This is a fan’s personal view of AFC Bournemouth from the outside looking in. It reports on the daily official activities reported by the club and comments made by individual fans on social media and fanbase websites. Life as an AFCB fan is never dull. As a life-long supporter of the Cherries, it is the friendliness of the staff, fans and my enthusiasm for the club that inspired me to write this blog.
It is clear that clubs have to invest to make it to the Premier League and AFCB have had a helping hand with the financial backing of Maxim Demin. While the Daily Mail has reported that the Russian owner has stumped up around £25m in the form of loans the club was far from being a major spender in the Championship in the 2013-14 season. AFCB met the necessary Financial Fair Play regulations set for the Championship and a loss of £10.3m in the 2013-14 season will be swallowed up by the successes of the 2014-15 season, although further outlay will have been made in the second return season to the Championship.
Dean Court has seen much improvement, but to reach the Premier League the club
needed to invest in players, training facilities and infrastructure to compete with the best teams.
Some will have seen Maxim's support as a gamble, but with the talent of Eddie Howe and his coaching staff and the quality of the players that are at AFCB it was more of a shrewd business decision to back a football club that was headed in the right direction. In the last season there has been player investment with Artur Boruc and Kenwyne Jones joining the club on loan and there have been wages to pay for last summer's free signings of Junior Stanislas and Dan Gosling. It has been sensible investment though and the sale of Lewis Grabban and funds from the Adam Lallana move from Southampton to Liverpool have to be noted as well for bringing finance into the club. Moreover, Eddie Howe and Jeff Motsyn have reiterated how the club could not have got where they are now without the support of Maxim Demin. AFCB still has to operate according to its means and player recruitment we have already heard from Eddie Howe will not see him spending 'silly money', which is not his. It is now important as it always has been to bring the right players in for the right amount of money and the club has announced today that seven players are being released by the club - Ian Harte, Josh McQuoid, Benji Buchel, Joe Partington, Mohamed Coulibaly and Miles Addison, while Darryl Flahavan has asked to seek first team football elsewhere. Maxim Demin's financial support will not be forgotten by fans just as the club will not forget the fans that gave all they had to keep the club in business during the dark years. This is a new era and AFCB have the opportunity to secure the club's future. The wage bill is going to be bigger in the Premier League, but as long as the club structures its spending and keeps within its means I expect to see some additions in the next couple of months that will give AFCB every chance to fulfil its next dream of surviving and possibly thriving in the Premier League. Finally, a big thanks to those players that are being released by the club who all made contributions to the team and all the best for the future.
Lee Clark's first match at Blackpool as manager was back in November when they lost 0-2 to Ipswich Town, since then Clark has added 17 points to the Tangerines' total, that Blackpool total was on five at the time when Jose Riga was sacked. Clark has not made the kind of impact that he would have hoped for having had 22 games in charge and if you are collecting less than a point a game there is only one place you are going to end up - the relegation zone. The first thing he probably needs to do is to get a good pitch at Bloomfield Road next season, but even Blackpool can't use that as an excuse for when they play away. Lee has turned towards youth now in his attempt to get as many points as he can for the Tangerines while building for next season. There was a debut for Osayi-Samuel against Sheffield Wednesday in their last match and while playing 17-year-olds might be termed adventurous in a league as tough as the Championship, there is little doubt that Clark is brave to give youth its chance. Giving such players a run in the team now though would make it a bit easier for them next season when they will need to have some confidence behind them. It has to be long-term planning for Blackpool now, because this season they have paid a high price for lack of planning in my opinion. Another player that Blackpool have brought in this week is 23-year-old winger Michael Jacobs on loan from Wolves. Clark also has Charles Dunne coming back from suspension and striker Gary Madine is available again. Jamie O'Hara though is a doubt with an ankle injury, while Niall Mahill is definitely out with a groin strain. Miles Addison is also unavailable as a Bournemouth player on loan. Nathan Delfouneso will probably lead the line, but the Aston Villa man has only scored three times on loan at Blackpool in 30 games.
