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AFCB’s Season – An Alternative View

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Written by Brents Goulet

So much wild over-reaction…
We are 12th in the Premier League
We haven’t been in this league for team years or fallen from the Champions League
We haven’t spent 300m on players who haven’t performed
We don’t have a manager who has been there or done that (yet)
Our young players are learning (Cook, Ake)
The old-guard are creaking but still with us
We’ve had highs (Arsenal and Everton at home, Chelsea away)
And lows (Saints away being the most recent)
Since Saturday I’ve read about Eddie needing to have a good look at himself (I think he does this every day as it happens)
I’ve read how our players are over-paid (that’s capitalism and the Premier League)
I’ve read so much over-reaction
Yes everyone is entitled to their opinion
Yes Saturday was poor
Yes it is a football forum where we are all free to debate
But seriously…
The world’s gone mad……

Neil Dawson added…

I think you are right. It’s always an overreaction football. When we beat Bolton we overreacted, the rest of the world saw it like we did last year for Huddersfield. Nice story move on. Not for us though…it made our lives complete!

My lad burst into tears at the end ( he gets his emotions from his mum). I reminded him there are kids visiting their parents in cancer hospitals…that’s worth an overreaction football isn’t.

The reality is we will always overreact. That’s what makes the game special. A chance to shift the power base of South Coast football went through lack of effort. The same lack of application and effort that has persisted for the lion share of the season. That will get a reaction. You are right though…in the big scheme of things, it’s no big deal. That requires rational thought though.

Ken Baileys Ghost said…

I’ve seen pretty much every minute of AFCB’s season.

It’s not just Saturday, it’s the whole season pretty much.

We were supposed to be moving onward and upwards.

We’re not.

Brents Goulet responded…

THIS……..
This is what I’m talking about.
This mindset; we were supposed to be moving onwards and upwards and we aren’t……
We’ve moved onwards and upwards for six consecutive seasons, and for the first time in that period we won’t beat the previous season’s performance, but still, we may well finish mid-table in the Premier League (we currently sit in 12th).
Some of our fans have such a sense of entitlement, it’s frightening.

Neil Dawson replied…

I can’t speak on behalf of Ken but moving onwards and upwards doesn’t necessarily mean results or league position. To me, it means the level of performance and attitude. Results will vary because it’s a sport based on luck, referees whims and injuries.

We had a decent season and level of performance last year. We didn’t lose our star players and we have been fortunate with injuries relative to our competitor set. We were also given £130m to strengthen on all of that.

That should have meant a better level of performance and effort (not results). We chose to use the money (apart from Ake) on positions that were low in priority and ignore the key central midfield lack of quality. We had two players capable of dominating Premier League midfield’s and we left one on the bench for too long and fell out with the other. That’s the key to our issue. We then blew our wage bill to sign a natural goal scorer with limited movement. I think this has upset morale but it’s just a rumour. Either way…every time he plays we look like we have ten men on the pitch. We needed a forward that attacked crosses, we already had four that do what Defoe did.

Because of all this, we have taken one point off a dismal Southampton side, been outfought in most games but relied on a good last ten minutes. We were outplayed twice by West Brom. I think we have played well for 90 minutes three times all year.

That is a significant backward step whichever way you look at it. We are not a league two club anymore. Everyone wants the huge wages. Now they have to earn them.

I will give you a real example. I’ve been to Liverpool three times. The first year I saw a team fight their socks off…so proud to play there. Fought every inch and denied by a ref. Second-year same effort but with more quality. Never stopped running and ground them down to nick a point.

This year… Defoe didn’t chase one ball, Ibe gave up every cause, Cook sat off them in midfield, Gosling didn’t put a shift in at all. All very complacent and over deserving of being there. That’s not the fault of the league one old guard…they kept the scoreline respectable.

Liverpool fans after the game saying that we didn’t put up the same fight…

You can’t ignore evidence in front of your eyes.

Audenshaw Cherry added…

We are AFC Bournemouth and we are in the Premier League.

We are fighting above our weight in terms of finance, ground, facilities, players’ income, supporters and other infrastructure.

My hopes for the club, being in the Premier League, continue to be met (I hope for another season).

I was desperately disappointed when we lost and by the way, we played, on Saturday. I don’t think, apart from Chelsea and Arsenal, we have played as we did last season, when we excelled ourselves and exceeded all expectations.

Success is still, in my eyes, staying in the division.

I do not think myself a happy clapper. I just have a memory of 60 years of supporting a team that has never been here before.

I am still enjoying the ride and I suggest that everyone does.

Disappointment is short term and will only last until the next win, although last Saturday may stay in the mind for a little while.

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