Millwall came straight down the middle

When a golfer says 'it went straight down the middle', you don't seem to be that concerned with what was no doubt a fine shot. But when a football team concedes a goal because of a ball that went straight down the middle, alarm bells start to ring!

Steve Cook can't stop everything on his own.

Such was the feeling when Millwall scored their equaliser against Bournemouth the other night. It was a free kick that Bournemouth really could have dealt better with and even Jason Tindall had to admit that Millwall's goal wasn't good enough. Lloyd Kelly was well out jumped and there was no cover behind him from Jack Simpson or Steve Cook, with runners getting free of their markers for Matt Smith to score. Solanke ended up the closest to Smith, but he couldn't get the right side of him.

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The warnings signs were there in the first half when Woods fed Jed Wallace, who burst through the middle of the defence, skipping over Simpson's lunge and making his way through to take on Begovic. If he had decided to take the ball around the right side of Asmir Begovic he would have scored. As it was, Asmir stood up as best he could and managed to block the shot with his legs.

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I have to wonder why the defence is making mistakes? Set-pieces are something that can be practised and while at this stage it is not so important of the odd point is dropped, the team has to be better now. There were several free kicks that saw Begovic have to make a save low down and Lerma cleared me off the line while Zahore hit the post. The walls that Bournemouth put up might as well not be there.

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It may be that Tindall decides that he must have an out-and-out centre-back next to Steve Cook and this latest episode could have opened the door for Carmeron Carter-Vickers to come in. He has done the training and we know he can play at this level, so if the trio of Kelly, Simpson and Cook is not working well enough, perhaps Tindall will be bold enough to make the change in the next match against Luton.

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In other news, the Daily Mail reports that Jack Wilshere is expected to be offered a contract at AFCB.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Millwall stop Bournemouth from going second

Winning 1-0 is never a bad thing for AFCB

I of agree with Lewis Cook that the win against Wycombe might not have been the best performance Bournemouth fans might have expected after the 5-0 demolition of Huddersfield, but it's still another three points. Bournemouth are not going to finish their fast-flowing football every game with some smart finishing and when it doesn't come off they have to find ways of winning ugly or not. What is not clear is whether the team was shattered having played the same team two games in a row.

Bournemouth don't have to win every game 5-0

I thought that Sam Surridge was an important inclusion in the game. He offers a very different forward question to Solanke and it's not a bad thing that Bournemouth have Danjuma now coming back, so Jason Tndall might be able to change the attacking personnel more for the next game. Riquelme has also been used sparingly and knows how well he has to play to get in the side.

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The great improvement has been in the defence and sometimes I think fans get side-tracked thinking about why there haven't been more goals. We must remember that the team has played well to get its fourth clean sheet in a row. The level of performances from Steve Cook and Asmir Begovc have been out of the park, but they seldom get recognition for it. Jack Simpson has also come int the side and made up for Chris Mepham's absence to great effect.

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So while we sit and reflect on Bournemouth's opening to the season and how it has done in the division, we can't be too critical. The pressure is yet to really come on, but it will do once we get into February and the games start to seem crucial in the pursuit of a top-two place. At the moment, Bournemouth are well in the mix and the team can be freshened up with Josh King also back in contention. It should be a glass half full at the moment not half empty for supporters.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Stanislas gives Bournemouth a narrow 1-0 win over a 10-man Wycombe

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Has Steve Cook made a good return to the Championship?

It may have gone almost unnoticed but Steve Cook picked up the player of the month award for October after beating off stiff competition from Asmir Begovic, Lewis Cook and Diego Rico. The captain has formed a good defensive wall with Lloyd Kelly and Chris Mepham and he'll be fairly pleased that Bournemouth have moved to fourth in the table just a couple of points behind Reading who Bouremnouth play next.

Steve Cook is doing his utmost to get AFCB back to the Premier League.

It hasn't been quite so great for Steve in November when he began the month being sent off against Sheffield Wednesday, but I felt he was unlucky with his challenge in the box on that day. We want Cook to be a strong player for the team and he has been central to Bournemouth looking more disciplined in defence this season. He does make the odd mistake, but since Aké has gone he has really taken on the mantle of Bournemouth's most experienced defender and seems to want the responsibility for making match-saving tackles.

