Hostile atmosphere at St James' Park only helped AFCB

There was a big crowd at St James' Park to see the away team heap more despair on Steve McClaren and his team. That the home crowd did not remain patient and quickly got on the backs of Newcastle players which is exactly what Eddie Howe would have hoped for.

Newcastle Utd fans created an intimidating atmosphere
until their own side received a backlash.

It was not that helpful to AFCB that their fans were situated high up in the Gods, but they made themselves heard. I could hear the repertoire of AFCB songs ring out for the whole game and it must have been a boost for the players. Playing in front of a hostile home crowd though can cause the concentration to drift, but Eddie Howe must have warned the side of what it might be like if the Geordie crowd turned against their team. Every pass that went astray was met by a wall of frustration which made it very hard for the Newcastle players to emerge from the pressure that was already on them.

That Newcastle Utd made a bit of a game of it with Jonjo Shelvey trying to rally the troops was credit to them really as AFCB were not in the mood for taking pity on their prey. I have not seen the running figures yet for the game, but the Cherries were swarming everywhere and did not give Newcastle a moments peace. It was a big away performance and I believe most of the away fans expected that it would be that way even before a ball was kicked.

When AFCB are in tune and go at teams together, both in song and on the pitch it is a powerful combination. AFCB are pulling out all they've got on the pitch, which tells me they are not only up for the fight but they are even enjoying it. There have been hard games and some uncharacteristic performances at home. Some of that was probably expected with the step up in class. When AFCB enters a lion's den though it tends to bring the best out of the players and that is why the away wins have kept coming.

There are more photographs on Match Day Gallery.

Newcastle have strengthened but are still struggling

Newcastle had plenty of time to reflect on their 5-1 demolition handed out by Chelsea at Stamford Bridge a couple of weeks ago. Since then they have had a midweek game against Stoke where they lost out narrowly, but they are finding it hard to pick up points and the Cherries have to make the most of that.

The media have been focussing on the amount of money that Steve McClaren has been able to spend in January and while the signings of Jonjo Shelvey, Andros Townsend and the signings of Henri Saivet and Doumbai may have strengthened the Toon Army, but they have heaped even more pressure on the manager. Two wins in their last 10 games is only one win worse than the Cherries, but Newcastle are finding it hard to break out of the lower regions of the table and that in itself brings its own pressure as well.

Newcastle Utd players at Dean Court earlier this season.

Goals are what will save the Geordies if anything does, but with midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum their top scorer there is plenty of room for improvement from their strikers. Andros Townsend was rested with a hamstring problem but could make it back for this game. Mitrovic and Perez have had their moments including Perez' goal at Dean Court, but McClaren had to strengthen in January and he decided on Seydou Doumbia on loan from AS Roma. Doumbia still has not scored yet. In fact, I am not sure if he has even made it on the team bus! 

McClaren may also have hoped that the return to fitness of Steve Taylor would make a big difference in defence but the drubbing that Newcastle got at Chelsea still leaves a question mark over the back four with Janmaat, Coloccini and Aarons not proving very water tight, although they got a clean sheet a week earlier against WBA at St James' Park. That is the worry. At home Newcastle are a different team and the Cherries will have to quieten the crowd with some early pressure if they are to pull away from Newcastle and get a win, which would be one of the most important of the season. I even believe a draw would be a good result for the Cherries as it would be very damaging to Newcastle not to make any ground on the Cherries at this stage.

Newcastle's team last time out against Stoke City.

Elliot

Janmatt, Taylor, Lascelles, Dummett

Shelvey, Colback

Sissoko, Wijnaldum, Gouffran

Mitrovic

Newcastle Home Form
DLDWW

AFCB Away Form
LDDWD  

Competition time - Guess the minute of the Last goal
I am just keeping you on your toes by changing the competition this week to ask you in what minute do you think the last goal will go in for either team during the game between Newcastle Utd and AFC Bournemouth? 

Tweet the minute to @Peter Bell19 to win an AFCB key ring with screwdriver end fittings - I rather like that prize! If no one guesses the exact minute we will go with the closest guess and if we have more than one correct answer we will draw the winner from the hat. Good luck!

Rival Lines: Toon Bano says Newcastle won't sack McClaren

Rival Lines

Match Preview: Newcastle Utd v AFCB

Blogger Interview: Toon Bano
Twitter: @ToonBano

Toon Bano is a Newcastle Utd fan blog written by Ginger Pirlo as he likes to be called. He is not afraid to shout out about his beloved team and this Toon Army man is a bit closer to home than you might think!

CC: From what I understand you are a Toon fan and blogger that lives in Bournemouth. Is that an easy situation and if you had a second team would it be AFCB?

