Showing posts with label Nathan Aké. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Nathan Aké. Show all posts

Saturday, 10 October 2020

AFCB may well have trouble holding on to their captain

The Sun is suggesting that West Ham are after Bournemouth defender Steve Cook as well as Josh King. Steve Cook has been a central pillar at Bournemouth since the League One days, so it would be strange not to see him in a Bournemouth shirt, but would his sale leave a big whole?

Steve Cook is now in demand

I think it would be a major loss because with Steve Cook you don't just have a defender but a captain and a player that others look up to. Having let Simon Francis go and with the sale of Nathan Aké, it has meant that Bournemouth have been shedding defenders with lots of experience. Losing another such defender may leave Bournemouth a bit light at the back for stature and leadership. But in other ways, it is time that Jack Simpson was more involved in the team, and with Chris Mepham and Lloyd Kelly, Bournemouth would be left with a very young group of centre-halves.

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The Disrupted Season (2019-20) completes the story of Eddie Howe's reign at AFC Bournemouth 
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Jason Tindall may well have to weigh up whether it is good to have a fresh start. If Steve Cook does go, then many of the defenders that were criticised for not doing well enough in the Premier League will have left the club. With Adam Smith and Diego Rico also possible targets for Premier League clubs, Bournemouth's backline could be very depleted come the end of 16 October.

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It will put much more importance on the performance and leadership of Chris Mepham who found it hard going at Wembley the other night. He and Lloyd Kelly would most likely be the centre-back pairing that Jason Tindall would turn to if Steve Cook does depart. A new partnership may work well, but there will be some uncertainty with how Bournemouth will do without Steve Cook. We have perhaps become too used to seeing the same faces and we know their game inside out. 

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It does seem strange though that players that were not good enough for the Premier League are being snapped up to play in the top flight again. While Tyrone Mings found that a club move did his game the world of good, perhaps Steve Cook will also find another level to his game if he does move.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - An extract from the Disrupted Season: Not even VAR could stand in AFCB's way



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Wednesday, 12 August 2020

"No need for a fire sale at AFCB," says Tindall

Jason Tindall has had his first major interview with SkySports and has stressed that it won't be a fire sale at AFC Bournemouth this summer, as the club isn't in the position where it needs to sell eight or nine players. It was brave words, but we don't know how much weight we can put behind them apart from the fact that Tindall says he wouldn't be the manager of the club was going to sell its best players.
Will players be old from underneath Jason Tindall? He says they won't.
Whether AFCB will now be tested in that we will have to wait and see. If the valuations for top players are met though as we saw with Nathan Aké, there is little the club can do if the players are partial to playing in a different league. Tindall seems to think many of the players want to stay and the club and try and win promotion back to the Premier League. I can see that being an incentive for some of the older players who want to give it one more crack, but those players that have been targeted by other clubs are going to be looking at their pay packets and what a season in the Championship would mean for their lifestyles.
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True enough, Bournemouth is a lovely place to play football. But does the town and the players that have said they want to stay make it more compelling for others to stay, with Tindall now as the new manager? Do some of them feel that they owe the club nothing now that Eddie Howe has left? Jason Tindall has much work to do to convince several stars to stay, even though they are in long-term contracts.

 What we do need to see is some movement on new signings coming in. The squad has to be improved and I'm intrigued to see what level of signings Bournemouth will make. The first one will set the standard and show the level of the club's intention. Then we will see if Tindall is making a big attempt to get promoted, or whether this could be another difficult season ahead for the Cherries.

