Snodgrass is the man AFCB have to stop

I was watching the game between West Ham and Chelsea and although the Blues won fairly comfortably, I was impressed with the early strength of the Hammers and the crossing ability of Robert Snodgrass down the left. While Snodgrass' move from Hull City seemed a bit of a strange one at the time, there is no doubt that he is a quality Premier League player who has fitted in extremely well at the London Stadium - despite some of West Ham's own fans arguing that he does not do enough. We don't need him to be any more motivated to play well thanks!

The Cherries' player that I'd expect to be detailed to look after Snodgrass is Adam Smith. Adam has had some quieter games of late. He has had good reason not to make quite so many forward runs with the team conceding two or three goals a game, but up at Old Trafford he played well enough to keep Anthony Martial at bay. Still, I always feel that Smith looks stretched and often has to go down to get a decision at times.

Adam Smith is likely to be on Snodgrass duties.

I do see Adam as one of the bravest of AFCB's players though. What he lacks in power and strength against the strongest players he makes up with raw courage. Against Snodgrass he should be fairly evenly match in terms of stature and it is important that he doesn't allow Snodgrass to get those crosses in to Andy Carrol in the box. He'll have to do that by sticking tight and I'm sure Smith probably has the pace to beat him in a sprint.

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What we don't want to see is any moments of madness from Adam. He was perhaps unlucky to give away a penalty up at Old Trafford, but he has a habit of slipping up at the wrong moment. I did like his face that was full of innocence for the penalty at Man Utd, but AFCB did well to get a penalty themselves at that ground and most decisions tend to go in favour of United in front of their home fans. What we need is some composure from Smith and a good shape at the back. When he gets the chance though I expect he'll know he can exploit Snodgrass who won't track back that often.

AFCB Possible team
Boruc (GK), A Smith (RD), Francis (CD), S Cook (CD), Daniels (LD), Fraser (RM), Arter (CD), Gosling (CM), Pugh (LM), Wilshere (FW), King (FW)

Subs

Allsop (GK), B Smith (LD), Cargill (CD), Gradel (LM), Ibe (RM), Afobe (FW), Mousset (L)

If Lewis Cook is available I'd expect him to be in the squad, as AFCB are light in central midfielders, but I've heard no news about him in the last two or three weeks. 

Hull City started like a train but have they hit the buffers?

The way Hull City set about the Premier League we might consider a tad unconventional. having a manager resign just before the season start and then only having 13 first team players to play the first game against the Champions didn't look like a successful formula, but Mike Phelan made it work somehow. That early momentum may have been slowed, but Hull City will come to Dean Court knowing that a win would re-ignite their promising return to the top tier.

AFCB can really push themselves up the league with a home win today.

Since Swansea City were brushed aside by Hull City on 20 August, the Tigers have found it tough going with just one point from their last five games. They include big defeats to Liverpool and Arsenal and also a closer contest, but a home defeat, against Chelsea in their last match. Their fixture list has not been kind and when they have played the teams that might be considered lesser weights in the league such as Swansea and Burnley, Hull City have collected points. So the match against AFCB is likely to be a game that won't see them sit back.

The player that has been enjoying his return to the Premier League in their side is Robert Snodgrass. He has been slotting home three league goals and one in the English League Cup. Otherwise their goals have been fairly well shared out and AFCB's team talk should certainly be concentrating on avoiding unnecessary free kicks with such a specialist as Snodgrass in City's ranks. They have a powerful midfield with Shaun Maloney, ex-Wigan, Tom Huddleston ex-Spurs along with Ryan Mason, who AFCB were often said to be keen on signing themselves.

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Where they probably struggle is up front. Abel Hernández scored all the goals in their rise from the Championship, but the number nine has just one goal this season and came on as a late sub in their last game. Adama Diomandé, the Norwegian striker has had to carry the fight up front and will be hoping for more service. 

As for AFCB it will be intriguing to see if Harry Arter has recovered well enough to start and if Josh King is available after his international appearances for Norway. UTCIAD! 

Hull City Away Form
WDL

AFCB Home Form
LWW

AFCB must win more headers in the box

Same back four, same problems? Well I am not so sure it is just the back four that need to defend better at set pieces for the Cherries. Watford's second goal was a great header from Success and yet Andrew Surman was the player that had the main task of trying to stop the winger from scoring by beating him in the air. Moreover, AFCB should be even more annoyed about giving the needless free kick away in the first place.

Defending free kicks is a real weakness for AFCB and
Hull City have an expert taker in Robert Snodgrass.

AFCB always like to invite pressure on themselves in tight games. Sometimes they get away with it, but Watford were as desperate as AFCB to get something from the game and sadly the side gave them a great opportunity to attack the AFCB goal. 

Whether Marc Wilson is any better at centre-half is something fans are unlikely to see until Francis or Cook become injured, and it is not the centre-backs that are often to blame anyway. Heading is not a strong point of this team although I'd say Francis and Steve Cook have done better of late than fans probably realise at centre-back in the air. When the whole team has to defend a free kick though from wide areas there is much more difficulty in getting the right players matched up with the runners and it must be a problem for AFCB as it is still happening just like last season.

For once Artur Boruc was stranded, but the keeper can't always get near the ball when the crosses come in and this was a precisely guided header that dd not give Boruc much chance to get off the ground. A man on the back post might have kept it out, but that would have just been inviting Watford to bombard the goal with runs if AFCB had defended that deep. The video will be replayed I'm sure and some answers need to be found.

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