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His best moment this season was probably his face save on the line against Derby County. It earned the Cherries a point in a game that they could well have lost late on and that point keeps the Cherries on the tail of the leaders, as we get the first quarter of the season behind us. While Steve has a habit of putting his hands in the way and concedes the odd penalty or two, he has been the defender that has looked most assured this season for me.

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He may not have been lucky enough to get an international cap but his leadership has been great for Bournemouth with so many of the club's players leaving in the summer. Steve Cook is probably going to be carried out of the club as he seems to carry all its troubles on his sleeves when he is out there – you can see it in his interviews and the way he always looks so disappointed when things don't go well for AFCB. I am pleased he has picked up a player of the month award and it is good to see the defenders get a bit of recognition.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Would it have been better if King had left in the summer?

Was Steve Cook unlucky to be sent off at Sheffield Wednesday?

I keep watching back the challenge that Steve Cook made on Josh Windass of Sheffield Wednesday to see whether it should really have been a penalty or not. The decision could easily have gone either way, but referees are primed to give attackers the advantage when they have a clear sight of goal and I can see why the penalty was given, even if I think it was unlucky for Steve Cook to be sent off.

Steve Cook is punished but rightly feels unlucky to be sent off

The way that Cook used his shoulder to try and put pressure on the attacker was not clumsy it was calculated to nudge Windass sufficiently enough that he would gain control of the ball. A shoulder charge anywhere else on the pitch I would argue would be unlikely to see a foul called. But when an attacker goes down when he had looked favourite to score, it is going to give the referee a decision to make and if he judges there was excessive contact and the attacker has not dived he will point to the spot. Personally, I thought the decision was harsh as Cook used his shoulder. But that is football.

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Steve Cook will be annoyed with himself even if he looked disbelieving when he was sent off. Had the decision been the other way around I am sure our fans would have been baying for the penalty. I am not sure we would have been demanding that the defender be sent off though. The referee seemed a bit card happy in the number of cards he produced on the night, but I was expecting a red card for two yellow card offences, not a straight red for what was considered a professional foul. The irony of the issue is that VAR might have saved Cook in the Premier League, but there's none of that in the Championship.

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So, I would say Cook was unlucky to be sent off. The attacker made the most of it but it was an annoying way to give one side the advantage in the game. The real worry for Tindall though should be how come Windass could make that run and our defenders look so flat-footed and behind the play, which gave Windass a couple of yards on the defenders enabling him to beat Begovic and potentially score? Bournemouth need to solve that problem in upcoming games rather than dwell too long on the actual foul as it was called. Steve Cook wouldn't have had to make such a challenge in the box if he had been more aware of Windass' run.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - The defeat was coming 

The winner of Cherry Chimes' competition to win a free copy of the Disrupted Season (2019-20) is @martindgodfrey

Riquelme volley salvages a 1-1 draw for AFCB against Derby

Another slow start from Bournemouth led to the visitors going ahead after Billing had given a free kick away on the edge of the box. Graeme Shinnie stabbed the ball into the goal after a scramble in the box and Bournemouth found it hard to get going until the end of the first half when Solanke looked like he would score, but Marshall tipped the ball over the bar. Bournemouth chucked the subs on in the second half but it was the last of them, Rodrigo Riquelme that volleyed an equaliser on 81 minutes to save Bournemouth's unbeaten record. The real hero though was Steve Cook who saved a shot on the line with his face. That kind of commitment is just so brave and he deserves man of the match for that alone.

AFCB have to fight hard just to get a draw against Derby Co.

Jason Tindall kept the rotation going by bringing back Diego Rico, Arnaut Danjuma and Philip Billing back to the starting line-up. Out went Josh King, Lloyd Kelly and Dan Gosling while David Brooks returned to the subs bench.

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Match Description
Derby County get the game underway and Jack Stacey gets the first tackle in. Jason Knight is booked for a sliding foul on Adam Smith.

Derby set up 5-2-3 when they haven't got the ball trying to stop Adam Smith and Jack Stacey joining AFCB's attack.  Rico fouls. Waghorn curls a shot over the bar. Lawrence and Rooney linked up well before passing to Wehorn.

