What Do We Want To Be, Ipswich Or AFCB? - Notes for Bournemouth Thursday, 2nd Apr 2015 10:21 by HarryFromBath HarryfromBath assesses the mood in the opposition camp ahead of Friday evening’s game by delving into their forums. “The difficult second season is going well”, “Nearly there - just wait patiently”, “We should probably win the division. We are up no matter”, “These are heady times. This is the team of teams. Can we really imagine running out at the Emirates, White Hart Lane and Old Trafford? Can we? Yes, we can!” “Personally I don’t care if we come first or second.” The Cherries went into the international break on a high after their 3-0 win over Middlesbrough stretched their unbeaten run to six games and catapulted them to the top of the table. Some fans have kept their feet firmly on the ground. “Nailed on? I can’t sleep and am a grumpy old sod during this break”, “I am certainly not thinking we are up no matter what”, “I look at our fixtures and see a whole bunch of bananas. At this moment it’s in our own hands but only just. I’m a long way from sleeping soundly thinking we are up.” “I do hope we go up with Norwich to be honest. In the few seasons they had at the top they were pretty humble about it and got on with being a decent friendly club.” Eddie Howe“As Eddie is at the helm we don’t have too much to worry about until Real Madrid poach him”, “I salivate at what Howe could build for us given the resources promotion could land us”, “He reminds me of the great Bill Shankly at Liverpool”, “I may be biased but Eddie is so honest and sincere.”  Howe is adored by Cherries who see him playing a similar role to that which Arsene Wenger has played at Arsenal. However, two criticisms highlighted which have been his management of the team when opponents stand up to them, as well as their very poor record at recovering from losing positions. “Eddie was blaming the referee [for disallowing a goal] after Cardiff for possibly costing us promotion. No, Ed, it’s your inability to coach the team to soak up even the smallest amount of pressure without crumbling. Cardiff were one of the poorest sides in the league but you just knew they would score.” “My only slight issue is that he doesn’t alter his game plan enough when losing. When you are winning it doesn’t matter and thankfully we win more often than not”, “We have dropped 26 points from winning positions but only rescued four from losing positions.” Bournemouth 3 - 0 Middlesbrough“That was the most complete and comprehensive performance of the season and possibly going back some years as well. It was a proper 90-minute performance in which we were superior in literally every position on the pitch”, “A stunning victory over one of the main challengers.” “Middlesbrough played as if they were terrified of us.” Two penalties scored by Yann Kermorgant and Brett Pitman either side of a well-taken Harry Arter strike secured a comprehensive win. It was an open game which many Cherries felt suited their playing style. “It was always going to be a pure football match today and we won it hands down. Middlesbrough were never going to play hoofball. Like us, it’s not their style”, “We constantly played the ball behind their defence into the channels having spotted that their weakness was a lack of pace at the back.” Arter won their second penalty without being touched, but Cherries pointed out that he did not appeal. “Boro fans on their site keep going on about the second penalty and also how decisions went against them”, “If that penalty had been given against us we would have all been furious.” Cardiff 1 - 1 Bournemouth“We played lots of open expansive football, tearing Cardiff apart with passion and energy all there. We scored and hit the woodwork twice”, “Another match where we dominate possession but fail to turn it into a win”, “The goal we conceded was a shocker”, “I felt a Cardiff goal was coming.” The Cherries took an early lead through a Harry Arter strike but Cardiff equalised through a Bruno Ecuele Manga header just after the hour mark. “Opposition scouts must analyse our defending and work out how to get headers in on our goal.” “Cardiff didn’t collapse and at some point we were always going to concede a headed goal. We were lucky not to in the first half and only won about 20% of headers all game”, “Peter Whittingham is a very good set-piece taker and they had height in the box.” Many Cherries were annoyed that they had a goal disallowed after the ball struck Callum Wilson from the Cardiff keeper’s clearance. “We had a good goal disallowed for