with relegation. At the time Boro were only above the relegation zone on goal difference. Middlesbrough ended up finishing 17th, but the team was supposed to be going for promotion.

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It was a heavy blow for Woodgate as it was his home club. He learned under Tony Pulis and wanted to change the way Middlesbrough played by getting them to play from the back, but Woodgate has admitted that they didn't have the players to do it. So does this make Woodgate a good fit for Bournemouth? I think he'll learn more about playing out from the back, but I don't see him as a good choice to be the first-team head coach or manager. He is not a leader yet and found the Championship hard going in his first managerial job. To add the pressure that Bournemouth have to win promotion is a step too far in my reckoning for Woodgate.

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Woodgate needs to learn the ropes. I hope he does well and wins games while he is the interim manager but he needs time and guidance and a senior figure to learn from. It's funny that Bournemouth legend Tony Pulis was the man to bring Woodgate on as a coach and Woodgate has ended up at Dean Court - it's probably no coincidence. But Bournemouth fans won't want to see the Cherries taking on a Pulis style again. It may be that Woodgate has only a very short stay at the club if Bournemouth do look elsewhere. Looking at Woodgate's record, the board has to ask themselves what has changed since Woodgate was the manager at Middlesbrough and is he full of the same kind of passion, enthusiasm and ideas as a young Eddie Howe was? if the answer is no, might the board still take the risk? They really need to find an experienced manager for this job who is good at getting teams promoted from the Championship. Of course, ironically Middlesbrough has one of those now in Neil Warnock. 

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And for those who say bring back Eddie again, let him move on. Eddie and Jason may pair up again to prove to themselves that they can get another team to the Premier League - that is their unfinished business. The Burnley record is what sits uneasy with Howe.

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But finding a new saviour for Bournemouth could land the board wondering if they take a chance on John Terry and Patrick Vieira. I think Vieira might be great manager potential, but it is more a popular media story than anything else. It would be a media frenzy as would Frank Lampard, and either choice would probably of little help to the players. I suppose we should be thinking how far AFCB have come to be linked with such playing greats as possible managers, but such a move would be a short-term gamble on big names that would only see AFCB as a stepping stone. I'd like to see Gary Monk or a similar type of manager come to Bournemouth. Monk taught so much to Edie Howe when he got started. Perhaps Woodgate could work under a manager like that.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth had to make the change - but who is next?

Where do the Cherries' need to improve?

Happy Christmas everyone! It is perhaps a good time to just consider how the season has gone so far and what expectations we may have for the second half of the season. Bournemouth are just five points off the lead with a two-point gap over the third-placed Swansea City. Are we confident that Bournemouth can do as well if not better between January and May?

Happy Christmas

When we look at the league, Bournemouth have played 20 games which is almost half and they have played most teams once. So with only two defeats, it has been a good start and the real need for the Cherries is to try and convert a few more of the draws into wins. That is how Norwich have clawed themselves ahead.

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Bournemouth can also set themselves the tasks of doing better against the teams in the top six. They have beaten Norwich City but they have drawn with Swansea City, Watford and Middlesbrough. If they can beat these teams second time around they will be opening the gap much quicker on those teams below them.

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Defensively Bournemouth have sharpened up well with nine clean sheets so far. That is still two behind Stoke City and Swansea City. While six of these clean sheets for the Cherries have been at home there are just three away clean sheets. In the away games clean sheet table, Bournemouth are down in 10th and it's a clear indication of where they can improve.

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With 35 goals scored, the Cherries top the goals for table with Blackburn Rovers just a goal behind. The stat which is not so good is goals against column,  as Bournemouth have conceded 16 goals from their 20 games. But that is still the fourth-best record behind Swansea City, Watford and Middlesbrough.

