Allsop finds new home at Wycombe

Ryan Allsop (Rocky) will be playing League One football next season at Wycombe Wanderers. The former Bournemouth keeper returns to Wycombe having played on loan there in 2016. Ryan has signed a three-year deal and will no doubt be relishing the chance to be a number one keeper.

Allsop finds a new club.

Allsop was one of Howe's signings in 2013, during Howe's second management spell at the club. While he quickly came into the team and proved a big asset in Bournemouth's promotion run to the Championship, he failed to hold down a place at that level and had a long period out of the game with glandular fever.

Before long, Ryan was heading out on loan at Coventry, Wycombe, Portsmouth, Blackpool and Lincoln City. He was seen as a keeper that would make it to the Premier League and he did play for Bournemouth against Everton in the Premier League in 2015 and against Leicester City in the 2016/17 season. But Allsop was overtaken by the signings of Adam Federici and Artur Boruc, and it has been clear for some time that Bournemouth were struggling to find a role for him at the club. Having been released by AFCB earlier this summer, he is free of the past and can look to see if he can be the best keeper he can be again.

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Hopefully, Ryan can excel in League One like he did for the Cherries. He has not really had a permanent home for a few seasons now, but his fitness and performances helped Lincoln City to the Checkatrade Trophy last season, and he will want to make a good start at Wycombe who won promotion last season. We wish him all the best.

Meanwhile, AFCB have announced pre-season games against Sevilla and Levante.

Southgate's World Cup - Day 6 review

You can order a copy of Dean Court Days on Amazon

Dean Court Days- get a signed copy!
I other news, Michael Dunne is holding a signing day for Dean Court Days on Saturday 23 June between 1-3pm at In off the far post, 901 Old Christchurch Road, in Pokesdown BH7 6AX. Richard Cooke and Paul Morrell are also popping in to sign a few copies of the book.

Baily - a product of AFCB goes his separate way

I was disappointed to hear that Ryan Allsop and Baily Cargill were among six players released by the Cherries. It may be a difficult task in itself to develop players to a good league standard, but bringing them through to the first team is starting to look an extremely problematic hurdle for AFCB, despite all the efforts to establish the club's youth players into Premier League players.

Baily Cargill is off to pastures new along with some of his AFCB colleagues.

Baily and Ryan were joined by Ollie Harfield, Sam Matthews, Patrick O'Flaherty and Joe Quigley. No doubt AFCB will say these players will have every chance of finding new employment in the lower leagues, and that AFCB had taken them as far as it could. But how good do you need to be at 21 or 22 to be kept on by a Premier League team? You have to be exceptional I'd say and while Jack Simpson has seen his career flourish at Dean Court, it must make him worry that he has very little time to try and break into the first team before he will also be moved on.

In the last decade it has become more difficult for players that have been trained from the youth teams to find their way into the first team. AFCB thus becomes a feeder club for lower league teams that want to pick up players that have been taught in the AFCB style of football, but releasing them for free may not seem a great business, but it does give these players a real education in the game with a good name behind them to move on. If the Cherries can use the vacancies to bring in even better talent then fans might not see it as such a waste, but we are yet to see enough players being developed to play in the first team.

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Whether the new training facilities being built at Poole will change this we will have to wait and see. It surely has to be an aim for AFCB to keep players that have potential to reach the top and not simply release them. It is a business though that is becoming more ruthless I fear. I hope the released players do soon find good contracts and a future in the game.

Allsop swaps seaside towns

Yesterday, AFCB broke the news that Ryan Allsop would be on his way to League One side Blackpool for a season-long loan. It represents a good chance for Allsop to get his playing career back in the swing of things with match after match situation and should be just what he needs at this stage of his development.

Allsop takes a step forward in his career by taking a loan at Blackpool.

The number of keepers at AFCB was making things crowded, and it is not such a big surprise that Allsop is the player that has headed out on loan with his more limited experience to the likes of Boruc, Begovic and Federici. He has to make a name for himself and while he will be doing that away from Bournemouth, he should start to get that team feeling and respect that he no doubt craves for making saves week after week.

Blackpool won promotion to League One via the play-offs and they will have to first ensure they are competitive in their new league. Allsop will need to exude some confidence and show his teammates that he can be relied upon. Eddie Howe has always been supportive of Allsop and has kept him when it would have been simple for Allsop to have been left behind as the club grew in stature. Allsop has a long way to go to make it as the number one at Dean Court, but he has been doing enough right over the years to earn his place in various squads and I hope he really plays well.

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Having made his Premier League debut against Everton the season before last, and getting a full game against Leicester City last season, Allsop should be looking forward to running out in League One. It should be a place where he can excel and hopefully save a few penalties or be man of the match a few times.

Keeping is a specialist position and is not perfected overnight, but Allsop has been persistent and now he has an opportunity to really shine again, so I think Blackpool is a good place for him to go and play football. Give it your best Rockie!