weirdness”, “To be fair, we have certainly had our fair share of favourable decisions overall this season, so we cannot complain.” Bournemouth 4 - 0 Blackpool“The football remained pretty but not too intense, more pre-season friendly-esque as Blackpool continued to chase shadows. You could say we overplayed at times and didn’t shoot and cross enough”, “We haven’t seen a worse side at Dean Court in our stint at the second level.” A first-half Pitman hat-trick and a Wilson penalty after the break secured a comfortable win for a Cherries team which lost its way after changing to 3-5-2 once the win was secured. “The last 30 minutes drifted into a Harlem Globetrotters display of ball keeping and energy conservation.” Formation“I have never seen a Bournemouth team play with such sustained intensity. It is a tribute to their fitness as well as their concentration”, “We have an attacking ability that rips teams apart”, “The quick thinking and movement on display is a pleasure to watch.” BorucFrancisCookElphick (c)DanielsRitchieArterSurmanPughKermorgantWilson
Bournemouth’s success this season has been borne from their style of play as much as their 4-4-2 formation. They place great emphasis on high tempo and pressing with quick passing. They like to play on the ground working to rehearsed patterns, using darting runs to unlock defences. The Cherries use the full width of the pitch spreading play wide from midfield. Their full-backs are very attacking and the wingers can often cut inside to allow the overlap or to link up with strikers. Of the midfield pair, Andrew Surman has tended to sit and set the tempo, using his passing to initiate attacks, while Harry Arter is more tigerish and links more with the strikers and wide attackers. Yann Kermorgant or Brett Pitman have played off Callum Wilson up front. Fans felt that they came unstuck when a switch to 3-5-2 against Blackpool cost them width, tempo and left players in unfamiliar roles. “It probably cost us goals with Ritchie and Francis out of position”, “Francis was all over the place. Cook had to keep telling him where to position himself.” Defending Set Pieces“There is something wrong with our set-piece defending”, “How many times have we been undone from set-plays? This is our weak point and powerful teams know it. We just haven’t got an answer“, Most teams have four or five aggressive aerial players, some like Ipswich have more.” This is seen as a recurring weakness, and the Cherries have tried compensating by defending in numbers. “We have everyone back crowding the area but many are not comfortable”, “With more people back it is less likely that one of their players will get a run on the ball.” Managing Referees“[Middlesbrough boss Aitor] Karanka claimed that they didn’t get a single decision for the first 15 minutes and the linesman was laughing after disallowing a Boro goal, a nice addition to the AFCB conspiracy”, “I wish players would stop banging into our players from behind and looking surprised when a freekick is given.” A number of opposing supporters believe that key decisions have unfairly gone in the Cherries’ favour, the second penalty against Boro and a first-minute red card picked up by Watford’s Gabriele Angella in January being most recent examples. Some fans accept that their team will try to play the referee. “Yes, we go down easily, but given our percentage of play in the final third, more time in the opposition penalty area will inevitably mean more penalties”, “We do surround the referee frequently. I don’t like this in any team. Teams have done that to us and we have been scathing.” “We play the most skilful and attacking football at pace in the league. This inevitably leads to reckless tackles by defenders”, “If you dive in or make a challenge in the area you are inviting the referee to make a decision. It is not surprising we get so many penalties.” Defence“Letting the opposition score regularly with high balls into the box has nothing to do with our attacking play and everything to do with shoddy defensive work”, “We need to be able to keep clean sheets. Regardless of the referee, if we defend well enough we win. We didn’t against Cardiff.” Artur Boruc“Boruc is a bloody good keeper”, “Our defence clearly believe in him. There are bigger debates about the team than this one”, “He has had a hugely positive influence since arriving”, “He inspires the defence with confidence a lot more than Lee Camp does.”  