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From Bournemouth's position it would be costly to see them fall back into the third to sixth places, and this is what Bournemouth have to be aware of the most as the pressure builds. It may be a good thing that they have Norwich to chase, as it will give the players more to think of rather than thinking of being caught.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Danjuma only has eyes to get AFCB back to the Premier League

Bournemouth still lack game management

The performance against Middlesbrough was workmanlike from Bournemouth without being near the spectacular heights of their pre-season form against West Ham when Lewis Cook, Jack Simpson, Junior Stanislas and Diego Rico were involved from the start. Against Middlesbrough, there was a slowness to get going and even when they had the lead it was difficult for Bournemouth to make the most of the couple of clear cut chances they created. The real failing of the game though was to be unable to hold out and to manage the game to the finish with a clean sheet.

Scoring first is ow happening but holding on to leads is now proving a challenge. 

Four points from two games is still great form for a team in transition. It is easy to be picky and Jason Tndal is perhaps learning that this side doesn't find it easy to hold on to a one-nil lead yet. I think we have to look at who was on the pitch at the time of Middlesbrough's goal and the players that had been brought on to close out the game as a first point. Billing and Rico had both come on after 70 minutes so Danjum and Stacey could be rested. The goal came from a throw-in and players were not picked up quickly on the left side, which looks like it was Billing's job, but even then the cross was delivered with ease and Bournemouth were outnumbered at the far post when the ball swung in.

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Holding shape and watching player movements is something that Tindall just has to drill into his team. We saw it done so well with Roy Hodgson's Crystal Palace and at times Bournemouth needs to be as miserly as Palace are at the back. I am not sure if it is Bournemouth's way of coaching or the players that they have, but defensively they still switch off and it is usually at crucial moments of the game like the last 10 minutes.

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So Bournemouth now need to try and grow from this and learn the lesson. We know they can be an all guns blazing, attacking side under Tindall. They now need to develop a stingy side if they are going to be a force in the Championship. There are enough experienced players at the club to see out games. JT has to get his subs right though and see who is less likely to make mistakes in tight matches like the Middlesbrough game. Some times attack is the best form of defence and without King and Stanislas, JT wasn't positive enough to pick Lewis Cook take the game to Middlesbrough.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Middlesbrough hold Cherries to a draw at the Riverside

Middlesbrough hold Cherries to a draw at the Riverside

Match Report

Middlesbrough 1 v 1 AFCB

19 September 2020

Bournemouth came into this game having only won away once in 2020. The team needed a while to get into their game and it was Middlesborough who looked most likely to core early on. But just before half-time Danjuma's corner was converted by Solanke to give Bournemouth the lead. The second half didn't see Bournemouth build on their lead and a Marcus Browne header 9 minutes from time meant that Bournemouth had lost the clean sheet and missed out on a chance to keep their 100 per cent winning record.

Solanke opens his scoring for the season. 

JT showed he is not afraid to make changes and he dropped Mark Travers, Lewis Cook and Junior Stanislas from the start line up against Blackburn Rovers. This meant there were starts for Asmir Begovic, Dan Gosling and David Brooks. It looks like Stanislas might be injured as he didn't make the subs bench, but Jaidon Anthony and Diego Rico did make the bench.

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Match Description
Bournemouth came under immediate pressure from the start. George Saville hit an early shot that went wide from distance before Chris Mepham conceded a corner in the first five minutes. Howson shoots and Jefferson Lerma conceded the corner with Middlesborough in charge.

Saville had another shot blocked on 11 minutes. Marvin Johnson then took aim and was blocked after a pass from Howson. Middlesborough are on top but haven't tested Begovic.

Bournemouth mount their first attack with Brooks and his cross almost finds Solanke, but Boro clear. Bournemouth launch a salvo of shots, Danjuma tries to curl one and it comes out to Solanke and he's blocked while Brooks fires over. Another chance and Brooks is offside. The Cherries are starting to come into this.

Tavernier is caught offside. Saville is booked for holding back Stacey. Bournemouth are probably just edging the possession now after a slow start for the Cherries.

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Lerma fouls and Steve Cook concedes the corner. Hall heads over. David Brooks has his shot from outside the box saved. Corner to Bournemouth. Solanke scores! 0-1 to Bournemouth. Danjuma's cross was converted by Solanke in the box on 38 minutes, the Middlesbrough defender perhaps put it in. Solanke will claim it though. His fourth Bournemouth goal.