It all went wrong very early for Blackpool when they did not get the players in over the summer and just did not have any hope of building a team spirit before the defeats started to mount up. Lee Clark has not really stemmed the bleeding but at least he is telling the fans exactly how it is and has not hidden behind any of the poor performances. Now they meet a Cherries side that is looking to not only get three points but build as high a goal difference as it can in what is probably the tightest Championship title race that anyone could expect. Lee Clark will probably sleep okay on Friday night as he has to see the game as a great challenge for his players and can use the knowledge that no one gives them a chance of getting anything. That could be dangerous for the Cherries, but finding the answers are proving difficult for Lee and I don't expect him to come up with the perfect solution by 3pm on Saturday afternoon. Still if Blackpool do get a result, Lee Clark and his team will deserve great praise for taking points off the Cherries at this stage of the season. Blackpool's team last time out against Sheffield Wednesday 21 Parish, 27 Barkhuizen booked (Clarke 71 booked ), 02 Aldred, 32 Hall, 25 Ferguson, 17 Addison, 20 Oliver (Osavi-Samuel 60 ), 04 Perkins, 31 O'Hara, 14 Delfouneso, 34 Telford booked.
The win against Wolves only count for three points on the board but when a team has not been winning for a long time it can be a massive bonus to finally register that win. What was pleasing about AFCB's performance against Wolves was the fact that as usual they took the lead and still managed to comeback again when Wolves had equalised. Their heads did not go down and while the second half might have been a bit scrappy they got the points and showed that they can battle it our for wins. That is going to be really important in upcoming games. The football might not be at its best in these later stages of the league. The pitches will start to turn though as the spring weather comes and they start to firm up with some sun. It could be why AFCB team traditionally have a push at this stage of the season as the pitches improve, but when your team is in a promotion fight it does not really matter how you get the points as long as they keep ticking over.
Fulham stand in the way of back-to-back wins for the Cherries.
Whether the Wolves win is the springboard or a false dawn we will not know for a little while yet. You can tell by the after match interviews though that there was tension building and frustration at the poor return of points from the last few games and that can have a mental strain on the players if they can't understand why they are not getting the points, but doing everything else that they set out to do on the pitch. Now they need to use those good feelings from the Wolves match to take the game to Fulham who will be also searching to keep their home form going. While they lost to Watford away in midweek it was a narrow defeat and Fulham were by no means out of that contest or dominated, so AFCB have another really difficult match ahead of them and if they can enjoy the stadium and the atmosphere the points much just come their way again. Good luck to Miles Addison who has joined Championship side Blackpool on a 28-day loan. I imagine there will be a clause in there that means he will not be able to line up against the Cherries the weekend after next. He played last night but Blackpool slipped further behind in the relegation battle slipping up with a 1-0 defeat to Birmingham City. All Departments' latest podcast reviews the AFCB v Wolves match and previews the game against Fulham. You can listen by visiting the All Departments' website or by scrolling down the right side panel on Cherry Chimes until you come to the All Departments' logo and click on the sound bar.
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.
It has been a pretty tortuous time for Miles Addison at AFCB. He has been club captain and even got a string of games in the 2012-13 season, but as soon as he got injured he never regained his place in the side and Eddie Howe must be pleased that he can now move him on even if only for a month.
Miles is back in the frame to play some games, but this time at Scunthorpe.
While it seems Miles has been around for ever, it may surprise some to hear that he is still only 25. Like just about everybody though I always felt he was too slow at the back and Eddie Howe is clearly looking for more agile and composed players on the ball. Yet Miles may find that he is a dominant player at the back for Scunthorpe in League One, where he might have a bit more time and know how to be one step ahead of some of the forwards he will be up against.
There was no real place for Miles at AFCB and a loan deal was always likely and I hope he makes the most of this chance to start a fresh. If he does come back in a months time I wonder how he would feel about Baily Cargill getting the nod in front of him? Football can be a cruel game and I don't think any player expects to be out of favour until it actually happens to them. All you can do is keep your head down and keeping working hard and to be fair Miles is a pro in that respect. A loan will give him the opportunity to enjoy playing again at a good level and should get him in the window for a longer move in January I would imagine.