The 35-year-old Southampton loan signing is seen as part of the problem defending crosses. “He can be flat-footed, kicks poorly and fumbles high balls”, “He seems stuck to his line”, “He can look lost and bewildered. At times he is motionless when the ball is pinging around his box.” “Steve Cook and Tommy Elphick are probably the best central defensive partnership the club has ever had. I wouldn’t swap them at this level for the world.” Both defenders arrived from Brighton in 2012. “They have been instrumental in settling our back four as a solid unit.” “Tommy Elphick has the odd slip but few of his clangers lead to goals unlike Cook”, “I really love Elphick’s passion.” The 27-year-old captain had “a towering leader’s performance with grit and thought” against Middlesbrough. “It looked like Steve Cook was the defender that the Cardiff player towered over unchallenged to power home his header.” The 23-year-old “has one or two major cock-ups in him each game despite being brilliant 99% of the time”, “He does make costly mistakes as a ball-playing centre-back.” “I consider Charlie Daniels to be a bit of an unsung hero”, “His link-up play with Pugh is excellent.” The 28-year-old ex-Orient left-back “has his best game of the season against Boro. He was up and down and linking brilliantly with Pugh”, “They gave their opposite numbers a torrid time.” “Daniels had that ‘you won’t pass me’ steel that you need from defenders and which is not always part of his game”, “I had a few doubts about whether he is good enough, but his performances have been excellent of late”, “He won his individual battle with Albert Adomah with a flawless display.” Simon Francis“Is Francis human? Has there been testing done?” “One newspaper article recently listed Simon Francis as our star man, so maybe somebody has done their research”, “He is the most competitive player in our side”, “He is my favourite player”, “The first name on the teamsheet for me.”  The 30-year-old former Charlton right-back “is full of energy, an excellent crosser of the ball and a team player”, “He overlaps Ritchie so well and delivers a far better ball”, “The runs he makes to draw defenders away from Ritchie are just class.” Central Midfield“Shaun MacDonald seems to have done alright.” The 26-year-old ex-Swansea man covered for Harry Arter’s recent suspension. “The ginger Zidane is slower and more defensively-minded”, “A bit similar to Surman and lacks forward bite”, “Has been excellent whenever he has covered this season.” “Andrew Surman sweeps up beautifully and does the simple things brilliantly.” The 28-year-old former Canary “has lovely movement and passing range. He sets the tempo for the team”, “He rarely wastes a ball or misses a tackle”, “We have a strong midfield that is premiership ready.” “My only minor frustration with Surman is that there are times when close to goal that he makes his usual sideways pass instead of having a crack at goal. He is very good at controlling the midfield and some of his passing is exquisite”, “He always elects to pass sideways to the wing.” Harry Arter“Arter majestically conducted the high-intensity red orchestra in front of him”, “The snarling crowd favourite had the game of his life against Boro and crowned it by unleashing an imperious left-foot worldy”, “He is the midfield’s heartbeat”, “His vision, grit and reading of the game are outstanding.”  “Harry’s energy is ridiculous. His ability to spot a pass matches up to anyone in this division, be it across the pitch or perfectly weighted behind the defence”, “His shooting has come in in leaps and bounds”, “Reminds me a bit of Billy Bremner”, “Eddie must tear his hair out at Harry gobbing off.” The 25-year-old former Woking man and one-time Town trialist “is beginning to look classy. He has the ability to drop his shoulder and send players the wrong way”, “He seems a bit more willing to run with the ball directly at goal with devastating effect.” “He is similar to Jimmy Case when at his best for Liverpool.” “Was it a dive? No. Did he go down easily? Yes”, “There was no contact. I think he has gone down anticipating the challenge but the challenge never came, which is also referred to as a dive”, “He went down because he lost his footing”, “It was as clear a dive as you will ever see.” Wide Midfield“Adam Smith for Matt Ritchie is a usual move.” The 23-year-old right-sided former Derby loan signing “changed the game in our recent win over Wolves with his pace, passing and movement and not on his natural flank”, “I don’t think Smith is defensively sound but he is a cracking winger.” “Ryan Fraser always looks to do something different. He’s a winger who runs at defenders with pace and they are afraid