Eddie Mitchell- Hero or Villain?

It cannot be denied that when Eddie Mitchell took over control of AFC Bournemouth in June 2009 the club was on its knees. Admittedly, in the face of extreme adversity rookie manager Eddie Howe had led an unbelievable campaign on the pitch which saw of the threat of relegation for the Conference for the first time. However, off the pitch the club's finances were still in a mess and the long-term future of the club was still in question.

Sitting here in May 2013, after Bournemouth achieved promotion to the Championship for the first time since 1987, it's fair to say the club has never looked back. Since taking over, Eddie Mitchell has been the face of much controversy, but his four seasons at AFC Bournemouth have seen two promotions, one play-off campaign and one mid-table finish- could any, even the most optimistic Bournemouth fan have predicted that back in the summer of 2009?

Survival in 2008-9 was only the beginning

Of course, it has not always been rosy for Mitchell as Bournemouth chairman. Many believe his intrusion into the dressing room during an FA Cup defeat to Notts County in 2010 was a major factor in Eddie Howe's decision to take up the managerial post at Championship team Burnley. This began a downward spiral, as a terrible start to the next season (2011-2012) under Lee Bradbury saw Mitchell take to the pitch in a drunken state in an embarrassing affair after yet another home defeat. The club seemed in turmoil at this point, with relegation looking a real threat after many star players had been sold. Mitchell's often poor press relations, such as telling fans "If you don't like it, go and support Southampton" often created significant negative publicity for a club that once praised for it's family and community driven attitude.

Mitchell took over in June 2009

However, halfway through the 2011-2012 wealthy Russian benefactor Maxim Demin took up co-ownership of the club alongside Mitchell. Demin's money has since allowed the club to build up a quality squad and bring back Eddie Howe from Burnley, resulting in promotion to the Championship in last month. Admittedly, without Demin's investment none of the recent success would have been possible and the club would likely be languishing in League One after another mid-table finish, but Mitchell's role in bringing Demin to the club should not be undervalued. The hiring of Paul Groves to begin this season was a tragic mistake, especially as his record as caretaker manager was atrocious, but Eddie Mitchell ate a large slice of humble pie and made the best decision in Bournemouth's recent history to bring back Eddie Howe. In truth, without Demin there would be no promotion, but without Mitchell, there would be no Demin. One can question Eddie Mitchell's character, but convincing Howe to return was a determined and admirable move.

Howe took over for his second spell in charge in October, 2012

Though t's not just on the pitch that AFC Bournemouth has transformed in the past four years. As I had moved to Canada in February 2008, the first time I returned to Dean Court since moving was in August of 2010. To me, Dean Court seemed almost an entirely different place. The ground was smarter, more professional and suddenly (in my opinion), felt like a growing football club. Many football grounds, especially in the lower leagues feel very bleak, but Dean Court feels like an exciting, dynamic place to be. Some many disagree, but even factors such as the signs and advertisements outside the stands can alter the look and feel of the whole stadium. Dean Court (especially when the fourth stand is built) is a ground that Bournemouth fans can be proud of. Wisely, unlike other clubs with rich backers who simply spend everything on the playing stuff, the club is intelligently spending money on the infrastructure. Moves such as expanding the club shop, open a cafe and improving the club's corporate methods build useful new revenue schemes for the club that even if the backing disappears, will still be in place for the club's usage. In addition, building a new stand and training complex simply makes the club more attractive to any potential signings. Portsmouth provide a good example of how not to spend money; Of course, we can only dream of the FA Cup and the Premier League, but had they invested wisely they may have a new stadium and still be playing in the Premier League. If Demin decides to pull out, the club would have to naturally sell players and cut costs, but all the infrastructure would still be in place.

The new training complex is only part of the club's ambitions

So while AFC Bournemouth is currently operating at unsustainable costs, Eddie Mitchell has clearly had a extremely positive effect overall. I often hear fans of other club's stating: "it will all end in tears". But I question that; We're moved up a division, our fan base is growing, the stadium is growing and every aspect of the club is improving at the moment. Establishing ourselves in the Championship could help Bournemouth reach it's potential. It's easy to forget that the South East Dorset conurbation has a population of around 400,000 people- Brighton (who have the highest crowds in the Championship with an average of 30,000), have a local region population only 60,000 bigger than that. It's important that the club stabilizes and looks to consolidate in the Championship, but Eddie Mitchell has helped lay the foundations for what looks to be a very bright future at Dean Court. Love him or loathe him, I don't think many Bournemouth fans can question the progress that has been made. 

Jonathan Meades

Jonathan "Jon" Meades signed for AFC Bournemouth from Cardiff City in the summer of 2012, following a successful trial period at the club. However, Meades hasn't made a competitive appearance for Bournemouth this season, spending the entire season on loan at AFC Wimbledon, joining ex-Cherry Warren Cummings at the League Two team. Dons fans Alice was kind enough to answer a few questions for me on the Bournemouth loanee:

Meades during a pre-season friendly

Firstly, could you introduce yourself briefly?

Of course, I'm Alice, a lifelong Wimbledon fan luckily (or unfortunately) born into a Wimbledon supporting family. From the Premier League to administration, re-birth in the Combined Counties to the Football League in 9 years - I've seen it all. Currently studying Journalism at the University of Westminster. 

