Can AFCB make it a difficult week for Cardiff in the cup?

It's simple really to improve isn't it? All you need is to score more goals and let fewer in, but that is what every team tries to do in every match. When it comes to AFCB I don't think that they are doing too much wrong in away games. They have been competitive in all their matches away from home, even if they did go 3-0 down against Blackburn, and they have always caused teams trouble in the away games. I am hoping that the side can give Cardiff plenty of problems too.

Cardiff only sit one place below AFCB in the table and yet have lost their manager last week. Cardiff have played away in both their Capital One Cup games so far beating Coventry (1-2) and Port Vale (2-3). With a home tie now they will be looking to get a win to get their season going in the right direction just like AFCB. It is hard to know what kind of priority the Cardiff to this match with Bournemouth as they will also be very aware of their weekend game to come against an in form Sheffield Wednesday. But a home defeat for them would be very damaging and so I expect to see them put out a strong side. That may well include their leading goal scorer Kenwyne Jones, although Frederico Macheda and Maynard have seen action in cup games. Adam Le Fondre is perhaps due a chance as he only played for 27 minutes at the weekend.

There are plenty of players for Eddie to pick from for the Capital One fixture.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had assembled a powerful attacking side and AFCB will also have to be aware of the strong players they have in midfield like Craig Noone, Anthony Pilkington and Peter Whittingham - I hope all three don't play.

Scott Young is likely to be in charge for Cardiff as caretaker manager, but we can hope that manager talk is a little disruptive for the Bluebirds. Losing a two goal lead at Derby at the weekend will be annoying for them and the players have something to prove as it is basically a new start for them. 

Cardiff will rightly be favourites at home but if the start of the season has told us anything it is that AFCB can match the best teams away from home and on some occasions could have done even better. AFCB will make some changes with Andrew Surman cup-tied and a possible switch of goal keepers would see Lee Camp come back into the team. What I was pleased to see is that AFCB will wear their blue third kit, which is great to play the Bluebirds in!

Ryan Fraser could be back in action for the Cherries tonight.

Being the Third Round of the Capital One Cup tonight, Kyle Cotter has written a special League Cup report on three Premier League ties that you can read on Kyle's Cups.

Finally, for those who wonder how former Championship teams can possibly do well in their first season in the Premier League, I had a look at how Leicester City were getting on this weekend - 'Leicester outfox United'.  Not too bad, by all accounts!   

Will clean sheets start to come for AFCB?

It is at home where improvements are most needed for the Cherries. The atmosphere at home games should help the Cherries, but the disappointments of the past probably play on the minds of some when they put their boots on at Dean Court. I wish it was different, but until the Cherries get a good win at home, they will always have it in the back of their minds that they are vulnerable, even when they are ahead. 

It is getting back to the clean sheets that has been the real difficulty. The team let in too many goals last season and it is the one area where we have not seen any new signings this season unless you include the goalkeeper position and Artur Boruc. The goals that Nottingham Forest scored against the Cherries included a header from a good cross, and it is clear that teams need to be stopped from getting to the byline whenever our full backs can stop them. You could argue that the free kick from Leeds and the goal that Watford scored, after a free kick, were wonder goals, but free kicks are something that also need to be reduced if the Cherries are to give themselves a better chance of clean sheets.

Will Ian Harte keep Charlie Daniels out of the side?

The signing of Artur Boruc is another factor that has been brought in to try and help AFCB get some clean sheets. Even Artur was beaten in his debut by what Eddie Howe described as a "worldy". It may not have been as stunning as Harry Arter's strike in the same game, but Craig Cathcart's volley was good enough to wipe out any hope that the Cherries had of getting a clean sheet. It was disappointing, not only because it meant that three points would not be coming AFCB's way, but a win would have given the payers the lift that they are seeking at the moment. 

We have only seen Artur Boruc in the Watford game and he looked very solid making one outstanding save from a Vydra header, even though it would not have mattered if he hadn't of saved it, as the move was offside. How Boruc does at Dean Court will be key and the early signs are that he comes for crosses and is confident in his decision making. His experience should make the team feel that they are less likely to concede, but it's what the team do on the pitch that counts. We need to see improvements fast now and to regain some of that swagger that makes other teams a little more apprehensive when they come to town.

