AFC Bournemouth v Stoke City - 1 To Go!

billythekid

billythekid

UTC Legend
Be Good To Finish With A Win

With a changed side on our visit to Wycombe Wanderers last Saturday which finished in a 1-0 defeat, AFCB are back home at Dean Court for their last game of the 46 game league season before the play-offs begin, the game against Stoke City on Saturday, starts at the earlier time of 12.30 pm.

We may see a much stronger side fielded by Jonathan Woodgate as he prepares for the play-offs which will decide which league we will be in next season. It has been a season where we have had the unusual event in recent years of having two managers in a season. The 46 league game season has been mainly been two games in a week. Be good to go into the play-offs on the back of a win.

Stoke City’s best run of results was earlier in the season when they had an unbeaten run of five games in late September/October with three wins and two draws. The other five game unbeaten run was in December with one win and four draws, before our away win at their ground at the beginning of January 0-1 with a goal scored by Junior Stanislas.

Stoke City are in a mid table position (14th) going into their last game of the season, with nothing to play for. Their last six games have probably been their worst run of the season with 2 draws and 4 defeats. They started with two defeats, at home against Millwall,which finished 1-2 and then went down away 2-0 against Birmingham City. They then had two home games, drawing with Preston 0-0 and then losing 2-3 to Coventry City. Their next game was a 0-0 draw away at Nottingham Forest. Their most recent game ended in a home defeat 0-2 against Queens Park Rangers.

The last time we met the Potters at Dean Court was in the Premier League in February of the 2017-18 season. The Cherries went behind to a fifth minute headed goal by Xherdan Shaqiri. AFCB came back in the second half with two goals in a nine minute spell from substitutes Josh King who scored with a shot in the 70th minute and Lys Mousset who headed in on the 79th minute to give AFCB a win.

AFCB Team News
No news as yet on Junior Stanislas or latest on Lloyd Kelly, but hopefully both will be available for selection for the play-off games. Steve Cook should be ok after being left out through injury last Saturday.

AFCB Player To Watch
Arnaut Danjuma is on top of his game at the moment and full of confidence.

Stoke City Team News
According to reports they have 11 players out injured, plus others not 100% fit. Latest casualty is Nick Powell their leading scorer who looks like missing the game.

Stoke City Player To Watch
With so many out and some key players, difficult one to say. One of their younger players who has caught the eye this season, is Harry Souttar.
 
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I hope nobody minds a few stats.

Good news naughty James McClean is injured.

Guaranteed a spot inside the top six, Bournemouth will be eager to rediscover their best form ahead of the play-offs after suffering back-to-back 1-0 Championship defeats. Notably, they’ve not suffered three consecutive losses since July 2020 and you’d have to go back to October 2019 for the last time they went three games without a goal.
The ‘Cherries’ have exhibited somewhat of an all-or-nothing approach to their previous 11 home league contests (W6, L5). They’ve also scored 50% (20) of their home Championship goals this season after the 60th minute, suggesting they’ll be at their most dangerous as the game progresses. But no matter when they come, goals should be guaranteed with the last six games at the Vitality Stadium producing an average of 3.50.
Stoke City’s 57 points means they’ve already bettered their points return for each of the previous two campaigns, despite the fact they’re winless in six (D2, L4). Additionally, they’ve won only two of 17 league meetings with current top-nine clubs (D4, L11). One positive however is that they’ve gone unbeaten in the final league game in each of their previous nine seasons (W6, D3).
Michael O'Neill’s men have failed to score in seven of their previous 14 away trips (W1, D8, L5). But despite wins being rare, they’re tough to beat and are the only Championship team with double-digit away draws (ten). Furthermore, although they’ve picked up only one point across six away encounters when conceding first (D1, L5), they’ve netted the opener in their last three visits to Bournemouth (W1, D1, L1).
Players to watch: Bournemouth have an 85.71% win rate in Championship games when Arnaut Groeneveld has scored (W12, D1, L1). Meanwhile, Stoke striker Steven Fletcher has netted four of his last five goals after the 60th minute.
Hot stat: All five of Bournemouth’s defeats to bottom-half opposition came by an exact one-goal margin, they were also losing four at HT, and failed to score in three.
 
