Match Day Bournemouth v Hull, Saturday 15th October 15:00

[SALTIRE]

Match chat.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

4 points and two pleasing performances from Everton H and Watford A has set the mood at Dean Court riding high currently.

The key for us are Arter and Wilshere in the middle together, they're getting better with every game (woodwork strikes notwithstanding), and they make an excellent platform. Hopefully the break will have allowed them both to rest. Wilshere is able to play a solid 70 minutes every game at the moment, and Arter plays right on the edge and is always a knock away from a period out. Howe currently plays a balancing act with both of them.

Jordon Ibe is finally starting to settle into our setup, and Callum Wilson is back to his bustling best, with a proper poachers goal to boot last out. Between Stanislas, King, Afobe, we have lots of options in those areas.

As ever we struggle to keep clean sheets, and turned what should possibly have been 6 points into 4 by switching off in our own box. Those gremlins remain and will always ensure that we need to score a couple in any given game. Left back Daniels is in poor run of form, and it can't be long before Ake or B.Smith gets in there.

Hull started the season in great form silencing all the doom mongers, but then hit a tough run of fixtures against sides anyone in the bottom half would probably lose against, but shipped a lot of goals in the process. So really hard to judge where abouts they're at. Mason and Snodgrass are players I like.

Both teams to score as ever a good bet with us I think.

 

[PDS]

It's another one of our games that screams last on Match of the Day I think.

We've won our last two at home, but I guess the difference is not many people expecting wins from those games. There's a feeling that with Hull's form we probably should be winning, which can bring its own pressure.

As always, if we score first you feel like we have a very good chance; Calum Wilson and Josh King look like they're getting their form back; I'd even be tempted to drop Ibe for now and play King on the right-hand side; such is the danger he causes; but with a better end product than Ibe.

And of course, we still look like conceding everytime a cross comes into our penalty area. It's been our achilles heel for about 5 years, so nothing new, but still just as frustrating. If it were me, I'd play Ake over Daniels at left back, but it would be a big, big call to disrupt such an established back four.

 

[PDS]

Just looking at our next four games, other than Spurs who are going to ruin us, we have Hull, Middlesborough and Sunderland in the space of a month. By early November we'll have a much idea how good we actually are.

We've looked like a top half team at times this season (Everton, WBA), but a bottom 3 team others (West Ham, parts of Watford), so it will be interesting how we shape up going forwards.

 

[mistermagic]

It's another one of our games that screams last on Match of the Day I think.

Probably. Still the game I'm most looking forward to given both sides will rely on this period (between the October and November international break) to put relegation worries as far as possible. Reckon Bournemouth will take this quite comfortably however. The one not to lose is next week at home to Stoke. Lose this and we're in trouble (yes I do realise I have a Stoke crest as my avatar).

 

[Benji]

Oh, poor Mike.

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Most comprehensive Bournemouth performance in our top flight time to date. Utterly rampant. Was 6, could have been 10 or 12.

Yeah Hull are poor, shape lacking and central defenders lacking punch. But we're absolutely irresistible coming forward. Joy to watch.

Wilshere on another planet to Hull, everything so easy for him, and 80 mins completed today. Class act.

Ibe better with every game, should have scored but I'm pleased with how he's coming on.

And Wilson, another poached goal, plus a couple for Stanislas. Cannot praise us enough in attack.

Yeah we gifted Hull a goal, Cook, but so superior particularly in midfield it made no difference.

We'll probably be brought back down to earth by Spurs next week, but fuck that for now, We're flying. One happy and confident Bournemouth camp right now.

Hopefully it's going to be a case of not whether we stay up, but how high we can finish! Cue a battering next week, but right now I don't care

 

[AFCB_Mark]

Bar the keeper, that's with an entirely British starting 11, of which the only non English is Arter, who is English really anyway.

Bournemouth for England.

 

[smat]

Glad to hear Wilshere's doing well. Sounds like he's getting there, fitness-wise.