“Bournemouth have lost their way” - Guardian

Even I would agree that our problems run much deeper than injuries. They obviously don't help but some of our worst performances this season were with very strong sides on paper.
 
NWCherries98 said:
Plus, before this, Danjuma, Gosling, Surman, L. Cook (as you say), Solanke have all had quite lengthy spells out. And Brooks! Injuries are without a doubt the biggest factor; just because they've only recently piled up to this horrific extent, doesn't mean that the disruption that clusters of four injuries at a time, all the time, brings hasn't been there.
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Also you can't take each injury in isolation when extrapolating its' potential effect upon our performances. I think there is a strong case for saying that one major component of our incoherent performances this season could be a lack of partnerships developing throughout the team. Eddie alluded to partnerships after the CP game ( I think it was ). It's very hard to build these partnerships from defence to midfield, from midfield/defence to the wings etc. when the personnel you are playing is constantly changing. I'm fairly confident we would have had better results simply if we had been able to keep the same players in the same positions for a longer run of games.
It's hard to think of many partnerships which have been working well this season. Maybe Cook and Ake but even that partnership has been broken up now.
 
thegazzyb said:
Also you can't take each injury in isolation when extrapolating its' potential effect upon our performances. I think there is a strong case for saying that one major component of our incoherent performances this season could be a lack of partnerships developing throughout the team. Eddie alluded to partnerships after the CP game ( I think it was ). It's very hard to build these partnerships from defence to midfield, from midfield/defence to the wings etc. when the personnel you are playing is constantly changing. I'm fairly confident we would have had better results simply if we had been able to keep the same players in the same positions for a longer run of games.
It's hard to think of many partnerships which have been working well this season. Maybe Cook and Ake but even that partnership has been broken up now.
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Ake is documented as taking lengthy steps to build a good partnership with Rico, such as learning bits of Spanish and being more vocal on the pitch with him in particular. I'd say they have a somewhat decent partnership now (which is now broken). I would've said Billing and Lerma a few weeks ago but now I'm not so sure...
 
NWCherries98 said:
In terms of PL "Hit" Signings I'd go...
- King (One of our best ever players)
- Distin (Valuable experience)
- Afobe (Important goals overall)
- Boruc (One of our best ever players)
- L. Cook (Obviously)
- Wilshere (Contributed to our best ever finish)
- Ramsdale (Obviously)
- Ake (Our best ever player)
- Defoe (Controversially perhaps, I'll say that his experience must have had an impact on our other strikers and younger players in general)
- Lerma (Will probably go down as one of our best ever players)
- Rico (Hugely impressive sophomore season)
- Brooks (Obviously)
- Clyne (Useful stop gap solution)
- Billing (Has been mostly great)
- Stacey (Great bargain buy for squad depth and potential)
- Danjuma (Exciting young talent)
- Kelly (ditto Danjuma)
- Solanke (I BELIEVE he'll come good for goals. Sorry)

And then there are other players like Mings and Mousset that we nearly doubled our money on. The only bad window we've had is probably our very first one in hindsight. Almost all of the players have left by now that we signed then, mostly at a loss.
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Excellent analysis but you no H. Wilson? Also, you lose points for the word "sophomore". ;-)
 
SlowDownDerek said:
My vew is that it's your typical paint-by-numbers piece on clubs outside the top six. Some half decent points in there but generally a bit sloppy and displays a lack of understanding of how we've changed over time in the top flight.

As an article it's not dreadful but it's not very good either.
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Fair enough, personally I think if you asked for 100 words on random Premier League forums you'd get more insight. Almost every line is terrible, EH lazy, Potter "evolving" Brighton but only being there 6 months, and so on
 
since Pl;

Ibe - 3/10..............shown very little
Solanke - 5/10.....still time to come good, but looking a bit unlikely?
Smith B - 2/10....not sure why we signed this guy!
Lerma 8/10....good solid signing, consistently a 7 or 8/10
Ake - 10/10...best signing by a long shot!
Mepham - 6/10...still raw but shows some promise
Cook L - 7/10....not really given the chance often to perform?
Kelly -??
Billing - 6/10...bit of a languid type, needs to impose himself more
Ramsdale -8/10...great prospect
Defoe - 4/10...risky signing that proved not good enough
King - 9/10...under-rated and great asset
Rico - 6/10...coming good after a tricky start, more to come hopefully!
Afobe - 6/10...scored some important goals, but lost confidence
Clyne - 4/10...another gamble that didn't really come good
Wilson H -7/10...lightweight but great finisher
Danjuma - 5/10...flashes of good but needs more gametime IMO
Stacey - 6/10...promising lad, one for the future
Wilshere -7/10....great 'named' player at a time when we needed a boost
Brooks - 9/10...true prospect but proving a tad fragile!
Distin - 5/10...experience head but slow mover!
Hyndman - 3/10...never really grabbed a place in the team
Mings - 5/10...unlucky with injuries but is a cultured CB
Mousset -4/10....no motivation or desire under Eddie but looks a hotshot now under Wilder
Iturbe - 3/10...chancey type but lacked ball control IMO
 