Yeah, I haven't lived in Newcastle for a long while so I'm more then used to being away from the Toon. Bournemouth are without doubt my second team. Ever since I moved here a few years ago I went to go watch them and the way Eddie Howe has them play is phenomenal. I have been hooked ever since. The girlfriend is a Cherries fan also which helps. We were there on promotion night last season and have been at every home game this season. I am lucky enough to have a job as a Football Stats Operator for all Bournemouth and Southampton home game, so I get to see how the Cherries play week in week out. [Ed - hope he does not feed Mr McClaren with too much info on the Cherries!]

CC: Steve McClaren wanted the fans to wait 10 games before they judged him, so are you surprised or disappointed that he is still at Newcastle after 27 games?

Surprised? No. Lee Charnley our chief exec won't sack him, even if we go down. Him and Mike Ashley have this 'stability' mentality to keep the manager no matter what. [Ed - Others might disagree] Pardew should have been sacked a long time ago, but even head butting a player still didn't get him sacked. Disappointed? I'm not disappointed he is still here, but I am disappointed in what he has done with the team this season. I fully expected us to be a well coached team with a strong philosophy and strategy towards the way we play. I haven't seen anything like that from McClaren. No Toon fan could tell you what 'kind of team' we are. Apart from probably a poor one.

CC: While the £21m offer for Saido Berahino did not entice WBA this January, do you feel that it is money saved when you consider the Saints picked up Charlie Austin for £4m?

Well it's too early to say if it was money saved. If we go down, then obviously it wasn't. If we stay up, then I think paying that amount of money for a player like Berahino is way too much. Charlie Austin is an absolute steal. Eddie has to explain to us all why he didn't at least try to bring him in. He is head and shoulders above Glenn Murray for example. [Ed- It was not through a lack of trying.]

CC: What is the best thing about being a Newcastle blogger?

Getting to say whatever I want, about whatever I want and having even the smallest influence on a fellow fans outlook on the team. I get plenty of stick from some quarters which always makes me laugh but lots of agreements as well. Whenever I get time to do it, which isn't much these days having two jobs and coaching a team, I do love it.

CC: Jonjo Shelvey has made a good start at Newcastle. Is he a better player than you expected having seen him for a few games now in a white and black shirt?

He is to be honest. When you look at the Liverpool team he left a couple of years ago, he is exactly what they are missing. His passing is very good but he needs to watch his attitude. He can spit his dummy out and go missing in games. Hopefully he will grow up in a black and white shirt for years to come.

CC: Newcastle have not lost at St James' Park this year so is there more hope now about the possibility of staying up?

Not really. I don't look at little stats like that to judge whether we will or won't stay up, it's all about the performances. Which overall have been pretty dire apart from the one game against West Brom. Even in that game we scraped over the line, which sums our team up to be honest. We just don't score enough goals. How we didn't sign a striker (Doumbia doesn't exactly count given his lack of fitness) is beyond me and all Toon fans.

CC: If the Cherries score against Newcastle on Saturday that will be 51 goals that the Toon Army has let in this season so has McClaren done anything to improve the defensive side of the team that you can see?

Not that I can see. We signed Mbemba in the summer who is a good signing for us but much like the way the team play overall, I can't tell you 'how' we defend as a team. We don't really press nor drop off. We don't necessarily play a high line, our full backs tend to get forward but so does every team. McClaren will always have doubts over his ability as a manager, but I am even doubting him as a coach now from what I've seen this year.

CC: Is Georginhio Wijnaldum an exceptional player playing in an average (I'm trying to be kind) Newcastle Utd side?

Most definetly. Well at home he is exceptional. Away from home he may as well be on the bench for the impact he makes. All I can hope for is we stay up, sign a decent striker and defender in the summer and have a much better campaign next season. Otherwise he will do what Cabaye, Demba Ba etc did and find a much better team to play for. Thank you for being kind by the way. I'll take average...

CC: Which three sides are going down? I imagine you might have a Black Cat in there!

Villa are doomed. Hopefully Sunderland won't pull off an escape act again. Then I think Norwich. My worst nightmare is Newcastle and Bournemouth in a head to head fight for survival on the last day of the season. I'm hoping both will be safe and sound by then. Watch out for Palace being dragged into mind you...Pardew loves a winless run end a season.

CC: How important is this game against the Cherries for Newcastle's season and your score prediction please?

Huge. If we lose against the Cherries we will struggle to pick up the points we need to survive given
our fixtures. I think Bournemouth will get enough even if they lose. I'm going for a draw though, 2-2.

Thanks ToonBano. I really hope that the Cherries are not sweating on Newcastle's result on the last day of the season when we are away at Old Trafford! I kind of agree that Villa and Norwich will find it had to escape the drop but I am glad I don't live in the Northeast as Newcastle and Sunderland have a lot of work to do. I know a lot of our fans are making the trip up to the Toon to not only see the game but to experience the atmosphere and stadium. This one will be like a cup final!

ToonBano has some great articles on it including a battering of Jamie Carragher, Gary Neville and Co, plus some strikers who they could have looked at to improve their standing in the table - And yes Mario Balotelli is among them.