Rooney for Shinnie and his shot is blocked. Solanke on the counter but Stanislas is beaten to the ball by Clarke. Stacey makes a foul. Steve Cook fouls. Derby keep winning the ball back in AFCB's half.

Bournemouth defend a free kick. Matt Clarke heads just onto the roof of the net. Rico was a bit slow in keeping hold of Clarke. Billing fouls Knight on the edge of the box. Bournemouth need more discipline and Billing has been booked.

Rooney's free kick hits the wall, it's a scramble Waghorn wins the knockdown and Graeme Shinnie has scored 0-1 to Derby County. Adam Smith and Soanke couldn't clear in time. It went in off Steve Cook on 14 minutes.

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Billing is blocked. Stanislas wins a free kick. Bournemouth haven't got into their stride yet. The free kick is punched clear by Marshall. Solanke is fouled. Lawrence goes down under pressure from Steve Cook but it's gone behind for a goal kick.

Adam Smith and Danjuma. Danjuma goes down but nothing doing. Rico is booked for a foul on Bryne. Solanke heads clear.  

Stanislas can't beat Shinnie. Knight and Waghorn in the middle but the shot is right at Begovic. Byrne on the right is tackled by Lewis Cook.

Billing to Solanke on the left. Adam Smith back to Billing. Good possession, but Danjuma lost the ball. Solanke turns well and chips to the far post. Stacey shoots poorly at Marshall.

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Stacey is into the area and Clarke tackles. Waghorn on the break and Mepham slides in. Stanislas is in trouble. Clarke took his knee. Stanislas is up. Stacey's shot from the centre of the box is saved.

Stanislas over hits a pass. Shinnie and Knight are dominating midfield. Solanke puts a shot wide. Billing to Stanislas and Solanke sees his shot saved over the bar. Great save by the keeper. 

Derby are under pressure, but clear the corner. Four minutes of added time. Stacey and Danjuma. Danjuma has overrun it.

AFCB possession 70%, 3 shots, 2 shots on target, 1 corner 10 fouls
Derby Co possession 30%, 6 shots, 2 shots on target, 0 corners, 7 fouls.

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Second Half
Josh King replaces Stanislas. Lawrence shoots wide from outside the box. King to Danjuma and Billing fires wide. 

Byrne breaks. Adam Smith gets back at him. Lawrence and Clarke, but Bournemouth clear. King is tackled by Shinnie. King is offside.

Danjuma and Shinnie tackles for a Bournemouth corner. Steve Cook send a pass out to Rico. Stacey comes forward. Danjuma can't beat Byrne. Mepham is down.

Clarke clears another Bournemouth attack. Adam Smith has intercepted off Knight. 

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Steve Cook wins possession off Lawrence. Derby are dropping deep. Holmes comes on for Rooney on 60 minutes. Danjuma across goal and Shinnie clears. Free kick to Bournemouth as Rico is fouled.

Rico into the area with the free kick but it's cleared. 

Lewis Cook through to Danjuma, he's hit the post. Danjuma again and Marshall makes the save on 63 minutes.

Brooks is on for Stacey on 69 minutes. Bournemouth go to a 4-3-3. Derby are sitting back. Brooks in field and King tries to lay it off for Solanke but Marshall has the ball.

Begovic clears. Shinnie is taken out by Adam Smith. It's one-way traffic. Danjuma across the face of goal. Derby are trying to hang on to a 0-1 win. Bournemouth's unbeaten record isunder threat. Riquelme is coming on now for Billing.

Larwence and Byrne. Holmes and Lawrence fires across goal and it's come off Steve Cook for Derby's first corner. Knight drives it at goal but Begovic saves well.

Lewis Cook up to King and he's down on the edge of the box - free kick. Shinnie made the foul. Brooks is lining it up. Brooks hits the wall. Rico crosses and it's volleyed in by Riquelme. Superb finish. What a first goal for the new signing.

Wisdom is on for te Wierke on 81 minutes.

Riquelme is fouled. Danjuma in the box pulls it back. King and Smith and Danjuma at the far post but the flag has gone up. Knight to Buchanhan, blocked on the line by Steve Cook. That was an amazing block by Steve Cook - game saving. It caught Cook on the side of the face and he is flat on the ground.