Good chance for Boro, Fletcher puts his header wide though from McNair's cross. Marcus Batinelli saves well from David Brooks' shot that was headed for the top corner.

Bournemouth 50% possession, 10 shots, 2 shots on target, 4 corners, 6 fouls

Middlesbrough 50% possession, 5 shots, 3 shots on target, 3 corners, 8 fouls 

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Second half
Boro start well again and Tavernier is blocked. Tavernier is getting the better of Bournemouth's defence. His cross finds Hall and his header is saved by Begovic. Ashley Fletcher is offside.

Mepham gets a yellow card. Brooks sends a free kick into the box but Batinelli grabs it. Assombalonga is offside. Hall is offside now. 

Solanke is away but is fouled. Danjuma's free kick comes off the wall. Bournemouth have a corner and Stacey is carded. Assombalonga is through but Begovic and Kelly just do enough to keep him out. Again Assombalonga gets in a good position but heads over.

Browne has replaced Fletcher for Boro on 68 minutes. Begovic saves form Assombalonga. 

Mepham fouls and the free kick and Saville has it and is offside despite finishing. Billing replaces Danuma on 73 minutes and Rico replaces Stacey a minute later.

Rico plays a good ball through to Salnke who is onside but Batenelli saves when Solanke just had the keeper to beat.

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Frey replaces Spener for Boro.

Lerma conceded a corner. Marcus Browne has headed in to make it 1-1 on 81 minutes. Bournemouth just can't keep clean sheets these days. Surridge replaces David Brooks.  Billing takes a free kick which goes for a corner off the wall. Rico takes and Lerma's header is well saved.

Morsy relaces Taverner. Adam Smith wins a free kick. One last assault on the Middlesbrough goal. We are in added time.

Summary
That elusive clean sheet is beginning to haunt Tindall just like it did with Howe. The team found it harder to create chances in this match, but Solane took one chance and could have done better when through on goal in the second half. But Assombalonga also could have done better when he just had Begovic to beat, but Marcus Browne's equaliser was probably fair on the balance of play. JT knows Bournemouth won't walk over teams in this league and that they still have some tightening up to do at the back and in front of goal. With Danjuma and Brooks not firing and Stanislas and King not putting in an appearance, Bournemouth looks a bit short of attacking might to knock over teams in tight games. 

Middlesbrough
1 Bettinelli, 2 Dijksteel, 4 Hall, 17McNair, 29 Spence, 16 Howson, 22 Saville, 7 Tavernier, 3 Johnson,
11 Fletcher (Browne 68), 9 Assombalonga

Middlesbrough Subs: 5 Morsy, 6 Fry, 8 Wing, 12 Browne, 27 Bola, 33 Coulson, 42 Pears

AFCB Line up

AFCB Subs: Travers, Simpson, Rico, Billing, L Cook, Anthony, Surridge

Not an empty stadium for Boro match

Bournemouth's players might be at a slight disadvantage when they go up to play at the Riverside this weekend. The ground is part of the government's trial for fans to return to the stadium and it will have 1000 Middlesborough fans in the ground, according to Teeside Live. What they won't have to face is Neil Warnock who has tested positive with COVID-19 and so Kevin Blackwell Boro's number two steps in to manage the team against the Cherries.

The Cherries face one of their longest away trips this weekend

It is all very well allowing fans back into the ground on a test basis but it doesn't quite seem a level playing field if no away supporters or at least only media and staff from the opposition are able to attend the game. Somehow I imagine there will be lots of vocal calls at the referee to give Boro the decisions when they have 1000 more fans in the ground than Bournemouth. Referees have to be objective but that is not going to be so easy - we are all human.

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Boro lost their first game to Watford 1-0 but were said by many to be the better team. In fact, Warnock was staggered that the player of the match had gone to a Watford player. Bournemouth's away record is not great in 2020, so JT will be looking to get his first away win and only Bournemouth's second away win of 2020.

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This is also one of the longest away fixtures for Bournemouth in a week when they have already played Crystal Palace in midweek. That should mean quite a few changes from the Carabao Cup match and Bournemouth will be looking to improve on their defensive record which has not recorded a clean sheet since the Tottenham game in July.