Despite being our player, most Bournemouth fans have never seen him play. Was he a regular for you this season?

"Jonathan Meades; AFC Wimbledon Young Player of the Year" says it all. When he signed on loan in October his first game was a 3-0 loss at Exeter and he looked like just another average young loanee. But we soon saw his potential, he played week in week out as we fought hard to stay in the football league. Whilst out injured for 2 (I think) games we saw a massive void; and ironically lost both. And no-one can fault his one and only goal vs league Champions Gillingham. 

Most Bournemouth fans know him has a left back. Has he only played there or has he filled various positions over the season?

Meades is a player you can build a squad around. We signed him as left back cover and but the boy has more positions than kamasutra, towards the end of the season he was our midfield wingman. He could fill any position you wanted him too and he sure wouldn't let you down, well we didn't see him in goal but I'm sure he could do that too! 

Jonathan has not played too much football outside of League Two. Do you think he's capable of playing at a higher level?

He stood out in League Two. Not only because our team was fighting at the bottom, but because of his pure class. He is a step above the rest and I don't doubt he could do a job higher up. Billy Knott who came on as a substitute for Sunderland today (Sunday) vs Spurs was also a loanee at Wimbledon who won Young Player of the Year like Jon - which says a lot about the young players we rate highly.

Lastly, there has been speculation regarding his future. With it looking unlikely he will stay at Dean Court, can you see him returning to AFC Wimbledon next year?

I know Neal Ardley will offer Meades a deal, there is no doubt. But it looks unlikely he will take our offer, he said at the end of last season we were a "possible option". There have been rumours that Portsmouth and Oxford have offered him terms and Ardley spoke this week saying he (Meades) had received and "unbelievable offer". John Sullivan, a keeper we had on loan this season also turned down our offer to sign for Portsmouth, so it is clear they will be a huge driving force this season. After all, we are the small fish in a big pond nowadays!

Every Wimbledon fan would join me in wishing Jon well wherever he plays next season, he has fantastic talent and played a huge part in keeping us in the Football League. He always gave a hundred percent and will always be held in high regard by all Dons fans.

Meades helped AFC Wimbledon escape relegation to the Conference this season

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Thank you Alice for answering the questions, I think most Bournemouth fans will have learned more about our own player from reading this than they gathered over the whole season! Jon has evidently had a successful season and it's shame we'll likely not see him play at Dean Court. You can follow Alice on twitter - @afcw_alice

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?

Marcos Painter

Last Friday Brighton & Hove Albion left-back Marcos Painter joined AFC Bournemouth on loan for the rest of the season. Painter is the third Brighton defender to move along the south coast, following Steve Cook and Tommy Elphick from Sussex to Dorset. With Charlie Daniels, Tommy Elphick and Miles Addison out injured Painter joins Southampton loanee Dan Seaborne as the second loan defender on the Cherries' books. Importantly, his addition allows fellow recent signing, Matt Ritchie, to move to his preferred position on the wing. As it seems Daniels might be out for the rest of the season, Painter has the chance to make the left-back spot his own as Bournemouth push for promotion.

No, that's not John Terry

Painter boasts a wealth of experience in the Football League at the age of 26 and Bournemouth is his third new club since coming through the ranks at Birmingham City. He made 5 appearances for The Blues' but failed to establish himself and joined Swansea City on loan from 2006-07, where after appearing 8 times he subsequently joined the Welsh team on a permanent basis in 2007. Marcos would in total make 80 appearances for Swansea before he joined his current club Brighton on loan in January 2010 for the rest half of the season. He would go on to play 19 times for The Seagulls, and then agreed a 3 year contract in the summer of 2010 to join them permanently from Swansea.

Painter in action against former Bournemouth winger Liam Feeney in 2010

The following season was arguably Painter's most successful in his career, as he established himself as a regular in the first team as the Seagulls took League One by storm, ending up as champions. Painter also notably managed to start all 46 league games that season, an impressive feat in the modern game. Some Cherries fans may remember him as he played for Brighton in their two matches against Bournemouth that season, a 1-1 draw at the Withdean and a 1-0 win for Bournemouth in the return fixture. Similar to his time at Swansea, promotion to the Championship resulted in Marcos losing his spot in the starting line-up. In the 2011-12 season Painter drifted in and out of the team making a total of 22 appearances, a combination of new additions and a lack of pace stopping him from becoming a regular in The Championship. Having only played 3 times this season, he has now joined Bournemouth on loan to aid our defensive problems but it would seem his time in Brighton is over. His three year contract is due to expire this summer, and I'm sure he will be using this opportunity in an attempt to earn himself a new contract elsewhere. 

A few Brighton fans were kind enough to give their verdicts on Bournemouth's new signing via twitter- they're both worth following if you have an account:

@MattCorr34: "Solid 7/10 every week. Class defender, just don't expect anything going forward. Great signing for you lot."

@LiamHolister: "Class for us in league one of our most consistent players in our promotion season! Can't really cut it in the champ though"

Unfortunately Painter's debut for Bournemouth couldn't have been worse as The Cherries found themselves down 2-0 and he was pulled off at half-time with the away fans not exactly raving about his performance. However, given the time to settle in the squad hopefully Marcos can show the skill that made him so important to Brighton during their promotion season and play a vital part for us as we seek promotion to the second tier of English football. 