At Watford, I thought the back four did exceptionally well all game with Simon Francis particularly setting the standard with his industry for the whole 90 minutes. Cook and Elphick seemed in control for most of the time with Vydra kept quiet for long periods, while Lloyd Dyer and Anya did not have as much of an impact as they might have. Ian Harte played as though he never missed the penalty and he does give the team that experience and fight when he is on the pitch that adds to the doggedness of the team. 

I suppose the loss of Elliot Ward is not something that has helped AFCB's preparation in the early part of this season and his return to the team in winter will be a big boost. The experience of the current back four though is not huge with Francis, Elphick and Cook only having played one season in the Championship. Just like other teams looking at our strikers and how they play, opposition teams will also be looking for weaknesses at AFCB's back four and our players have to learn to deal with that. Last season Simon Francis had a few matches where he was getting caught high up the pitch, but he seems to have overcome that and Cook and Elphick have been better at getting blocks in and sensing danger as strikers move across or behind them. The latter was evident in the last game when Watford were stopped from getting many clear chances.

All it needed though was one well directed shot and AFCB's work was all undone. I don't think there was much wrong with the defensive performance of the team at Watford and yet things did not work out in AFCB's favour. The trick is to keeping working and believe that things will change soon. Another good away performance at Cardiff certainly would help.

Being the Third Round of the Capital One Cup tonight, Kyle Cotter has written a special League Cup report on three Premier League ties that you can read on Kyle's Cups.

Finally, for those who wonder how former Championship teams can possibly do well in their first season in the Premier League, I had a look at how Leicester City were getting on this weekend - 'Leicester outfox United'.  Not too bad, by all accounts!   

Why aren't the Cherries taking their chances?

It's starting to get frustrating now to see the Cherries dominate games and get little in return. AFCB are squandering chances in the final third far too often to be real contenders for honours in the Championship if they keep this habit going. I know that the Watford keeper was by far the busiest keeper in the last match, but it takes AFCB at least half a dozen chances to register a goal, while the opposition usually don't need a second invitation when presented with an opportunity to score against the Cherries.

It is easy to overplay in the final third and perhaps the team is still a little guilty of doing that. I still think that more shots are often on than are being seen by the attacking players and it was quite a surprise to see Harry Arter to have a sudden shot when he was far out, but he managed to hit the target against Watford to everyone's delight. Andrew Surman also came close in the second half but as the game went on, I could not see AFCB really looking like getting a second and that is the real headache for Eddie Howe. I mentioned before the match that the Cherries would probably have to score twice against Watford to get something from the game. As it turned out a goal was enough for a point, but AFCB have not scored two goals since their 3-2 defeat at Blackburn, five matches ago! The good thing is, at least the Cherries have scored in every game of their season so far, so something must be right about what they are doing.

Pitman could well get more game time if the goals dry up.

As the team has slipped from its high position in the league, everything gets more closely examined and strikers probably feel more anxious when in front of goal, especially when they know their team is dropping points regularly. The fact that after Callum Wilson, Steve Cook is the next highest scorer is a telling sign that the midfielders need to be making more of their chances. Matt Ritchie, Ryan Fraser and Eunan O'Kane still have not scored yet and they will need to contribute.

For all Bournemouth's good play though, I can't say that they look like scoring four or five goals in a game at the moment. That puts pressure on the defence and as we have seen it has cost them points. So I hope that there are also some shooting sessions coming up because it is easier to win games when you are taking those chances.

Rantie should be trying to get in the squad again this week.

All Departments has released it podcast review of Watford v AFCB so listen in at All Departments' website, or scroll down the side panel on Cherry Chimes to listen in on the All Departments' sound bar.

Why do the Cherries keep losing leads?

