Callum Wilson more than most needs AFCB to stay up

Callum Wilson has been speaking out on SkySports about his desire to play a part in the Euros that have now been postponed to next summer. While there are several strikers that have moved ahead of him now in the pecking order, he still feels he could make the squad as long as he stays focussed and finds form, but he'll also need to still be a Premier League player.

Is Callum good enough to make the Euro's next year?

Callum will want Bournemouth to retain its Premier League status for him to have a shot at the Euros. While he could move club he seems settled at Bournemouth, and hasn't been looking for a transfer even if the press have. But how many players that fall into the Championship get a look in for the England squad? It is rare even with the numbers of England players in the Premier League so small.

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So Wilson really needs to not only hit form he has to make sure his goals help Bournemouth stay up if this season is played out? It is going to need a super striker effort but Wilson has never ducked a challenge and his attitude is on of the key parts of Eddie Howe's side that has managed to overcome the underdog tag in so many games.

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Wilson doesn't see any barrier to what he can achieve. Why should he? He has risen up the leagues and has fought his way into the England squad. He has done it through hard work and ability and if he has reached that level he can get back there. The competition is going to be fierce, but if Wilson starts in the Premier League next season, and has a desire to be among the top scorers in England, it wouldn't surprise me to see him do it and take his place back in the England squad for the Euros.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - How big a hero has Andrew Surman been to AFCB?

How big a hero has Andrew Surman been to AFCB?

This summer Andrew Surman's contract comes up for renewal. I am not sure if he will get another contract, but I hope he does. He has been nothing but a true servant of the club and a real gent when ever he appears in front of the camera.

Andrew Surman with Eddie Howe.

Surman might be just as highly respected at Norwich City where he also played in the Premier League, but his presence in the Bournemouth team really gave them them the experience they needed to help lead them out of the Championship and the  solidity to survive in the top league i those first couple of seasons.

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He does have a nickname of 'Sideways Surman' but his passing game has always been to keep things ticking over and moving. While he was never a big risk take he has been good for Bournemouth in keeping them concentrating on the job at hand and moving into space. It is a simple game when it is played well and Surman always managed to look like what he has done on the pitch was second nature to him.

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His influence might have started to fall away a bit with recent signings, but Bournemouth don't have a more experienced head than Surman in the middle of the pitch and his time at the Cherries has been well spent in my mind. I hope he does get the tributes he deserves when he does call it a day as he is another player that Bournemouth haven't found easy to replace.

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Previous Post on Cherry Chimes - Has Chris Wilder shown Eddie Howe and others a better way to manage?

Has Chris Wilder shown Eddie Howe and others a better way to manage?

I think we have to be careful when judging manages of one club against another. For a start they don't have the same players and probably play in different ways, but results are of course the bread and butter of the game, and you'd have to say things have gone rather better for ChrisWilder than most English team manager's this season, including our own Eddie Howe.

Eddie Howe has been well behind the results of Chris Wilder this season.

Does this mean that Eddie Howe should take a leaf out of Chris Wilder's book? Some would say yes, a stronger back line and an ethos of not to concede would surely do wonders for Bournemouth's game. But in trying to do that, it can take away the best part of Bournemouth's offensive game, and in some ways I think that is partly what has happened this season. There has been bad luck and injuries but Bournemouth's defence has worked hard to try and be more effective.

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So what has Sheffield United got over teams like Bournemouth? I think they haven't been scared to play their game as they know it. They haven't been overly worried about how other teams might play and set up, but have stuck to their own game plan and looked to repel teams first and then build their game as the minutes go by.

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The Blades might not have top strikers or midfielders, but as a unit they are extremely effective. They play for one another and being a team is half the battle. How much team spirit is really at AFCB now is perhaps not as much as Eddie Howe would like us to think there is. There have been problems with players like Jordan Ibe and absentees from the long injury list which hits morale. Morale is great when you are winning, but when one problem is added on top of another and another, things spiral out of control and AFCB have been in that spiral.

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Breaking the fall is perhaps possible now with this COVID-19 outbreak, but the strength of AFCB will only be better if they come through the end of this season by escaping the drop. If they fail to do that, then we could see how deep the divisions really have been. It is not a case of other managers having better styles or players all the time, sometimes your club needs to look at home to see where it has slipped up.

Former post on Cherry Chimes - How should we rate Philip Billing's first season at AFCB?

How should we rate Billing's first season at AFCB?

Philip Billing joined at the start of the current season and was a brave choice for Eddie Howe to make considering that Huddersfield Town were relegated last season. Billing was no doubt a major signing for Bournemouth, and the club pursued him quite aggressively last summer as a main target. While Huddersfield seemed reluctant to let him go, Bournemouth got their man, but did they get good value?

Philip Billing has been a central part of AFCB's season.

The importance of Billing was shown straight away when he started in the first game against Sheffield Utd which was a 1-1 draw. Since then Billing has totalled 27 games this season which is already the same amount of games he played last season. It shows me that Billing has been a central pillar of the Cherries, even if his performances have perhaps not been quite as consistent as he or the team would have liked. He is a strong box to box player, but he has found it hard to get on the end of moves.

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What I find equally questionable about Billing is his ability to dominate games. Against Luton in the FA Cup he managed that but Bournemouth don't play Championship clubs very often at the moment. The only other match where I thought Billing also really fund his focus against Southampton, early in the season, when he was crucial in breaking the Saints' lines and helping Bournemouth to perhaps their best away win of the season so far. Getting Billing to play that well more frequently has been the difficulty.