Bournemouth 2-0 Portsmouth

5 years ago AFC Bournemouth were in administration and had been relegated to League Two after a late revival couldn't help the Cherries stay in League One. Meanwhile, their south coast neighbours Portsmouth had just won the FA Cup with a squad filled with names such as Sol Campbell, Glen Johnson and Sulley Muntari among others. Fast forward to February 2013 and the Cherries were 4th in League One, 4 points off the automatic places and on an incredible run of form. In contrast, Portsmouth following years of turmoil sat second bottom of League One, without the impending points deduction.

Bournemouth's 3-0 win at MK Dons the previous weekend was incredibly important for Howe's men and it was almost expected that they would defeat their struggling opposition. Portsmouth came into the match having lost 8 on the bounce and a loss would set the club's worst losing streak in their history. With Charlie Daniels and Tommy Elphick out, Matt Ritchie came in at left-back for The Cherries and Southampton loanee shifted along the backline to partner Steve Cook in defence. Pompey had made 3 signings in the week- Therry Racon, Patrick Agyemang and John Akinde- and all of them lined up for their debuts on Saturday, meaning Pompey had used an incredible 51 players so far this season.

Therry Racon made his debut for Pompey

The game started out as most expected with Bournemouth keeping all of the possession and controlling the match. Surprisingly, Portsmouth didn't seem to want anything other than a draw and placed all 10 men behind the ball, and when they won possession it would be hoofed to their big forwards, usually resulting in nothing. Bournemouth were frustrated by an organized team devoid of any ambition to attack and despite having lots of time on the ball, they could not create any clear chances. The ball was often played to Marc Pugh down the left who kept beating the Portsmouth right back but his deliveries ultimately found nobody. Too many times the home team would play the simple option instead of taking a risk and their just wasn't any energy about the performance. Portsmouth's only shot of the half came from Adam Reed whose relatively tame curling effort was theatrically saved by Shwan Jalal, when really he should have caught it. The away fans could be heard throughout the game in the East Stand, unfortunately part of this noise was aimed at calling Steve Cook a rapist. Near the end of the half Lewis Grabban was played in by a long ball and used his pace to touch it past Pompey goalkeeper Simon Eastwood only to hit the ball over the bar from a tight angle with the goal gaping. A fizzling Simon Francis cross from the right resulted in Brett Pitman smashing his header against the crossbar, and home fans would be forgiven for thinking it should have been 2-0. But the teams headed into the break level after a timid affair somewhat resembling an attack vs defence training game.

Pitman had The Cherries' best chance of the half

Portsmouth had won the toss so Bournemouth were unusually attacking the empty end which the home players do not favour. The away side came more into the game in the second half and John Akinde was only denied by Jalal who rushed out of his goal to tackle the debutant. Brett Pitman met another Francis cross but his shot just went wide of the post, as it began to seem that Bournemouth may not win yet another match against local opposition. It was arguably the worst the team had played at home since Eddie Howe's return but the Bournemouth manager refused to make any changes. Portsmouth's best chance of the match came when the left-back Butler's long range drive was tipped over the bar by Jalal. However the breakthrough finally came for the home side after 63 minutes when Josh McQuoid's control and neat pass found Grabban unmarked in the box, the in form forward sidestepped his marker before cooly slotting the ball into the net. It felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off the home side's shoulders but in truth, they still took more time to really get going, until the goal Portsmouth's game plan had worked effectively. Despite now being a goal down Guy Whittingham made no chances to his tactics and Portsmouth never really pushed on in search of an equalizer. The second and killer goal came on 77 minutes, an acrobatic pass from Pitman left Pugh through on goal and The Cherries' winger placed his shot across Eastwood and into the corner of the goal. Towards the end of the match substitute Matt Tubbs could/ should have made it 3-0 when he was placed through but Eastwood's outstretch arm denied him, Shaun MacDonald also made a brief appearance from the bench, marking his return from a long time out injured.

Pugh made it 2-0

My Thoughts

If I'm truthful I thought we were far from our best today, but the most important thing is that we got the three points and now sit one point behind the top two, and we still have to play them both. It was a strange game, as aside from literally getting the 3 points, Bournemouth couldn't win; If they lost it was a disaster, and if they won, it was expected. With Portsmouth only trying to defend we should have been more positive and attacking in our play in the first half, it's not like Akinde or Agyemang had pace to burn on the counter attack either. Too often instead of pushing on we'd turn around and go back to Cook/ Seabourne. That said, it could have easily been 2-0 at half-time and then it would have been a completely different story, though we cannot fault Portsmouth's organisation in defence that made it extremely difficult to break them down. One of our problems is that our wide play is good but the distribution is lacking, and we don't often look like scoring from crosses. On Tuesday we have a tough game at Crewe, followed by another away match at Preston on the Saturday.

Player Ratings

Jalal; 7- Made a couple of good saves to stop Portsmouth's only chances and was pretty reliable throughout. Please someone teach him to come for corners sometimes.

Francis; 7- Tireless and constantly running up and down the flank, I just think his crossing isn't very good most of the time, and if he improved that he'd becoming another attacking weapon.

Cook; 8- Calm, cool  and  collected proving he deserved the captain's armband with Elphick out injured. Nobody will know what he's gone through recently, and in the face of mindless abuse all game, he led by example.

