Back Of The Net - The AFC Bournemouth Podcast

An underwhelming draw with Chris Wilder's Blades on Saturday has left Andoni Iraola with a few decisions to make. With game-changing substitutions and regulars who potentially aren't up to scratch, Bournemouth fans are wondering whether the gaffer will stick or twist ahead of our next game against Luton. Sam and Tom dissect the clash and examine the individual moments which proved pivotal in an ab...

On Sunday, Vincent Kompany's Clarets had double the shots, thrice the possession, and average positions which mimic our recent loss to Manchester City. Difference is, Burnley are NOT Manchester City, and all it took was Andoni's side to wait, watch, and then strike at the right time, and we did so - twice. With the Lancashire side sleep-walking to relegation, we take a look at the tactical battle...

Despite another defeat on Saturday, Iraola finally managed to arrest the performance decline when it comes to facing Manchester City, by overseeing a showing against Pep Guardiola's side which exuded bravery, courage, and tenacity... With the Cherries only millimetres away from claiming our first points over the Sky Blues since the nineties, Sam Davis is joined by Neil Dawson and Matt Davies to di...

On the surface, Bournemouth's draw at Newcastle is a good result, but many a Cherry left St James' Park feeling frustrated after Matt Ritchie's late strike rescued the game for the hosts. On the one hand you could say a draw against the Magpies is good, but in terms of chances... Cherries fans can perhaps rightfully feel aggrieved at having only gained a point. The question is this… do Bournemouth...

On Saturday, Marco Silva's Fulham schooled Bournemouth in a performance which gave Cherries little room for manoeuvre. Outfought in the middle of the park and exposed on the flanks, Fulham were rigid and robust - throwing bodies on the line. Despite this, Bournemouth had 25 shots, but with the home side defending staunchly throughout, only five hit the target. It left Cherries fans leaving Craven...

Whilst the referee stole the headlines at Sunday's clash at Dean Court, debate has been raging amongst *some* sections of Cherries fans about the disjointed nature of the clash against Nottingham Forest and whether it was a terrific tactic from Nuno's Espirito to stifle buoyant Bournemouth, or whether it was simply a cynical case of anti-football being deployed by the Tricky Trees. Bournemouth rig...

After the numbness of Sunday's humbling by Liverpool at a windswept Dean Court, hunting for positives from a Bournemouth point of view after being blown away so convincingly is a tough ask, but amid the pain of the 4-0 defeat, many Cherries fans are also pondering whether they have actually simply witnessed their beloved side lose to the league champions-in-waiting? In this pod, Sam and Tom go ove...

After AFC Bournemouth's dramatic comeback at Queens Park Rangers, the boys return to sink their our teeth into a Third Round FA Cup Classic, as well as taking the opportunity to finish some Christmas leftovers - with some juicy answers to some tasty miscellaneous questions from Cherries supporters, including... ▫️ What's the WORST thing we've seen a Boscombe fan do? ▫️ The one single piece of advi...

In January, people questioned Gary O'Neil. In April - they lauded him. In June, the decision to replace him was "ludicrous". In September, Iraola "needed to go". Yet in December, we had people purring over us. What is going on?! Are the media starting to realise? Sam and Tom discuss all the on pitch conjecture as AFC Bournemouth went from "zeros to heroes" twice in the space of twelve months. Than...

AFC Bournemouth are unbeaten in seven, have registered a record equalling four wins in a row, AND have the best ever points tally at the half-way stage in the top flight - Cherries fans are in dreamland. Owner Bill Foley suggested that "Europe within five years" was a possibility, but with Iraola's boys in seemingly unstoppable form, fans are wondering whether his prophecy could come to fruition s...

Bournemouth's win at Old Trafford has been widely heralded as Cherries' best EVER win, but whilst Andoni Iraola is rightly getting the plaudits from some pundits, the undercurrent amongst the media is again to focus on how POOR United were. There however is a world where maybe, just maybe, Ten Hag and his side were simply out-thought, out-played, and outclassed.  In this podcast, Sam and Tom disse...

Bournemouth have taken ten points from their last fifteen, and whilst every player has contributed to the upturn in form, one in particular has found a new lease of life in a deeper position, with some sublime performances which have got fans raving about him. Ryan Christie was often deployed out wide, or even as a number 10, but alongside Lewis Cook - the Scot has produced showings which have bee...

