Allsop will be glad to get Premier debut under his belt

Ryan Allsop will have been as nervous as anyone in the Vitality stadium when he knew that the injury to Adam Federici was going to mean he would get his chance to make his Premier League debut. There has been a lot of work done with Rocky since his difficult introduction to games in the Championship in 2013-14 when he just seemed to lose his confidence and to see him back between the sticks for the first team demonstrates Eddie Howe's desire to see players improve and comeback stronger when they have had a drop in form and confidence.

Building Ryan back up has seen him go out on loan at Coventry City where he saw plenty of action and it was no doubt helpful to him to have fellow team mates Josh McQuoid and Mohamed Coulibaly out there with him during that period. He has come back into the squad with several Development games under his belt, and I suppose if Ryan was going to have his first game in the Premier League it was easier to come on against Everton at Dean Court than it would have been if he had been in Federici's boots a few weeks ago at somewhere like the Etihad.

Now Ryan will be worked especially hard if there is worry that Boruc and Federici will still be missing games going into the Christmas period. The emergency loan option is there for Eddie Howe to bring in a keeper if he can find one of the quality he needs, but the Echo yesterday said this may not be easy to arrange with the Premier League and it is always hard to being someone in who naturally fits with the way the Cherries like to play from the back.

Ryan has had a taste of the big time now.

Finding more resilience in defence is hard enough when you have a settled side but Howe has to do that with keeper decisions now. If Boruc is 90 per cent fit does he play him? Can Ryan Allsop step in and do a solid job? The goal that Everton did score in extra time against Ryan was not a moment that will have pleased him, and whether Ryan might have done better is a question that only he will truly be able to answer. Ryan must have been feeling a lot better though when Junior Stanislas thumped home his last second header to make things 3-3 with Everton, and I hope that helps the whole team to believe they can stop these other sides when they play to their best.

You can't reach the Premier League without investing

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.

What's behind Kenwyne Jones' AFCB loan move?

The Bournemouth Echo is among those sources of media that have been reporting that Kenwyne Jones is on his way to AFCB on loan until the end of the season. My first thought was to rub my eyes and make sure what I was reading was true. Then I started to think the injuries to Callum Wilson may be taking its toll on him and Eddie Howe may have been forced into making a signing if he did not think Callum Wilson was going to be available for the next few games.

The news comes on the back of what is likely to be a failed attempt to entice Arsenal's England U20 striker Chuba Akom to the south coast. It is clear though that AFCB have decided that the final run of games needs more fire power it they are to succeed in their ambition to get promoted. Fans had been wondering if the failure to sign any striker in January would diminish the Cherries' chances of finishing in the top two but with seven games remaining they remain in pole position.

As for Kenwyne Jones, he has not had that bad a season as he is Cardiff City's top scorer on 13 goals, 11 of which were in the league. For AFCB though this is a big named signing and for Kenwyne it is really a trial to see if he can take the Cherries up and so secure a place in a Premier League team next season. He must have impressed during the recent game with Cardiff where AFCB were disappointed not to come away with a win. But with Kenwyne in AFCB's team they could be heading up in style - if you know what I mean.

AFCB have certainly been making noises around the forward front this week with reports of Rickie Lambert also being perhaps a summer target if the Cherries can secure Premier League status. Carlton Cole who AFCB were looking at last summer looks keen on a move to Brentford rather than the Cherries.

While not everything is moving in one direction, Mohamed Coulibaly, who was sponsored by Cherry Chimes last season looks set to join Port Vale on loan.

Making the most of the international break

A lot has been made of the international breaks and what to do in that period. AFCB made great use of the period last time by working hard and being fully prepared for the set of fixtures they had in October and November. The Cherries are still looking to improve the organisation side of their defending and shape for different match scenarios. They have not played three at the back very often and know that playing with and against 10 men has been vitally important. The more used they are to managing different game situations the more they will know what they have to do.

AFCB players seem comfortable in the Championship.

What I have noticed this season is that the players are more composed on the ball. There is less hesitation over decision making and the first aim seems to be to go forward now, whereas in the past it has often been to go sideways and backwards as soon as a player was challenged. What looks easy on the eye is usually the result of many hours on the training ground and while Callum Wilson, Ryan Fraser, Tokelo Rantie and Baily Cargill may not see as much of that as the other players these next couple of weeks, I hope some of those players not in the starting 11 at the moment can start to push their case.

The importance of rest has also been highlighted and while some players need games others need a bit of rest time. Being sharp for Ipswich is what is key and that should be a match that everyone wants to be selected for in front of a big home crowd.

Finally, I did hear that Mohammed Coulibaly has returned to AFC Bournemouth after his loan period at Coventry has been ended early. Personal reasons were said by one report to be behind the reason, so I wish Mo and Aly who are at the club all the best.

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.

Can Stanislas be the sparkle in the diamond for Cherries?

While we have not seen Stanislas kick a ball yet for the Cherries, there is already keen interest to know exactly how he might be used in the team. I am hoping that Eddie Howe does not put him wide on the wings but gives him the chance to play just behind the strikers, so that he gets opportunities to strike the ball just outside the box. We have seen how good he is at long range shooting and it is an area of the game that many Bournemouth supporters were calling out for our players to do at the start of last season.