Both Stephane Zubar and Miles Addison were at the club before Eddie Howe's second managerial period at AFCB and it has taken a long time for either player to play any kind of football even at Development level. It makes you realise that whoever the Cherries sign on long contracts is a risk and that while signings are always craved by supporters home grown talent may work out better and more cost effective if of course you can hold on to that talent or cash in on it at a profit. The observant ones among you may have seen that there is a new tab on the blog called Kyle's Cups. Following Kyle Cotter's World Cup reports he has kindly offered to follow various cup competitions this season. In his first report he looks at Hull City's Europa League opponents on Thursday - FK AS Trencin
I was pleased to find out that Baily Cargill just may have his chance to stake a claim for a first team spot this coming season, as reported by the Bournemouth Echo. The 19-year-old will be the youngest player if he can make it into the first team for the Huddersfield match which is just a few weeks away now. Baily's chance comes after news that Stephane Zubar is to try out at Cambridge Utd on loan in league two. It is important that AFCB's Development squad players can progress to the senior squad and Eddie Howe is encouraging other players to make the jump in the coming months. With Cargill's promotion it would seem that Howe is not looking to find another central defender to come in this transfer window leaving him with Elphick, Cook and Ward as the main contenders for starting positions along with Baily Cargill. Whether Joe Partington and Miles Addison go out on load is yet to be made clear.
While Zubar still has a year left on his contract at AFCB it seems unlikely that we will see him play very much more in AFCB colours. Stephane has not been lucky with injuries and by moving to Cambridge Utd on loan he would get plenty of games under his belt perhaps to launch his career again.
The squad is still fairly big at AFCB and while others are keen to fight for a place in the team I expect the club to encourage a few others to go out on loan before the first week in August so that they can reduce the wages. For Cargill though the future looks bright.
I asked a few days ago whether it was important that AFCB make the Premiership in the next few years. For two men I think it is essential that they do. Staying in the Championship just might not be enough for Maxim Demin long term. He needs the Cherries to fight for promotion to the Premiership. It's not just Maxim that needs it either, so does Eddie Howe. A couple of years spent with no further promotions will not sit happily with him and his needs may well change if he cannot succeed in getting the Cherries to the top tier. One of the tools needed to help both men reach their goals is a squad that has strength in depth. At the moment it looks like AFCB are starting to get there but there are not quite enough players that are pushing the first 11 regularly enough to spur performances on to the league positions that are ultimately desired.
More additions with plenty of experience like Smith are required.
The club certainly has some star performers now and yet it has been difficult to bring in players with further quality at prices that the club can afford. It was only last January that Adam Smith was signed to give some support in particular to Simon Francis. At times last season the three centre backs were just about able to cover each other when one got injured, but another player in place of Miles Addison is still required.
Finding another Eunan O'Kane and Harry Arter has also not yet been mastered, but Dan Gosling is arguably an excellent addition with Andrew Surman now back at Norwich City. On the wings Eddie Howe has a good crop of players and I see no need to bring in further additions there, although there are plenty of rumours about possible new recruits to fill those positions. Eddie's biggest dilemma is whether his strike force is strong enough to hold its own in the Championship. The team needs speed, power, strength and accuracy up front and with Kermorgant to build around the likelihood is that Eddie will make the right choice as he finds out more about what Yann needs in a strike partner. The strength in depth requires funds though and if there might be a sticking point it is those financial fair play rules sitting uneasily in the background. They are unwelcome for a team that is looking to build like the Cherries, but the rules are the rules. However, the sale of one or two more players following Grabban's exit still seems likely if new recruits are desired. UTCIAD! If you go to Facebook and search Cherry Chimes or use the Android mobile app, we have added pictures from the first home game of the new year against Watford and the FA Cup Fourth Round tie against Liverpool. Today's World Cup Chimespreviews Ghana v Portugal in Brasilia today.
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 JuneEngland 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 plannerfor the Victory pub and kitchen.
Apart from Dan Gosling there has not been much evidence on the surface of new acquisitions for the Cherries although I am sure that many potential offers are in the pipeline. Getting transfer business done early though is a perennial headache and it may make a huge difference this summer on whether Adam Lallana's deal with Liverpool goes through or not. Waiting on such a development is not brilliant news if the Lallana deal is spun out and the same sort of drawn out scenario occurs over Lewis Grabban with several clubs also interested in him. Still there are quite a few players that AFCB should be looking to move on and yet there are no confirmed offers for players like Tubbs or Addison so far. Moreover, not many players have been released either, although Shawn Jalall has left the club and we have had Stephen Purches and Richard Hughes stop their playing contracts.
Eddie has plenty of decisions piling up.