Seabourne; 7- He dealt with the two big lumps up front well but his distribution was sometimes a bit erratic. A good player, but I'd rather have Elphick playing.

Ritchie; 8- Played brilliantly once again in an unusual position from him , one of few who consistently moved forward and played with energy, what a buy he might be.

Pugh; 7- Started off looking like he was going to have a field day but as is becoming common he faded badly, however that is 2 goals in 2 games so even when not at his best he contributes.

Arter; 7- Worked extremely hard as per but his passing was off and a little erratic, despite not performing to full high standard he drove the team on with his ethic.

O'Kane; 6- I might be being a tad harsh but I thought it was his worst performance since he became a regular in the starting line-up. He worked hard but he gave the ball away too often and just didn't establish his presence in the game.

McQuoid; 6- Unfortunately Josh has managed to build off of his superb display against Crewe, he drifted inside too often for a winger, can't help but think there's something we haven't discovered yet.

Grabban; 8- Great finish for his goal and is always an outlet for the team with his pace, never given the defence a moment's rest. If he improves his composure in front of goal he might even hit the 20 goal mark.

Pitman; 6- The problem with Brett is that he's either absolutely superb or pretty lacklustre. He did not have his best game but his assist for Pugh's goal was an example of what he can provide.

MK Dons 0-3 AFC Bournemouth

The Match

As the teams entered the fray I think both sets of fans understood the importance of this game, and the opening stages reflected this; Milton Keynes had most of the possession without really threatening, while Bournemouth seemed dangerous on the break but struggled to get a hold of the ball. However, good teams want the ball, they will run and they will chase, which is exactly what Lewis Grabban did and his effort paid off as he seized on a terrible Jon Otsemobor backpass to round David Martin and slot the ball into the back of the net. From the away end it felt like the ball took days to finally go in, but when it did the celebrations duly began. It seemed like a dream start for The Cherries, taking the lead only 9 minutes into an away match at promotion rivals was perfect for Eddie Howe's men.

Grabban 'grabbed' the opener

 The rest of the half was extremely similar to our home match against Crewe, as while the opposition maintained control of the ball, we were never threatened and MK's only chance came when Shwan Jalal parried Ryan Lowe's shot from the edge of the area. Bournemouth were trying to frustrate the home side and hit them fast on the break, but often the ball was given away cheaply with some players opting against the simple option. As it seemed the teams would go into half-time with the score remaining 1-0, everything changed. Ryan Lowe got in a scuffle with Tommy Elphick, then Steve Cook, then Elphick again, with the Bournemouth defenders obviously getting under the veteran forward's skin. This showed when as MK cleared a Bournemouth corner, Elphick went for the ball only for Lowe to jump in two footed, it was later put by Howe as 'a disgusting tackle'. Lowe was rightly sent off but still found the time to start a scrap on the field and kick Bournemouth right-back Simon Francis. I don't usually offer my opinion in the match report, but  Karl Robinson ahad the nerve to say our players were saying stuff about Lowe's family as he went off, an astoundingly stupid claim. Justice was served as The Cherries got a second goal straight after, Grabban beat the Dons' defenders once more and his shot was saved by Martin only for Marc Pugh to tuck in the rebound. In a matter of minutes Bournemouth had gone from on the back foot to being in cruise control, and heading into the break a man and two goals up.

Pugh scored the second

MK Dons introduced Izale McLoed in the second half as despite being a man down they knew that in order to salvage something from the match, they had to go for it. Oddly, the home side seemed more energised and broke with more pace, though they found their options limited once they got further up the pitch. When they stalled the MK attack Howe's team attacked with force and pace, numerous cross field balls were played to the dangerous Pugh and Ritchie down the left side who were causing a lot of problems. Lewis Grabban continued his hard work getting in behind, while Brett Pitman squandered numerous chances, notably a free header from six yards out. Although the home side did not look like scoring, there was always a possibility. As Bournemouth went forward with Josh McQuoid on the ball, defender Shaun Williams made a superb tackle to win the ball and start a counter attack, their best chance came soon after; Izale McLoed pounced on the rebound of a shot that hit the post only the miss an open goal from steps away. I'd later learn he was offside (for about the tenth time) but regardless it was a truly abysmal miss that summed up the day for MK. The killer goal finally came in the 84th minute; clever play from Pugh won a free-kick on the edge of the area, with players still preparing the ball was laid to Arter who smashed a rocket into the top corner. It was a wonderful finish that capped off a great day at the office for the away team and their was pandemonium amongst the travelling Cherries' faithful. 'We want four' was the cry of some Bournemouth fans and that almost came when Pitman hit the crossbar, but the game ultimately ended in a deserved 3-0 win for The Cherries.

Arter's goal sealed the win

The home fans flocked quickly but all 1446 away fans stayed after the final whistle as the players came over to join in with the celebrations, the delight on their faces showed what the win meant to everyone associated with the football club. Ei ei ei o...

My Thoughts

What a day, what a win, what a season. Before the game I thought we'd win, but to go to a promotion rival away and win 3-0 is remarkable, and today was the kind of game that can define a season. We were second best in the first half, but the encouraging thing was that despite have little of the ball, it never looked as if we would concede. This team can play with flair and creativity, but when a strong backbone is needed we become extremely hard to break down. On another day, the match could have gone another way but our tactics paid off and I think you'd struggle to find someone who could contest the result. On behalf of every Bournemouth supporter, a special mention to Izale McLeod who put in one of the worst single performances in recent memory; he missed an open goal, he fell over himself (twice) and I don't think he did one thing to help his side when they needed it the most.