The player that AFCB have that most often unlocks defences with his shooting from range is Matt Ritchie when he cuts in from the right, but Stanislas has the pace that could really trouble central defenders and it will be exciting to see how he links up with Kermorgant. With the wealth of wide players already at the club I would like to see a powerful runner just behind the striker or strikers. We have already said that McQuoid and Ritchie could do that and Stanislas is certainly another contender. How similar these three players are will be interesting to see and what formation Eddie is most wanting to use next season.

Ritchie and Stanislas pushing on from midfield
will be strong attacking options for AFCB.

There is no longer a missing piece in the jigsaw upfront alongside Kermorgant. Rantie and Wilson are likely to fill that duty with the latter most likely to start games in my opinion. AFCB will certainly have more pace in the team this time around and we'll have to see whether these players also bring greater shooting accuracy.



Kyle Cotter previews the first semi-final of Brazil v Germany on World Cup Chimes. You can watch the semi-finals at De Vere's Village Urban Resorts in Bournemouth -  check out the complete game planner for the Victory pub and kitchen. 

Make sure you also get your World Cup bets on with Free Bet Negotiator to receive free bet vouchers.

Coulibaly and Allsop can help Coventry win promotion

The deal involving the arrival of Callum Wilson coming to AFCB was not so much a shock for the striker having a clear choice between the Cherries and Norwich City, but more for the fact that Bournemouth's bid would include the addition of two players going the other way. While Coventry may well have directed Callum towards their preference of which club he might choose, there can only be pats on the back for the Bournemouth transfer team that put together such a deal that sees Ryan Allsop and Mohammed Coulibaly hopefully get some important match experience in League One at the Sky Blues that could even help Coventry to promotion.

Ryan Allsop at Dean Court.

Last season Coventry were docked 10 points last season and finished 18th in League One with 51 points, but they showed great fighting spirit to shake off their points deduction and to climb the league while playing their home games at Northampton Town, 34 miles away from the Ricoh Arena. Most of their players have been signed on free transfers, or are loan players or trainees such is the financial circumstances of the club. The addition of two players that have been involved in AFCB's Championship set up should be some help for them even if they have lost their leading goal scorer of last season.

A long run in a team will do Coulibaly the world of good.

Ryan Allsop proved himself to be top class between the sticks when playing for Leyton Orient and AFCB in league One and he will be able to rebuild his confidence with this new challenge and a new crowd behind him. For Coulibaly it is all about getting match time as he has hardly touched the grass since his move to AFCB from Grasshoppers Zurich last year. He could be a big hit with the Midland's club who will be delighted to see his energy and pace on the wing.

When January comes around it will be good for AFCB if Allsop and Coulibaly have done exceptionally well and Coventry City do not want to hand them back. That will mean that they will have contributed positively to Steven Pressley's squad. Coulibaly only has a year on his AFCB contract so it is a very important move for him as he is in the shop window if AFCB do not offer him a new contract, while Allsop is signed up until the summer of 2016.

There was an epic 0-0 draw if there could be such a thing in the World Cup last night. Catch up on the last quarter final of the Netherlands v Costa Rica on World Cup Chimes.
  

Cherries play it clever to win Wilson's signature

The Cherries have managed to not only secure the signature of Callum Wilson according to news reports but also to have loaned out Mohammed Coulibaly and Ryan Allsop as part of the deal. If the fee is around £2.25m as suspected, it will equal the price paid for Tokelo Rantie and will see another striker join the squad. It was certainly felt that AFCB was over heavy with wingers, and by loaning out Coulibaly and goalkeeper Allsop one would have thought that those extra incentives gave AFCB a bit of an advantage in the race to sign the Coventry striker with Norwich City just losing out at the end.

It has been a hard fought battle to land the 22-year-old and while it has not been easy to witness the protracted transfer I am sure that Eddie Howe will be delighted to see Callum on the training pitch and ready to go in AFCB colours. The choice of AFCB instead of Norwich will give Callum a big challenge still but perhaps with a club that is not necessarily going to have pressure put on him quite as much as if he were to go to an ex-Premiership looking to get straight back up. He should also find the south coast quite a relaxing place to be and under Howe I would hope that he develops his game in the best way possible.

Update
AFCB have just made an official statement  - the contract is for a four year deal. Coulibaly and Allsop are on loan until January at Coventry City.

Coulibaly has to play more

Mohammed Coulibaly has much to prove in the months ahead. He should hopefully be fully fit to take on the Championship with a strong pre-season behind him. He has not really played much football in his last two seasons and it will be essential for him that he has some trouble-free games now from which he can try and earn a place in AFCB's starting line up. That is especiallypressing now with Eddie Howe said to be chasing Max Gradel of St Etienne, Junior Stanislas of Burnley and Moses Odubajo of Leyton Orient.

Coulibaly can really try to impress this season.

Some may say that Coulibaly has not been a great buy with the lack of game time he has had, but if he can be available for some 30 games or so in the coming season AFCB fans just might find that they have a young player who was worth waiting for to see more of. Coulibaly has the pace to worry defences and we know that he can score goals. Having not really been seen though from week to week it is hard for us fans to truly know how good a player he is yet.