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It's scary how far the club has come

Ryan Allsop made the comment that it was "Scary how far the club has come. He has been at the club since its days in League One and while he has not played as much in recent seasons, he has managed to keep the manager's favour to have his contract renewed. He might have felt a bit in the shadows, but Ryan plays an important role in training and supporting his team-mates, and is one of the players who know it is incredible what the club has achieved so far.

Ryan Allsop has done well just to stay with AFCB as it has moved up the leagues.

I am currently in Canada as I write this blog and even here there is every bar showing highlights of the European football matches and following transfer news for the English Premier League as it unfolds. The Cherries may not get the air time of other clubs in the division abroad, but there are people here who certainly know of Eddie Howe and AFC Bournemouth. 

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The essence of any club is in the players that go and train weekly and go out on to the pitch and perform and we have seen our players excel again, season on season which makes it hard for us to remember now when the club made a backward step. There have been mistakes, but the general progression of the club is still heading upwards, and I am actually surprised that more players have not been left behind as signposts on a trail of footballers that didn't quite manage to keep pace with the regime at AFCB. Yet, AFCB's squad has not been significantly trimmed in recent seasons and as the payments go up there is every likelihood that the Cherries will be able to make decisions on keeping one or two more players that it might have shed in previous seasons, at least in the U21 squad as they can probably afford to do it.

Rather than worrying how the next bill will be paid, the focus is on the pitch and delivering the best teams. This has already manifested itself in trying to keep hold of the players that got the club to this lofty status and I see Steve Cook has committed his future to the club until the summer of 2021 by which time he could well be captaining the side in Europe and in a new stadium. How times are changing! UTCIAD!

In other news. Frankie Vincent signs for AFCB's U21s

Allsop really had a big test at Leicester

Ryan has had a waiting room watch of a season. He has seen Adam Federci fall out of the squad with a knee injury and has still played second fiddle to Artur Boruc in goal on most match days. But he finally got his chance to play in front of a big crowd at the King Power stadium and apparently he had played their before for AFCB against Leicester in the Championship.

Allsop has to keep working hard to catch up with the keepers ahead of him at AFCB.

The day must have been quite a shock for Ryan, as he stepped on the bus expecting Artur Boruc to be there. As he wasn’t, he soon gathered that he was number one on this trip and that he would be guarding the goal for Bournemouth. While he set about his preparations as normal, it must be exciting to know that you are finally going to be playing for 90 minutes in a Premier League match and it was a credit to Ryan that he had a fairly good game. He might not have known that much about the save he made from Islam Slimani in the first half when the ball was headed right at him, but it showed his positioning sense was okay and he built his confidence up from there.

There were some errant goal kicks, but Ryan did not disappoint on the day and made an excellent dash for the ball before Mahrez in the first half that could have been been a problem, if he was not more alert. I still feel that Allsop gets nervous when he is called into action and that he need to try and dominate his goal more in coming for crosses and imposing himself on the opposition forwards, but he is not shying away from the possibility of impact or thinking of anything other than getting the ball, when it is flying around the box, which is good to see.

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I wonder what the conversations are like between Eddie and Ryan as to whether he can eventually get the number one spot at the club, as we know that Asmir Begovic is a target for AFCB this summer. Unless Frederici moves on this would put Ryan further down the pecking order so it is important that he plays well and makes the most of his chance to play as he did at Leicester. While he did not have much of a hope of stopping the Leicester goal he did try and get back to Vardy which kind of gives me belief that Ryan is stepping up his game and could yet become an asset. Eddie Howe certainly has continued to believe in him and I expect him to be in the squad next season, but as a third choice keeper Allsop needs to believe in himself that he can be a Premier League keeper for AFCB if he is going to move Boruc and Federici from the top spots.

The Cherries secure ninth place with 1-1 draw against Foxes

Match Report

21 May 2017

Leicester City 1 v 1 AFCB

Attendance: 32,000

The scarf's were not really needed on a warm day at the King Power.

The Cherries can be well satisfied with a ninth placed finish in their second season in the Premier League. They afternoon looked like they may even do better than that when Junior Stanislas got them off to a lightening start with a goal in the first minute. Despite Dan Gosling stretching Jasper Schmiechel to the edge of his limits, the Cherries could not get the second goal that their dominance really warranted in the first 20 minutes. Leicester started to compete better and Slimani had an afternoon when he was going to put chance after chance wide beginning with a couple of headers. The second half saw Leicester improve further until Jamie Vardy knocked in the equaliser almost standing on the goal line. There was a Premier League debut for Matt Worthington in AFCB colours when Ryan Fraser was subbed and although Vardy had a goal disallowed for an offside and Slimani put a free header from close in wide in the last 10 minutes, Jordan Ibe wasted the best chance to win the game just minutes from the end when he had a poor first touch on a Stanislas through ball. 