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I must admit, Billing's former team-mate at Huddersfield, Aaron Mooy has looked a better player at Brighton & Hove Albion has looked a stronger player this season, but Billing is only 23 and has time to improve. Whether Bournemouth can expect Billing to make a bigger step up in his next season is perhaps when we will see if he was really a good buy. For the moment, I think he has done okay without consistently hitting the top highs that we know he has in his locker.

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Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Who is more valuable to keep - Josh King or Callum Wilson?

Who is more valuable to keep - Josh King or Callum Wilson?

There has been plenty of speculation about AFCB's top strikers in the last few days. Callum Wilson has been linked with Chelsea and Josh King has seen interest renewed by Manchester United. But while Bournemouth would no doubt like ti keep hold of both players is there more of a case for one being let go over the other?

Will it be Josh or Callum that goes? Surely, AFCB can't keep both of them this time.

Both players joined Bournemouth in the Championship and have been crucial in the club's rise to the Premier League and their ability to stay there. They do offer different qualities though. Josh King is more versatile in his ability to play wide as well as up front. He is a physical player and Bournemouth could well do without losing his physicality as they haven't really any other players with a similar bustling style.

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Callum is more of your out and out striker. He lives for goals and likes to hold up the ball and run into the channels to stretch defences. He is perhaps more of an instinctive finisher and that is probably why he is often favoured to get Bournemouth goals. But replacing him is going to need a similar number nine who will tuck away chances more often than not.

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My gut feeling is that if Bournemouth have to see one of these two players leave it will be Josh King. He may not support such a high price, but Eddie Howe likes looking for wingers and new talent in the attacking areas and it may be that he feels King's time is up. I think he is less likely to want to let Callum go, as finding another striker who can bag more than 10 goals in the Premier League is going to cost a fortune. Howe already took a risk with Dominic Solanke and there is no easy guarantee of picking the right player next time, but he has done better with wingers.

While Danjuma might still be another mishit, there have been others - Connor Mahoney, Donal McDermott etc, other past signings like Ryan Fraser, David Brooks and Matt Ritchie give me hope that Bournemouth will do okay at picking up another good winger sooner or later.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Is there more to come from Arnaut Danjuma?

Is there more to come from Arnaut Danjuma?

As one of Bournemouth's most recent signings, Arnaut Danjuma has seen rather too much action on the sidelines rather than on the field. When we looked at his previous goals, cutting in for Club Brugge and lashing a shot into the top corner, there was a feeling that perhaps Bournemouth had something special here.

Danjuma in pre-season

The Premier League is no friend to new talent very often though. The pace of the game and getting used to the intensity and surroundings in the Premier League is a challenge. If Danjuma had not picked up injuries it would have been easier, but when he has played we have not seen much apart from the odd glimmer of sparkle from his feet. He has the trickery to beat players, but I think the jury is still out on his crossing and his shooting.

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If Ryan Fraser moves on there has to be a big opportunity for Danjuma to try and fill his boots. From what I have seen he looks confident going forward, but might need further training on his defensive positioning. While Eddie Howe loves to buy wingers it is not improbable that he could go into the market again for the loss of Fraser, which would be a mark against Danjuma.

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Danjuma doesn't have much time to impress, but he has to look to get in the team when we finally see games again. I just expect that Eddie Howe will overlook him for others which is perhaps not surprising looking at the perilous position Bournemouth are in if the season continues to a finish. The experience of Junior Stanislas, Ryan Fraser and David Brooks immediately give Danjuma a massive challenge but scoring goals will catch the eye if he can get some time on the pitch.

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In other news, it was good to see AFCB put the West ham 3-4 Bournemouth match on YouTube last night. I hope they do a few more in the coming weeks like that.

Previous posts on Cherry Chimes - Should Jack Simpson look for a new club?

Should Jack Simpson look for a new club?

The central defence position has been a real problem this season for AFCB. It is no surprise that Jack Simpson managed to get time on the pitch against Liverpool away with the injury to Steve Cook and Simon Francis and Chris Mepham already sidelines. But what should Jack Simpson expect these days in the way of opportunities at AFCB. Is he better than a stand in or could he be playing more games elsewhere?

Simpson is on the edge of the first team, but is that enough?

When I look at Jack Simpson, 23, I think of what happened to Baily Cargill. Baily was going to be the next best thing at the back at the Cherries and was in the England U20 squad but after a loan spell in Scotland he ended up at Milton Keynes. The route of a player back to the Premier League can be tortuous at times, and Jack will have to weigh up if he is best to stay around players who are at that leve,l or whether to drop down a level or two to ensure he gets more football.

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Personally, I think Simpson has what is required to be a top defender. He plays very calmly and looks to play the simple ball while he is a great threat at corners. Unfortunately, he has Nathan Aké and Steve Cook ahead of him and even Chris Mephan and Simon Francis will be higher in the pecking order. Rather like Tyrone Mings, Simpson may have to consider what is best for his future rather soon.

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While Bournemouth fans love to see home-grown players coming through, I don't think enough pressure is put in clubs to make it happen. Many of the young players do make it at other clubs, but the genuine test of how good a football club is from bottom to top is whether they can get players going through from their academy to the first team. AFCB are still very much behind the curve in this respect in my opinion.

Previous post on Cherry Chimes - Is it good for players to interact directly with players on Twitter?