Competition time - Guess the minute of the Last goal!
I am just keeping you on your toes by changing the competition this week to ask you in what minute do you think the last goal will go in for either team during the game between Newcastle Utd and AFC Bournemouth?

Tweet the minute to @Peter Bell19 to win an AFCB key ring with screwdriver end fittings - I rather like that prize! If no one guesses the exact minute we will go with the closest guess and if we have more than one correct answer we will draw the winner from the hat. Good luck!

AFCB can shove Newcastle towards the Championship today

It's crunch time. The fortunes of AFCB have taken a real dip since October and it is now vital for them to get back on winning ways with a home match against a team that has not won away all season. The Cherries have enough in their attacking play to beat Steve McClaren's side and the points will be massively welcome, while also probably spelling doom or at best anxious times for the loser.

AFCB don't need to go into this game thinking that they are under pressure though. They just need to find the game that brought them so many points at home last season - 'a true home performance', as Eddie Howe calls it. Newcastle will come and defend and try and stay in the match and hope AFCB over commit on one of their attacks. If they come to play they will be opened up by the Cherries and McClaren knows that his side can't risk going toe-to-toe with the Cherries at Dean Court. Newcastle Utd have not won away since beating Hull City at the end of January.

The Cherries have to make home advantage count in this one.

Eddie Howe will want to have no excuses for a slow start or for missing chances. This game has to be the perfect template for success as there is less and less room for the Cherries to make mistakes now. Against the bottom three sides they simply have to pick up points to stay ahead as to drop into the relegation places is always hard to recover from once you are there.

There really is no in between for this game. It is do now or expect the worst. Newcastle have improved in recent weeks but their away form is still dire. The Cherries have to put them under pressure like they did against Southampton in the second half of that match. If they play like that for 90 minutes they will get chances to win the game. UTCIAD!

Howe has to get the better of McClaren's Toons

Saturday will see another great battle for points at the Vitality stadium as Newcastle are the visitors and like the Cherries they desperately need the points. The Toon Army have similar problems to the Cherries in terms of confidence having earned just one win all season. If Steve McClaren loses this game though, he will surely come under even more pressure as fans see the gap above them to safety suddenly starting to widen.

It will be the first time that Steve McClaren has come back to the stadium since bringing his former Derby team who managed to claw a 2-2 draw against the Cherries in February, on that occasion in the Championship. So Steve knows Eddie Howe and Bournemouth's game well, and it will be his problem to come up with a way to defend against a team that he knows he can't afford to really lose to at this stage.

At the back they have been playing Daryl Janmaat and Chancel Mbemba along with Fabricio Coloccini and Paul Dummett, while Rob Elliot has come into the team for long term goalkeeping casualty Tim Krul. McClaren is probably going to have to make changes though as Elliot was suffering from a thigh problem even before their last match. Newcastle now have a goalkeeping crisis. Teenager Freddie Woodman may even have to play in goal against AFCB, although Ellliot hopes to recover in time. They have other problems too, as right back Daryl Janmaat is also a doubt having come off in the draw against Stoke City. Jamaal Lascelles, who replaced Janmaat in the game, is expected to fill in again if Janmaat can't recover in time.

Still, having kept a clean sheet against Stoke City at home in their last match, it is clear that Newcastle are going to make it hard for teams at St James' Park. When you look at their away outings though they look very fragile in defence. A humiliating 3-0 loss to the Black Cats was probably worse for their fans to suffer than the 6-1 drubbing at the Etihad. Newcastle are done the bottom for a reason. Like AFCB they let in too many goals.

They are also not a team though that strikes fear into other teams with their line up. In midfield Moussa Sissoko is probably the pick of their creative players, but one star performance from Georginhio Wijnaldum with his four goals against Norwich City marks him out as another player that the Cherries will have to be looking to stop. Newcastle have not played Pappa Demba Cisse up front since he came on as a sub in the last two minutes in the Norwich game. More often than not it is Ayoze Perez that has been given the role to support Aleksandar Mitrovic. Scoring has not been easy for them though and they have other concerns too about their general play.

The Cherries will roll up their sleeves for this one.

This is a huge game for both sides, but Eddie Howe has much in his favour with the match being at home and one of this being the longest away trip for the Magpies. A defeat for Newcastle would surely deflate them at this point, and it is a chance to change the direction of the season so far for the Cherries.

Newcastle Away Form
LDLLL

AFCB Home Form
LDWDL

McClaren under pressure - you got a point Steve!

Steve McClaren might like to play a few mind games, but Derby are not in the Premier League yet. His post-match comments were met by a bit of disbelief by AFCB fans. Derby had a good amount of the game and did enough to get a draw, but they easily could have gone behind further at times when they were 2-1 down. Instead McClaren's 'magnificant' players will have to do with a draw as they could not roll over an AFCB side that were suggestively 'hanging on'.