Garbo said:
since Pl;

Ibe - 3/10..............shown very little
Solanke - 5/10.....still time to come good, but looking a bit unlikely?
Smith B - 2/10....not sure why we signed this guy!
Lerma 8/10....good solid signing, consistently a 7 or 8/10
Ake - 10/10...best signing by a long shot!
Mepham - 6/10...still raw but shows some promise
Cook L - 7/10....not really given the chance often to perform?
Kelly -??
Billing - 6/10...bit of a languid type, needs to impose himself more
Ramsdale -8/10...great prospect
Defoe - 4/10...risky signing that proved not good enough
King - 9/10...under-rated and great asset
Rico - 6/10...coming good after a tricky start, more to come hopefully!
Afobe - 6/10...scored some important goals, but lost confidence
Clyne - 4/10...another gamble that didn't really come good
Wilson H -7/10...lightweight but great finisher
Danjuma - 5/10...flashes of good but needs more gametime IMO
Stacey - 6/10...promising lad, one for the future
Wilshere -7/10....great 'named' player at a time when we needed a boost
Brooks - 9/10...true prospect but proving a tad fragile!
Distin - 5/10...experience head but slow mover!
Hyndman - 3/10...never really grabbed a place in the team
Mings - 5/10...unlucky with injuries but is a cultured CB
Mousset -4/10....no motivation or desire under Eddie but looks a hotshot now under Wilder
Iturbe - 3/10...chancey type but lacked ball control IMO
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No Atsu?:grinning:
(Also Tomlin, Murray, Grabban, that other Wilson from Stoke, that left back we signed on loan first season who is now at Cardiff (Bennett?)
 
Garbo said:
since Pl;

Ibe - 3/10..............shown very little
Solanke - 5/10.....still time to come good, but looking a bit unlikely?
Smith B - 2/10....not sure why we signed this guy!
Lerma 8/10....good solid signing, consistently a 7 or 8/10
Ake - 10/10...best signing by a long shot!
Mepham - 6/10...still raw but shows some promise
Cook L - 7/10....not really given the chance often to perform?
Kelly -??
Billing - 6/10...bit of a languid type, needs to impose himself more
Ramsdale -8/10...great prospect
Defoe - 4/10...risky signing that proved not good enough
King - 9/10...under-rated and great asset
Rico - 6/10...coming good after a tricky start, more to come hopefully!
Afobe - 6/10...scored some important goals, but lost confidence
Clyne - 4/10...another gamble that didn't really come good
Wilson H -7/10...lightweight but great finisher
Danjuma - 5/10...flashes of good but needs more gametime IMO
Stacey - 6/10...promising lad, one for the future
Wilshere -7/10....great 'named' player at a time when we needed a boost
Brooks - 9/10...true prospect but proving a tad fragile!
Distin - 5/10...experience head but slow mover!
Hyndman - 3/10...never really grabbed a place in the team
Mings - 5/10...unlucky with injuries but is a cultured CB
Mousset -4/10....no motivation or desire under Eddie but looks a hotshot now under Wilder
Iturbe - 3/10...chancey type but lacked ball control IMO
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Lewis Cook hasn't had the chance to perform!!!!....lol how many games for us now?...60 odd?..…how many chances does he want?..:D
 
I do think the current situation is being far too targeted by the national media, I can see why but it wasn't too long ago we were doing ok. Beat Wolves and we would have been 5th, that is three games ago. Very fine lines in what has been quite a strange season for lots of PL clubs so far.

And I do think that any side would see a dip in form with so many key players absent. Even Liverpool.
 
davygravy said:
I do think the current situation is being far too targeted by the national media, I can see why but it wasn't too long ago we were doing ok. Beat Wolves and we would have been 5th, that is three games ago. Very fine lines in what has been quite a strange season for lots of PL clubs so far.

And I do think that any side would see a dip in form with so many key players absent. Even Liverpool.
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You’re right Davy - there are plenty of media pundits ready to take a poke at us. But the recent run has been dismal - not just the results but the stale, ponderous performances and sorry lack of leadership. Eddie used to say he’d never compromise his principles - playing on the front foot, moving the ball, looking for goals. Now we seem lost and it’s not clear to me what Eddie’s trying to achieve.
 
davygravy said:
I do think the current situation is being far too targeted by the national media, I can see why but it wasn't too long ago we were doing ok. Beat Wolves and we would have been 5th, that is three games ago. Very fine lines in what has been quite a strange season for lots of PL clubs so far.

And I do think that any side would see a dip in form with so many key players absent. Even Liverpool.
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It was our performances with a good squad against Watford, Norwich, Newcastle and ten man Palace that got us in the crap. Not the injury ravaged loss to Liverpool which would have happened with a fully fit squad.

Three flat lines, a love of Franno at right back, the bizarre switch of formation to match up with Sheff U, the same persistence we saw after a splurge of money on Ibe with Solanke, our inabilty to coach players to defend against routine balls with correct positioning, not looking to push up the pitch. This is what has blighted the last twelve months with injuries contributing from time to time when certain key players get them.

Now, without Ake and Cook injuries are a valid excuse as far as I am concerned but it doesn’t stop you trying different systems etc.
 