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The odds may be slightly stacked against the Cherries but they are scoring goals freely and that could just be the difference if it is an open game up at the Riverside. Boro has not won a league match in their last five at home which bodes well perhaps for AFCB.

Middlesborough League Home record
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AFCB League Away record
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Has Tindall inherited a great youthful squad?

The Carabao Cup win was another fabulous result for Bournemouth. It was even better as a performance and the remarkable thing is that two of the players were making their full debut while at the other end Harry Arter and Asmir Begovic are senior pros. It just might be that Hason Tindall has inherited the manager's job at just the right time with a good crop of young players coming through and no big egos to slow their development.

Tindall may well have inherited the best squad of young players in a while.

The youthful players also played very well against West Ham in the pre-season friendly. We saw Jordan Zemura and Nnamdi Ofoborh win their first full-team debuts against Crystal Palace and they fitted in very well. The young players are having to learn their trade with now crowd support which should be challenging for them, but they are coping better than AFCB did as a team in the last nine games of last season. The team spirit is often not considered that much compared to formations and how individuals are performing, but this team is looking very much together, and results like a win in a long penalty shootout are only going to strengthen the bonds.

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Going into the match against Crystal Palace it looked difficult for the AFCB players on paper, especially thinking of how the team last played at home against Palace. But the mental side of the players that went out to represent the Cherries was spot on under Tindall. They didn't give an inch and dominated the game. In fact, they looked like the Premier League team with 17 shots compared to four from Crystal Palace. The challenge will be more difficult up at Man City, but the players are impressing and JT has them playing with confidence which is great to see.

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Whether AFCB can keep the rotation going and maintain the wins is the task now. The away performances had not been good in 2020 up until the win at Everton, so the match against Middlesborough is another chance or players to impress the new manager and see if they can keep their standards high. I must admit the team has performed to a much higher standard than I had expected before the start of the season and it is great to see so many of them doing well and fitting into the team when changes are made. 

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At the moment there are lots of positives and let's hope that continues for AFCB.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Penalty dramas in AFCB Carabao Cup win

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Simpson too good to be on the bench

We may be about to lose the services of Jack Simpson, at least for a few months if the Championship sides of Middlesbrough, Stoke or Derby get their man. A loan deal for Simpson would make sense for Jack Simspon's development, but it would be a pity if he makes a clean break with Bournemouth.

Jack Simpson is more than ready to play more minutes, but probably not at AFCB

Fans always like to see local players come through the system and as soon as we have one at Bournemouth, they don't tend to stay around long. But Jack has served his apprenticeship at Bournemouth and should be getting regular games. Even with the amount of injuries that the cherries have been getting, Jack hasn't found it easy to get in the team.

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I thought Jack as the man of the match against Arsenal in the FA Cup and if he had knocked in his header, we could have still been lining up for a replay. A relegation scrap might not be the environment that Jack Simpson would benefit from, but a promotion push could get his game in the right place. So I can see the benefits of going to a good Championship side, but none of the mentioned clubs are likely to get in the promotion scene. So perhaps, just playing games is something Jack would settle for.

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It would leave Bournemouth a little short at centre-back in terms of cover. Simon Francis is going to be the main back up if Aké and Steve Cook have problems, but then there wouldn't be much other cover with Chris Mepham out for the rest of the season. Eddie Howe might be keener on keeping Jack around but having him sit on the bench for the next few months isn't doing anyone any favours. Perhaps Eddie can put in a recall clause in a contract in case he loses a couple of centre-backs to injury.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes: No signings for AFCB could be a positive

Ritchie would be a backwards step for AFCB

There have been suggestions that Bournemouth should be keen on signing Matt Ritchie, but the player has little to prove in coming back to the Cherries. Fans know exactly what Ritchie has to offer, but there seems little benefit in taking him back just to ease out Jordan Ibe from a starting position. Now Stoke and Middlesbrough are thought to be preparing bids for the former Bournemouth winger, claims the Daily Mail.