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Tuesday, 11 August 2020

Player of the year was never in doubt at AFCB

I suspect that it was the easiest Player of the Year decision that Bournemouth have had in a few seasons in 2019-20. Aaron Ramsdale fully deserved his award, but some of the other missing names from the top five might reveal a little about what the fans think about those players' performances last season.
Aaron Ramsdale picks up AFCB's player of the year for 2019-20.
It was good to see Nathan Aké in clear second on 32.02 per cent, behind Ramsdale's 46.83 per cent, but these two players really dominated the vote. That may seem strange to outsiders when Bournemouth let in 65 goals. But the tackles Akee made and the saves Ramsdale made were top class.
I was pleasantly surprised to see Diego Rico in the top five, but it probably shows that the fans were much more willing to see him play than Eddie Howe was. It will be a challenge for Rico to see if he can be the number one left back next season. If Kelly stays at centre-back, Rico may start to have the legs on Charlie Daniels who may take time to get back to his best.
The one name I thought would have picked up a few votes is Callum Wilson. While he didn't have a great season he was the highest goal scorer. The on loan Harry Wilson was probably one of the better loan signing the club has had in a while, but he didn't get a mention either. Dan Gosling was also a fan favourite at times but didn't hit top five, while Junior Stanislas needs more games to make an impact on the leader board.
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Now everything is reset for next season, and if I had to wager on player of the year for 2020-21 I'd probably go for Sam Surridge. Players that have got something to prove tend to do well. I believe Surridge wants to be the main man upfront, so it will be intriguing to see if Jason Tindall gives him even more of a go than Eddie Howe did now that the team is in the Championship.

 Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth midfielder and striker in hot demand
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Thursday, 6 August 2020

Artur doesn't get to say goodbye but we loved him

Bournemouth's final farewell to Eddie Howe rather overshadowed the departure of Artur Boruc to Legia Warsaw. But the Pole has been a massive character in the Cherries squad since it was last in the Championship and played a significant role in getting the Cherries promoted in 2014-15 when he was on loan. Now he has gone, there is one less big presence in Bournemouth's dressing room.
Farewell Artur, it's been a blast.
Like many Bournemouth fans, I haven't been a big fan of former Southampton players but I make exceptions for players like Artur Boruc who has been magnificent in the way he has carried himself at the club. He's played more games for Bournemouth than he did for Southampton now. Even as a number two he hurled himself around on the pitch during warm ups with no less enthusiasm than if he was starting, and he pushed Ramsdale all the way last season.
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Eddie Howe kept extending his contract by a year over the last few seasons, but now Boruc feels it is time to depart and with the long Championship season ahead, I can understand why now is a good time for him to leave the Cherries. He will be reacquainted with his Polish friends and will no doubt bring back memories for their fans who saw him as a young keeper just starting out before he went to Celtic.

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Boruc's signatures is one of my favourites out of all the Bournemouth players. I grabbed him one day on a non-match day when he was walking near Dean Court, having just won promotion to the Premier League with Bournemouth. I had a picture of him on a Daily Echo paper and just asked him to sign it which he duly did. Now he has gone, I must admit it feels like another part of the big jigsaw that got Bournemouth up to the Premier League has faded away.

 Still, we have new players to take his place, and should it be Mark Travers or Aaron Ramsdale in Bournemouth's goal next season we know they have learned a lot from being in the company of Artur Boruc. Thanks Artur!
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In other news, Nathan Aké completed his £40m plus £1m add-on signing for five years with Man City yesterday. This breaks Bournemouth's record transfer fee for a player. Brad Smith has also left AFCB as his contract has expired.

 Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Has AFCB''s best candidate for manager just won promotion to the Premier League?
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Thursday, 30 July 2020

Six weeks to get ready for the Championship

AFC Bournemouth don't have time to dwell on what might have been. The Championship preparation needs to be in full swing with games due to start on 12 September. The launch of ticket sales is the first sign that AFCB are getting their campaign ready for 2020/21, and we hear in the local press that several senior players contracts are up and decisions as to the future of Charlie Daniels, Simon Francis, Andrew Surman and Artur Boruc need to be decided.
Who will remain for the Chamionship?
I also imagine we will hear a statement from Eddie Howe and Jason Tindall to stay if he is committed to leading the Cherries in their endeavours to get back to the Premier League. Preparation is key and until we know who is leading the team, player decisions have to wait.

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Personally, I'd like a clean sweep of some of the players that are coming to the end of their careers. It is time to make new stories and see if some of the players in the U21 like Gavin Kilkenny, Nnamdi Ofobargh, Corey Jordan, Jake Scrimshaw and of course Sam Surridge become regular names in the first team squad. Jack Simpson should also get on the team sheet now. While Bournemouth can have U21s and U18s that they look to sell on, it is even better business if some of these players can force their way into the first team and with some high profile names likely to leave their could be opportunities for one or two of the younger lads.