So often in the past, AFCB have had the challenge of not being able to get the first goal in a game. That particular aspect of a match has not been such a problem of late, but having gone ahead against Nottingham Forest, Rotherham, Leeds and Watford the team has not managed to turn that into maximum points in any of these games. It is something that must be playing on Eddie Howe's mind as he know that there has to be a reason why the Cherries are unable to hold on to leads.

Tommy Elphick will certainly want to captaining
the side to victory next time AFCB gets a lead.

When I spoke with Michael Dunne on his All Department's podcast, after the Leeds match, we both questioned the ability of the players to last for the 90 minutes. The relentless pace of the Championship is picking up now and it is two games every week at the moment, which is going to be shattering. While Eddie Howe has tried to get round the problem by rotating the players, they are not picking up the points. The manager has admitted himself that the players are stopping passing the ball in the controlled manner after they score having got in front in games.

It is a bit of a conundrum to sort out. Game management is something that AFCB work very hard at and yet tired minds and bodies perhaps have not been able to cope with making the right decisions in the second half of games. The points dropped have been more at home and so this is where I expect Eddie Howe to be concentrating players' minds, because they have to not be afraid or go into their shell at home having worked hard to get a lead. There is nothing wrong in trying to hold the ball up in the corners when seeing the game out and pushing up a little to keep play higher up the pitch. It seems simple, but the first natural reaction of defending a lead is to drop back and that has not been working. 

Luckily the Cherries now have a League Cup match and can play with a bit of freedom away at Cardiff City. While it would be nice to get through to the next round it would be even more pleasing to score more than one goal and to hold on to a clean sheet. That would give the team great confidence before they return to the league programme and a home match against Wigan Athletic.

Arter's screamer of a goal shows his development

Having seen Harry Arter put in the kind of performance he did against Leeds Utd I would not have been surprised to have seen him dropped for the Watford game. Eddie Howe clearly knew far better than me and was happy to include the central midfield player in a three-man midfield that sought to keep possession for AFCB against a very talented Watford side. The strike that saw AFCB go one-nil up though was absolutely top-draw and even the Sky presenters were drawling over the blockbuster of shot that everybody knew was destined for the back of the net as soon as Harry hit it with hi left peg.

Harry scores a belter of a goal at Watford.

It would be nice to know exactly what Harry was thinking before he decided to have a go from such a distance. We have seen him balloon shots over the bar in warm up so often at Dean Court that I wondered just how accurate he could be if he did let a shot go from where he was on the pitch. But Harry's technique did not fail him and he cut across the ball very cleanly and the ball flight flew away from Gomes in goal fairly swiftly, and it was great to see the back of the net ripple and to see Harry whirl away to the supporters in celebration of his first goal of the season.  What a goal - and in front of the cameras!

Will we see more shots from distance now?

The midfield player may have wanted to keep up with Andrew Surman who has already registered this season and a bit of competition between the players is healthy. I am sure Steve Cook is busy reminding team mates that he is sitting fairly high up in the goal scoring chart this season for the club. Indeed, we need Harry Arter and others to start adding to the goal count and hitting form. Now and again you have to just have a go at a shot, even if the odds are against the shot finding the back of the net. A deflection can always fall for another player or win a corner, and I hope that more AFCB players take a leaf out of Arter's book and have a shot when it is on from distance.

Penalty dramas

AFCB have only won three penalties from what I recall this season at Huddersfield, Blackburn and now Watford. In a way, that the first penalty miss of the season had an effect on the third spot kick also being missed at Watford. Ian Harte has taken plenty of penalties in his time and it was a surprise that he did not score at Vicarage Road, but any one can miss from 12 yards. At least Ian is big enough to take the responsibility and he will move on from it very quickly. I think he was doing a favour in taking the kick rather than seeing Callum Wilson and Junior Stanislas standing there and having a bit of a discussion over who should take the kick.

