AFC Bournemouth Summer Strengthening

With Bournemouth's promotion to the Npower Championship for the 2013/2014 season, it's no doubt that boss Eddie Howe will be busy planning how to build a team capable of holding their own next season. Although the Cherries finished second in League One this term, they were arguably the most technically proficient and skilful team in the league. While undoubtedly the quality of football in the Championship is higher, teams also cannot rely on purely being based on physicality, a la Sheffield United. To ensure survival (and maybe more) Howe will know that he must make a few quality additions to his team for next year to build on the promising group already at Dean Court.

It's fair to say that the nucleus of the Bournemouth team is likely good enough for the step up, making this summer more about fine tuning rather than whole sale changes. In goal the team are settled, with Ryan Allsop making the number one shirt his own towards the end of the season, while Shwan Jalal and/ or Darryl Flahavan will back up the young stopper. Yes, Allsop is inexperienced but he was calmness personified during the run-in, making a few brilliant saves too, so we can feel comfortable with the twenty year old donning the gloves next season.

However, the same cannot be said for defence. In Simon Francis, Tommy Elphick, Steve Cook and Charlie Daniels we have four quality defenders that are reliable and trustworthy. But the depth at full-back is non-existent, and only Stephane Zubar and Miles Addison provide cover for central defence. I have my doubts over whether Zubar and Addison are good enough for the next level, and would not be surprised to see at least one of them depart. Our lack of depth in defence was worryingly exposed in February and March when injuries to Daniels and Elphick resulted in a five match losing run that almost derailed the season. After Daniels returned against Oldham, and Elphick against Colchester, Bournemouth won 7 matches in a row, only letting in five goals during that span. Not many possible additions have been linked with a move, but a couple of weeks ago there were whispers of Tranmere left-back Zoumana Bakayogo making the move south this summer.

Could 'Zoom' be playing in red next season?

Moving on to the engine of the team, the midfield is extremely unbalanced, a lasting mark of the Paul Groves era. The number of wingers at the club is incredible (I count six) and there is no need for such a high amount to remain. Marc Pugh, Matt Ritchie and Ryan Fraser are all certain to stay at the club- barring any stupendous offers- leaving Josh McQuoid, Wes Fogden and Donal McDermott as the 3 in limbo. Ritchie and Pugh combined for a total of 11 goals and 13 assists, while the latter three's total amounts to 8 goals and 7 assists. Personally, I would let McQuoid and McDermott leave as both need regular first team football, but keep Fogden for his unbeatable work ethic. There are some exciting wingers available, such as Alan Judge and Febian Brandy, but will Eddie feel the need to strengthen this position? In the central midfield Shaun Macdonald, Harry Arter and Eunan O'Kane all had fabulous seasons, and while their overall contribution cannot be accounted for, the trio produced 13 goals and 12 assists, despite all suffering injuries at some point this season. Richard Hughes provides top-level experience, but I'm doubtful he will play a huge role on the pitch next season. This means we could likely do with one quality addition here, Simon Ferry and Marlon Pack are noticeable names on the market, but I think we could do with an energetic, determined ball-winner coming in. Undoubtedly next season we'll have to put on a few 'backs to the wall' performances, hence why a player of this sort could make a difference.

A better version of Marvin Bartley would help

Lastly the Bournemouth front line, is possibly the area of the team that needs strengthening the most. Pitman's quality cannot be denied and he is a lock to be starting the first game of the season, leaving one spot (depending on the formation) up for grabs. Lewis Grabban was fantastic this season, he contributed 13 goals and 8 assists, but his constant running and ability to split defences provided a different element to the Cherries' attack this season. While Lewis certainly deserves his chance next season, I believe that quality competition is certainly needed if only at least to challenge him and Brett. Unfortunately, I do not think Matt Tubbs is good enough and would be better off getting first team football elsewhere, because he's good enough to start at other clubs. The situation with Frank Demouge is a mystery, but perhaps his form on loan at Roda JC will convince Eddie to give him a second chance, while we'll hopefully never see Wes Thomas in a Bournemouth shirt again. Obviously, every team needs a good forward and it's not easy to find quality goal scorers without laying out a huge fee. Rumours have linked us to Westbourne's own Charlie Austin, but that seems extremely far-fetched. There are numerous quality players out of contract this summer that I think could improve the team; Will Grigg, Harry Forrester, Davide Somma and Will Hoskins are just a few of those.