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What will be on the minds of the management though is that the Championship is a very tough league. The players will have less time to play their patient build-up football and physical strength will be required in many of the games to prevent being unsettled by bigger physical teams. It is a different test. The skill levels might be slightly lower and teams might not be punished quite as much for mistakes, but it is 90 mile an hour football and Bournemouth will have to get used to that again.

 Bournemouth are back in training on 12 August and while we may see players leave before then we might not see much rebuilding until the latter part of August.

 In other news, it has been reported by local and National Media that Nathan Akee has been sold to Man City for £41m.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - It's hard to know what AFCB season ticket holders are signing up to

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Tuesday, 28 July 2020

Bournemouth just weren't good enough

The time of reflection is now for AFCB and they have to get over it quickly and start to deal with reality. The season was a strange one with many complications, but however you look at it the Cherries were not good enough over the course of 38 matches.

Too many goals, goals goals in Bournemouth's net.
There are several stats that make it clear why Bournemouth were relegated and we can point towards the number of goals scored and those conceded as a starter. Conceding 65 goals is the second best record that Bournemouth have in the Premier League, but in their five years they have not got close to getting the number below 50. While Bournemouth invested in Nathan Aké, there were no other big name centre-backs, apart from record signings Tyrone Mings and Sylvain Distin in the 2015-16 season. Chris Mepham bolstered the numbers along with Jack Simpson, who is home grown, but Bournemouth opted for recruits from lower leagues like Jack Stacey and Lloyd Kelly this season and they didn't have experience of the top flight before that, Even Diego Rico had only a handful appearances for the first team before this season. Relying on the old guard of Steve Cook, Simon Francis, Adam Smith and Charlie Daniels was honourable from Bournemouth, but not prudent when the club was continuing to leak goals.
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The midfield has been unable to weigh in with many goals. The central midfielders especially have been more defensive in outlook with Philip Billing and Jefferson Lerma being Howe's main choices in 2019-20. Lewis Cook and Dan Gosling have more attacking style, but didn't manage to push their claims enough for starts. With Ryan Fraser wanting out and Howe needing to rely on Harry Wilson to fill in for a star-man like David Brooks, we can also see weaknesses on the wings.

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Up front too, Callum Wilson managed just eight goals this time and Josh King struggled with six, several of which were from the penalty spot. Dominic Solanke might have weighed in with three goals since the restart, but it was too few for a forward that was a big signing from Liverpool. Selling Lys Mousset and letting Defoe go on loan, left the Cherries short of fire power and it wasn't until January that Sam Surridge was recalled from his loan at Swansea.

 So, for me there were weaknesses all over the park. But it was the inconsistencies and individual errors that made Bournemouth sink even faster. Much of that can be put down to the injuries and players not having regular partners playing next to them.

We can also say the club wasn't good enough in losing games to other struggling teams. They lost the six pointers in 2020 to Brighton, West Ham, Norwich and Watford. There can't be too much doubt that Bournemouth were not playing to a standard that they are capable of and that is what hurts. It hurts more than knowing Aston Villa had a point more than they should have, with the point they got against Sheffield United, thanks to the failure of goal line technology.

 Fans shouldn't be disappointed if many of the senior players move on now. Their needs to be new ambition and excitement about the squad. The players we have seen play for AFCB ultimately cam up short. Let's see a new era and more success. UTCIAD!
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Thursday, 23 July 2020

VAR has not been kind to AFCB this season

Many clubs have bemoaned VAR this season. But it seems to be hurting Bournemouth now more than ever. With VAR having a massive impact on the Spurs, Man City and the Southampton matches, Eddie Howe can only be thankful that of they do go down they probably won't have VAR in the Championship, unless they expand the use of the system.
Thought it was a goal? Don't celebrate VAR is going to stop your celebrations.
The thing is VAR tries to give the correct call. Bournemouth didn't score a legal goal against Southampton, and while it would have been great for Sam Surridge to celebrate his first Premier League goal, it needed to be cleaner than clean. This time it was Callum Wilson at fault, and just like when Josh King was offside against Man City it had to be ruled out. It was hard to watch but the rules seem to be favouring other teams over Bournemouth at the moment.
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If these decisions balance themselves out, it could be not until next season that Bournemouth feel they get a few decisions go their way. At the end of the day, if Bournemouth are relying on VAR decisions to win games, then they are not finishing well enough.