 Indeed you never deserved to lose that game - actually Steve you didn't lose it!

Derby's expensive side may come up
short in the long run, despite their larger budget.

AFCB proved to be no push overs.

Small words here and there from managers will niggle supporters from time to time and I'd rather look at the game as a whole and consider that it was another good advert for Championship football. These two sides are surely among the best Championship sides and Derby should be pleased enough that they have taken four points from the two matches with AFCB, although that is perhaps not what McClaren thought he was owed having splashed out in January to boost his squad with big name signings. Still, Tom Ince and Darren Bent scored so perhaps it will be money well spent.

Pleasingly for AFCB fans though two matches don't make a season and if AFCB were hanging on in this match it will be interesting to see who is adjudged to have been hanging on when we come to May. This league is so tight and the margins so thin that I don't see any team lacking in spirit or fight and Derby and AFCB will be right there at the end. 

Derby did have a good second half at Dean Court and they had periods of the game when their power and control was very evident. They did edge the amount of shots on and off target, but I thought it was a fairly even contest with both sides giving a good account of themselves. Eddie Howe did suggest that like the Watford match the Cherries did not start as sharply as they might and getting into that good early tempo again is something that I think he will try and get back for the match against Huddersfield on Saturday.

Can AFCB make home advantage count?

Another big home match to follow the heightened excitement of the Watford game is just what Eddie Howe would probably have opted for if he was pulling out the fixtures himself. You want tests at this stage of the season to give you the momentum to pull away from other teams. The Watford match is still in the memory for the players and the crowd and I believe a similar kind of atmosphere could push Derby into some early errors just as we saw with Watford.

There is not a lot you can say to the players for such games. They know what is at stake and will try and do their jobs as best they can to see that the result is theirs at the end of the day. A good atmosphere can of course carry the players though, and the Cherries will surely have lots of comments in those programmes notes willing the home crowd to get behind the team for the 90 minutes.

Bournemouth have to start well and keep a good
tempo against a Derby side who will try to control the game.

This match is not only a test for the players but also for Eddie Howe going up against Steve McClaren. Getting a result against McClaren would mean a lot to Eddie I am sure. If the game goes according to plan then Eddie's preparations will have put the team in a good position as the match progresses, but if changes are needed I hope that Eddie reacts to that and goes with his beliefs in such an important match. Making the right calls is going to be difficult on such a night when the stakes are high, but as Eddie says every match is like a cup final now and they keep getting bigger and bigger.

It is pleasing that home advantage gives the Cherries every opportunity to give Derby one of the sternest tests they have yet had this season. I expect the minutes to fly by in this match but really believe it will be gripping from the start to the finish, because AFCB will know that they have arrived if they can put this game away.

The Rams have sold their allocation of 1374 tickets for the game. Let's make sure we out sing them for the full 90 minutes!

Cherry Chimes talks to Derby County Blog

Rival Lines
Match Preview
Blogger Interview: Derby County Blog

Cherry Chimes talks to Ollie Wright at Derby County Blog to see how he thinks his team has started in the Championship this season and to question him on the in form players at Derby County.

CC: Do you think Derby's slow start was down to getting over the play-off final disappointment?

DCB: The major problem at the start of the season was the bad injury sustained by George Thorne. Thorne is absolutely perfect for this team in the holding role, combining as he does pace, presence and passing ability, but he is out until well into the new year with cruciate ligament damage. For the first few games, Steve McClaren fell into the trap of picking the best players, not the best team and our form only stabilised once he realised that he had to use the canny but almost immobile veteran John Eustace as a holding midfielder, at the expense of a more talented player, Will Hughes, who is not as well suited to that particular role. Eire midfielder Jeff Hendrick has since sustained a shoulder injury, meaning that Hughes has returned to the side.

After a surprise early loss at Charlton and a disappointing home draw against Ipswich, we have gradually come to life and now sit sixth in the formative table. Perhaps the moment that our season really got going was when we deservedly equalised at Nottingham Forest. That goal meant a lot to everyone connected with DCFC, especially given that the Red Dogs were top of the table at the time (and already Champions, if you listened to some of their fans). Since then, we’ve picked up seven points from nine and are starting to look the part again. Back-to-back home games now beckon.

What everybody is waiting for is another sparkling burst of form like we enjoyed last season, when we started to look like an irresistible force.

CC: Have you been able to control games as well as you were doing last season?

DCB: Yes and no. We’ve had the majority of possession in every game, but too often, we haven’t backed that up by preventing the opposition from scoring. There have been spells in every game when we have looked very dangerous, but they have been followed by spells where we look defensively vulnerable. We give away too many silly goals and this threatens to undermine our season, if we’re not careful.

CC: There was talk of Johnny Russell being eyed up by AFCB in the summer, but has he started the season well?