Will Grigg bagged 20 goals for Walsall this year

In short, if I were Eddie Howe my shopping list would consist of two forwards, a central midfielder, a full-back and a central defender. Thankfully, Bournemouth fans know how successful Howe has been in the transfer market regardless of funding available, so hopefully a few exciting additions will be wearing the famous red and black stripes next season.

If you were manager, what positions do you think Bournemouth need to strengthen, and are there any players worth looking out for?

Brentford 0-0 Bournemouth

The Match

For most people around the world, New Year's day is probably spent either nursing a hangover from the night before or a day to spend with family. But some crazy people choose to battle the cold of January and watch a game of League One Football. In all seriousness, the two form teams in League One met each other in a very important match for both sides. Brentford, sitting on 45 points, had gone 11 unbeaten, while their opposition Bournemouth had 41 points but were on the back of a 15 match unbeaten run. Having drawn the return fixture at Bournemouth earlier in the year, both teams likely fancied their chances of taking all three points today.

A large Bournemouth contingent made the relatively short journey to Griffin Park, with approximately 1400 fans packing the terrace and seating in the away end. Eddie Howe made one change to the side that beat Crawley 3-0, opting to start the defensively stronger Wes Fogden in place of Josh McQuoid on the right wing. The first half was a timid affair with both teams (understandably) cautious to take too many chances, though that did not mean there was a lack of determination amongst the players. Adam Forshaw came close early on, as he hit a half-volley after a corner but saw his shot flash just wide of David James' left post. Each team worked hard and put their opponents under pressure, though The Cherries probably had the better of the early exchanges. However, Brentford soon came more into the game, Harry Forrester provided trouble for Simon Francis, and Clayton Donaldson provided an outlet for many long range passes. The Bees started to push a bit more, and when Steve Cook afforded Marcelo Trotta too much space David James made a quality reaction save to deny Brentford the opening goal. Both teams have garnered reputations for prefering to play passing football, but neither team gave each other enough time to do so, resulting in a tough battle to maintain possession or build up any kind of move. Bournemouth tried to find space down the wings, with a few crosses being whipped in that were eventually dealt with by a resolute Brentford defence. Truthfully, there was not much to the first half and both teams were probably happy to go in level.

The Bournemouth fans today

It was Brentford who started out the second half looking more inspired, The Bees had a succession of corners that were defended against well by Bournemouth but the visitors seemed to keep giving the ball away cheaply. Uwe Rosler then decided to use the skills he had learned from footballing genius Paul Groves and made a substitution that played right into Bournemouth's hands; Lee Hodson came on in a straight swap for Shaleum Logan, who I thought had Marc Pugh in his pocket. As a result of this Bournemouth began to take control of the match, with Pugh now finding success down the left hand side, but the killer final ball seemed to be lacking. Bournemouth had the chance to break the deadlock, a cross went all the way across the six yard box and found its way to Wes Fogden, who hesitated before knocking it to substitute Josh McQuoid who had his shot saved by Simon Moore. From the resulting corner Bournemouth once more almost took the lead, as a header went into the ground before hitting the underside of the bar, bouncing on the line and then being duly cleared by a relieved Brentford defence. Howe threw Matt Tubbs in place of Lewis Grabban in an attempt to freshen up the Bournemouth attack, but the change did not provide the spark The Cherries needed. Despite controlling the ball and playing at a high tempo, Bournemouth just couldn't manage to unlock a strong Brentford defence, led by a fantastic performance from centre back Harlee Dean. As the match drew to a close a draw seemed almost inevitable, although the spotlight was stolen by an argument between Uwe Rosler and Eddie Howe (though it was hard to tell what happened).


My Thoughts

Before the game I would have been very happy with a point away at a team fourth in the league and currently on an 11 match unbeaten run, but I can't help feeling a little frustrated. I think we could have (and should have) won the game in the second half, as a couple of our players missed some very easy chances to score. Had we been a little more attacking, or pushed on more I believe we would have scored, but it's understandable that Eddie did not want to risk losing. Regardless, it was still a very good point away to a strong team, and if you win at home and draw away you will gain promotion.