to touch him, conceding fouls if they do.” The 21-year-old ex-Aberdeen right-winger “is going to be one hell of a player”, “Has real quality but chances are few and far between.” “What does Eddie see in Junior Stanislas?” The 25-year-old ex-Burnley left-winger has been heavily criticised. “Swapping to 3-5-2 against Blackpool helped disguise how poor Stanislas was. Everyone looked all over the place so he fitted right in”, “Even my eight-year-old noticed his poor passing.” “Marc Pugh is a delight to watch these days. At the end of every game he seems to have given everything physically”, “I love the way he turns defenders inside out and snaps a cross over before they have had a chance to get a foot in the way”, “His step-overs create space to get crosses in.” The 27-year-old former Hereford left-winger’s “constant trickery, movement and link-play is superb”, “I’m not sure Pugh has the pace he had when he first arrived but his trickery on the ball has returned. He gives the team better balance away from home.” Matt Ritchie“Ritchie’s cross-field passes with Pugh are beautiful to watch. His link-ups with Francis are also as good as ever”, “His cross-field passes set him apart. A 50-yard pass to a player suddenly creates space and he reminds me of Hoddle at his best. He is wonderful to watch.”  The 25-year-old former Swindon right-winger set up Christoph Berra’s goal on his Scotland international debut last week. “He grew into the game with two trademark cutting-in efforts and three great corners”, “He has quick feet and wonderful movement and vision.” Strikers“I was wrong about Tokelo Rantie. I was right in line. He went looking for the penalty by trying to rush between the two Ipswich defenders. There was minimal contact and I and the guy nearby thought he injured his shoulder by exaggerating the fall too much”, “Bundled over big time.” The 24-year-old South Africa international and ex-Malmo man was injured in our league game in November and has been recently used as a bench option. “I wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if Rantie is sold back to a continental team in the summer.” Kenwyne Jones“Jones doesn’t suit our style of play unless we adopt the Ipswich method”, “Wow is all I can say. It’s very unexpected and certainly a different option”, “If you had asked to list 50 players we might have signed on loan he wouldn’t have been on it”, “It doesn’t look like Rantie will be our hero now.”  Many Cherries were surprised by the loan signing of the 30-year-old from Cardiff until the end of the season. Some are unimpressed and see him as a bench option at best. “I thought we had moved on from signing donkeys barging about the pitch”, “He can throw his weight around against Ipswich.” Some are more positive. “Jones will be a massive benefit to our centre-backs in training as well as being able to bully opponents in the last half-hour of games”, “He knocks the ball for the running forward to chase, often forcing a corner”, “An impact man with physical presence and experience.” Brett Pitman“Pitman the hitman scored a first-half hat-trick [against Blackpool], notching up his 100th Cherries goal”, “He is a renaissance man. Five goals in a week and he has taken to the withdrawn role in a different way to Yann, but just as effectively”, “Probably our most gifted player but the consensus is often negative.”  “Pitman is an all-time AFCB legend and would be in an all-time starting XI for me. He has scored the most important goals throughout the past six years and never gave up when he lost his place. He gets nowhere near as much credit as he deserves. He offers more defensively in our penalty box.” The 27-year old played for a period at Bristol City. “All of Pitman’s goals have come against teams 14th or below in the league”, “He was hardly involved against Cardiff”, “He linked up play well but didn’t look like scoring”, “He does a job in this team but not generally against the top sides.” Yann Kermorgant“A Kermorgant-Pitman partnership would be too static as this level, easy for defenders to snuff out”.  The 33-year-old ex-Charlton man started ahead of Pitman against Boro. He brings tactical variety as well as a goal threat. “It is always a tactical choice for Eddie, not who is the better player.” “Yann has a better presence at set-pieces and on the end of crosses”, “Yann offers a lot defensively dropping in really well to help Arter and Surman”, “His touch isn’t always sound, but he comes deep to pick up the ball in the middle of the pitch and often directing play with his flick-ons and headers.” Callum Wilson“In the first 45 minutes, Wilson was a like a wrecking-ball. The Boro defenders didn’t know what hit them”, “He is worth having on the pitch even in his barren spell for all the fouls he draws. Defenders have to double up on him leaving space for others to exploit”, “What a handful he was - so quick.”  