King into the near post and Solanke and it's a corner off of Clarke. Rico takes. Brooks and it's headed away. Danjuma and Rico. Rodrigues, Brooks and back to Danjuma but he can't get there before Marshall on 88 minutes.

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Can Bournemouth get a late winner? Buchanan, half-cleared. Brooks on the counter is tackled. Lewis Cook long to King. Brooks and Danjuma to Ridrgues and the drive goes behind for a goal kick. Five added minutes.

Solanke and Danjuma tries to go around Marshall but the keeper has saved it for a throw-in. Lewis Cook to Riquelme who crosses.  Derby substitute Waghorn for Sibley. 

Danjuma against Byrne Solanke and King turns and fires wide. Bournemouth are coming on strong but is it too late. Sibley out to Buchanan. His cross is blocked. 

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Summary
Bournemouth have to find a way to start games better than this. Derby were much the better side in the first half with Shinnie dominating midfield. Without Lerma Bournemouth look short of steel in the middle. Bournemouth had to bring on Brooks, King and Riquelme to fight their way back into the age and game and it was another late Bournemouth game that salvaged a point.

AFCB line-up

AFCB Subs: Travers, Simpson, Gosling, Riquelme, King, Surridge

Derby: 1 Marshall, 6 te Wierke (Wisdom 81), 12 Bryne, 4 Shinnie, 16 Clarke, 26 Buchanan,  33 Davies, 38 Knight, 10 Lawrence, 32 Rooney (Holmes 60), 9 Waghorn (Sibley 90+2), 

Derby Subs: Ross, Wisdom, Forsyth, Bielik, Kazim-Richards, Sibley, Holmes.

Chimes Newsletter - out today!
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How ready will AFCB be for QPR?

It has been a long two-week international break and while several players have been on international duty some have not been away at all. The transfer window has also added anxiety for some players who are expected to move this window and with the club also looking to bring in new players, minds will have to focus very quickly on the next challenge of QPR.

Steve Cook may have an anxious few days wait to
see if he continues his AFCB career

The biggest thing overhanging Jason Tindall is probably the sale of Josh King. Once Josh has left the club, the players that are remaining will be more confident about those left around them want the same things. We expect King to leave, but it could cause major problems if he doesn't get the move he wants by the end of this week.

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It has also been a strange week for our Welsh internationals with David Brooks playing just 15 minutes for Wales against the Republic of Ireland and Chris Mepham being sidelined after picking up a knee injury against England at Wembley. The Mepham injury could be a concern if Steve Cook is the target of a bid in the final days of this window, but it probably makes it less likely that Bournemouth would sell Steve Cook. The player that is probably lined up if Cook did go is probably Tottenham's Cameron Carter-Vickers. Jason Tindall has already spoken out this week though that Bournemouth won't overpay for any new signings.

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Meanwhile, Asmir Begovic has decided he doesn't need to travel to just be a reserve in Bosnia-Hersegovna's international team and has returned home, according to Sports Witness. That may be good news for Bournemouth as Asmir is looking to keep his number one shirt at AFCB and seems reignited with the challenge ahead in the Championship.

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The focus really needs to be on QPR now and getting a positive result. Things can change very quickly if Bournemouth begin to drop off from their high-levels in the Championship, and I am hoping we hear some better news about long-term injury concerns Junior Stanislas and Charlie Daniels as well as Lloyd Kelly.  

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In other news, AFCB and the Cherries Trust to discuss fan concerns

Previous post on Chery Chimes - An extract from the Disrupted Season: Don't let this be the last time we beat Man Utd

Is Mepham able to step his game up?

Watching Chris Mepham play for Wales against England was a hard watch. He was on the big stage and hasn't had that many games for Bournemouth since returning from injury. He was up against some great forwards in Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Danny Ings and found it hard going, but he has played against some of the best Premier League strikers many times before and has to start finding his best game now. 

Chris Mepham could be the main man for the rest of the season at the back for Bournemouth

What I like about Mepham is that he is such a natural defender. He is calm and brings the ball out of defence with such a smooth and classy rhythm that he looks effortless. In some instances, it looks like he isn't fully switched on enough, but I imagine it is just the way he is. Where his game has to improve is watching players making moves on the turn and running off of him. He lost Calvert-Lewin on Saturday night and was immediately punished for the first goal.