Neil Dawson said:
It was our performances with a good squad against Watford, Norwich, Newcastle and ten man Palace that got us in the crap. Not the injury ravaged loss to Liverpool which would have happened with a fully fit squad.

Three flat lines, a love of Franno at right back, the bizarre switch of formation to match up with Sheff U, the same persistence we saw after a splurge of money on Ibe with Solanke, our inabilty to coach players to defend against routine balls with correct positioning, not looking to push up the pitch. This is what has blighted the last twelve months with injuries contributing from time to time when certain key players get them.

Now, without Ake and Cook injuries are a valid excuse as far as I am concerned but it doesn’t stop you trying different systems etc.
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This 3 flat lines thing is such a load of pretentious nonsense imo....but then of course I'm not the forums self appointed tactics guru.....so why don't you educate me Neill...:grinning:....explain to me ...in layman's terms of course....how 4411 has 3 flat lines whilst 451 or 433 apparently don't...Tia
 
Topfarrier said:
This 3 flat lines thing is such a load of pretentious nonsense imo....but then of course I'm not the forums self appointed tactics guru.....so why don't you educate me Neill...:grinning:....explain to me ...in layman's terms of course....how 4411 has 3 flat lines whilst 451 or 433 apparently don't...Tia
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Number one. I’m not a self appointed tactics guru. That’s disrespectful. I’m a bloke with an opinion on tactics same as you. You’ve appointed me a self appointed tactics guru.

Number two. Any system can be a flat three lines or not, it’s how you choose to play it. How often do you see Ake ahead of Billing dropping back. Rico ahead with Fraser dropping back, more importantly when do you ever, ever see Lerma or Billing breaking into the box or ahead of Wilson or King when a cross comes in.

We have rigidity throughout our game and it makes us very easy to a) stop and b) play through as a result. Which is why teams routinely both stop us and play through us.
 
Garbo said:
since Pl;

Ibe - 3/10..............shown very little
Solanke - 5/10.....still time to come good, but looking a bit unlikely?
Smith B - 2/10....not sure why we signed this guy!
Lerma 8/10....good solid signing, consistently a 7 or 8/10
Ake - 10/10...best signing by a long shot!
Mepham - 6/10...still raw but shows some promise
Cook L - 7/10....not really given the chance often to perform?
Kelly -??
Billing - 6/10...bit of a languid type, needs to impose himself more
Ramsdale -8/10...great prospect
Defoe - 4/10...risky signing that proved not good enough
King - 9/10...under-rated and great asset
Rico - 6/10...coming good after a tricky start, more to come hopefully!
Afobe - 6/10...scored some important goals, but lost confidence
Clyne - 4/10...another gamble that didn't really come good
Wilson H -7/10...lightweight but great finisher
Danjuma - 5/10...flashes of good but needs more gametime IMO
Stacey - 6/10...promising lad, one for the future
Wilshere -7/10....great 'named' player at a time when we needed a boost
Brooks - 9/10...true prospect but proving a tad fragile!
Distin - 5/10...experience head but slow mover!
Hyndman - 3/10...never really grabbed a place in the team
Mings - 5/10...unlucky with injuries but is a cultured CB
Mousset -4/10....no motivation or desire under Eddie but looks a hotshot now under Wilder
Iturbe - 3/10...chancey type but lacked ball control IMO
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Ritchie ?
 
Neil Dawson said:
Number one. I’m not a self appointed tactics guru. That’s disrespectful. I’m a bloke with an opinion on tactics same as you. You’ve appointed me a self appointed tactics guru.

Number two. Any system can be a flat three lines or not, it’s how you choose to play it. How often do you see Ake ahead of Billing dropping back. Rico ahead with Fraser dropping back, more importantly when do you ever, ever see Lerma or Billing breaking into the box or ahead of Wilson or King when a cross comes in.

We have rigidity throughout our game and it makes us very easy to a) stop and b) play through as a result. Which is why teams routinely both stop us and play through us.
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That's a shame I was sure you'd know the answer to my fairly straightforward question.
So you're now saying that it doesn't matter what formation we play then?....hardly seems worth bothering changing the one we have then.
Many many apologies if you thought I was being disrespectful btw Neil...I shall remove the words 'self appointed' from all future correspondance....very sorry.
 
Topfarrier said:
That's a shame I was sure you'd know the answer to my fairly straightforward question.
So you're now saying that it doesn't matter what formation we play then?....hardly seems worth bothering changing the one we have then.
Many many apologies if you thought I was being disrespectful btw Neil...I shall remove the words 'self appointed' from all future correspondance....very sorry.
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Much appreciated thanks. It’s like the phrase ‘so called experts’ that people always use in a demeaning way at anyone that just happens to have an opinion. It’s an opinions forum...

I am saying by and large it doesn’t matter what system you play which I know sounds contradictory. However if you want a rigid repetitive system which Eddie has always preferred then you might as well play 4-3-3 as it is more likely to happen naturally. There’s a reason the top sides in the world play it. I might not be a self appointed tactics expert but the guys that run these clubs are.
 
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