The players understandably seemed a little tired from having 3 games in 6 days, I thought Pugh was off his game and O'Kane kept giving the ball away at the end, though I cannot fault the effort of both players. Even if the quality was lacking at times, there is a motivation to succeed within this squad that is evident every time they step on the pitch. Our defence was rock solid once more, making it 4 clean sheets in a row, a very impressive achievement. Despite being outnumbered our midfield was tireless, with my pick of the four, Harry Arter, winning tackles everywhere. Unfortunately we lacked in our forward play today, Grabban ran himself into the ground once more but did not shine, and Pitman never really got the chance to even have a shot.  That said, on another day we would have buried those chances and be celebrating another win, but it the end it was a well earned point.

As we head into January, Howe will have the chance to fine tune his squad, selling those surplus to requirements and bringing in an extra dose of quality into the lineup. On October 6th when we sat 21st in League One, and now on New Year's Day we are on equal points with fifth place. There will be tough tests, and it will be difficult, but there is no reason why this team cannot win promotion.

Will Marvin Bartley return in January?

Bournemouth End 2012 In Style

Bournemouth 3-0 Crawley

Following a comprehensive 3-0 Boxing Day victory over Yeovil Town, Eddie Howe's team headed into the match as the most in-form team in League One, having gone undefeated in their past 14 matches. Their opponents were Crawley Town, who after two promotions sat one point behind Bournemouth in their first season in League One. In the return fixture in October Crawley won 3-1 in what turned out to be Paul Groves' last match in charge of Bournemouth, leaving many Bournemouth fans hungry for revenge. Returning to Dean Court for the first time since he left in the summer was Shaun Cooper, a Bournemouth regular from 2006-2012. Despite a congested fixture list, Eddie Howe only made one change to the side that won on Boxing Day, with Josh McQuoid replacing Wes Fogden on the right wing.

It's fair to say that Bournemouth don't always start matches at their best, as evident in the home matches against Oldham and Yeovil. However The Cherries came flying out of the gates today, putting the Crawley players under lots of pressure and Marc Pugh enjoying notable success down the left wing against David Hunt. For all the possession, Bournemouth could not muster a clear chance, and the first real opportunity fell to Shaun Cooper who almost scored on his return with a half-volley from outside the penalty area that just went past David James' left hand post. Crawley began to come more into the match, looking towards the in-form Nicky Adams for inspiration, but fine Bournemouth defending halted any Crawley attack before they had the chance to develop. The opener came after 16 minutes, when centre back Steve Cook whipped in an inswinging cross from the left side and Crawley captain Gary Alexander headed a finely place header into the top corner of his own goal. The weather once again proved an obstacle for both teams as heavy rain poured down for a good twenty minutes, but Bournemouth managed to maintain control of the game, with a few brief Crawley purple patches in between. Slick passing left The Cherries' leading scorer Lewis Grabban through on goal from a tight angle, but he could only drag his shot wide of the goal. Thankfully, the second goal came when innovative thinking from Brett Pitman resulted in him shooting in a free kick in off the post before Crawley were ready. Crawley manager Richie Barker and his players were clearly far from impressed, venting their frustrations to the officials, ultimately to no vaial. Half-time came at the perfect moment for Barker's men as Bournemouth were in full attack mode and it seemed that they would grab the killer goal at any moment.

Gary Alexander scored an own goal

Barker clearly gave his players strong words at half-time as Crawley began to work much harder, making it increasingly difficult for Bournemouth to regain their first half momentum. Both sides worked and fought for little reward, with Crawley substitute Billy Clarke in the thick of any attack for the Red Devils. Bournemouth almost killed the game off when Steve Cook was left unmarked from a corner, but he could only head the ball straight at the Crawley goalkeeper. With time ticking down, it seemed like Bournemouth were going to grab yet another win, but their opposition were not going to let the game go without putting up a fight. With around 15 minutes left the dangerous Clarke found himself one on one with David James, but the veteran goalkeeper made a fantastic save to maintain the clean sheet, and probably ensure the 3 points went to the Dorset outfit. With the game in its final ten minutes, and the Cherries making a few changes it seemed that Howe's men were happy enough to let the game slowly filter away. Then Lewis Grabban, who had shifted out to the right wing, hit a stunning diagonal pass over Claude Davis to Eunan O'Kane, whose first touch was weighted to perfection and he placed the ball under Jones and into the net. At 3-0 any chance of a Crawley revival was gone, and Bournemouth secured their twelfth win in fifteen games.