So what do fans really want Eddie to do this summer? Is it simply bring in a striker even though we don't know if Grabban is to leave for sure? Unless Josh McQuoid or Brett Pitman are to leave the club I don't see the need to go quickly into the market unless there is a player who Eddie knows can be a partner for Yann Kermorgant that is better than Rantie or Grabban. There is no guarantee that another striker will hit it off straight away and Rantie may just find top gear which he looks capable of doing in small glimpses. There are other questions too. How much better is Jayden Stockley now after another year out on loan? There is a lot for Eddie Howe to weigh up in his mind about which strikers are going to feature next season and who he has to build the team around.
Moreover, what should the club do if it does get a payout from the Lallana deal? Should it be partly or fully be used to clear losses or should it be reinvested in players? If the deal doesn't go through does it mean more player sales from the Cherries? With the free transfer of Dan Gosling snapped up it is perhaps significant that no more players have been signed yet and that many things are in the balance. Getting the team right though this summer is crucial going forwards and if funds do suddenly come through I hope it is not too late to land the one or two new players that I am sure Eddie Howe is keen to bring on board.
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.
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!
I was pleased to see that Rantie had some minutes against Wigan at the weekend. Once again he got hearts in mouths for some moments when he looked like he would score. He could be so sensational you feel and yet something what quite fall for him. Against Burton Albion he just might be a touch too hot for the Burton back line to deal with. I want Eddie Howe to play him from the start.
Rantie looked like his appetite for the fight was good at Wigan.
I expect Burton will be expecting a difficult game, but AFCB can make it even harder for them by going for the jugular. So often we have seen managers rest too many players and then not do well in the cup. Our players had a full week before the Wigan game with no matches only training and they did not pick up significant knocks in the Wigan match, although Surman was said to struggle at one point. So I am hoping that it will be a strong side that Eddie puts out with Rantie leading the line. If Rantie does well and scores a few to boost his confidence he could then take that in to the Watford match. It will be a special night tonight, under the floodlights, with a good atmosphere and a crowd waiting to be entertained. Tokelo must be given this chance and he must take it. It is important to the the fans want him to succeed and give him encouragement.
I expect some surprises in the team selection and perhaps Grabban will be rested allowing Pitman to partner Rantie. Such a duo may be enough to see of a determined Burton side if well supplied with forward runs from O'Kane and Arter. If you are picked Rantie - give it your best! By the looks of you score predictions, most of you expect AFCB to do well tonight. I hope you are right. Knowing our luck though it will be a draw and more worry in a replay. Good luck tonight you Cherries, whoever is picked to play. UTCIAD! Finally, Wes Thomas has gone to Rotherham for an undisclosed fee. I hope he can score some goals there and resurrect his career. He will join up with on loan Miles Addison.
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.
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!
It must have been a relief to most fans to know that the Wes Thomas saga is finally coming to an end. His spell at AFCB promised so much in the early days and he looked the powerful striker that would bring success to the club. Eddie Howe always believed in Wes and stuck by him even after Thomas said some things that did not go down so well with supporters of the Cherries. Swindon Town have been favourites to land the out of form striker, but Yeovil Town are also said to be interested in Thomas as well as Wolves. I expect wages will be a consideration as to where he ends up, but the move should free up some funds for AFCB. A loan move is another option but Thomas' contract is up in six months. Even though Wes Thomas came on in many games this season, he never really looked like scoring and seemed a troubled man. For his sake I hope that he does rekindle his career at another club. In many ways it was a shame that Birmingham City did not want to take the striker last season after his loan spell or indeed Blackpool, but Thomas' value is not going to go up any time soon and AFCB need to try and attract better strikers if they are to build on their progress. I have also heard reports that Rotherham could be interested in Miles Addison on loan.
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.
It is good to hear that Steve Cook has not broken his leg and it is ankle ligament damage that he has sustained. Still if it is expected that Steve Cook is not quite up to playing after the injury he picked up against Derby, it is possible that Eddie Howe could decide to look again going three at the back or keep it to the flat back four with different personnel. To lose the centre back pairing that has started most games for AFCB this season would be a massive blow, but it certainly looks like Elliott Ward is to spend a spell on the sidelines for sure with his calf injury. Tommy Elphick already filled in for Elliott Ward against Derby and you would imagine that he will be central to any plans Howe has for the next few games.