DCB: Johnny is one of four players competing for the two ‘wide forward’ slots in our formation. He is being used as an impact sub as much as a starter. He works hard and is a very useful member of the squad, but with Jamie Ward in good nick and the interloping Liverpool loanee Jordon Ibe pushing very hard for inclusion in the XI, it’s not easy for Russell to get games. That said, he has five assists and one goal to his name already, which is a pretty good return.

CC: Derby also wanted to bid for Simon Francis over the summer so is the right back position a weakness for Derby?

DCB: At that stage, we were trying to cover for the loss of another Liverpool loanee, Andre Wisdom, who is now with West Brom. Wisdom was a key player in our promotion push last season and two signings have been made in a bid to fill his sizeable shoes. Cyrus Christie, from Coventry City, takes the attacking full back tag to new levels and plays almost as a right winger, which causes opposition defences all sorts of headaches. Ryan Shotton, on loan from Stoke, is much more of a traditional defender and currently has to be content with a place on the bench.

I think we are still missing Wisdom’s defensive presence, as Christie is not quite as commanding a figure in the back four, albeit his forays forward are an exciting and productive addition to our attack.

CC: Apart from the big win against Fulham most of your games have been tight this season. Why do you think that is?

DCB: As a known quantity in this division, we’re getting used to facing massed ranks of defenders challenging us to play through them. More often than not, this group of players will manage it – and anyone not up to it will suffer, as Fulham did - but sometimes, as happened in the draws against Ipswich and Cardiff at home, we will be frustrated.

When we play at home, teams usually set out to frustrate us, waste time and nick a goal from a corner or free kick. Away from home, the onus is on the hosts to attack us more, but still, most coaches choose to flood the midfield. Blackburn fielded two strikers and we revelled in the space that they afforded us, beating them 3-2 - but their first goal was a fluke and in truth, we should have won more comfortably.

CC: Which midfield player should AFCB fans look out for in the Derby team?

DCB: Prince William. Will Hughes is a joy to watch on his day and even when he’s not at 100 per cent, it’s still very rare to see him waste a pass. For a team who base their success on possession and carving out opportunities in open play through creativity, Hughes is crucial. The fact that he was developed through our academy is a source of great pride and I am already dreading the day that he is stolen away. He has the ability to play for England one day.

CC: You signed Leon Best in the summer, but has he had much of a chance to impress yet?

DCB: Not really, because he acts as cover to the main man, Chris Martin. Best has appeared as a sub in most of the games, but hasn’t scored yet – although he tried to claim the goalmouth scramble equaliser at Forest. He is a useful player to have in the squad, but Martin is integral to the way we play and I don’t see him being left out, or a radical change in formation, any time soon.

CC: Has McClaren changed anything in the way Derby play of late, like getting the ball forward quicker, more crosses or is it still very much the patient build up play that he has kept to?

DCB: No, we still pass it. In fact, everything the club did during the summer was about keeping the squad together, keeping faith with them and encouraging them to carry on where they left off last season. There is now a very clear Derby County style and a consistency to the first-team personnel.

CC: It's early in the season but which six teams do you think will be at the top come next May in the Championship?

DCB: Before the season started, I predicted the three relegated clubs, Derby, Wigan and Watford as my top six. Obviously, I didn’t realise quite what a nutter Felix Magath is and what a mess he would create at Fulham, but Norwich are going strong and I still think that Cardiff will be there or thereabouts, if they make the right managerial appointment.

Wigan have made a very patchy start, which has surprised me, but Watford are going well. To slightly tweak my predictions, I will go with Derby, Watford, Norwich, Middlesbrough, Cardiff, and perhaps a wildcard – who knows, maybe even AFCB? But as you say, it is very early days and so much will happen between now and May – including a transfer window…

CC: AFCB have been playing better away than at home so are you confident of a Derby win?

DCB: I think that it has the potential to be a good game. Both teams are set up to pass it, not clog it, so I hope that this will be open, lively and competitive encounter, with plenty of attractive football to admire.

CC: A big thank you to Ollie for sharing some very open and informed opinions about Derby County FC. Please take a close look at Ollie's writing at Derby County Blog. 

My good friend Damien Hill is going to watch the Derby v AFCB match at Dean Court on the live stream and has agreed to report back on the experience, so I should have that for you in a few days time. I think he already has his pint on order and is looking forward to putting on his slippers in front of the big screen - please let him have a good view!

Please all note that the Brighton home game has been moved again back to Saturday 1 November but at a later 5.15pm kick off - See the official AFCB website. Finally, good luck Stephane Zubar at Port Vale - Stephane has signed on a month's loan.

Ritchie, Russell, Gradel transfer triangle

The task of picking up a new striker to bolster AFCB's squad has taken a new dimension after Derby County have registered an interest in Matt Ritchie. Whether Eddie Howe is so keen on Johnny Russell to allow Matt Ritchie to leave the club the other way is clearly something that AFCB would not have suggested, but the Cherries' pursuit of additional forwards has only seen Callum Wilson come to the club over the summer. Meanwhile, Junior Stanislas has rivalled Matt Ritchie for a starting place and no doubt Steve McClaren has noted this and wants to see if he can prise one of the Cherries star players away.