The usual penalty taker is of course Yann Kermorgant, although he was only on the subs bench along with Brett Pitman, the scorer of the second penalty awarded this season at Ewood park in a 3-2 defeat. In fact, Yann has not taken a pot kick this season as he made way for Callum Wilson to see his shot saved at Huddersfield. While I remember Grabban having a spot kick saved against Watford at home last season, we have almost taken it for granted that when a Bournemouth player steps up to the spot he invariably scores. That is much credit to Grabban and Pitman who have been the most regular penalty takers over the last two seasons. Now it is all change and I hope the next spot kick is put away, or there will be more heartache for the fans to suffer.

Ian had the misfortune to miss a spot kick at Watford
but he had a good game otherwise.

The Watford match was also a match that could have seen some other penalties given in my view but Oliver Lanford waved away any further discussions for penalties. While Bournemouth themselves might have got away with one possible clumsy challenge in the second half from Francis on Anya, I certainly felt Wilson was unlucky not to see another penalty awarded after he went down for a second time in the first half. At least the Cherries are getting the ball into the opposition's penalty box and are causing problems and Callum Wilson is using his muscle and power to hold off challenges and create space for shots much better now. 

I don't think Harte's miss had a bad effect on the team apart from having the knowledge that could have been 1-0 up at the start of the game. Any disappointment was shaken off quicly and I liked the way the team just got on with things in another strong first half performance. Maybe next time Yann Kermorgant or Brett Pitman will be on the pitch to take the kick?

Cherries fail to hold on for the win at Watford 1-1

Match Report

Watford 1 v 1 AFCB

20 September 2014

Attendance: 14,320

Outside the stadium.

A missed penalty, a stunning goal and a late equaliser - this match resembled the best and worst of AFCB's season in a frantic 90 minutes that saw the Cherries go toe-to-toe with a team that had not dropped a point at home this season before today. Harry Arter's strike on 62 minutes was one of those goals that deserved to win a game of football, but it wasn't to be. The Cherries had battled and frustrated the home side for long periods of the match and had managed to find a way to get ahead, but as we have seen before, this AFCB team tends to drop back when it has a lead, and they were caught out again, just eight minutes from the end when Craig Cathcart struck the equaliser on the volley in Bournemouth's box!

AFCB fans can certainly feel that lady luck is not on their side at the moment. As early as the third minute it looked like they would have a great opportunity to take the lead as Callum Wilson battled with Gabriel Tamas and found his way into the Watford box, before Tamas' ill advised challenge from behind took Wilson down, leaving the referee an easy decision to point to the spot. A bigger decision was whether a goal scoring opportunity had been denied or not and AFCB were unlucky not to have to play 10 men for the rest of the match? While Junior Stanislas and Callum Wilson discussed who should take the kick, up stepped Ian Harte and took the matter into his own hands placing the ball on the spot. Sadly, he pulled his shot wide of the right upright and the score remained at 0-0!

It had been quite an opening to the game and so nearly the start that would have built AFCB a good foundation to try and win the game. Junior Stanislas and Eunan O'Kane were back in the Cherries' starting 11 and Artur Boruc was making his debut in goal. Eddie Howe was looking to see points to go on the back of a good performance and despite the early missed opportunity, the team were playing well against a Watford side with plenty of invention, as demonstrated by a quick free kick chip through to Anya that Cook and Elphick had to be ready for. 

Watford settled into their game with a few long passes up field and their first half chance came from a Sean Murray header after 11 minutes. Wilson was brought down in the box a moment later but nothing was given for Ekstrand's poor challenge. AFCB pressed well with Arter almost capitalising on Tamas' fluffed clearance, but Watford also had a chance with a superb break and cross from Lloyd Dyer, which Matej Vydra could not quite reach. The Hornet's started to get more of the ball up to the 20 minute mark when Junior Stanislas had cut in from the left and let fly with a drive that Gomes saved low down.

Vydra almost got Watford ahead when he turned smartly, taking the ball on his knee as he raced to the six yard area but Boruc timed his grab for the ball well. A long delay then ensued as Tamas was stretchered off and was replaced by Craig Cathcart on 26 minutes. The break did more good for Watford and they started to dominate play for the next quarter of an hour, Cook had to make a particularly fine saving tackle in the box on 40 minutes when Vydra was almost in the clear. As half time draw near though, it was AFCB who had the chance to go ahead when Ritchie fed Francis down the right and the cross found Callum Wilson who had risen high, but could not direct his header past Gomes who made a fine save to keep it 0-0 at half time.