...I do wonder what sort of team JW will put out again, I still would like to see our assets protected a bit but also important to have a bit of form going into the play offs...so compromise XI?

Begovic

Stacey
Mepham
Cook
Rico

Riquelme
Lerma
Wilshere
Stanislas

Solanke
Long

Subs:
Travers/Danjuma/Smith/CCV/Kilkenny/Surridge/Anthony/Brooks/Pearson
 
My view is that JW set a stake in the sand with his team against Wycombe .... basically saying "my best eleven is better than anyone else, but I can't afford to go deep to 13 or 14". I can't disagree .... after our starting eleven, we can add Stan or Stacey with confidence, but the drop-off from there is steep.

So, on that premise, he should put out a very similar team to last Saturday .... maybe even keep Brooks, Pearson and CCV on the sidelines as well. For that matter, shouldn't Bego get a game off??
 
Toronto John said:
My view is that JW set a stake in the sand with his team against Wycombe .... basically saying "my best eleven is better than anyone else, but I can't afford to go deep to 13 or 14". I can't disagree .... after our starting eleven, we can add Stan or Stacey with confidence, but the drop-off from there is steep.

So, on that premise, he should put out a very similar team to last Saturday .... maybe even keep Brooks, Pearson and CCV on the sidelines as well. For that matter, shouldn't Bego get a game off??
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He mentioned he wanted to rest even more of his first team last Saturday.

Might be wrong, but maybe he wants to give those that rested last week a start to ‘warm them up’ ready for the first big game of our season.

Maybe only play so long, but just keep them match sharp.
 
The danger of playing a weaker team, and not winning, is that we end up playing Brentford in the semi finals, and I REALLY don't fancy that.

:utc:
 
For me, I don't get this situation... To a degree it smells a little bit of arrogance that we just don't give a sh*t about these last two games...

JW says his team are full of confidence so it doesn't matter... but we could (as I predicted) go into the play offs on the back of 3 straight defeats, instead of pushing at being the league's form team and go into the play offs swinging from the rooftops...

It's good the lads are getting game time, but for me, it should have been about win, win, win, and keep winning... The risks of injury were worth it to keep momentum...

At the very least I would have understood him resting several players for Stoke, but to make collectively 10 outfield changes for Brentford and Wycombe, IMO was wrong, and 'could backfire on us... Woodgate obviously doesn't see the home and away order makes any difference...

I hope I can come back on this thread in a few weeks and say "OK I was wrong..."
 
I'd be happy to see Woody protect most of our first team tbh........give out a few debuts to the lads from the U21s by way of a reward for their efforts this week along with Zemura....Kilkenny and Anthony all getting starts.
 
SteveJonesLegend said:
For me, I don't get this situation... To a degree it smells a little bit of arrogance that we just don't give a sh*t about these last two games...

JW says his team are full of confidence so it doesn't matter... but we could (as I predicted) go into the play offs on the back of 3 straight defeats, instead of pushing at being the league's form team and go into the play offs swinging from the rooftops...

It's good the lads are getting game time, but for me, it should have been about win, win, win, and keep winning... The risks of injury were worth it to keep momentum...

At the very least I would have understood him resting several players for Stoke, but to make collectively 10 outfield changes for Brentford and Wycombe, IMO was wrong, and 'could backfire on us... Woodgate obviously doesn't see the home and away order makes any difference...