There were plenty of fans about to pack the stadium.

We might have to find a smaller ball to kick off with.

Typical Eddie had said he didn't want to change the team too much and yet Andrew Surman and Ryan Gosling returned along with Ryan Fraser to the starting line up, while Ryan Allsop was give his first Premier League start in goal.  

AFCB get ready to take on Leicester City.

There are more pictures on Match Day Gallery.

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There was a great atmosphere in the stadium with giant football balloons and other inflatables being traded like a tennis match between the fans and the Leicester stewards who joined in the fun  like a pantomime. But the action on the pitch swiftly captured our attention with Steve Cook passing a ball up the left wing to Lys Mousset who took on two Leicester defenders before sliding a ball across to Ryan Fraser who took a hefty blow. The referee played on though and Mousset snapped a shot off that rebounded off a defender into the path of Junior Stanislas, who came flying in from the right side to slam home the opening goal in under a minute! That's AFCB's 100th Premier League goal.

It was like a riot in the stand, but a happy one for the Cherries' fans who were delighted with the start of the game. Pugh thrilled fans next with a sharp ball pulled back across the six yard box that was calling out to be put away. 

Leicester countered with Mahrez having a shot blocked before Chilwell shot wide. AFCB were finding joy on the left with Daniels whipping in another low ball that Pugh cleverly stepped over but Fraser did not read in time.

When Surman was brought down 35 yards from goal Junior Stanislas took the free kick but smashed it into the Leicester wall. Leicester's reply came from Slimani who hit a rising shot over. Leicester win ton the first corner on 18 minutes as their pressure grew. Benalouane luckily headed wide after a Steve Cook deflection. In came the next corner and that Mahrez took from the right and Fuchs got up well and Slimani couldn't quite stretch far enough to meet it at the back post.

AFCB thought they might have extended their lead in the 24th minute when  Adam Smith got behind the Leicester defence and pulled a ball back for Dan Gosling who let fly from the edge of the box with a superb curling shot that needed all of Schmeichel's agility and skill to keep out of the top right corner.

Gosling was having an excellent game in shepherding Mahrez and coming out on top most of the time. Mousset was getting involved but was annoyed at hitting a shot straight at Schmiechel on the half hour.

Adam Smith was then knocked for six as he ran into Andy King who took all of Smith and nothing of the ball.

Mahrez is starting to show promise hitting a shot that Allsop saves well. A left wing cross the gives Slimani a headed opportunity that he puts wide of the far post. A corner follows with Slimani stopping low with a headed effort that narrowly runs past the post.

Another chance sees Ndidi head the ball right onto Allsop's chest and the keeper gratefully falls on the ball. Benalouane gets a yellow card. It's 0-1 to the Cherries at half time but it's been a tight game.

AFCB subs at half time.

Second half

There is bright sunshine at the start of this half. Allsop has to come off his line quickly to beat the advancing Vardy to a ball. Leicester have come out fired up though and on 51 minutes the game is even after a right side cross is headed on by Slimani and Vardy has a simple stab over the line from a yard out with Allsop unable to get there in time.

The goal had been coming and the Cherries' attacks had dropped off form their early good start. 

AFCB then win a free kick as Ndidi makes a foul. Surman takes it some 25 yards out and its deflected wide. Simpson then picked up a yellow card on 56 minutes for a trip on Fraser. Stanislas takes this one and has to retake it having put the first one right at Schmeichel before the referee was ready. The second attempt hits the wall.

Leicester made a sub on 58 minutes with Benalouane coming off and Amartey coming on. Jamie Vardy then thinks he has put Leicester in front, following a rebound from s Slimani shot but he's offside and it's disallowed.

Bournemouth try and stem the flow with Afobe replacing Mousset and Ibe coming on for Pugh in a double substitution.

Leicester come close again as Mahrez shoots and Allsop fumbles the save but Francis is behind him and clears from the goal line. Another chance falls to Slimani but he's volleyed wide!

Mahrez next has a bicycle kick blocked and  before Vardy heads an effort that Allsop puts over.

Another Leicester sub sees Demari Gray replaced Marc Allbrighton. Jamie Vardy was still causing problems for the Borunemouth defence and Francis picked up a yellow card on 71 minutes. 

The corners kept coming for Leicester with King winning a corner off of Francis. Ndidi then pulls his shot wide from 25 yards.

Chilwell has a shot blocked by Adam Smith and another corner follows. Mahrez then picks up a yellow for pulling down Gosling on the break.

Leicester still looked favourites to get a winner but Slimani misses a golden headed opportunity that he puts wide from about eight yards out. He's had a bad day in front of goal.