If Cook is absent against Brighton what would Eddie's plans be?
Elphick looks certain to start against the Seagulls.
I can't really see Eddie chosing to go three at the back against teams like QPR and Reading away, but it might be something he looks at for the Brighton home game. All the swapping and changing dd not really make a huge difference early on in the season though and the three at the back option appeared to be consigned to the training ground, but necessity may make it an option again.
AFCB fans will hope Cook recovers quickly.
Addison could have a surprise recall.
If a flat back four is retained we could see Miles Addison play his first match for the Cherries in the Championship. A friend of mine said there were rumours of Miles leaving the club but I have not heard anything in interviews or in the news. The former Derby defender will be eager to have some playing time as he has been out of contention for a place in the team for a long time. I spotted also Joe Partington before the game on Saturday and while I am sure he will get an opportunity at some point, he has not been playing in the centre back position for long and has had very little game time to build strength back into his legs. Perhaps Stephen Purches has also called time on any ideas of playing for the first team in the Championship. Of course AFCB could look for another player in the loan market as well.
Whatever the case, we hope Steve Cook and Elliott Ward can recover quicker than is forecast. It just seems that AFCB are getting injury after injury at the moment and players are slow to recover. It must be a concern and Howe must be fed up with answering questions about who is fit and who isn't.
Elliott Ward's red card in the Leicester match immediately gives Tommy Elphick a great opportunity to regain his place in the team. He already came on for Lewis Grabban as Bournemouth reorganised after Ward received his red card.
Tommy Elphick played about 25 minutes in the second half at Leicester.
Tommy during the warm up at Nottingham Forest.
It will be great to have our captain back on the pitch.
While Bournemouth were chasing that game for the last 20 minutes, Elphick played his part in a good defensive back three with Francis and Cook either side of him. There is something about Tommy that exudes confidence and his calm carrying of the ball is something that I have missed this season. His appearance in the Bolton game should bring back the successful centre pairing of Cook and Elphick. We know they each know each others game well and if they can get a clean sheet it just may mean that Elphick can re-establish himself in the side again. I don't think Ward has played too badly for Bournemouth so far this season and his heading ability in defence has been really strong. Where I think he looks vulnerable is when he is pulled wide to the wings marking fast forwards who might turn him as we saw in the Leicester game. I find Elphick a bit more alert to danger and he has great balance which I feel equips him better to compete with nippy forwards, even if he hasn't the Premiership experience of Ward.
Ward and Arter at Leicester.
It will be interesting to see if Ward remains out of the team for a while.
On Ward's showing last game, it can't do AFCB much harm to be able to call on the services of Elphick. I suspect Addison will also be recalled to the bench as cover for the centre backs.
Meanwhile, it is great to hear on AFCB's official website that Matt Ritchie is now working on his fitness and not far away from coming back.
It struck me as quite a surprise to see that Miles Addisson is still only 24. The centre back has already gained such high experience for his years, having played for England U-21 and for Derby County in the Championship as well as at Barnsely on loan.
Has Miles got what it takes to get back into the thoughts of Eddie Howe?
His career at AFCB has rather stumbled of late having sustained an injury last December which saw him miss the second half of the season. While Miles has appeared in a couple of pre-season matches it is no doubt his desire to break back into the first team squad at some point, but his opportunities may well be limited unless injuries to other players give him a chance. While I can't say Miles is the quickest defender on our books, he has good leadership qualities from what I have seen and certainly has a presence when he is on the pitch. This week Miles played in the 5:0 defeat against Yeovil as the Development squad came up against a team that was more than a match for them. For Miles to get some regular game time before December it is more than likely that a loan move might be sought for him. When he came to AFCB there were several other clubs after his signature. I am sure Eddie Howe would like to let Miles get back in shape by playing somewhere. But we are yet to see how hard the demands of the Championship will be on the squad and perhaps any loan deals would need the agreements for quick release clauses in case of any shortages we have at AFCB. It is important that AFCB does not leave itself short of players at the back, even if the club might have Joe Partington making his recovery and Stephen Purches remaining available to play. While many fans will be hoping Miles does not have to cover for Cook, Ward or Elphick, it is likely that injuries will happen at some point and that Miles will need to be ready to play his part if required.
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.