Bournemouth just haven't scored enough goals all season. Even if the VAR goals have been given, Bournemouth are well short of the previous season's goal total. We can only hope that next season they find their goal scoring prowess again. There is a last chance against Everton, but even if there is, it will be a poor goal total this season.

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The deflation of the Surridge goal being ruled out is what the players will take home with them. But they should also remember that they still didn't defend well enough to keep it at 0-1 against Southampton. The team keeps failing to react to set-backs and the VAR set-back against Southampton could be a decisive blow.

 In other news, Steve Bruce at Newcastle is said to be keen on £20m bid for Callum Wilson, reports the Daily Express.

 Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Howe's side to be dismantled as Aké heads to Man City?
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Wednesday, 22 July 2020

Howe's side to be dismantled as Aké heads to Man City?

Nathan Aké deserves top-flight football next season and to play in a team that is playing in Europe. Man City will offer him that. It appears that Aké's apprentice days are over. If Man City pay out £35m, he will be going to the Etihad, national media reports suggest.

Man Cit hold talks with Nathan Aké.
It is not long since Bournemouth lost to Southampton, but Man City didn't waste any time in moving for Bournemouth's defender. While the fee looks lower than the Chelsea £40m buyback clause, Man City seem to be in the box seat for Ake's signature.

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It is not a surprise that Nathan is being picked up by a top six team. What Bournemouth fans will wonder is, who else will be quickly snapped up if any of their other main players? David Brooks is the most likely next asset to be on the buy list of the top clubs, and it will be hard for Eddie Howe to see his side dismantled. The Cherries will have to restock their numbers, and while they hold many top earning players, it is not clear what relegation would mean to those salaries.


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Bournemouth will need to clear in their message for what they want next season to attract the right kind of players. Everyone knows that Bournemouth have funds and will press for high prices. While we don't yet know how long clubs have before the start of the next season, Bournemouth need to have lists of players ready to hit the market hard as soon as this next weekend is over, whatever league they are in.
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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Delight and agony - AFCB fans see relegation battle go to last game
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Tuesday, 14 July 2020

How big a loss is Aké?

The only disappointing fact to come out of the win against Leicester City was the sight of seeing Nathan Aké being helped off of the field after 40 minutes. Leicester City were already one-nil up by then and Aké's block, that forced him off, probably stopped Bournemouth from going 0-2 down. So while it was an important challenge, the cost to Bournemouth could be that Aké has played his last game for the Cherries with many clubs said to be keen for his signature this summer.
Aké has been fantastic, but it looks like
Bournemouth will have to do without him now.
We were likely to see Aké bought at some point and it has been great to have seen him play more than 100 games for the Cherries. He is one of the best defenders in the league and he will go to a top six club if he stays in the Premier League. I would expect Chelsea would be most likely to go for him, but Man City could try and lure him to the Etihad.


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For Bournemouth fans the cost starts right now. Aké is most likely out for the rest of the season and Bournemouth are left with the three most important games in 2020 to go without him. The way Eddie Howe coped with Aké coming off against Leicester was to bring on Steve Cook and he is a natural replacement for the upcoming games. The big change though was at half-time and switching to three at the back. Jack Stacey and Junior Stanislas were superb in those positions, and playing three at the back is likely to be the best way in dealing with the injury list of defenders that are building up now.

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The loss of Aké will only matter if it gets in the players' heads. They managed to keep a clean sheet for the rest of the game after Aké went off, so they know they can defend well. The new system also suits Bournemouth going forward and should be a good way to play Man City who tend to overrun teams in midfield.
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Lloyd Kelly has had one wobble, but in general has acquitted himself well as a centre-back. He'll have to get used to playing with Steve Cook now and probably Rico as a back three. So, I don't see Aké's absence as a killer blow for Bournemouth, but obviously it is not ideal. Aké may well have done enough though to help AFCB stay in the premier league already. It will be hard to see hime go but in Lloyd Kelly, I think Bournemouth have another super defender in the making.

 Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Solanke has arrived at AFCB
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Tuesday, 7 July 2020

Is Kelly more suited as a centre-half?

