AFC Bournemouth v Leicester City - Fifth Round FA Cup

northstandmark said:
Trying not to allow sentiment for Brooks to bias me and allow for the fact it's early days for Faivre.... but Brooks out for Faivre doesn't currently look great either.
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Brooks lacks the pace but is technically good.

Faivre, bit too early to say, but he is learning a very new system.

Technically he looks good, but quite a number of misplaced passes yesterday.

Last nights performance was just an extension of a side lacking confidence.

I'm sure we will perform better against Burnley.

There is however a lot of dead wood in the team on last night's effort.

Or is it that 11 men ALL perform badly on the day, and those given a chance to shine had an off day, the same day as most of his teammates?
 
Kudos said:
I think that was the issue with the game. Although we did fluff 2 or 3 big chances it's reductive to suggest 27 shots 4 on target has to solely be the quality of the finishing. So many shots were in a crowded box but if we didn't take them then the argument would be that we didn't shoot enough.

I thought the work rate generally was excellent we just didn't have that movement and pressure up top to disrupt Leicester's organisation.
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Agreed everything seemed rushed in the final third to me, leading to poor first touches, too many touches or poor decisions.
Maybe the high intensity run around like nutters tactics from AI is having an effect on this?
 
That was bloody awful. Our finishing wasn’t even 4th division standard. Not even having Dom on the bench was a big mistake.

Can’t be arsed to read back but did anyone else see Cook remonstrating with a fan in the Main Stand? Really not sure how it helps the team going into extra time. Looked like Smith had a word with Cook later.
 
Sadly a bad day at the office yesterday a typical after the Lord Mayor's show. Senesi was booked, again, so that was a poor selection he should have been rested. The first half proved the Cook and Christie combination is pivotal to the team.
The game highlighted, again, the mis mash of players we have signed who `are much of a muchness.
Still WIP.
 
Have to say dissappointed with last night is an understatement.......but the last 5 or 6 games we have had 80 or 90 shots on goal with only 4 or5 goals in return....I still feel we are going to absolutely batter someone ,as the law of averages says these shots will turn into goals.....let's hope it starts on Sunday....keep the faith (y)
 
I didn't read this thread during the game but on reading it back am surprised by just how many people were having a melt down and felt the need to slag off our own players.
I didn't see a team lacking in effort and we had some spells of extended pressure, as did Leicester. We did appear to get a bit leggy as the game progressed and unfortunately on this occasion our subs didn't change the game although Christie gave it a good go.
Our main problem is fairly obvious, too many players struggling in front of goal, you would expect a combination of Semenyo, Billing, Tavs, Sinisterra and Dango to come up with a goal from the chances we created. The system is fine and we'll be fine - the Newcastle and Citeh games proved that for me. I'm sure we'll click again in front of goal - hopefully starting at Burnley.
Disappointed - of course. Worried - no.
 
Echo

Solanke missed Tuesday night’s FA Cup defeat to Leicester City due to a knee injury.

Unal took his spot in the team, but was forced off at half-time having suffered a problem to his collarbone after a slipping and colliding with Foxes defender Conor Coady.

Solanke has been Cherries’ talisman this season, bagging 17 goals.

Asked straight after the game why Solanke did not feature against Leicester, boss Andoni Iraola explained: “He wasn’t feeling well. He had some issues in the knee.

“It doesn’t look very big, but he wasn’t ready to be involved.
 
Neil Dawson said:
We had 27 chances. Nothing wrong with the system. This one on recruitment. How can we sign so many average forward players that can’t shoot…
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The same recruitment that saw us draw with Villa, win at Old Trafford and Selhurst Park, beat Newcastle at home and draw away and draw at West Ham?

It’s really easy to pick selective results and try to pin them solely on your favourite agenda, but it really is a bit of a pathetic point.

There are so many factors which will influence the outcome of a match but you are blinded to those because of some weird jealousy over Blake and Hughes.