The onus is really on him now to make sure he is in the best condition possible to give his all this season. Another season with just a handful of games would surely mean the end of his Cherries career. The memories of his performances against Real Madrid and Portsmouth will be starting to fade and while he has had a string of substitute performances I don't think we have seen anything like the potential that Coulibaly may be able to offer the team in the Championship. One fan said the other day that they would like to see him play up front with Yann Kermorgant and, while we have always seen Coulibaly on the wings, he would be one of those players who you could imagine is able to switch positions along the front line.

A run of games and a good pre-season are vital for Coulibaly.

I don't think we have seen the best of Coulibaly yet.

Much of a footballer's career time though is based on luck and being in the right place at the right time. I am hoping that Coulibaly has more luck this coming season so that he can really show AFCB supporters what he is able to do.

World Cup Chimes feature a match preview of Nigeria v Argentina and Kyle's World Cup Watch has a match profile of France's Antione Griezmann. 

Cherries shadowed for second summer signing

The cat is out of the bag as AFCB are reported by Sky sports and other news sources to have made a bid for Coventry City's Callum Wilson that was rejected. Whether they move again with an improved offer or switch to another target, there is definitely a feeling that the transfer market is starting to hot up for the Championship clubs. We don't know how strong Bournemouth's bid was but a seven figure sum would be one of the largest bids that the seaside club has ever made. While the foreign signings of Tokelo Rantie and Mohamed Coulibaly may not have made as big an impact as Eddie Howe might have wanted last season, it looks like the club's next aim is to sign a young player who is familiar with the English leagues.

Callum Wilson is perhaps not the most experienced of strikers that Howe could have chosen to pursue, but if he can get a young striker he may be easier to teach new things to and will be less set in his ways. Still Eddie will also know that you can have difficult young players who believe they already have what it takes and don't listen to improve. With Nottingham Forest and Wolves also said to be after the striker though and Coventry reluctant to sell, Callum Wilson may be a target that is out of reach.

The aspect that I would like to know is how many potential targets could AFCB be after? If they switch to another option and get blown out again will it be a major set-back? Other teams will be watching AFCB and shadowing their moves. The market is not so big as some may like and competition for new stars is always a difficult game to win. Once bids are made that become public knowledge, the possibility of having a player pinched from under our noses raises its head. Nottingham Forest have been quick to pick up Matt Fryatt ex-Hull City without hardly a whisper, while Birmingham have needed to move quickly with so many loan players last season and Stephen Gleeson will be their third signing.

Eddie Howe has asked for patience though and season ticket holders yet to renew will be hoping that there is some good news coming before the end of the month. It's okay to move quickly but getting the right players is even more important. UTCIAD!

World Cup Fantasy LeagueThere is still time to joining the World Cup Fantasy Mini League I have set up on McDonald's FIFA World Cup fantasy League. It is free to play and you can make your own World Cup avatar. The league is called Chimes Fans which you can join through the search facility after you have built your squad. The website is found on this link - World Cup Fantasy League. 

Plan ahead for World Cup viewing
World Cup fever is starting to set in now but are you fully prepared? If you are not sure where to go to see the game why not go down to De Vere's Urban Village Hotel in Bournemouth? The sponsors of Cherry Chimes have some World Cup big carnival days that they'd like to share with you, starting off this a special event for the World Cup opener.

First Carnival Day
Thursday 12th June, First game of the tournament.

Brazil V Croatia
- Live DJ, Brazilian Carnival Dancers & children’s face painting.
- Entertainment commencing from 18.00, kick off at 21.00

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.

Is the Championship the hardest league to recover from?

AFCB's players will have taken part in 46 league games, two FA Cup matches and two League games last season at my reckoning and I am not even adding in International duties for one or two. They will have just three months to recover before they do all that again and hopefully more, if they are play-off bound or have a great cup round next season. There was much discussion about whether the team was tired towards the end of the season having put so much into it. I expect that the physios will have had a careful look at how strong the players were in those final games to see if some changes to the training can be made before next season if it leads to an advantage. 

An exhausting first season back in the Championship.

It is surely a fine balance to be either 100 per cent fit or just below par when you are an athlete that is pushed as hard as they can be every week in pressure situations like the Championship. But it's not just the physical demands and number of games, it's the knocks, bumps and bruises. Sometimes it is hard to appreciate why players are just looking a bit off form when they were great last week, but a gruelling season takes it out of players.

Last year AFCB had their problems with Matt Ritchie's late start, Coulibally's recurrent injuries and Charlie Daniels, Elliot Ward and even Steve Cook missing out on several games. Yet, the Cherries perhaps got off lightly compared to some teams like Forest at the end of the season. In August though it seemed that our players were getting injured all the time and may be the Championship was just another level up in terms of physicality. But the Cherries got stronger and competed really well. Whether the Championship is any harder than League One or Two in terms of what it takes out of players is perhaps hard to quantify, but I certainly felt that the intensity of the games was much higher last season than I had seen before at Dean Court. 