Matt Ritchie - a deadline day target for Derby County.

The ball is now in AFCB's court and I expect them to turn down Derby's request politely. While Johnny Russell may be a player that would add power to the forward line I don't see Eddie Howe wanting to reduce the number of wingers he has any further. The mixture of Ritchie, Stanislas, Pugh and Fraser has marked Bournemouth out as a team that is very expressive on the wings and with wing backs that cause plenty of problems in attack. 

With Carlton Cole having been Howe's first target, it may be that Johnny Russell is one of several other strikers that AFCB have been looking at. Two bids have failed though for Russell and McClaren has really tested the water to see how keen AFCB really are to secure his services. Eddie Howe has stated the he is keen to keep the squad together, but if there is another winger he knows he can bring in to replace Ritchie (like Max-Alain Gradel of St Etienne - who has been linked with AFCB over the summer), the switch could just be on. It is not a player swap that I think many AFCB fans would be pleased about though, as Ritchie has been a great signing since his move from Swindon Town. 

The transfer deadline ends at 11pm tonight so start biting those nails! UTCIAD!

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There's nothing to fear while the Cherries hold on to Eddie

A look at the line up of Championship managers shouts big names through most of the clubs. At AFCB I don't think Eddie Howe considers himself as a big name and yet everyone else on the south coast sees him as the special one, if you don't mind Jose. With Eddie you just feel that the club is in safe hands and that the goal is always to improve. But you never get that feeling that he feels it's job done. That is the message that AFCB fans are already getting across to the Saints' fans who had their fears confirmed yesterday when Mauricio Pochettino was appointed as the new Spurs boss, while Eddie Howe was short-listed as 12-1 for the Southampton job, but has already gone out to 14-1.

Eddie Howe has already turned down Southampton
before. I hope his loyalty is not tested again.

Yes, AFCB have shot up the leagues in recent years and have been great entertainment while they have been doing this. Much if not pretty much all of that is down to Eddie, even if he won't admit it. Without him you couldn't really have imagined the club getting to the Championship. He may not yet have the experience of Harry Redknapp or Steve McLaren who were the two battling it out the Premiership spot last weekend, but I wouldn't swap either of them or any of the other Championship managers for Eddie Howe. Why? Because Eddie has given the club direction and belief and everyone of those players and all of the fans have bought into his belief. The result has been to see a team that has excelled and still believes it has room for improvement.

We may sit here in two years time or more and be disappointed if the Cherries are unable to keep their place in the Championship. I don't expect that to happen though while Eddie is in charge. He puts too much of himself into the job to ever see his players under perform and while he is inspiring and willing all around him to give of their best, I don't see any of them shirking their responsibility. They all try even harder because it's for Eddie, and that extends to the fans in the stands. 

I hope we can always hold Eddie Howe as high in our regard for him as it is now as it rarely happens at a football club. It's easy not to like, not to applaud to pick fault or, just dismiss - it takes courage to say you believe in someone and in Eddie we have something to treasure. He is simply too valuable at this stage and to let him go to our arch-rivals. It would be more than most could take, so quickly rule yourself out of the Saint's job Eddie. UTCIAD!

How can Eddie turn performing well into winning ways?

It's been a hard last couple of weeks for AFCB. The team has been playing well without really picking up the points. You wonder how some teams manage to win without playing well. Those teams are often at the top of the league because the winning habit is just ingrained in them. That doesn't help AFCB though. Our fans want a team that wins and picks up points on the road as well as at home, but you can't say the Cherries have been unlucky every week.

AFCB at Reading earlier in the season.

At the end of the season you tend to be where you should be give or take a place or two. The Cherries are not yet a top 10 Championship team but as work in progress they are doing very nicely to be honest. There are teams in worse positions in the Championship and some of them have not come close to pushing the top teams. AFCB have put pressure on Derby, Leicester and Burnley and while they only received one point from those matches you can't say the Cherries were outplayed or soundly beaten. The problem is us fans don't want to be hearing how close the team was to beating one of the big teams. Aspirations are still high and I think that is important for a club that wants to grow and succeed year upon year.

Steve McClaren knew exactly how good the Cherries were and he was not expecting an easy contest last weekend.

Steve McClaren pre-AFCB match at the iPro stadium.

So what does Eddie Howe need to do different to get the wins on the board? I don't really think there is much going wrong. Yes, AFCB need to start accumulating some clean sheets. Taking opportunities at the other end is always going to be difficult in the Championship as well, but as soon as AFCB get a win it is likely to spark further results.