The 23-year-old former Coventry man “is not firing as a goalscorer but is still so dangerous and terrified opponents”, “He scared the wits out of the Boro defence. He is such a valuable player even when not scoring”, “He may not be scoring but the work he does is outstanding.” “We should play it into the channels for Callum more. That is where he is at his best”, “He was a one-man forest fire”, “Should be left up in the centre circle poised for a quick counter when defending corners”, “He was kicked on the knee when upended against Boro, missing the England U21 game." Cherries’ Views on ITFC and the Game“Another tough game on Friday”, “Ipswich will be a scrap so a point would be okay”, “I’m not sure we have much to fear now on the run-in. Take a point at Portman Road and then look out.” With this game widely seen as the most difficult they have left, most Cherries would be happy with a point. They are frightened of our physical threat from set-plays. “If we play a team like Ipswich who have seven tall players and we only have Cook, Elphick, Francis and Kermorgant, this leaves us vulnerable. At all of Ipswich’s set-plays someone had a header and we got away it with until the equalising goal.” “Good business signing Chris Wood. It shows what we are up against as a smaller club”, “Ipswich have pulled off a major coup getting him and I just know he will score against us”, “I would rather not play Wood as it would influence our style of play.” “Perhaps it was the Ipswich style of football which attracted him, ie hoof the ball as far up the pitch as possible for him to flick on for Murphy or AN Other”, “Maybe Wood thinks Ipswich are a better punt, being a bigger club but perhaps didn’t realise they play rubbish football.” “Ipswich - don’t get me started. I’m glad we’re starting to play them at their own game”, “I would rather lose playing football than dig out results playing hoofball.” “I bet it wouldn't take much digging [through the TWTD forum] to see them all slagging off Mick McCarthy and the style his teams play in his previous managerial roles. However, now he's their manager, his teams don't play long ball or use rule-bending aggression to gain an advantage.” A few Cherries have been following discussions over here this week. There has been little said of Daryl Murphy or even Mick, but many Cherries were hopeful of signing the Chris Wood on loan before he chose us. They also had some thoughts on our suspended left-back. “Mings is suspended for our match. Things are really going for us”, “Every time I have seen him this season, he is bang average or worse. He must have something about him to get all the hype, but I’d have been happy to see his name on the teamsheet based on what I have seen.” One Cherry offered this positive and constructive insight: “If Ipswich are more direct then it's up to the team to break them down isn't it? I thought that in the two games at Dean Court they were fairly effective. Last season at Portman Road was another good battle of footballing styles.” Who Deserves to Finish Seventh?“Who do you want to finish seventh?”, “Ipswich for me - hoofball and I genuinely believe that team went out to injure our players and their fans were delighted to find out about it”, “I guess mainly Ipswich as they combine cheating with hoof ball and a million loan signings ‘all for under £10,000’.” A thread asking who Cherries would like to see miss out on the play-offs revealed the antipathy felt by some supporters towards our perceived style of play. Town picked up just over half of the votes ahead of the combined total of the other six possible choices. “Ipswich all day - at least Watford and Derby play a game that can occasionally approximate to football. I do want Ipswich to think that they have made it, right up to them dancing on the pitch and holding hands. Then the news comes through that every other side has scored a last minute winner.” “The Tractor Boys for their agricultural style of football”, “Their style is the most boring awful dull football that certainly doesn’t belong in the Football League.” WebsitesThe busiest Cherries’ message-board is http://www.bournemouth.vitalfootball.co.uk/forum/forums/forum-view.asp?fid=3 .
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