Three wins in four means that Cherries fans are now starting to see the fruits of Andoni Iraola's labour, but how excited should we REALLY be getting after winning against a depleted Newcastle, a baffling Burnley, and shocking Sheffield United? Are we jumping the gun with our optimism? Sam and Tom tackle fans' opinions whilst dissecting the weekend's game, and conclude that, whilst the points we'v...

Bournemouth’s superb win against Newcastle United on Saturday has got Cherries’ fans juices flowing once more, but despite Andoni Iraola tactically getting the better of Eddie Howe, should our emotions be tempered because the Magpies were severely under strength? Sam and Tom are all smiles as they go through the best bits of the weekend games, including some insight into how our Basque boss manage...

Whilst the 6-1 loss at Manchester City will not be the yardstick upon which AFC Bournemouth will be measured this season, there does come a point where fans might question whether a more pragmatic style might be more profitable whilst we're in the infancy of adopting Iraola's "rock and roll" brand of football. A lot has changed very quickly at Dean Court, and although it is clear that Cherries hav...

To some, AFC Bournemouth first win of the season might have looked “lucky”, with Burnley having a goal “disallowed” through VAR, and then wasting a massive last-gasp chance to claim a point, all this of course, after a 42 yard wonder-goal. However scratch deeper beneath the surface, and you can see glimpses of an improved side that are working harder, adhering to Iraola’s stoic footballing philoso...

Gary O'Neil returned to haunt the AFC Bournemouth hierarchy on Saturday as his Wolves side took all three points against ten-man Cherries, leaving Andoni Iraola still winless in the Premier League. As frustration mounts amongst the Boscombe fanbase, fans are scratching their heads at just why this experiment is not yet working. In this Second Look, Neil Dawson joins Sam, Davis and Tom Jordan as th...

Bournemouth's start under Andoni Iraola has seen a lot of change, but whilst the first set of games didn't garner the points tally Cherries fans wanted, we did see a high level of performance. The last two games however have seen us recoil into a scared side, nervously deploying tactics which are seemingly beyond the capabilities of the on-pitch personnel. Is it a confidence thing? Do we just need...

Andoni Iraola's tough Premier League initiation continued on Saturday as Basque buddy Mikel Arteta oversaw his rampant Arsenal side dominate a poor and lacklustre Cherries team in a clash which will go down as one of Bournemouth's poorest showings of the season. So where does this currently leave us?  Sam Davis and Tom Jordan discuss the game, and analyse the stats whilst monitoring the questionab...

This season, Bournemouth are three points better off than the equivalent games in the previous campaign, and with a style of football that is making the media talk about us, Boscombe are once again proving to be an exhilarating watch. In some quarters though, there is concern, and even criticism, as it is now ANOTHER week that has passed by without that elusive win. Of course, criticism from suppo...

Whilst one swallow doesn’t make a summer, Lloyd Kelly’s majestic performance against Chelsea on Sunday has got tongues wagging in ways which are suggesting that his showing against the Blues might have been his best yet in a Cherries shirt. Now liberated from the Tottenham transfer tittle-tattle, is this the moment that Lloyd is coming of age? Thank you to everyone who has contributed to all our p...

Saturday in West London witnessed a rollercoaster game between two sides going toe to toe in a clash which was entertaining for the neutral, but stomach churning for a supporter, as Brentford and Bournemouth shared the spoils at the GTech Community Stadium in a highly entertaining 2-2 draw - in which David Brooks netted his first Premier League goal since beating cancer. Thank you to everyone who...

This season under Ange Postecoglou, Tottenham Hotspur are looking sharp and seemingly mean business, but whilst it was a relative stroll against Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth, the Cherries DID have their moments. Sadly though, they were few and far between... so what can we take from the performance? Sam and Tom analysed the game in this week's Second Look... Thank you to everyone who has contribute...

On Saturday, an enthralling encounter at Anfield was somewhat ruined by poor officiating throughout. Bournemouth succumbed to a 3-1 defeat on the day, but there were key moments at key times that played a big part in the game. With the game level at 1-1, the referee decided to award the home side a penalty which was dispatched via the rebound. A soft penalty to say the least, but did VAR get invol...

Bournemouth have had the majority of possession only twice at home this calendar year, and both times, it has been against West Ham United. However unlike our previous encounter with David Moyes' side in 2023, this time there were some notable differences in the way we approached the game. Sam Davis and Tom Jordan analyse the 90 minutes... Thank you to everyone who has contributed to all our platf...