If that was the case then I hope the summer for AFCB players gives them plenty of time to recover and recharge their batteries. With AFCB having used 32 players last season that is more than would be allowed in the Premiership, where 25 players is the limit for the 38 league games. I somehow suspect that the medical resources at the top Premiership clubs is a little different to most clubs in the Championship. However, even on that scale AFCB seem to have been making strides with their Italian outpost.

Let's hope for a season with few injuries. Battling away in the Championship is as hard as any league and keeping AFCB's players fit is a full time job.

There is an additional story on this month's newsletter, but if you don't sign up you won't find out about it because it can't be found on the blog. 

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How much is Eddie going to have to spend?

This summer looks like a real stepping stone for AFCB as they look to ensure that the foundations are in place for a team that can not only be stable in the Championship but has a good chance of reaching the play-offs. For that to happen it is likely that Eddie Howe will need to spend and fairly big. But how much is Maxim Demin willing to back him? And can the potential player sales that the club completes offer enough funds to get like-for-like or better replacements?

Will the financial fair play barrier stop Eddie Howe from
spending as much as he or the club would like?

The Financial Fair Play rules are not going to make it possible for the Cherries to splash out as they may have liked to. I can't see enough money coming in through the regular business (yes - those season tickets) and player sales to see substantial spending this summer, so Eddie Howe is going to have to recruit very wisely and maybe a little of the radar of the normal channels. While his foreign pickings of Mohammed Coulibaly and Tokelo Rantie have not made an immediate impact it is not particularly easy to get bargains in England anymore. The free transfer of Dan Gosling is great business and while I see lots of Championship clubs releasing players they are often the players that have not made the grade or are coming to the end of their careers.

Scotland is becoming more popular as an area of picking up talent and the club has already profited from Ryan Fraser's arrival. The Irish contingent at the club is also strong now and while many of us don't get to see much football from such places, AFCB's eyes are definitely tracking players in places that are much more distant these days. This may mean that Eddie Howe can get more for his money but how far would say £3 million get you these days? At Championship level it would probably be one or two players. Somehow though I think Eddie Howe will need to pick up four or five new players. With the club's financial losses mounting as well I would be surprised if the budget is any bigger than this.

Having already shelled out £750,000 on new pitches the generosity of Maxim Demin continues to push the club forward. Generating more income though is the best way for the club to sustain its status and that could mean turning over a good few players - it's going to be a busy summer.

Who has been AFCB's best winger?

I have been assessing the performances of AFCB's wide men this season and have been very pleased with the play that they have produced. You probably expected to see Ritchie and Pugh play in those positions for most of the season but there have been a few additions that have really made the grade. The biggest among them for me is Ryan Fraser who has captivated us all with is frenzied leg speed and dribbling skill. I  was told by one of our supporters the other day that "you just want to pick him up and put him in your pocket and take him home as he is so adorable". I am not sure that Ryan is going to be tempted by such an offer, but he has seen a dramatic rise to the first team and has played more games than I expect he thought he would do this season.

Ryan has simply been on fire.

Ritchie has the class and the consistency will surely come.

I still believe that Matt Ritchie and Marc Pugh have thrived in the Championship with Ritchie especially getting the platform on which his talents so deserve to be displayed. I have been really pleased to see Matt taking on some of the free kick duties in and around the box and hope he will be practising over the summer.

Pugh will have much more idea about what he needs to
do in the Championship for  next season.

Marc Pugh may need to learn a few more tricks for next season as I am sure that the division is now well aware of his Cruijff turns. His heading ability has seen him get a couple of goals this season and he'll be wanting to see if he can do better next season.

Adam Smith showed he is ready to play a prominent role next season.

Mohamed must aim to make himself available for selection first and foremost.

We have not really seen enough of Adam Smith or Mohamed Coulibaly to make large judgements but I just hope that Coulibaly can have an injury free season and that Adam finds that AFCB is a club where he gets ample opportunity. 

Will Macca's wait go on?

Dedicated followers of the Cherries will know that Shaun MacDonald has been sat on the bench for rather a long part of the second half of this season. The Welsh Wizard has been kept out of the team by the combined form of Andrew Surman, Eunan O'Kane and Harry Arter while Adam Smith has also scored a few substitute appearances ahead of him. As we come to the final two games of the season it may seem harsh, but I can see Shaun and others though still missing out. 

Eddie will of course pick the best team he can in the remaining two games. At the end of the season he will want to know exactly how good the squad has been in terms of their points total and what they are capable of achieving. So it is unlikely that we will see any favours, but at least those players who have played their part in training and as substitutes can take in the thanks of the crowd on Saturday when they will get a chance to share in the congratulations that I am sure will be coming their way.

Shaun MacDonald at Yeovil. 

Macca is not the only one who has not won as many starts as they might have this season. Mohamed Coulibaly has suffered with injuries for most of the time while we have only seen Richard Hughes on a few occasions. Brett Pitman and Tokelo Rantie have only been making fleeting substitute appearances of late and you can also add Ryan Allsop to the bench warmers, while Darryl Flahavan has not been near the 18 man squad very often this season. 

You never really think what it must be like for the players that have missed out on more games they would have liked. It must be difficult even though you can see the team doing well. But not playing is not playing and however successful the team is you want to be a part of it, and training does not come close to that match day experience for adrenaline and excitement. the Forest game will be a great occasion as the last home match, but Eddie can only pick 11 to play.