They have a great opportunity against Doncaster Rovers on Saturday and it's a game that now becomes extremely important not to lose. AFCB don't want to be giving encouragement to those below them and it is vital that Eddie has a full strength side to take on Rovers. At home Bournemouth are now very strong and that is how it must remain for the team for the rest of the season. The home crowd has to make it uncomfortable for opposition teams by making a din all game long. Most of the big tests are out of the way now and it is important that the Cherries don't take their eyes off the prize of another season in this league. The wins have not come against the big teams but they have to come against the strugglers.

It is the final third of the pitch where the passing seems to go astray and now it is important that it clicks. Rantie must try and up his shot rate, forwards have to gamble on Ritchie's crosses and passing in an around the opposition's box must be crisper. If AFCB can just get things right in the final third they will get their rewards. At home there is no reason for the shot count to be low and if you shoot you can get deflections and rebounds that create goals, just look what happened for Olympiakos this weekend and their first goal against Man Utd. I want to see more work in the last third of the pitch and I believe Eddie Howe will have been drumming that into his players this week.  Let's give them all the support we can, because these home games can take the Cherries to safety.

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Quality counts in the Championship (highlights video)

Well there wasn't much to choose between Steve McClaren's high flying Derby County and the Cherries. The game at the iPro stadium was one of two halves as they say. AFCB dominated large parts of the first half and Derby knew that they could have been down by a couple of goals as the interval arrived. But it was only 0-0 at half time and that gave them hope that they could only play better in the second half.

Lee Camp couldn't quite annoy his family by keeping a clean sheet against Derby.

The match was won though with a moment of quality. That is not to be frowned upon, because a top class finish is what all players should be looking for at this level. Chris Martin no doubt practises his free kicks whenever he can and on a day like yesterday that proved to be the difference. I had thought that Lee Camp and his defenders were going to hold out for that clean sheet and Tommy Elphick was certainly unlucky to be penalised for his tackle on Will Hughes. The lateness of the goal is what also hurts, because it took away any merit from the very creditable performance that Eddie Howe's team put in against the one of the best form teams in the division away from home.

The quality of the free kick was special and it needed to be to beat Camp. Lee would have been celebrating madly if he had just kept Derby out for five more minutes, but it was not to be. It is now the Cherries turn to try and find that quality themselves to haul themselves away from any trouble. We have seen that Matt Ritchie has that ability but some of the other attacking players have to start finding the back of the net now. Sharp shooting must be one of the main objectives on the training ground next week as Bournemouth must take their chances against Doncaster Rovers.

McClaren has Rams buzzing

Steve McClaren has probably not had the best of press in England because of his term as England manager and yet you can't say that his record as a coach is anything other than excellent. He arrived at Derby County in September with them looking no more than a mid-table team and yet he has given them the confidence and tactical ability to be a real force in the Championship.

Jamie Ward warms up with Will Hughes.

I did not think he would do any better than Nigel Clough, but he has proved me and many others wrong. What's more, I like the way his team plays. When they came down to Dean Court they did not play long balls or use physical strength to over turn AFCB. It was a real tactical battle with both teams playing a fluid passing game. Eddie Howe said at the time that they were the best team the Cherries had faced in the Championship, even though some other teams had beaten AFCB far more convincingly. But I know what he means. Derby play a complete kind of football with everyone working for each other. They have one or two special individuals as well like Will Hughes and Jamie Ward who are capable of dominating games. Ward felt his hamstring on Tuesday night and came off at half time so may not play against AFCB on Saturday.

Their lead scorer is Chris Martin the former Norwich striker who has really hit form compared to last season when he was on loan at Swindon and Derby. Derby also brought in a couple of players on loan in January such as George Thorne from West Brom and the Chealsea players Patrick Bamford who was on loan at Milton Keynes. Bamford has been scoring regularly on the wing and got the winning in their last match.

For all Derby's fire power thought they do not always keep clean sheets even at home. Yeovil recently hit two against them even though they lost, while Wigan also got a result against them this year at the iPro stadium. Derby still lead the goals scored column in the Championship on 59 after the mid-week win against Sheffield Wednesday. But that goals against total of 40 indicates that they are not yet the tightest in defence, which offers me some hope that the Cherries might get something if they play well. Derby also had to change formation to 4-2-4 in their last game which gave them more going forward when they were finding it tough going against Wednesday, but it was also leaving them exposed on the break. The sign of a good team though is not playing well and still winning and that's what Derby did last Tuesday night.

Hughes is one of the conductors that sets Derby's tempo.

The push for promotion is really on now. Steve McClaren will have his team raring to go and the crowd of some 23,000 is going to be right behind the Rams. The confidence the team must have got from beating QPR recently at home tells me that they are serious promotion candidates and they rarely slip up at home. While Leicester City and Burnley were difficult games at home for the Cherries, this will be a harder examination of AFCB's resolve and Lee Camp and his back line need to be extremely well organised if they are to keep a clean sheet, but I think that has to be the Cherries main aim and anything else would be a bonus. Those away wins for AFCB against Reading and Sheffield Wednesday seem a long time ago so it would be fabulous to reacquaint the fans with an away win.

