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Bleazard: Good characters key to Cherries run

AFC Bournemouth are flying high in the National League Southern Premier Division, unbeaten after seven games and sat second in the league.

They host Oxford United at the Vitality Stadium tonight – and Bleazard praised the group for how they had developed since she took over from Steve Cuss in the summer.

“I think the biggest thing for me was bringing that culture in and the values,” she said.

“I think we've got a great group of players, but I think we've got a great group of people and that was the biggest thing for me. You've got to have the right character to be at this club.

“We have a really, really good group that are really, really humble in terms of they want to do well, they want to do well for the club.

“And I think you've seen how we won tier four, it was such a group dynamic and I've said we will be using our whole squad this year, so it keeps training competitive as well, but it also keeps our standards high.

“I brought in a leadership group really early on, so we've got six in the leadership group and I think they set the standard as well.

“So I think if we can get the standards right off the pitch, we'll get the standards right on the pitch. And I think that's just flowed throughout the first few months of the season.”

This season has seen a number of memorable performances, from late goals to secure wins or a point, to big wins.

Asked which performance gave her the greatest pride, Bleazard said: “I think Hashtag \[where the Cherries won 2-1\] was quite a big one away from home.

“We set up in a certain way and all the analysis we did throughout that week, we had them ready to go and they actually set up in a different formation to what we thought.

“So as a coaching staff, we had to change really early on and the girls just adapted to it and then we made some tactical substitutes late on and it was just a complete switch and the girls just got it.

“I think that was the big thing for me.

“So early on in the season we were able to adapt so quickly and I said after that game, give credit to Kieran \[Keleher\], our performance coach, he's got them fit.

“Obviously I only came in towards the end of the pre season, so I wasn't there for any of that work.

“So they came in and they were all fit and we used our squad, yet again, it wasn't just an 11.

“You could see by the celebrations at the end of that game, everyone was so, so happy with getting that late goal.”

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