Matt was great at AFCB, but there would be a
lot of pressure on him if he returned and the
Cherries would be worse off without Josh King.

While Ritchie is perhaps the better player compared to Ibe, Ritchie left for a reason to develop his career and for him to be used as part of a swap deal just for Newcastle to land Josh King would not do him of AFCB any good. It would diminish Howe's trust in Jordan Ibe and it would suggest that Ritchie is the best winger that the club is capable of developing.

Ritchie was a crowd favourite at AFCB and he did well in his time at Dean Court, so that legacy would also be under threat if he did come back. Whether he would feel as if nothing had changed since his departure is unlikely as big names like Defoe and Begovic have since arrived, and Ritchie's influence having left might not be as great on a return.

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There are some players that do play for AFCB and are a good fit to come back to the team, but I find it hard to see why Mat Ritchie would be one of these players. He plays for a good team in the Premier League with much larger crowds than at AFCB and he has never let Newcastle down, but to try and sell him off for the chance to pick another AFCB player seems a big mistake for Newcastle. They may now have disappointed one of their most promising players and for what? For AFCB to say they are not interested.

The sad fact is for Newcastle is that, I don't believe their are any players in their squad perhaps apart from Jamaal Lescelles that would be of interest to the Cherries and I'm sure no Geordie would like to see their young captain leave the club.

Southgate's World Cup - Day 17 penalty drama

Ryan Fraser is battle hardened

I am wondering whether Ryan Fraser will be available for selection in the match against Chelsea at the weekend. It's not that his form isn't good enough, but more whether he withstood the battering he got on Tuesday night against Middlesbrough. Every time I looked up it was the Wee-man that was getting taken out or bashed to the floor and yet he never seemed to complain or grumble, but took his punishment and carried on for 77 minutes before Benik Afobe was able to replace him.

Ryan Fraser did well to get through the match against Middlesbrough.

We know Ryan is not the biggest of players, but he holds his own and is stocky enough to put his own weight about, but it seemed that Middlesbrough were on a mission to slow him down and they did a pretty good job on trying to make Ryan have a quiet game. The Scot is brave though and he doesn't get put off lightly. I thought he'd be the first to be substituted when he started getting knock after knock, so I was impressed how he kept going.

Bournemouth need him to be in and around the team though as he is becoming a versatile player that has the good habit of getting in the end of moves. Options are always what Eddie Howe wants on the wings and Ryan is always a good sight to see in full flow, but AFCB need him to be in top form and his recent hamstring injury has not been given much time to ease off.

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I have been wondering whether the poor start to the season's early games was simply down to a bit of burn out or physical energy loss rather than a mental thing. In recent weeks the players have been much more able to take the game to teams and forcing the issue. Ryan is one of that sort of player who raises the tempo when he gets on the ball and the form of Fraser, Stanislas, Smith and Ibe I think is particularly important to Eddie Howe's system as they need that speed to their game and when AFCB play at a more reserved pace the more static nature of their game makes them easy for other teams to pick off.

So, I will be keen to see if the Wee-man is among those in the squad to take on Chelsea.

In other news, it's Chelsea away in the Carabao Cup in the week beginning 18 December but we had to wait almost two hours to find out in the delayed draw! In case you got fed up waiting and really wanted to see the draw - here it is.

The #CarabaoCup Round Five Draw has finally taken place. Take a look at the pre-recorded video and see who your team got. pic.twitter.com/g6Tl9IxseK

— Carabao Cup (@Carabao_Cup) October 26, 2017

Jack Simpson puts in a stunning AFCB debut

I was busy looking around Dean Court while the players were warming up on Tuesday and was keen to see 20 year-old Jack Simpson getting involved and relishing his chance to play in the first team. While Arsenal rave on about their new sensation Eddie Nkeitah, it's good to know that Bournemouth are perhaps starting see the work being done at the Academy level starting to pay off with promising players such as Jack Simpson emerging.

Jack had been in and around the squad but was pleased to
make his first start for the first team and you could say he grabbed his chance rather well.