Unfortunately the game was marred by Lowe's disgraceful tackle and we can only hope Elphick turns out alright- he could have easily had his season/ career ended by that tackle. Thankfully both teams managed to continue the match as the professionals they are meant to be, but there certainly are times you question what a player is thinking. . I'd also suggest to Karl Robinson instead of banging on about how much money we spent, his club should spend money on their team instead of an outrageously ridiculous stadium. He made ludicrous claims in his post-match interview that were almost disrespectful to our club, we have spent a lot, we made have got decisions in our favour, but to say our players 'conducted themselves' badly is a bit much, what evidence do you have? I think you've been eating a few too many sour grapes.

Shut up, Karl.

Player Ratings

Jalal; 7- Didn't have much to do but the one time he had to make a save he was there, kept his concentration and distributed well.

Francis; 7- Once again he worked very hard and he improved in the second half, sometimes he needs to just whack the ball up the pitch instead of playing it out.

Cook; 9- A rock. With so much on his mind he performed admirably once again, MK's forward didn't get the better of him and he consistently won the ball, a great performance.

Elphick; 9- Exactly the same as Cook, he is a leader of men and if he is injured it will be a major blow to us, lets pray for a quick recovery.

Seaborne; 7- Much better performance than against Crewe, MK got in a few times behind him early on but it's clear that he's much better at centre-back, he seems to also be building chemistry with the team.

McQuoid; 7- He's found his confidence which is the most important thing, his runs across the face of the penalty box are dangerous and while he did not always make the right decision, he was a constant presence.

Arter; 8- In the first half he gave the ball away cheaply but it's hard to fault his performance overall. A absolutely sublime goal and no matter where the ball is, he'll be chasing it, he has more energy than a Duracell battery.

O'Kane; 7- It wasn't Eunan's best game but even though his impact was not huge, he kept the team ticking and never halted nor stalled any attacks. Despite his small stature, he's turning into quite a strong player.

Pugh; 8- Almost back to his best today, Marc turned the right back inside out a couple of times and really stretched their defence in the second half, his combination with Ritchie was lethal.

Lewis Grabban; 8- This man is becoming the definition of determination. With all due respect to Lewis, I think he's not 'technically' the most gifted, but his pace and effort provides the team with a constant outlet and his goal was key to the win.

Brett Pitman; 7- Chicken had an abundance of chances today and unfortunately didn't manage to take advantage. His finishing was off today but his link up play was great, most memorable was the one-two that put Grabban through on goal.

Matt Ritchie; 8- He's ours! Matt did fantastic to come in at left back on his debut and still play so well. He added another element going forward and his crossing was superb, I can't wait to see more of him.

Matt Tubbs & Richard Hughes; N/A

Bournemouth 3-1 Crewe Alexandra

AFC Bournemouth returned back to Dean Court for the first time in 10 days when they lost to Wigan Athletic in the FA Cup hoping to get another vital 3 points against Crewe Alexandra. Since the last home league match against Swindon, The Cherries lost their first match since early October in a disappointing 3-1 defeat at in-form Walsall, but Eddie Howe's men quickly recovered to win 2-1 away at Hartlepool last Tuesday. With the match at Crewe in December, it was the first time Bournemouth had come up against the League One new boys this season.

The Match

Bournemouth made two changes to the team that one at Hartlepool, with Brett Pitman and Steve Cook replacing Richard Hughes and Charlie Daniels respectively. With the ever present Daniels missing the match, loanee Daniel Seabourne shifted to left-back to fill the gap left, while Pitman started up front with Lewis Grabban. Bournemouth knew Crewe were a young side who like to play good football, but The Railwaymen also boast a surprisingly noticeable height advantage in their side.

The starting spot is now Jalal's to lose

Howe's men started our the game on the front foot, Josh McQuoid earned his side a corner early but despite neat play Harry Arter could only blaze the ball over the bar when given the ball just inside the area. Crewe however push on from there, Byron Moore was enjoying success down the right wing against Seaborne but couldn't provide any of the visitors front two with a chance to score. The deadlock was broken after only 8 minutes, when Marc Pugh received the ball inside the penalty box, a neat turn had seemingly found him a way through before he was (seemingly) tripped by a Crewe defender. Despite Lewis Grabban scoring from the spot in mid-week, Brett Pitman stepped up and his shot went in off the left post to give Bournemouth the lead. The home team soon retained the ball and when given the ball on the left wing, Pugh turned the right-back Mellor inside out numerous time before it seemed he was fouled once more, Arter picked up the loose ball and he too was tackled but the referee did not award The Cherries a second penalty in quick succession (it should be noted following this Pugh was limping and struggled throughout the rest of the game). The home side's positive play was then put to an end by a resolute Crewe team, The Alex ascended and took control of the game, displaying some of the football that has earned them their respected reputation. When Bournemouth managed to get hold of the ball possession was quickly given away, with Harry Arter the notable culprit of a few misplaced passes. Bournemouth's few chances came on the break, and Pitman glanced a header but the ball went just wide of the left post, inches away from hitting the net. Fortunately for Bournemouth, Crewe did not manage to carve our any clear cut chances in the half , with the big framed Matthias Pogba the player looking most dangerous on the ball. With the half in its final seconds Eunan O'Kane broke through with the ball and released Grabban through on goal, the forward took it past the goalkeeper Steve Phillips and as fans rose out of their seats in expectation, the ball hit the side netting!