It could be the last we see of some of the players as a lot can happen over the summer months so we wait with anticipation to see who will come in and who will be leaving. Poor Eddie Howe won't get much chance to reflect on what has been a terrific season, because it will all be starting again so very soon. 

It's a special evening when you can spend it with your heroes

Last night some of you may know that it was the players' shirt sponsors evening at Dean Court and Cherry Chimes along with many other player sponsors had the opportunity to meet and mingle with the AFCB squad and to just enjoy the moment of being among our heroes. Eddie Howe was his beaming self and full of admiration not only for his team and staff, but also for all the supporters who have stuck with the club through the good and bad times this season.

Cherry Chimes meets Mohamed Coulibaly and poses for a photo.

As one of the sponsors of Mohamed Coulibaly it was not long before my name was called out for a photo call with Mo and two of my invited guests, Damien Hill who has written a few times as a guest blogger, and fellow season ticket holder in the Family stand, and Michael Dunne, who also sits next to my family as a season ticket holder, and is the author of the famous All Departments podcasts and View From the Stands. We hurried out on to the veranda where club photographer Steve Cook snapped the moment for the archives, but thanks to Mike we also took a few unofficial photos which you can see here. 

And, yes I did get Mo to sign the shirt - star struck!

The night passed very quickly and we had a fabulous time seated at a table with Mo and Eunan O'Kane. I'll admit we were hopeless at the quiz although Matt Ritchie knows just about everything when it comes to who's who and we were firmly put in our place by Mike Botto's table! 

We found out that Coulibaly is still working on his fitness and feels that he is still some way behind where he would like to be but still hopes that he can make a squad appearance again before the end of the season - I jested that scoring the winner at Wembley in the play-off final would be okay with me. He seemed very excited about the team's prospects as did Tommy Elphick and many of the others and it was good to hear them feeling confident that they will go into the next few games with the possibility of really trying to make some dreams come true.

Sponsors and guests are seated ready to meet their AFCB idols.

I can't tell you too many secrets but It was great to see that the players were happy to be open and in the presence of a group of fans who were loving every moment of the evening.

Eddie Howe got up to answer a few questions from Mike Botto, one being which game did he feel was the best performance this season? Eddie pointed to two games in particular that probably turned the season around. He picked the Reading away game as the one that had the biggest impact for the squad and he also felt that the team played extremely well in the Brighton away match.I remember that day - boy did we get wet! "The support has been crucial," he said. "In the home games the crowd have ignited the players and in the away games the support has reached another level this season."

Eddie and Tommy Elphick are questioned by Mike Botto.
A special mention  for Mr Botto - good luck in your
walk Mike from Blandford Forum before the Sheffield Wednesday match on Friday.

Eddie also praised the unity of the club and acknowledged that we have a special club where players and supporters can meet on nights like this. Eddie said he had thoroughly enjoyed the night and I can say from the fans point of view that opinion was well and truly shared.

Some of the players catch a bit of the evening sun before the meal.

Four men who are certainly massive heroes to AFCB fans -
a relaxed Eddie Howe, Jason Tindall, Stephen Purches and Steve Fletcher. 

This afternoon I'll be chatting with Owls Alive as we ramp things up for the visit of Sheffield Wednesday - make sure you come back and Cherry Chimes later - it's a good one. UTCIAD!

Eddie was proved right to leave Harry out for Barnsley game

There were some difficult selection picks for Eddie Howe to make for the Oakwell game. The omission of Harry Arter was perhaps the biggest shock as he has been the number one midfielder for most of the season. Having played in mid-week though and with tough games to come against Leeds, Birmingham and QPR in the next few weeks it was probably a very clever decision to give Harry a rest against a team that he will have hoped the Bournemouth would get a win.

Harry had only just come back in the Blackburn game and had missed out the Blackpool away fixture. But he has played lots of games this season and by trying something else Eddie has given other players a chance to claim their place. I would expect Harry will be back for the Leeds match where a bit of aggression will no doubt be required, although Ian Harte will be doing enough for three players on the night I would think.

It looks like Arter is being saved for bigger games.

When Harry last ran out against Charlton he did not have many shots at goal and did do a lot of running on a heavy pitch. Now that he has missed a game he should be hungrier to play and will have a bit more strength. Looking after the players is something that Eddie must feel is necessary at this stage of the season and others could be rotated as well. 

You will have noticed that Mohamed Coulibaly and Shaun MacDonald did not make the squad against Barnsley as Eddie brought in Brett Pitman to the squad and Ritchie started, playing his part in revitalising AFCB's goal threat with Kermorgant as the target man for him to hit with his crosses. There are so many games now that some players have to take a rest at some point. However, Simon Francis seems to be superman in this respect. I hope he can keep going.

How can Howe freshen things up further?

The likelihood is that Eddie Howe will make some more changes for the match against Charlton. For Cherry supporters the player I think most would like to see come back into the team is Yann Kermorgant. The former Addick would of course be desperate to play in this match and his confidence of playing at the Valley and against former team mates is something Howe would favour if Yann is fully fit. You always have that feeling that former players tend to do well against their old clubs and it just could be Yann's day.