Eddie Howe says Jack has been converted from a midfield player and you could see how elegant and cultured the centre-half was when on the ball. He made a couple of excellent early passes that settled him down and when Adama Traore looked poised to test Boruc he was very quick to close the shot down and take the full blast of the shot.

There was also some moments of sheer quality about his play when in the first half he saw Adam Smith available for a long pass and found him with a great cross-field ball that had the crowd gasping. It was Glenn Hoddle-like in its execution and I was having to look twice to make sure it really was Jack who had made the pass.

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To score on your debut is always going to be a dream come true and to get the first goal was special indeed. I had thought that Jack had headed it in, but saw only on replay that he had stuck out his left foot to claw the ball into the back of the net. It was all about the timing of his run to get ahead of his marker at the corner, and I think he would have scored again had he not been pulled back by Fry at a subsequent Bournemouth corner when he won a penalty.

All-in-all, it was a match Jack will certainly never forget and it kind of makes me proud to see one of the young players proving that they can do it on the big stage. I wish Jack well and hope we see more of him, as it is difficult to see players like Baily Cargill do well and then have to play games elsewhere. But it looks like Bournemouth have a great young centre-back pair if they can keep Cargill and Simpson in their ranks.

Wilson is back all right!

There were never any doubts in my mind that Callum Wilson would be back in the team as soon as he was ready, and I did not believe those who said well he might not be as good as we have known him in the past. Callum looked great, and it is no surprise that Eddie Howe was also very pleased with his number 13 who did more than enough in the cup game against Middlesbrough to show he is a striker that wants to be very much involved in Bournemouth's season.

Callum enjoyed every moment of getting his goal in front of the North stand. 

While some will argue that Wilson only scored from the penalty spot there is far more to his game than that. We saw him make several darting runs in short bursts in and around the Boro penalty box, and there was nothing wrong with his though patterns of knowing when to make his runs and getting the upper hand on his marker. He topped his performance off not only with the penalty but with an inch perfect cross for Benike Afobe to net the third goal on the night.

Now with 90 minutes under his belt Callum is going to challenge for those starting places. I would say that King would normally be a cast iron cert to start the next league match, but he is still a doubt while his illness remains and Howe will be taking every precaution with him to try and get him right in time. Callum might need to be held back as a sub to recover fully after this game, but the thought of King and Wilson sounds tantalising, while we have seen that Benik is already profiting from the mere presence of Wilson on the pitch.

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There is a kind of completeness that went around Dean Court to welcome Callum back and while the team has had a difficult start there is a real buzz about the place now, and I just wonder if this will turn out to be a special season for the Cherries. The team is starting to play some excellent football again and even though they start from a low place in the league they are really building some momentum, and a favourable home Carabao Cup draw will only heighten the excitement around Dean Court.

Welcome back Callum!

Simpson and Wilson star in AFCB Carabao win over Middlesbrough

Match Report

Carabao Cup Fourth Round

AFCB 3 v 1 Middlesbrough

A great result for the Cherries who go into the hat for the quarter-finals.

Bournemouth eased their way through to the fifth round of the Carabao Cup after a match-winning performance by young Jack Simpson and a successful return to first team cup action by Callum Wilson. Bournemouth found their flowing football right from the off and Lys Mousset was unlucky not to have headed the Cherries ahead, after being flagged offside from a Ryan Fraser free kick.  AFCB fans had to wait until the second half for a goal when Simpson timed his run well at a corner to score with his left foot 48 minutes. Only seven minutes later Boro were level after a breakaway goal by Marcus Tavenier. But Boro had been second best all night and the Cherries recovered their lead after Simpson was pulled down in the box going for a header from another corner. Callum Wilson made sure from the spot and restored the lead, before Bournemouth made it a more emphatic win with a Benik Afobe goal seven minutes from time.

The two teams on the pitch.

As expected Eddie Howe made some changes. Neither Jermain Defoe or Josh King were available and the big surprise was to see Jack Simpson in the team at centre-back. Callum Wilson also made the starting line up along with Ryan Fraser, Dan Gosling and Ryan Fraser.

See more images on Match Day Gallery.