Satnislas on the right gives AFCB another breakaway and he's found Ibe on the left through on goal, but the winger has over cooked it with a poor first touch that's gifted the ball to Schmeichel. That was dreadful! AFCB could have won the game there.

Chilwell gets a yellow card for a foul on Gosling who has been a real star man for the Cherries. It ends 1-1.

See you next season!

Summary

While Bournemouth started this game imperiously with some sharp attacking football, they slowly saw Leicester come into the game and probably have the best of the chances. Eddie will look next season to see how they can improve on making the most of the games when they get a goal up early. The team has lost a lot of points after scoring first in games this season. But this was a wounded Leicester side that were not going to lay down in their last home game. Allsop had a heavy work load and AFCB had to withstand a lot of pressure in the second half. They have learned how to hold out in such circumstances and they might have even won the game. Still, the fans enjoyed the game and the banter with the Leicester fans. It was a good end-to-end game and no shortage of goal-mouth action.

Job done, well done AFCB on a cracking season!

Leicester City

Schmeichel, Simpson, Benalouane (Amartey 59), Fuchs, Chilwell, Mahrez, King, Ndidi,
Albrighton (Gray 73), Vardy, Slimani

Leicester Subs

Zieler, Wasilewski, Musa, Amartey, Kapustka, Gray, Okazaki

AFCB
Allsop, A Smith, Francis,  S Cook, Daniels, Stanislas, Gosling, Surman, Pugh (Ibe 63),
Fraser (Worthington 74), Mousset (Afobe 62)

AFCB Subs
Ramsdale, B Smith, Cargill, Ibe,Worthington, Afobe, Surridge, 

AFCB Ratings

Allsop 6, A Smith 7, Francis 6,  S Cook 7, Daniels 7, Stanislas 7, Gosling 8, Surman 6,
Pugh 6 (Ibe 3), Fraser 7 (Worthington 5), Mousset 6 (Afobe 4)

Referee Watch: Lee Mason - too soft in his approach at times when he let things go, but at other times played advantage well. Disallowed Vardy goal was said to be onside on second viewing by reporters! 5/10.

Has Ryan Allsop suddenly got a great opportunity?

It has been a policy of AFCB to try and bring young keepers up and develop them, but in Eddie Howe's reign there have not been too many to last that long. Ryan Allsop though manages to stay in the squad, despite losing his place as the No 1 keeper back in the Championship side when Lee Camp helped the side out. So with a year still to run on Ryan's contract, and with another young keeper - Aaron Ramsdale, joining Jordan Holmes as another young shot stopper at the club, should Ryan Allsop wonder whether he is making enough progress at AFCB?

Ryan Allsop is expected to be on the subs bench for the visit of Man City.

With both Adam Federici and Artur Boruc being the senior keepers, it is always unlikely that Ryan Allsop would find little playing time for the first team. The odd injury to the leading two keepers though has pushed him onto the bench at times and with just one Premier league cap to his name, against Everton in the 3-3 draw last season, Ryan must be prepared in case he is put into the action against Man City. Adam Federici is now out for the rest of the season, having had an operation this week so Ryan is expected to be back up for Artur Boruc for the remaining games.  

However, I wonder if Ryan might be sitting on the bench for Man City visit Dean Court on Monday - thinking I'm probably not going to be involved today. It can't be that stimulating to do all the training sessions and not find any first team games waiting for you at the end of the week. A few weeks of not playing is easy to look over, and when the months go by, you know it is because the other keepers are more experienced and better placed to do the job. Yet, one red card for a keeper and the substitute goal keeper is straight on, and probably has to save a penalty as well. These are not easy shoes to fill.

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'Rocky' must be a popular member of the squad as he is now 24 and was not released when he could have been a year ago. The signing of Aaron Ramsdale will be seen by some as a possible reason for questions to be asked about Ryan's future, as Aaron has a four-and-a-half year deal. Moreover, if Asmir Begovic is really the man that AFCB see as their prospective No 1 come the summer, that will put even more reason to wonder what Ryan's role is now. Ryan is kind of caught between the youth keepers and the senior shot stoppers. How long will AFCB allow him to learn his craft from the elder players, and when will he be expected to start breaking through - or is that not the plan?

We don't hear Ryan being interviewed that often and this season he has not been on loan which is perhaps not ideal for him. He must be so wanting to play games to push his career on. Yet, if Artur Boruc does not renew his contract in the summer, it will be surely expected that Ryan challenges Adam Federici more for the No 2 spot - if he is to finish his own contract. Either that or he will be looking for work in the lower leagues, were we know he can perform.

I don't see Aaron Ramsdale's arrival as a negative though for Allsop. If anything it should encourage him to have another keeper to work with and compete with. There is kind of a school of young keepers at the club now, and that perhaps helps Ryan to feel more a part of things if he is not getting game sufficient time. But I hope he is getting prepared for Monday night, as he may have a rather bigger job to do than many would expect.