The big question is whether Yann will play any part in tonight's game?

But if Eddie does bring Yann in he will have to move some one out. In the past this has tended to be Andrew Surman who I felt played very well at Blackburn and was also involved in most of the best moves against Middlesbrough. You also have to consider that while Lewis Grabban has been the main goal threat this season and is always a player Eddie has felt he can rely on, does he need a rest? It would be hard to leave him out I think as lead goal scorers so not like to miss out when they are chasing 20 goals for the season. So I expect Lewis to keep going, he looked sharp enough for me on Saturday. Rantie though would be an interesting choice to play on a sticky pitch where his pace may well be a good asset if the ball is not running fast and giving him time to get behind Charlton's back four.  

Is Grabban due a rest and would he take one? I doubt it.

On the wings Eddie could stick with Coulibaly or choose to revert to Fraser or Pugh in the starting line up. The most patient player on the bench though has to be Shaun MacDonald and it just may be that one of the midfielders makes way to give Shaun some game time in the second half. Adam Smith has also been waiting for his chance although it is much harder to bring a new defender in when the team has been keeping clean sheets, so I expect him to remain on the bench. Simon Francis will certainly be looking to play his part going back to the Valley.

Coulibaly could be back in action tonight.

It was good to see Charlie Daniels walking around Dean Court on Saturday and while he is not yet ready to play it looks like Charlie and Elliott Ward will be doing their best to try and become available over the Easter period to try and relieve some of those who are having to play match after match.

Dr Kish attracted a lot of attention yesterday talking about the Addicks. If you have not yet read his piece have a quick look on Rival Lines.

Did the Cherries look tired against Boro?

It was put to Eddie Howe after the Boro draw that perhaps some of the players looked a bit tired after their exertions on the day and in previous days. I didn't think they played that badly at the end having seen the team grow during the match and if anything looked the fitter and only team that were likely to go on to win the game in the second half. The fact that there were not so many shots on goal as in recent home matches was much more to do with how well Middlesbrough set up and played.

Shattered? I bet they players can't wait to be named in the team for Tuesday night.

AFCB had to play well at times just to hold the aggression and power in Boro's play. The wing play of Carayol was very good while Grant Leadbitter was a dominant force in midfield who read the game so well. He, Omeruo and Gibson knew where they had to be when there was danger and they blocked out the Cherries with a great deal of skill. 

Coulibaly was given an hour which is fair enough for his first start having been out for virtually the whole season and Fraser and Pugh got more minutes under their belt with Ritchie also being replaced to freshen up the last half hour. I still thought Grabban was full of running while Arter and O'Kane went the distance again.  

You can make excuses about Middlesbrough having an extra days rest and AFCB having had a hard week of travel, but I don't see that as the main reason for a slight fall off in sharpness in front of goal or final passes in the last third.

As Eddie Howe said: "There's no negativity in my mind. It's another clean sheet, that's an excellent achievement and not only the clean sheet, I don't think that they have had a chance really bar Tomlins' one that he's hit over. I don't think they've had another good opportunity."

"We never really cut them open," said Eddie. "We probably turned down a few shooting opportunities when we should have pulled the trigger. There were a lot of set-pieces but nothing dropped for us."

Eddie did admit though that time caught up with the team at the end of the game. "We looked dead on our feet in the last 10 minutes, but that's only to be expected. We'll actually both teams were pretty tired. It's that stage of the season," he said.

You can watch the Football League Awards 2014 tonight by visiting their YouTube channel or by visiting their Facebook page or AFC Bournemouth's YouTube channel. Steve Fltecher will be the first recipient of the Sir Tom Finney Award while Eddie Howe is shortlisted for the Outstanding Managerial Achievement Award and AFC Bournemouth could win the Best Digital Content Award.

Will Coulibaly be able to make a permanent starting claim?

Mohamed Coulibaly would seem to be a bit of a crowd favourite although he has not played many games yet for the Cherries. You could see why in a moment during the second half when he whisked pass three players like they were standing still. He is another exciting player and will offer Eddie Howe a vital option at this stage of the season with so many games coming thick and fast around the Easter period. But whether Coulibaly is picked to start in a few games in a row will largely depend I think on his consistency and how well he fits in with the other players around him because he has not played much more than a a few hundred minutes with them in match situations.

Coulibaly looked in good shape against Middlesbrough.

Coulibaly during the warm up on Saturday.

Considering that I thought it was a good start he made on Saturday and he did not look below par to any the other players so his fitness is coming back and is likely to get even stronger. Whether that will put him in a place to come in for some of the other wingers will be very interesting to see. Personally, I feel that Coulibaly is a little more direct like Ryan Fraser than some of our other wingers and both have a good eye for goal.

Having seen Coulibaly have such a long period out though I would think that he is gradually going to win time in games and like Pugh and Fraser will be rested when necessary. Still it is great to see another player available for Eddie and it finally looks like the bench is full of players who are just as capable of doing a job that is as good as any of the first eleven chosen in any given week. Coulibaly's main aim for the moment must be to be in the side to face Charlton.