Jsck Simpson came in to the team to get
experience and walked off with man of the match.

Bournemouth had a bit of a nervy start with Adama Traore testing Artur Boruc from the edge of the box and the keeper was pleased to see the flag go up after he fumbled the save. Bournemouth then looked to have taken the lead when Fraser's free kick was headed in by Lys Mousset only to see the flag go up.

Harry Arter was lucky not to see a card when he launched himself at Traore, but it was Simpson who was looking the most assured Bournemouth player, making tackles and switching play with consummate ease. Callum Wilson was also fabulous to watch turning after receiving a ball from Pugh and just firing wide on 18 minutes.

The surface of the pitch was very lively and several players were finding it hard to keep their feet with the misty rain in the air. Pugh was enjoying it though and saw a shot blocked before it ran out to Fraser who put another chance wide from six yards, as Pugh's shot off the keeper just came back to him too fast.

Dael Fry picked up a yellow card for a foul on Callum Wilson, but it was Boro who might have ended the first half ahead had Traore's blast from just outside the box kept a bit lower.

Callum makes a scoring comeback.

Second half
The break did the trick for Bournemouth who won an early corner and Jack Simpson came forward and headed straight in from six yards. AFCB were looking set to extend the lead when Charlie Daniels was taken down in the box by George Friend, but strangely no penalty was given. Boro countered and Traore found Tavenier to his left who stroked the ball past Boroc's right arm to level at 1-1.

Callum Wilson then appeared to have won a penalty when he was sent flying in the box by Dael Fry but  the referee was somehow uninterested. Tavenier kept Boruc alert with a shot after another Traore break and Boro were getting more confident with Adam Forshaw winning a corner after a deflected shot. Bournemouth decided to sub Lys Mousset and Jordan Ibe added more pace to the team.

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Bournemouth soon had the ball up the other end though and when Simpson went for a second headed goal from a Bournemouth corner he cynically had his shirt pulled by Fry and the penalty was awarded. Callum  asked for the ball and he confidently stroked in the goal to make it 2-1 on 75 minutes. AFCB immediately then subbed Ryan Fraser for Benik Afobe. Dowing also came on for Tavenier.

Bournemouth had the momentum now with Ibe having a shot blocked. It didn't matter though as  on 80 minutes Adam Smith made an incisive run in from the right wing, before turning a pass 90 degrees for Wilson to slip down the side of the defender, and cross square for an in rushing Benik Afobe who made it 3-1.

Bournemouth were in total control no and a move by Arter and Pugh was almost walked in by Afobe as he shot just wide from close in. Akee replaced Adam Smith to see out the last few minutes of the game.

Boro subbed Lewis Barker with Ashley Fletcher on 85 minutes. Forshaw then played a good ball to Downing who brought a save out of Boruc in the 88th minute. Three extra time minutes only saw a long shot from Patrick Bamford go wide.

Yes! Another win under the Cherries' belt.

Summary

A great night for Bournemouth. It was astonishing how well Jack Simpson played - an absolute natural. Not even Callum Wilson could take the man of the match away from him and yet it was also very pleasing to see Callum give his signature salute when he slotted home the penalty. Benike Afobe will also have been delighted to get on the score sheet and AFCB are looking like a side that can go further in this competition.

AFCB's starting XI

AFCB Subs
Ramsdale, Aké, Afobe, Hyndman, Mahoney, Ibe, Butcher

AFCB Ratings
Boruc 6, A Smith 8, S Cook 7, Simpson 9, Daniels 7, Fraser 6, Arter 7, Gosling 5, Pugh 6, Mousset 5, Wilson 7

Referee watch: Simon Hooper 4/10. He did give one nailed on penalty but could have made it one or two more and yet was lenient with some of the attempted tackles on the a wet and slippery night.

Middlesbrough
Konstantopoulos, Roberts, Fry, Ayala, Friend, Clayton, Forshaw, Traoré,
Baker (Fletcher 85), Tavernier (Downing 76), Bamford

Boro Subs
Fabio, Gibson, Mejias, Howson, Fletcher, Downing, Wing

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