Bournemouth v Blackburn

[AFCB_Mark]

Call me mental but I'm strangely optimistic for this.

We've slightly lost the plot in the last 4 or 5, with the last two defeats being particularly irksome. The side has looked tired at times, or ponderous at times as to how to break a defence down - something we've been so good at all season.

We tried something a little different at Forest with a couple of changes and it started spectacularly well, before going to pot after 15 minutes!

Now we have midfield nutcase Harry Arter back from two game suspension and it should completely change the tempo of our midfield. I imagine he'll be straining at the leash to jump into a mad tackle and get himself booked within 2 minutes, but he does make a difference.

TK Rantie made his first appearance in months on Wednesday, good to have him as another option in attack. Kermorgant we'll have to wait on, he missed Wednesday due to a family issue and its unclear how the situation lies for today.

Blackburn seem similar to Forest in that they're unlikely to bother the playoffs probably, but are clearly a decent side have accumulated plenty of points. I was up there to see them narrowly beat us 3-2 with us missing a host of late equaliser chances. Their attack is very potent and will cause us trouble at some point.

But likewise, I fell we'll click something together ourselves and will cause problems. Maybe one for both teams to score bets. Blackburn's away record is pretty patchy for some reason.

Perhaps I've finally gone mad but I think this will be a better day for us. Here's hoping!!

 

[PDS]

I'm completely the opposite, certain we'll lose and drop to 7th this weekend!

Absolutely horrendous crash on the way into Bournemouth apparently, hopefully the damage isn't as bad as it sounds. Kick off delayed until 3.30 'at least', with a few of our players stuck in the traffic along with a heap of fans (No idea if Blackburn's coach has arrived yet).

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Absolute chaos on the roads, nothing moving anywhere including our own players! If we get it started at 3.30 we'll be lucky I think.

 

[PDS]

Absolute chaos on the roads, nothing moving anywhere including our own players! If we get it started at 3.30 we'll be lucky I think.

Are you stuck in it? Sounds like 3.30 could be optimistic.

Pictures of Elphick & Arter sitting on the side of the road looking very frustrated, not ideal preparation..

 

[roversfan2001]

First team to keep a clean sheet against Bournemouth at Dean Court this season

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Well that was yet another frustrating home game! It wasn't even that Blackburn were overly 'bus parking' - of course they sat deep with a 4-5-1 that broke into a 4-3-3 when the chance came - but they were less defensive than for example Nottm Forest were at their own home against us midweek.

We played pretty well too, can't fault our performance much. It's really quite hard to put your finger on why we can't buy a win just at the moment. Howe puts it down to 'decision making', probably something in that. I just feel our creative players are being too 'safe' if you know what I mean. Gone is the arrogance and zip that meant no matter how many defensive players there were put in front of us - we'd find a few clever impossible looking balls to break them open. Instead now it's always the safest options, sideways again, don't give it away, try a bog standard cross to the far post, nothing as adventurous as we've played all season.

It makes us easier to defend against.

We were unlucky not to get a penalty when Wilson was poleaxed moments from tapping in 6 yards out, unsure why the ref didn't spot it, but we had other chances. Hit the bar, forced a decent save, but probably should have created more from our possession.

Can't catch a break at the minute.