Boro hold Cherries to their first goalless draw (photo gallery)

Match Report

AFCB 0 v 0 Middlesbrough

15 March 2014

Attendance: 9710

I would be lying if  I said this was a thrilling game. Perhaps Cherries fans were being spoiled last time at home with that 5-0 win. Boro were far stiffer opposition and were so disciplined that there defensive lines were like military rows that would have needed a tank to break through. Even though the Cherries blazed away it was the first day this season when the home crowd would not see a goal at either end, or at least not one that was allowed. For Lewis Grabban did have the ball in the back of the net on 38 minutes when he robbed Dimitrois Konstantopoulos who seemed to have lost control of the ball after a frantic race with Grabban, on the left edge of the box, and while Grabban stroked the ball home from an acute angle, referee Frederick Graham ruled it out for an infringement on the Boro keeper.

The teams are out.

AFCB match photo.

There were other close calls as well for the Cherries in particular but there seemed to be no space on the pitch for this game for either side to break the deadlock. That was mainly due to the way Middlesbrough's experienced Dean Whitehead and captain Grant Leadbitter closed down play and were extremely well backed up by the central pairing of Kenneth Omeru and Ben Gibson.

The huddle.

There are more photographs now up on the Match Day Gallery.

Eddie Howe had tried to freshen things up a little this game by giving Mohamed Coulibaly his first home start while Ryan Fraser dropped to the bench. I marked the occasion by getting Coulibaly's number on the back of my away shirt and adding Mo's name to it. While Coulibaly did not tear Boro apart he was one of the bright sparks in what became a tactical battle between Eddie Howe and Aitor Karanka for possession of the ball in a contest that had its fiery moments.

Straight from the off it was Middlesbrough that wanted to put themselves about as they looked to catch Bournemouth in possession high up the park. It has been a while since we have seen the Cherries back four put under such pressure as they looked to stroke the ball about at the back. I hoped the early warning shot over the bar from Danny Graham in the opening minutes woyld wake AFCB up after Elphick's slip up. Boro were creating real pressure by hounding Bournemouth players in their own half. Cook was next to take a sharp breath as his pass to Elphick was so nearly intercepted with the goal beckoning, while Lee Tomlin soon forced a corner off Elphick.

AFCB struggled to break free of this strangle hold but when they found an outlet ion Coulibaly on the left wing and O'Kane decided to have a shot from distance, Grabban headed it forward trying to catch Konstatopoulos out but it took most of the speed off the ball.

Surman, Arter and O'Kane were doing everything they could to hold back the Boro surges. Most of the Cherries best forward work was coming through Surman, but there wasn't much of it and Boro won a second corner on 10 minutes when Lee Camp had an uncharacteristic juggling fit with the ball before holding on to it to release Ritchie on the right. Bournemouth themselves won a corner on 12 minutes with Grabban and Ritchie conjuring up a cross that went right across the six yard line before Gibson cleared. The following corner was more easily dealt with.

Francis had another tricky winger to deal with all afternoon in the shape of Mustapha Carayol who it was perhaps easier to foul than keep up with. Still Francis made up for that with a good defensive header to clear any danger. Meanwhile, Middlesbrough's high line was enough to catch Grabban offside. 

The first real moment of frustration happened when Ritchie tried a quick turn on Leadbitter and as they both tumbled to the floor Ritchie looked like he was being held up trying to get to his feet so he pushed Leadbitter's head down only for Leadbitter to react right in front of the assistant ref who helped the referee come to the decision to put the number 7 in the book with 19 minutes gone. Harte took the free kick but a Boro header cleared the ball just over the bar for a corner. 

Danny Graham was proving a real handful up front and Francis and Elphick were resorting to launching long balls up field to try and set Grabban away but without much luck as the ball was not holding up with the wind behind it kicking towards the Ted MacDougall stand. Elphick put in a big tackle on Graham which had the fans shouting his name but AFCB could not get any pattern to their play going.

It was Boro forcing the issue with Carayol on the left wing raising the expectancy levels with a deflected shot that went out for a corner in 27 minutes. This was a scary one with Francis and then Elphick bobbing headers upwards rather than clear before camp got his hands on the ball in the six yard area. 

Ritchie and Coulibaly decided to swap wings to see if that might help matters. But Surman was seeing his passes intercepted and Harte's crosses were only finding Boro's keeper (I forget his name :-) on purpose).

At the other end it was Cook making a great block on Tomlin's well struck shot. This was already looking like a stalemate as neither team was able to get a break. Even an AFCB corner went straight to Konstantopoulos who had time to drop it down before reclaiming it.

O'Kane was tripped after that and won a free kick which Ritchie hit the wall with. But a moment later Coulibaly did a delightful step over in the box before finding Surman and Harte, but when Surman got the ball back he shaped to shoot on his left and then cut back to his right only for the shot to be blocked! The incident that followed was Grabban disallowed goal having stole a march on Konstantopoulos.

A constant run of free kick followed and some neat play from the Cherries before Coulibaly fouled an opponent. From the free kick Graham passed to Carayol and his cross was met with a sharp volley from Tomlin but it was well over the bar from around the penalty spot. A let off! the rest of the half fizzled out with Surman having the final shot at goal from distance but it was well wide. 0-0 at half time.