I hope I can come back on this thread in a few weeks and say "OK I was wrong..."
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Precisely how I see it.
Injuries to key players would have just been bad luck, nobody's fault.
Perhaps they would have never happened.
If our best players were fit and willing to play, we should have played them.
Now, instead of having a team full of well-drilled and almost telepathic partnerships going into the playoffs full of confidence, we'll probably have a team out there which will take at least the first playoff game before it comes back to any kind of representative form whatsoever.
I just feel that JW has been far too conservative here and has underestimated the value of confidence and momentum.
Like you, I hope it turns out that JW was right in the end. Definitely not the way I would have gone about it though !
 
thegazzyb said:
Precisely how I see it.
Injuries to key players would have just been bad luck, nobody's fault.
Perhaps they would have never happened.
If our best players were fit and willing to play, we should have played them.
Now, instead of having a team full of well-drilled and almost telepathic partnerships going into the playoffs full of confidence, we'll probably have a team out there which will take at least the first playoff game before it comes back to any kind of representative form whatsoever.
I just feel that JW has been far too conservative here and has underestimated the value of confidence and momentum.
Like you, I hope it turns out that JW was right in the end. Definitely not the way I would have gone about it though !
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I can see both sides of the argument (typical Canadian). But what will surprise me is if he does play most of the starters against Stoke. If anything, I would have done that last week for two reasons ..... (1) a win would have kept our final position within our own control and (2) if there was a minor injury, there would have been an extra week to get it right. Playing the starters now sends a mixed (and possibly somewhat unsure) message from JW as to what he is trying to accomplish.

At this stage, he has earned the opportunity to make a decisive call. Let's hope he can stick with it and that it works out.
 
Toronto John said:
I can see both sides of the argument (typical Canadian). But what will surprise me is if he does play most of the starters against Stoke. If anything, I would have done that last week for two reasons ..... (1) a win would have kept our final position within our own control and (2) if there was a minor injury, there would have been an extra week to get it right. Playing the starters now sends a mixed (and possibly somewhat unsure) message from JW as to what he is trying to accomplish.

At this stage, he has earned the opportunity to make a decisive call. Let's hope he can stick with it and that it works out.
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Totally agree. If he plays a full strength team against Stoke it completely undermines his justification for his last selection.
I think JW is very conservative and fully expect a team of second string players for the Stoke game. If not, you really would have to question his logic.
Against Wycombe he made a clear choice. Now he has to stick with that approach IMO.
Shite or bust.
 
Swansea must be crap..to only amass 80 points ...and then they'll go and lay down and die in front of the ' Afcb' superstars who verlily sauntered and cruised their way to 77 points !
What one earth Barnsley were up to..only Barnslonians will know !
Of course Brentford regularly make Barcelona look like Bridport Utd on a bad run!

Could be a very interesting Playoff.
 
Stick a strong XI out, with the message make the shirt yours for the play-offs. High profile games on the tv, ahead of potentially being part of the richest game in world football.

Players should be wanting that for a number of reasons, professional pride, glory etc everything a footballer grows up dreaming of.

Plus, no doubt promotion bonuses, pay rises and potential transfers away. All things footballers dream of.
 
JW has already said he knows his team for the play-offs.

Maybe we will see it on Saturday, but without one member who we missed against Brentford.
 
Good that we have varied opinions as we all want the same conclusion and that is to win the play offs and get promoted!

Both sides of the arguement have weight....wonder what the players think?...rest and stay fit or play and keep fitness levels up?...you have to wonder whether they would take it a bit easy in the tackle or not stretch themselves for fear of missing out in the PL race....
 
DJ said:
Stick a strong XI out, with the message make the shirt yours for the play-offs. High profile games on the tv, ahead of potentially being part of the richest game in world football.

Players should be wanting that for a number of reasons, professional pride, glory etc everything a footballer grows up dreaming of.

Plus, no doubt promotion bonuses, pay rises and potential transfers away. All things footballers dream of.
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It's not really a message any player is going to take seriously though is it?.....we all know the team for the play off's....so do the team.....only injury can alter that.....and thats the issue here......an injury to the likes of Danjuma....Lerma or Pearson doesn't even bear thinking about ....neither does having to watch 11 first team players out on the pitch on Saturday all performing at 50% because of fear of injury. .
 
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