AFCB supporters at Vicarage Road last season.

Second half
It was just as quick a start for AFCB in the second half as it had been in the first. Callum Wilson was causing problems again and his turn resulted in a pass back out to Andrew Surman who forced Gomes to make a save at full stretch to his left, and when Wilson followed up and netted he was swiftly flagged offside.

Watford were next to be frustrated when a low corner bounced up and off of Surman's chest in the box, when it had looked like an arm might have been involved. Bournemouth fan's hearts were in their mouth again when O'Kane tried a header back to Boruc that almost played in Vydra! As AFCB got there passing going again Francis was getting to his feet after winning a header in Watford's box only for Pudil, I believe, to put his leg up and trip him up which again could have been a penalty call! At this point Fernando Forestierie came on for Lloyd Dyer.

The game progressed fairly evenly with Boruc called on to make a save from a Vydra header after a stunning run by Anya down the left, but Watford had been called back anyway for an offside. What changed matters was when Ritchie made a run down the right wing on 62 minutes only to hold his run, check back and hit a cross ball to an unmarked Harry Arter who was centrally placed about 25-30 yards from goal. Harry decided there was not much on in terms of making a pass, and so he strode forward and smashed the ball with his left boot and saw it swerve majestically past Gomes, high into the back of Watford's net - 1-0 to the Cherries! 

The only question now was could the Cherries hold on to their lead and even build on it? It looked like AFCB were not best equipped to deal with an onslaught if it should come and of course it did. Cook was first to pick up a yellow for his sliding tackle on Forestierie on 66 minutes. Surman and Tozser also picked up cards at the same time. Just to add to the card count, Arter then picked up a yellow for running into Forestierie! The pressure on the Bournemouth goal continued as they dropped deeper. Watford brought on Ighalo on 71 minutes, taking off Abdi, while Pugh came on for Junior Stanislas for AFCB, just two minutes later. There was a strong claim for a penalty when Anya was brought down by Frncis on 79 minutes but nothing was given and you wondered if AFCB's luck had changed. 

The three points were soon to vanish though when on 82 minutes the ball fell to substitute Craig Cathcart who volleyed home with his right foot into the bottom corner of the goal to the keeper's right - 1-1. There was still time for Forestierie to get a yellow for a handball after a cross from Vydra and Callum Wilson also went in the book for arguing with the assistant referee. Watford could have won it when Ighalo hit a weak shot right at Boruc, but the only other major incident was to see Tommy Elphick also go into the book. Five minutes of extra time were played out with no further surprises so the final score was 1-1.

Summary
The Cherries have to be praised for being the first team to go to Vicarage Road and to get something from the game this season. However, I believe Eddie Howe will see it as another two points dropped, what with a missed penalty and plenty of chances to have increased their lead. Still it did not happen and AFCB are yet again having to reflect at dropping points having been in a winning position in the game. This game is often not fair but Bournemouth are due a change of fortune.

AFCB
Boruc, Cook, Elphick Harte, Francis, O'Kane, Arter, Ritchie (Smith 88), Surman, Stanislas (Pugh 73), Wilson

AFCB Subs
Camp, Daniels, Pugh, Pitman, Kermorgant, Smith, Fraser

AFCB ratings
Boruc 6, Cook, 6, Elphick 6, Harte 6, Francis 8, O'Kane 6, Ritchie 6, Arter 7, Surman 6, Stanislas 6, Wilson 6.

Watford
Gomes, Ekstrand, Tamas (Cathcart 32), Paredes, Pudil, Tozser, Abdi (Ighalo 73), Murray, Anya, Vydra, Dyer (Forestierie 57) 

Watford Subs
Bond, Munari, McGhugan, Forestierie, Cathcart, Ighalo

Ref watch: Oliver Langford 4/10 

(Five yellows for the Cherries at two fr the hornets)