Half time cross bar challenge.

Second Half
AFCB went straight on the offensive as they kicked towards the Steve Fletcher stand. Ritchie set the first moment of panic in Boro's defence as his cross from the right turned out to be more of a shot as it curled right on to the left post from an acute angle, taking everyone by surprise. While Whitehead and Gibson were proving difficult to get past Ritchie seemed the best bet as he fired in crosses one of which Grabban got a head to only to force the ball upwards into Konstanatopoulos' safe hands that were waiting under the bar. That was a moment when you though if only Kermorgant had been there.

AFCB were picking up the pace though and Surman was next to see his deflected shot go wide for a corner on 52 minutes. It was still a scrappy battle though in midfield.

Middlesbrough blinked first by bringing on Nathaniele Chalobah for Lee Tomlin on 57 minutes. AFCB the brought on Ryan Fraser for Mohamed Coulibaly. It was Bournemouth doing the defending though with Cook conceding a corner on 64 minutes.

Pugh was also brought on to replace Ritchie on 67 minutes with Fraser switching to the right.Gibson was being truly masterful for Middlesbrough at the back while there best hopes of a breakthrough were probably with Carayol on the right wing.

Omeruo was next to stop a flowing AFCB move with Grabban and Surman, but the crosses kept coming with Friend suspicious of a possible handball before clearing. O'Kane was then given a yellow card for simulation in the box but it was hard to see from where we were whether he was caught or not.

Next it was Pugh who wriggled himself into the box only to see his shot blocked when he was favourite to get it on target - Gibson again!Chalobah and Adomah were making some progress on the left but it was Bournemouth turning the screw and Karanka made another sub on 76 minutes with Leadbitter being replaced by Emmanuel Ledesma. It was swiftly followed by Grabban's air shot swing at a ball in the box and Pugh's cross that was too high for Surman. But then Francis decided to have a crack from 25 yards out and rifled a shot at the Boro goal on for the Greek goal minder to tip it onto the bar and over!

It was a few minutes before Fraser had the next shot at goal that went over on 79 minutes. There were more mute calls for handball on Chalobah but no real conviction to them. Boro were weathering the storm well and with George Friend making more runs up the left wing, his cross to Graham deserved better as the front man shot wide on 85 minutes. 

Everything was set up for a spectacular finish and Andrew Surman so nearly provided it as he was found by Harte and cut in across the box from the right and unleashed a powerful shot that was headed for the top right corner of the goal until the Greek stopper pulled off a stunning high-flying save at full stretch! 

Ian Harte was playing like the proverbial wall at the other end as he started to get the better of Carayol. Eddie Howe made one last sub with Rantie coming on for Surman on 87 minutes. Ian Harte went back to work on Carayol and his stiff shoulder barge saw the flying winger hit the deck so hard that he needed medical attention before being stretchered off. He was replaced by Curtis Main as the fourth official put five minutes of extra time on the board.

Omeruo was holding AFCB at bay now as they looked for the winner. A foul by Ledesma on Arter gave Ian Harte a chance to get a ball into the box but O'Kane and Pugh quickly lost the ball. Omeruo's strong defiance and attempts to run everything out of Boro's half finally saw him fall over in front of the main stand and the referee saw it as simulation to try and waste time. Another one in the book. 

While there was time for two more AFCB corners it was just one of those days when the defenders stayed on top all afternoon 0-0.

End of the 95 minutes.

Middlesbrough players go over to their fans.

Summary
You can never be too disappointed to see your team win a clean sheet and considering this was the fourth in a row for AFCB it was fitting that a defender was given man of the match - Steve Cook in this instance. I think that Boro's Gibson and Whitehead probably did a lot more work but you can't give the award to an opposition player now can you.

It was good to see Coulibaly show he still has the pace and skill to be two or three players in a line easily and he had plenty of good touches. Even better was the fact that Lee Camp had a quiet afternoon and Ian Harte is now showing everyone why Eddie Howe thought he would be a good fit for the team with another strong performance. It may have been nice to see Rantie come on a bit earlier to see what he could do having caused so many problems up at the Riverside. With Kermorgant also rumoured to be ready to play when he feels the bruise on his heel no longer hurts to run on, Eddie Howe may have to think deeply about who should start on Tuesday. Overall another point closer to safety and a good draw against a tough opponent is nothing to worry about at this stage of the season.    

AFCB
Camp, Francis, Elphick, Cook, Harte, Arter, O'Kane, Coulibaly (Fraser 58), Ritchie (Pugh 67) Surman (Rantie 87), Grabban.

AFCB Subs
Allsop, Smith, MacDonald, Pugh, Fraser, Rantie and Pitman.

AFCB Ratings
Camp 6, Francis 8, Elphick 7, Cook 7, Harte 8, Arter 7, O'Kane 7, Coulibaly 7, Ritchie7, Surman 8, Grabban 7.

Middlesbrough
Konstantatopoulos, Gibson, Adomah, Varga, Friend, Graham, Omeru, Whitehead, Tomlin (Chalobah 57), Leadbitter (Ledesma 76), Carayol (Main 90).

Boro Subs
Main, Ledesma, Chalobah, Steele, Butterfield, Williams, Atkinson.