Watching Lloyd Kelly play his second starting game for Bournemouth was not so much a surprise, but nobody expected him to play at centre-half. While the left back position is what he is recognised for, he showed that he is more than capable of becoming a permanent centre-half, and it may well be his best position on the long term.
Official AFC photo.

Eddie Howe tends to look at defenders who initially play as wing backs, and sees if the are more suited to becoming centre-halves. He did it with Tyrone Mings and then Nathan Aké and even though we have only seen Kelly for a few games, I already believe he could become the best centre-half for Bournemouth.
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It is vital that the club holds on to players like Kelly if they do get relegated. He has the stature of a player that finds the Premier League very much to his suiting, but in the Championship he would probably be well above the standard of many others. I became a bit nervous when I an Wright was saying what a god prospect he was on Match of the Day. Anymore strong performances like he had against Man United and the scouts will come circling for him.
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Bournemouth have had a lot of problems at left-back and Rico found Greenwood a little too hot to handle at times. But Kelly got right in the groove at centre-half and read many of the through balls to Anthony Martial very well. He got blocks in and wasn't afraid to make strong challenges. One of those did lead to the free kick from which Fernandes scored, but on the whole it was an impressive performance and leaves Howe with a decision to make when Steve Cook is available again.
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Kelly was probably asked to fill in next to Aké as a favour rather than what Howe would have done if Cook had been available. He'll probably be shifted to left-back next match, but it might well not be his best position. He has the height and intelligence to play at centre-back, and if there is a fire sale before next season gets underway, it could be a massive bonus to have Kelly playing at centre-half next season.

 Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Strong start to second half proves AFCB's fight is back
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Tuesday, 16 June 2020

A favourable reaction to new AFCB kit

AFCB have been showing off their latest home kit made by UNBRO, and first impressions are that the fans think it is a bit of a hit! The shirt has been a big departure from the typical red and black stripes, by having them broken up and displaced with a powder effect over the top, which looks particularly striking with the new Vitality sponsor logo at the front.
Official AFCB photo - Lloyd Kelly in the new home shirt
The shirt has a V-neck this time and UMBRO have kept the flashes in the sleeve sides of the short sleeve shirt. Mansion88 are still on the shoulder of the shirt, so they haven't ended their sponsorship entirely with the club. I'm not sure it is easy to get too excited about new shirts until you actually have the latest version on your back, which perhaps gives you a lift to know you have the latest replica shirt.

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We should get to see the new shirt a few times in the home games and its first outing should be on 20 June - next Saturday. The main thing for me is that, I hope the shirt gives the players a lift. The old shirt probably won't be a big summer seller, as it hasn't coincided with many good results. We'll have to hope the new set of shirts do a lot better.
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Previous Post on Cherry Chimes - Could AFCB favourite make a return to Dean Court?
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Sunday, 3 May 2020

Aké admits you need self-motivation in self-isolation

It looks like Nathan Aké is missing his team-mates in self-isolation. Perhaps we take for granted how close some of the players are when they see each other usually in the changing room fairly frequently, as well as training, and just hanging out with each other. While being given personal fitness programmes from the club, it's the comradery that gives teams that buzz of adrenaline and excitement, and without that it is not wonder the players might feel a bit flat.
Ake's finders may be getting more of a workout than his feet.
We see from the AFCBTV that Aké has taken up piano playing. I can share a lot of his excitement and eagerness to get on the black and white keys, as I have started to learn myself during the lockdown. While footballers might be good with their feet, dexterity in the fingers takes just as much practise.

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If AFCB don't get a pianist out of the lockdown, perhaps they will have a player who has improved his mental aptitude, because playing the piano really taxes the mind - there is a lot to learn. I should think Nathan is pretty good at picking up things quickly like a sponge, as Eddie Howe will expect him to do that in training, and I can imagine he doesn't take to kindly to players that don't pay full attention when he is setting out a training drill.

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The training field may be empty at the moment, but it is good that AFCB are able to give us all a bit of insight into how some of the players are coping during this period. Being productive is going to be a big help when it comes to going back to football. We need the players to feel fresh, and to have constantly been challenging themselves, which should keep them well prepared for the challenges that will be coming on the football pitch.
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