AFC Bournemouth v Blackburn Rovers

billythekid

billythekid

UTC Legend
New Season - New League – New Managerial Team

After being relegated from the top flight after five seasons, the Cherries start the new campaign in the Championship without their old manager Eddie Howe. He left the club and probably to have a well earned rest, recharge his batteries and in the meantime enjoy family life, after the pressure of a relegation fight last season, he will be missed.

Eddie has been replaced by the other half of the successful team by his old ‘sparring’ partner Jason Tindall, who was asked by our owner Max Denim to takeover as the new manager. Jason has appointed as his assistant manager, Stephen Purches who steps up from his first-team coach duties to take on the new role. A newcomer to the club, is the very experienced Graeme Jones, who becomes first-team coach and hopefully will add some new fresh ideas. Wish all three the best of luck in their new roles as we going into a challenging season in the Championship.

After the changes in the managerial and coaching team, there have been changes amongst our playing personnel. We have lost probably our best player in Nathan Ake who has left to join Manchester City. Another player to leave was our first choice goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale, who has gone back to his old club Sheffield United. The latest player to go is Callum Wilson who has signed for Newcastle United, all three will continue their careers in the Premier League this season.

Our first game in the Championship will be at home and behind close doors again with our visitors being Blackburn Rovers. Their manager is Tony Mowbray, he has been in charge since February 2017. Last season they lost a key player in Bradley Dack to an ACL injury in December and he has regularly scored goals from midfield for them. At the time Blackburn were in 8th place in the league, they finally finished in mid table in 11th place. So far this season one new player has come into their club and that is in a goalkeeping position, Thomas Kaminski bought for an undisclosed fee from AA Gent.

Blackburn Rovers have not won an opening game since their home win against Everton in the Premier League of the 2010-11 season. In their last three games at Dean Court, Rovers have not lost.

The last time we met Blackburn Rovers was in the League Cup in 2018. In a league game it was an away game back in August of the Championship winning season of 2014-15. Rovers won 3-2, in the home game at Dean Court we drew 0-0. In all our league meetings at home against Blackburn Rovers, AFCB have W 3, D 3, L 3. In all competitions, AFCB have W 5, D 6, L 12.

AFCB Team News
So far no new faces coming into the club. On the injury front, both Steve Cook and Sam Surridge missed the recent game at West Ham through injury. Other players were absent on international duty.

AFCB Player To Watch
This season in the pre season games it has been Arnaut Danjuma. With the loss of our main goalscorer and possible loss of the other, the mantle will fall on the shoulders of Dominic Solanke and Sam Surridge. Solanke has looked more confident since scoring three goals in the games behind closed doors last season. Now a league lower, the hope is he will carry that on this season.

Blackburn Team News
Bradley Dack will miss this game as still recovering from long term injury. Sam Gallagher has been out injured.

Blackburn Player To Watch
Taking over the mantle for goals last season after the loss of Bradley Dack, was 23-year-old Adam Armstrong who played a more forward role, seems to have pace and he scored a total of 16 league goals, 5 of them in the last 9 games after lockdown was lifted, he also ended with 6 assists.
 
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Really looking forward to this......the opinion of most people outside of our fanbase is that we've sold our best players and are going to struggle.....the fact is that thanks to our transfer policy of buying quality young players with potential ....which didn't necessarily help up us in PL i know but it means we've gone down with a team thats only going to get better......throw in the fact that we have players that know what this league is all about and i think we have a genuine reason to think that this could be the most exciting team we've ever had.
 
Topfarrier said:
Really looking forward to this......the opinion of most people outside of our fanbase is that we've sold our best players and are going to struggle.....the fact is that thanks to our transfer policy of buying quality young players with potential ....which didn't necessarily help up us in PL i know but it means we've gone down with a team thats only going to get better......throw in the fact that we have players that know what this league is all about and i think we have a genuine reason to think that this could be the most exciting team we've ever had.
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Yes, quite incredible how people still think that Wilson, Fraser, Ake and potentially King defined our team. Not in the past 18 months they didn't ! We did very well to buy up quality youngsters as cover and as potential replacements for all players who were soon going to be too old or who would be leaving for a "bigger" club. They all gained some PL minutes, some more than others, and they proved capable at that level. Now is their time to move up the pecking order and shine.
I'm confident that the next generation is good enough for this league and the league above.
But if the pundits and other teams' fans are so ignorant of our quality, I'm happy for us to take them all by surprise. Let's hope they continue to underestimate AFCB for as long as possible !
 
Gavin Ward is the referee for this game and with no VAR, his word is final.

The last time we had him was in the season we won the Championship.

Last time was at home against Huddersfield Town.

Before that home to Brentford.
 
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It worked beautifully against West Ham but i'm not sure a back 3 will be as effective against a team that Tony Mowbray will no doubt will set up to be hard to beat .....with this in mind i want an inventive front 3 and two holding midfielders that will allow Goso to make those runs into the box that he's fantastic at.....not sure Cookie is fit so Mepham slots in beside Kelly.
 

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