AFC Bournemouth v MK Dons - League Cup First Round

billythekid

UTC Legend
Scott Parker’s First Competitive Game

As we start another new football season, the first game to be played is the First round of the League Cup. Our opponents at Dean Court on Saturday at 3 pm are League 1 side MK Dons. MK Dons manager is Russell Martin, he has been in charge after taking up the manager role in November 2019 after previously signing for them in January of that year as a player from Walsall. He is now reported as the favourite to take the manager’s role at Championship side Swansea City, so it remains to be seen if that is before our game with MK Dons. The Cherries will have another new man at the helm and this game will be Scott Parker’s first competitive game in charge of his new club.

Last season MK Dons were drawn at home in the League Cup against Championship side Coventry City in the first round, MK Dons lost 0-1 at the first hurdle. Jason Tindall was in charge of AFCB and started off in the League Cup in the second round with a home game against Premier League side Crystal Palace at Dean Court. The game was decided on penalties after the game ended 0-1. AFCB finally won after a long penalty shootout that finally finished 11-10 in the Cherries favour. The Cherries couldn’t have had a tougher tie in the third round when they were drawn away to Manchester City and went out after losing 2-1.

The last time we played MK Dons it was in this cup in the second round in August 2018, AFCB won 3-0, with goals from Lys Mousset, Ryan Fraser and Jordan Ibe.

In all competitions between the two clubs, AFCB have W 6, D 3, L 4.

AFCB Team News
In previous cup games our club have normally fielded a mixture of first team regulars with a blend of youth and ‘reserves’. It will be interesting to see which way Scott Parker looks at this fixture with his team selection. He may give his new loan signing Leif Davis a start to get a look at him and give him his first game with his new team mates. With the transfer window still wide open, there could still be new players arriving at Dean Court and others going in the opposite direction.
Players missing, Steve Cook, Arnaut Danjuma, Jefferson Lerma, Junior Stanislas and Ben Pearson all missed the friendly against Chelsea.

AFCB Player To Watch
Not knowing who will be starting, but probably the new faces Emialiano Marcondes in midfield and Leif Davis in defence.

MK Dons Team News
They have lost their two leading scorers from last season. Scott Fraser in midfield scored 14 goals, has joined Ipswich Town and Forward Cameron Jerome scored 13 goals, has joined Luton Town. They have brought in a number of new players, the latest being Tennai Watson after he left Reading. He becomes the club’s eighth new signing, along with Scott Twine, Franco Ravizzoli, Ethan Robson, Josh Martin, Max Watters, Mo Eisa and Aden Baldwin.

MK Dons Player To Watch
They signed Matt O’Riley a 20-year-old midfielder from Scott Parker’s old club Fulham in January this year. He seems to have played well for them and is a strong all round player. Also they signed Scott Twine an attacking midfielder from Swindon Town, another young strong all round player, two years older than O’Riley.
 
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Based on the above from Billy, anyone for a stab at the team? A tough one!

Travers
Stacey, Rossi, Kelly, Davis
Marcondes, Killkenny, Billing
Brooks, Solanke, Stanislas
Davis is injured I think.
Also it doesn't look like Pearson will be ready for West Brom which leaves us quite light in midfield....with that in mind will Parker risk Billing?
 
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Few people on here wanted to see Twine come to us and Watters was a million pound signing for Cardiff so will be interesting to see how they do for MK.

Fingers crossed Brooks and Solanke get their eye in for the season early
 
Davis is injured and will miss this game.

Mepham serving one game ban and Lerma starting his six game one.

Stanislas will be available.

https://www.afcb.co.uk/news/first-team/team-news-latest-on-davis-danjuma-pre-mk-dons/

Davis is injured I think.
Also it doesn't look like Pearson will be ready for West Brom which leaves us quite light in midfield....with that in mind will Parker risk Billing?
Presume Zemura starts on the left then. We really are very short!
 
Looks like it's going to have to be a near youth team we have too many injuries and just 2 new signings 1 of which is injured and a few players have gone and we need them all fit by next Friday night. Think we are likely to go out because we just don't look complete or organized for the season yet.

Travers, Zemura, Ibsen Rossi, Kelly, Smith, Kilkenny, Taylor, Billing, Marcondes, Surridge, Anthony.
 
......................Travers
Stacey.....Rossi...... Kelly....... Smithy..

.......Marcondes.. Kilkenny... Billing

.......Brooks........ Solanke......Stan

I think that might be the starting line up for Saturday and the West Brom game as things stand.
 
Based on the above from Billy, anyone for a stab at the team? A tough one!

Travers
Stacey, Rossi, Kelly, Davis
Marcondes, Killkenny, Billing
Brooks, Solanke, Stanislas

Travers, Zemura, Ibsen Rossi, Kelly, Smith, Kilkenny, Taylor, Billing, Marcondes, Surridge, Anthony.

......................Travers
Stacey.....Rossi...... Kelly....... Smithy..

.......Marcondes.. Kilkenny... Billing

.......Brooks........ Solanke......Stan

I think that might be the starting line up for Saturday and the West Brom game as things stand.


I hope you will all consider joining in and posting your selections on the team selection competition - thread link below.

https://bournemouth-forum.vitalfootball.co.uk/threads/the-bo-team-selecta-competition-2021-22.14254/
 
We really are lacking squad depth looking at those potential line ups. Would have hoped that we may have added another 1-2 players to the squad by now, with another 2-3 more to follow in the coming weeks.

Still a long way to go in the transfer window and I’m sure the squad will look quite different come the end of August, but I’d rather not go into games against West Brom and Forest relying on a number of untested youngsters.
 

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