Pitman grabbed the opener

The home team started out much brighter in the second half, Howe would state in his post match interview he was frustrated with negative passing in the first half, and his team were now much more forward thinking on the ball. With the visitors now having to push up a bit in search of an equalizer, it left more space for the dangerous Cherries' attack to do some damage. Newly confident Josh McQuoid went on a long run, speeding past numerous Alex defenders before laying off to Pitman, whose curling effort went high and wide into the North Stand. Crewe though managed to maintain hold of the ball well despite Bournemouth's improved performance, but still struggled to break through the Bournemouth backline. If anyone was going to worry the visitors it was McQuoid, and he floated in a a high cross for Pitman who seemed to hang in the air as he jumped, but his header was well saved by veteran Phillips. It was the trio of Pitman, Grabban and McQuoid that were constantly providing a threat to the visitors; neat link up play between the former two gave Grabban space in the area once more, but his shot was stopped by Phillips who at that point was keeping his side in the match. The second goal finally came when Arter found space just outside the box, his low shot was parried by Phillips, McQuoid quickly reacted to pounce on the ball, he turned and crossed for the waiting Pitman who hit the ball in the empty net. The scenes were jubilant and it seemed Bournemouth could now step out of first gear and see out another win at Dean Court, as the second goal usually kills a team off. The third goal should have come when Phillips parried out Simon Francis' stinging cross right onto Arter's head, but the ball went over the bar and into the stand. In face of all this pressure, the visitors suddenly burst into life and made a game of it when the visitors took advantage of a mistake by Francis; the Bournemouth right-back misjudged a header allowing Pogba to break into the box and drag a shot/cross across the face of the goal before Colclough tapped the ball into the net. It seemed the home team's momentum had been lost and we were in for a very nerve-wracking final fifteen minutes. Thankfully our worries were soon oppressed when substitute Wes Fogden strode into Crewe's box and was fouled by Abdul Osman, leaving the referee to point to the spot once more. Brett Pitman sealed his hat-trick and a win for The Cherries with his second penalty of the day.

Colclough scored for Crewe

My Thoughts

Today was a vital three points, having suffered our first set back in a while at Walsall the team has recovered to win two straight games. Crewe were certainly one of the better teams to visit Dean Court this year, had they been more lethal with the ball the scoreline could have been entirely different. That said, even if we had a bad first half we were vastly improved in the second half, and given the amount of chances missed we could have easily score 6 or 7 goals today.

 Josh McQuoid was almost a different player today, after Pugh's knock our left-side wasn't providing a threat but McQuoid really took the game to Crewe with his pacey runs. If his goal at Hartlepool has given him the confidence boost he needed, then hopefully he'll rediscover the form that made him sought after by Milwall in the 2010/11 season. Arter and O'Kane once more had good games, in the first half they let opponents run through too easily but whenever they have the ball it feels like they may create a chance soon. Brett Pitman also deserves praise, I get frustrated with his "style" sometimes, but the deal with playing him is that he can go 89 minutes without doing anything, then score the goal that wins the match. He seems to be striking a partnership up with Grabban too, hopefully something that they will continue to build upon going forward.

In defence, Seaborne stepped in well to replace Daniels at left-back and we now know we have a solid option if we ever need it. While he doesn't have the attacking threat (he is a centre-back), he defended well and nullified the threat of Moore in the second half. Steve Cook performed admirably considering he's been at court all week, while Tommy Elphick was his usual solid self. Francis covers a lot of ground, granted he needs to improve his distribution, but aside from the mistake he once more had a good game. This was the first time I've seen Jalal start in the league in a long time, and while some may disagree, he still does not fill me with confidence. David James had to be dropped, but if Jalal does not start dominating his area more I think it won't be long before we see Allsop starting.

Player Ratings

Jalal-7; Shwan did not have much to do today but I thought his distribution was much improved from before. My main concern is that he never comes for crosses or corners, he MUST learn to do this.

Francis- 6; As I said previously, he worked extremely hard and did well for most of the game. Sometimes he needs to just whip in the ball instead of trying to do that extra thing, and he made a bad mistake that led to the Crewe goal.

Elphick- 7; Calm on the ball and dealt with any threat that came his way, the Crewe front two never really seemed to take Clayton and Pogba (besides the goal) out of the game.

Cook- 7; See above.

Seaborne- 6; Playing in a position that is not natural to him he didn't cope well with Moore at first, but performed much better in the second half. He will never provide the attacking threat of Daniels though.

McQuoid- 8; My man of the match, he used his natural abilities to his advantage today and gave the left-back a tough time. His reactions to make the second goal were fantastic.

Arter- 7; Sloppy on the ball sometimes and earned another stupid yellow card, but he is a good tackler and is never afraid to take the ball up the pitch himself.

O'Kane- 8; When MacDonald is fit will he be dropped? I cannot see that he will yet, on numerous times he provided an outlet and also played good balls to create chances, a completely different player nowadays.

Pugh- 6; He started of brilliantly but after that tackle he faded and was clearly hampered by an injury, thankfully he managed to continue on and hopefully he'll be ready for next Saturday.