Eunan O'Kane grabbed the final goal

My Thoughts

Today we faced a strong team that were notably better than our opponents on Boxing Day, but yet again we managed to defeat them without ever leaving first-gear. Admittedly at times there were worries in my mind, but it must be said that for all its attacking prowess this team also has an incredibly strong backbone. When Crawley pushed forward we could rely on our defenders to make crucial tackles, or as mentioned, David James consistently makes good saves. There is an abundance of confidence in this team, and the spirit is there once more that links the player together, thus making them want to work hard for each other. Our central midfielders today worked unbelievably hard, no matter where the ball was Harry Arter or Eunan O'Kane would be somewhere near it, and the whole team fed off of their energetic style. Even Brett Pitman was sprinting around the pitch and making tackles, if that doesn't show the commitment in the team then I don't know what does! It's noticeable how comfortable each player seems on the ball, from Elphick to Pugh, each of them is composed and aware of the options around them, resulting in an attractive but efficient style of play. Today we also threatened (and scored once) from set-pieces, I don't remember the last time we scored from a corner, but today we actually looked like we might do so. In conclusion, it was another great all-around team performance, and once we took the lead it never really seemed like victory was in doubt.

On Tuesday we face arguably our toughest challenge since we played Doncaster away in Brentford. They are on an eleven match unbeaten run and currently reside in fourth place, one above us. With the way this team is playing we should head to Griffin Park with the intention of taking all three points, but Brentford are obviously going to provide an extremely tough test for us, so I would be very happy if we came away with a point. Anyway, when we last played Crawley we were 21st in the league, and now we're fifth, these are very promising times for AFC Bournemouth. Here's to a great 2013.

Next Up: Brentford FC

Bournemouth vs Brentford- Preview

Background

AFC Bournemouth go into this game on the back of a draw to Hartlepool, and the frustration is beginning to show. Manager Paul Groves and Chairman Eddie Mitchell have come out in the press to criticize the Dean Court boo boys, who apparently are in the wrong. The visitors, Brentford, lost away to Leyton Orient on Thursday night in front of the Sky Camers.

Bournemouth News:

The Cherries come into this game with a largely healthy squad, as long term absentees Charlie Sheringham, Stephen Purches, Darryl Flahavan and Franck Demouge are the only players unavailable for selection. On Saturday, Richard Hughes dropped out of the squad with youngster Joe Partington replacing him in the defensive hole of the midfield diamond. Hughes however, should be in contention to return to the starting line up on Tuesday. Bournemouth's options have significantly increased with the returns of Wes Fogden, Josh McQuoid and Hughes who all have been regulars since their respective recoveries from injury. Groves might be inclined to make a tactical change to the diamond he has been favouring recently as the width of Marc Pugh made a noticeable difference against Hartlepool.

Here's my preferred lineup (4-1-3-2):

--Jalal--

--Francis--Addison--Elphick--Daniels

--Hughes--

--Pugh--MacDonald--Arter--

--Grabban--Tubbs--

The Visitors:

Brentford make the short trip south sitting comfortably in tenth position having amassed 10 points from their opening 6 games. They have had an inconsistent start to the season, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 1 loss in their previous four matches. Under boss Uwe Rosler Brentford have gained a reputation for playing football the right way, and will no doubt set up in a more positive manner than Hartlepool did on Saturday. The only absence for The Bees will be midfielder Adam Forshaw, a recent signing from Everton, who is a doubt due to an abdominal problem.

Here's how they lined up against Leyton Orient:

--Moore--

--Logan--Dean--Bidwell--Craig

--Forshaw--Douglas--Diagouraga--

--Donaldson--Hayes--Forrester

My Prediction:

It's hard to get a true feel for this game considering how well we played against Yeovil, but so abysmally against Hartlepool. Groves is certainly under major pressure to start delivering the results, but I just feel that at some point we are due to thrash a team, or be on the end of a thrashing. If my line up prediction is correct, the return of Daniels and Pugh could bring some much needed attacking width to the side, and Pugh is always a nightmare for full-backs. That said, Tuesday will not be the day that we thrash someone, but I have confidence in the team to produce in the result. Brentford are clearly no pushovers, but I think their ability to play football in a passing manner may actually be a disadvantage for them. I predict a 2-1 win to The Cherries, with Tubbs and Arter grabbing the goals.


Thanks for reading, and as always, Up The Cherries!

March Pugh is a possibility to return