Another bitter Neil?
 
Norton Cherry said:
Agreed everything seemed rushed in the final third to me, leading to poor first touches, too many touches or poor decisions.
Maybe the high intensity run around like nutters tactics from AI is having an effect on this?
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My take is that the pace and occasional mistake is part of the "heavy metal football" gameplan. It's intended consequence is disrupting the opposition organisation and leading to opportunities to score.

My interpretation of the problem is that in the second half we didn't play with someone accomplished at spearheading the attack. I think that AI saw that too which is why he brought on Kluviert to replace Semenyo but it didn't really work out either.

We tried playing heavy metal with rhythm guitarist trying to play lead.
 
Kudos said:
My take is that the pace and occasional mistake is part of the "heavy metal football" gameplan. It's intended consequence is disrupting the opposition organisation and leading to opportunities to score.

My interpretation of the problem is that in the second half we didn't play with someone accomplished at spearheading the attack. I think that AI saw that too which is why he brought on Kluviert to replace Semenyo but it didn't really work out either.

We tried playing heavy metal with rhythm guitarist trying to play lead.
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Lovely analogy!
 
I'm not sure the back 5 did anything to be held to account for last night... the front 6, however, had a bad day at the office... While we all left thinking 'that was sh*t' (myself included), on reflection, it wasn't sh*t, we just had a bad day... Largely due to changes in personal. The most worrying thing about it all is it shows how ineffective we can be as unit without Dom leading the line... This is why he is so important to us...

The front 6 looked disjointed. for the whole game, with a few spells where we actually looked like we had played a game together...

For me, Alex Scott was the biggest disappointment, however I do appreciate that he was in a team of players that again, were looking very disjointed. I did think he would control the middle better than he did though. Seemed rather anonymous at times, when he should be showing the manager that he got what it takes to dislodge Christie, or Cook... But then again, so should have the rest of the front 6...

There was a moment in the second half where Billing and Semenyo were arguing as to who was going to press the keeper... This is what happens when you play the majority of the game without a recognised forward, and perhaps highlights a weakness in Iraola, in that there is no other way of playing...

We're the 5th lowest scorers in the PL and 10th in total shots... 33 goals from 334 shots... For whatever reason we are struggling putting the ball in the net atm... But it will come. We've got a decent run of games now and I firmly believe we need just 6/7 points to see us practically safe... Confidence is massive in football and our recent run has brought us back down to earth, after a good spell leading up to Christmas... It seems all or nothing with us though... Lose loads or win loads... We never seem to just win a few and lose a couple, and rinse and repeat...

Last night was disappointing, but as Billing said (rightly or wrongly) it's not the end of the World...

PS... Not sure the jeers for Billing's heading ability (or lack of) really helped either...
 
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dragonm8 said:
Hardly a nostradamus like prediction is it.

We lack quality in attack.

Most PL teams have several world class players, we have 1, Solanke.

Tavernier has been off the pace the whole season.
Kluivert has been average, but ok.
Outtara looks like he won a competition to play in the PL
Semenyo has been bright, not too bad.
Sinisterra hasn't really looked overly great.
Billing can at least shoot, but his attempts at challenging for headers was at times laughable.
Scott hasn't looked that great.

Kerkez played well, and is the way forward.
Zabanyi has been a good signing.
Smith always plays pretty solid.
Senesi likewise.
Cook usually pretty good.
Unal a bit early to tell let's hope he hasn't crocked himself.
Christie always pretty good, but again can't shoot.

At this level we have so many players who just can't hit the target often enough, Outtaras shooting is usually woeful.