Pitman- 8; Can I argue with 3 goals? He never seems to actually play that well, but I suppose if three goals isn't a good match, then what is?

Grabban- 7; His pace provides a contrasting element to Pitman that always surprises opponents, had he been less selfish and more clinical he would have ended up with a goal and an assist.

Three In, One Out

Eddie Howe has today completed the signings of three players, making them the first players he has signed since his return to AFC Bournemouth as manager. He previously stated he was going to bring in a 'few quality addtions' and he has certainly delivered on that promise, though it is not certain whether his January dealings are finished.

Yesterday defender Daniel Seabourne joined on loan for the rest of the season from south coast neighbours Southampton for the rest of the season. Seabourne was a regular for Exeter City before he signed for The Saints in the 2009/10 season, where he helped contribute to their promotion the following season. A terrible accident kept him out for a long period of time last year, and he only managed to make 6 appearances, all coming in non-league competitions. This year he made 7 appearances on loan to Charlton in the Championship, while he was also on the Saints bench during their 2-2 draw at Chelsea. Seabourne certainly comes with a good history and will provide more quality depth to the Bournemouth backline, especially if Steve Cook is found guilty in his court case.

Seabourne joined on loan yesterday

The next signing was Ryan Fraser, a highly coveted 18 year old winger who signed from SPL team Aberdeen. He has only recently broke into the set up at Pittodrie, but has made 23 appearances and will surely be a great addition to Howe's squad. At five foot four he's on the small side, but he known to be a proper direct winger who will attack full-backs and whip in dangerous crosses. While at 18 he has plenty of potential yet to be reached, his style of play will add another element to a very dangerous Cherries' attack.

Fraser heads to the south coast with a growing reputation

Also signing today was goalkeeper Ryan Allsop on a free transfer from fellow League One side Leyton Orient. Previously of West Bromwich Albion, Allsop signed for Orient on a six-month contract in the summer and impressed at Brisbane Road, going to on to make 24 appearances for the O's. Eddie Howe was clearly impressed with his performance in their 2-0 defeat at Dean Court in October, and snapped up the 20 year old on a three and a half year deal. With 5 goalkeepers now on the books, Allsop clearly has competition for the starting spot, but with the help of playing alongside ex England international David James, the future is bright for him.

Allsop is Howe's latest capture

Meanwhile long serving midfielder Mark Molesley has joined League Two side Exeter City on a free transfer. Molesley played a pivotal role during our years in League Two but numerous injures have stopped him from getting a consistent run in the side during the past couple of years. Having impressed on loan at Plymouth, I have no doubt he'll turn out to be a fantastic signing for The Grecians, all the best Mark!

Molesley departs

Bournemouth 1-1 Swindon

Pre- Match

Saturday, the 12th of January saw two promotion hopefuls meet in an extremely important match that had implications for the rest of the season. In the previous meeting, Swindon had thrashed a dispirited and hopefully Bournemouth team 4-0 at the County Ground, but a lot had changed since then. Eddie Howe returned in October and the rest is history, Bournemouth, on the back of 17 games unbeaten, sat in 7th place 3 points behind their visitors. Their opponents were Swindon who had won their past four matches by an aggregate of 16-0, taking no prisoners as they seek a second straight promotion. With both teams in form and managed by highly talented (but very contrasting) managers, it was anyone's guess as to how the match would turn out.

Match Report

Bournemouth made three changes to the side that drew at Wigan in the FA Cup, with David James, Lewis Grabban and Brett Pitman replacing Shwan Jalal, Matt Tubbs and Richard Hughes respectively. Ex-Cherry Danny Hollands returned to Dean Court as he is currently on loan at Swindon, while former transfer target Matt Ritchie also lined up for The Robins.

Hollands returned to Bournemouth after leaving in 2011

The match started out with energy, both teams looked eager to impose their presence on the game and tried to gain control of the ball. The torrential rain pouring onto the pitch was clearly having an affect, players were slipping and numerous mis-kicks were made. Bournemouth tried to find success down both wings, but any crosses were dealt with by Joe Devera and Darren Ward in the heart of the Swindon backline, while right back Nathan Thompson seemed to have Marc Pugh under control. Almost against the run of play, Swindon nearly broke the deadlock as a powerful shot from veteran Tommy Miller was met with a great reaction save from David James in the Bournemouth goal. Swindon began to press and summer signing Andy Williams could only head straight at James from a Matt Ritchie cross, while Bournemouth were let off when Swindon could not take advantage of James having to let go of the ball as he slid out of the box trying to hold it. Back the ball went to the other end, Brett Pitman turned and fired straight at Thompson while inside the Swindon penalty area, but the ball found its way to Harry Arter who found enough space on the edge of the box to fire a left footed shot right into the goal, with Wesley Foderingham leaping in vain to prevent it going in. Then, in what is the worst miss I have ever witnessed at a football match, James Collins managed to shoot the ball into the stand when a defensive error had left the goal empty. The rain began to increase and the conditions became exceedingly worse, but both teams managed to battle it out for the rest of the first half, with neither side able to carve out any clear cut chances.