I hope Adam Smith along with Lee Camp knows which side to warm up with on Saturday.

Derby Home form:
WLWWW

AFCB Away form:
WWDLD
 
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Match preview: Cherry Chimes chats to Derby Co Blog

Match Preview
Derby County v AFCB
Blogger Interview - Derby County Blog

Cherry Chimes talks to Ollie Wright the author of Derby County Blog ahead of the clash at the iPro stadium on Saturday with the Cherries. Now that the Rams have closed up to third place in the table their players can see an automatic promotion place tantalisingly just in front of them, but is it Derby's season to make it up to the Premiership?

CC: Can Derby go onto to get a top two finish having seen how you played against QPR?

DCB: Possibly. We don't have the deepest squad in the division, so we need to avoid injuries to key players, but when you look at the amount of points we have picked up under Steve McClaren, you realise that we have been running at automatic promotion form over the past 20 matches.

CC: Have you already started to look at how many points you might need to get an automatic promotion place and are you worried about any fixtures to come in particular?

DCB: A friend of mine worked out that the average number of points required for automatic promotion over the past 20 seasons has been 86. Predictions are a mug's game, obviously, but every way I've looked at it, we do look to be on course to get over 80 points.

The away game at Burnley and the home game against Forest are probably the ones that stand out to the neutral, but I strongly believe that they won't decide our fate. I just hope that the lads can keep going and don't run out of steam in the final straight.

We've only lost twice in our last 17 league games - if we only lose two of the next 15, we will go very, very close.

CC: Are you surprised that there has not been too much gossip about Chris Martin who keeps sticking the goals away for you?

DCB: Chris goes under the radar while other strikers take the headlines. At the time of writing, he has scored the same amount of league goals as Charlie Austin - 14. He's extremely important to the team, not just with his goals, but with the way he leads the line and links in with the midfielders. He is a good technician as well as a powerful presence and is one of our key players.

CC: The defeat against Leicester in January did not knock the teams confidence you must have been pleased with that kind of response?

DCB: I said at the time that as chastening as that result was, it couldn't be allowed to define our season. The next game was a tough test - Brighton at home - but we won 1-0 and haven't lost since. That says a lot for the confidence and belief the players have, especially when you consider that we recovered from 2-0 down to beat Yeovil, scored a late equaliser at Blackburn and also beat one of our direct rivals, QPR, 1-0.

The only disappointment was letting a 3-1 lead against Birmingham slip away, which has to be put down to youthful over-exuberance - they got caught out trying to bomb on and score another one when they didn't need to. However, beating Sheffield Wednesday 1-0 at Hillsborough on Tuesday night was more evidence that we are capable of going the distance.

CC: What have you made of Lee Grant's form this season?

DCB: He's a fine shot-stopper with excellent reflexes and also makes some important punches.

CC: How good a prospect do you think is your loan striker from Chelsea - Patrick Bamford - has he been playing well?

DCB: Bamford is a flair player who doesn't give you much until the moment when suddenly, out of nothing, he scores. He's not the quickest and has a languid air, but technically, he is very good and has an incredible eye for goal. Five goals in four starts and three sub appearances tells its own story - three of them have been lovely strikes from outside the box. He's been an inspired loan signing and I'm sure McClaren will be desperate to keep him, if at all possible.

CC: You have had some high scoring games at home of late so are Derby risking playing a more open game under McClaren?

DCB: In a word, yes. Nigel Clough's mantra was always 'don't lose', whereas McClaren's style is about winning first. I guess the way he sees it is that one win and one defeat gets you more points than two draws.

Defensively, we're far from being the best in the division, as was ruthlessly exposed by Leicester City not so long ago, but we're the divisions top goalscorers.

CC: Are there any Bournemouth players you are looking forward to seeing play?

DCB: I'll be interested to see Lewis Grabban, who should keep our defenders on their toes.

CC: What is the atmosphere like in the iPro stadium and are their places to eat and drink nearby?

DCB: It's at the heart of the Pride Park business park, so there are all sorts of watering holes and eateries in the vicinity, plus burger vans for the unwary, of course. If you walk back down towards the railway station, you'll find some fine real ale pubs, especially The Brunswick.

Thanks for the answers Ollie. I think the Championship may well go to Leicester but Derby have as good a chance as any of getting an automatic spot and I was one of those in agreement with Eddie Howe that Derby were the best team I have seen at the Goldsands this season. AFCB have been credited with being a good passing side, but Derby out passed us that day away from home. So the task for the Cherries is a difficult one this weekend but the team continues to improve and I hope that some Derby fans are surprised by what a good game our players can give Steve McClaren's side on Saturday.

For more great gossip on the Rams and to spy on what they may do against the Cherries, take a look at Ollie's Derby County Blog for a good read.