We have signed plentiful attacking players but none who damage the opposition.
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Spot on. Too many average or injury prone players signed. Theres only so much conversion of players to different positions to cover recuitment inadequacies a coach can do. Chickens coming home to roost now for not having the correct squad depth and lazy additions.
 
richnrg said:
Yes. That chance that Richard Hughes blazed over the bar when unmarked from just 6 yards out...and don't get me started on that Neil Blake missed header
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It’s simple. If the game plan produces 27 shots you should at least score and probably win. If the players ending up on the end of those shots can’t take them it’s because they aren’t forwards that can shoot. What other PL team would play Dango, Faivre, Sinisterra, Kluivert or Tavs outside the bottom three?
 
RobTrent said:
The same recruitment that saw us draw with Villa, win at Old Trafford and Selhurst Park, beat Newcastle at home and draw away and draw at West Ham?

It’s really easy to pick selective results and try to pin them solely on your favourite agenda, but it really is a bit of a pathetic point.

There are so many factors which will influence the outcome of a match but you are blinded to those because of some weird jealousy over Blake and Hughes.

Another bitter Neil?
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Because we are a team that for too long has relied on Solanke and Billings goals in the last two seasons to survive. All of the forward players signed since….. and there have been many….. are nowhere near their scoring quality.
 
Green_Cherry said:
Very embarrassing performance. Andoni got it very wrong today, not having Dom in the team at all was a mistake especially after taking Unal off at HT and leaving us without a striker for the rest of the match. Billing and Tavenier look shadows of themselves last season. How Billing wasn’t taken off I’ll never know. Kluivert should have come on way earlier in the second half, he’s was the only player running most of the time.

The last few games have been appalling compared to pre-Christmas. I think we have to recall Rothwell and Brookes from loan. Our midfield has zero depth now with Rothwell gone. We saw today that Scott cannot play a deeper role and Billing clearly has lost interest. As much as I like Semenyo, Dango and Tav none of them are what you’d call goal scorers, whereas Brookes is, I understand his frustration in game time but letting him leave was criminal.

Have to win at Burnley on Sunday or else we might have to seriously consider being dragged into the relegation fight. Hopefully the boys will learn from their mistakes today and we can put a strong performance in and get our season going again!
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There's not much in the post that I agree with unfortunately.

Obviously, the benefit of hindsight answers the questions on Solanke and Unal.

Agree on Billing and Tavernier, the flip side of the coin however is that neither are going to find confidence and form sitting on the bench.

However, the last few games have been far from "appalling" performance wise. Everyone knows that, we lost to Manchester City by one goal and were unfortunate. What world does that become "appalling"?

Scott was playing as an 8 alongside Billing with Cook either as the single deep sitting midfielder or at centre back. If Scott can't play that position, then he can't play anywhere. But you're only as good as whoever you're playing alongside. A coasting Billing will not make you look as good as Christie in his pomp.

Rothwell/Brooks they're not even guarenteed starters at Southampton, I don't see how Rothwell fits in with us when it never looked like Iraola fancied him, even without Scott and Adams as options, who we will have very shortly.

As for Brooks, he could offer something, but his lack of physicality and pace drops him down the pecking order.
 
RobTrent said:
The same recruitment that saw us draw with Villa, win at Old Trafford and Selhurst Park, beat Newcastle at home and draw away and draw at West Ham?

It’s really easy to pick selective results and try to pin them solely on your favourite agenda, but it really is a bit of a pathetic point.

There are so many factors which will influence the outcome of a match but you are blinded to those because of some weird jealousy over Blake and Hughes.

Another bitter Neil?
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So glad I have Neil Yawnsome Dawson on "ignore". Even so, it's obvious what he is writing. Yawn yawn yawn.
 
It's always a tricky balance in cups - do you give people their chance and make loads of changes or stick to largely the normal starters with just one or two.

He kept the same back four and they were fine but he changed most of the rest and there was the inevitable disjointed nature to our performance. Still, I thought we were the better side we were just extremely poor in front of goal and therefore got what we deserved. By the time the more regular starters came on in midfield and up front we looked completely disjointed because we didn't have a number 9 and Cook was in the back four.

One of those days but we do need to start creating better chances and being more clinical.
 
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