Harry Arter got the opening goal

It was clear that the pitch was being cut up by the rain and an announcement was made saying half time would be extended by five minutes in order for the groundsmen to attempt to make it playable. Thankfully, thanks to their fantastic efforts the second half was able to proceed, although it's debatable whether that was the correct decision. Only a few minutes into the second half Arter went on a mazy run through a few Swindon defenders only to have his shot superbly stopped by Foderingham. Bournemouth had three corners in a relatively quick amount of time but could not manage to score that all important second goal. Paolo Di Canio, whose dramatic antics suggested he was not happy with some of his players at the time, realized that he needed to make changes in order to get something out of the match and he threw on Norwich loanee Chris Martin in place of Collins. The pitch was deteriorating everywhere, the ball noticeably slowed down in certain areas and water was spraying all around. Truthfully, both teams showed fantastic determination and effort as they both gave 100% throughout, even though they were limited in what they could actually do with the ball. A cross drifted in from the Swindon left side right across the face of the goal and Ritchie ran onto it but his left footed shot was saved by James once more. Following this, James' goalkeeping counterpart Foderingham was called into action once more, as he made another great save to deny Lewis Grabban's header. The ball was flying from end to end, and it was clear there was at least one more goal left in the match, the big question was just which team would score that goal. Brett Pitman almost sealed the win as he hit a speculative effort from far out with Foderingham out of position, but the Swindon goalkeeper once again stopped Bournemouth. Then just as Bournemouth fans began to think that the 3 points might be staying in Dorset, David James showed everyone why he has garnered the nickname 'Calamity James'. Unfortunately I wasn't actually looking as he took the kick, because I wasn't expecting him to hit it straight to a Swindon player- when I did look up I saw James rushing out of his area to deny Chris Martin, but despite bodies being thrown in an attempt to block it, the ball came to Andy Williams who shot past Steve Cook on the line and into the goal. Bournemouth were rocked by the goal, a team that had looked reasonably comfortable before were now edgy and it was now Swindon who seemed the only team likely to get the win, though ultimately the could not get the second goal and the match ended in a fair 1-1 draw.

Andy Williams scored the equalizer

My Thoughts

Walking away from the ground today I was gutted, not because we necessarily deserved the win, but it certainly felt liked we had gifted Swindon the goal. David James had been brilliant all afternoon and was the only reason Swindon hadn't scored up to that point, so it was really disappointing for him to make that mistake. That said, the team truly deserves credit for their performance today, it wasn't their best but it was still good and on another we would have won, but these things happen all the time in football. Swindon are the team that have impressed me the most this season, I think (similar to us) they are better than their position suggests, so on the face of it a point it is certainly not a bad result. Our awful start has us at a severe disadvantage in the promotion race, but the fact that we're still only 3 points behind 5th place today shows how far this team has come, and the how far they can go. Yes we are now 10 behind the automatic spots, but we've beaten the top two teams and Sheffield United lost at home today to a team we beat 3-0,  so there is no reason for us not to keep believing.  It is games like these that truly test what our team is all about, and while I would have liked the win, we can make up for it next Saturday when we face Walsall.

Player Ratings

David James: 6/7- I am stuck here, I think he was a runner for our man of the match up until he made the mistake that ultimately cost us the win, but without him we wouldn't have been in the position to win the match. He'll recover from this and continue to perform as well as he has all season.

Simon Francis: 7- Bad crossing today but it's forgivable in the conditions and he deserves to be recognized for keeping Gary Roberts quiet all game, there are not many better right-backs in League One than him.

Tommy Elphick: 8- Solid throughout and managed to win the ball a lot, even though James Collins provided a physical attacking presence we haven't faced in a while.

Steve Cook: 7- Another good game for him, though I've marked him slightly lower than his central partner because he seemed to suffer more from the conditions, though he was not at fault for the goal either.

Charlie Daniels: 7- Swindon seemed to be finding success down his side early on but he kept Ritchie quiet for the rest of the game while also adding an attacking threat. His runs forward provide another option whenever we have the ball.

Marc Pugh: 6- Though arguably our best player he wasn't at the races today, and Nathan Thompson defended against him very well. He did manage to create space and chances sometimes, but I've seen him played significantly better.

Harry Arter: 8- What a player he is turning out to be, his stamina is endless and he is always pressuring the opposition or on the ball for us. His goal was a great shot and I think he's our most important player right now.

Eunan O'Kane: 7- Despite being smaller physically he is not weak and he fought hard in the middle of the park. He's forming a good partnership with Arter and as with most of the team, his game is not suited to the weather today.

Josh McQuoid: 6- Replicated the hard working nature of Fogden and helped Francis out but he did not have much success going forward and took a little too long on the ball sometimes. I'm not convinced right midfield is his best position.

Lewis Grabban: 7- Once again put in 100% effort despite being said to be a major doubt for the game due to illness. He found space and has great pace, but apart from the header he didn't have a chance to get on the scoresheet.

Brett Pitman: 7- I haven't been very impressed with his performances since his return but his work rate today was improved and he was more intelligent in possession. His style of play is odd but as he proved with the long range shot he is always capable of producing something special.

Subs

Wes Thomas: 5- Made his return today following a loan spell at Blackpool and he hasn't changed at all. Looked thoroughly disinterested and was rarely near the ball, we were worse once he came on.

Wes Fogden: Didn't have much of a chance to impact the game as we were defending most of the time while he was on but he was reliable as always.

Richard Hughes: Not on for long enough to really do anything.

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?