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It will be interesting to see how he does in the Championship this season if he can get a good run of games. If Steve Cook is sold, then Mepham will have every opportunity to be the senior centre-back. Mepham has played at this level well before and he should feel confident that he can be the voice at the back, but I haven't really seen it in him yet. He has been at Bournemouth long enough to be a main figure on the field and I hope he finds that by playing games he does get better at stopping forwards are looking to manipulate him.

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It is really a fresh start for Bournemouth and for Chris Mepham and he has to quickly stake his claim in Jason Tindall's side. Playing three at the back should give him more confidence that he can rely on others helping him to not miss anything. I think a back three really suits the way he plays. But we really need Mepham to bring his A-game now, and I still think he has quite a way to go even though he has it in him to be a big player for AFCB.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - AFCB may well have trouble holding on to their captain

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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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

Tindall's attractive football pays dividends in the first game

While Bournemouth fans might not have been too certain about how Jason Tindall would like to see Bournemouth play, fans got a real taste of how the Cherries will look to go forward watching the match against Blackburn Rovers. It did seem a case of we are going to score one more than you, and the enjoyment for the fans will be the attacking nature of JT's team.

Bournemouth brings goals to their game.

There might not be so much pleasure in watching Bournemouth defend this season. At times they do make poor decisions and let teams have shots from distance. That is fine when the goal is well covered, but Mark Travers made a mistake in this first game and it could have dented his and the team's confidence.

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It was very important to win. The fact that it was a narrow victory didn't matter, Bournemouth had shown their superiority first half, and Blackburn had battled their way back into the game well. It took a lot though for Bournemouth to go and get the winner in the last 10 minutes and with that, we can safely say the new era of Jason Tindall is well under away.

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Fans can now look ahead with the first win under the Cherries belt. The goals came from three different goal scorers and we should have known from last season that a defender was likely to get Bournemouth's first goal on the first day of the season. Playing with Kelly, Cook and Mepham at the back really does look formidable on paper, but there is room for improvement at the back. Upfront we still need to see consistency from Solanke, but Danjuma and Stanislas are the creative players that are opening teams up and could have big seasons.

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The optimism is back and the doubts about Jason Tindall may well fade quickly at this rate. He has let the handbrake off the team and the players have responded. Whatsmore, he has done it without needing to play David Brooks or Josh King from the start - that's brave for the new manager. 

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth gets off to a winning start beating Blackburn 3-2

First goal-itiss - did it contribute to AFCB downfall?

Steve Cook was clear that he felt a lot of the poor results that AFCB had in the season were not helped by conceding the first goal. Even when Bournemouth did score first that didn't always hold on to a lead. It was curious how well the team could play at times when they were really up against it, like at Man City and Everton and yet they couldn't perform at home after the restart with the exception of the Leicester City game, when even then, they didn't score first.

The first goal didn't come often enough for AFCB.

I am not sure what was happening in the players minds after the restart. They still had a good opportunity to beat the drop, but only mustered seven pints from nine games which is relegation form. West Ham pulled in 12 points, as did Brighton and Aston Villa won 10 points, only Norwich and Crystal Palace gathered less points than Bournemouth and Watford, who bot took seven points.

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Scoring first was perhaps on the teams mind, but it just didn't happen. The crushing free kick that was struck by Crystal Palace's Milivojevic completely deflated any confidence that had been gained from the pre-restart games with Chelsea and Liverpool. it was a downhill spiral from then conceding first goals to Wolves away and Newcastle at home. The Man Utd defeat was different because the players did score first and came out fighting - they were just beaten by a better team. The writing was on the wall by then, but still Bournemouth could have saved themselves. The failure to either beat Spurs and Southampton at home proved very costly. The away form had been bad all of 2020, so it was likely to turn at some point and Everton was a game where Bournemouth couldn't afford to have nerves. They duly delivered, just too late.

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Of course, Bournemouth were considered a team that made great comebacks in previous seasons, but these didn't materialise in 2019/20. The worry is not for me that the first goal didn't always come, but that the players are perhaps burnt out and will soon have to play again as a new season gets underway.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Bournemouth just weren't good enough

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