Written by kirsikka
Live football is for the watching. The experience. Living in the moment. Soaking up the atmosphere and for a couple of hours, switching off the rest of the world and existing in the bubble until you stream out of the stadium after full time. Sure, there are the half-time scores and all that, but they’re incidental to what surrounds you.
Man of the Match against Forest
Truffert
Truffert
Vote
Tavernier
Tavernier
Vote
Senesi
Senesi
Vote
Petrovic
Petrovic
Vote
Someone else
Someone else
Vote
That’s something that generally holds true, except on the last day of the season when knowing what’s happening elsewhere is almost as important as what’s going on in front of you.
In the past, this meant wild rumours could sweep across a stand as a guy with a small transistor radio glued to his ear tried to hear what was going on that would affect final league positions, sharing information or misinformation as he (mis)heard it.
These days, you don’t need to get pissed off because you’ve erroneously heard that Rochdale have gone 2-1 up and then elated when you find out that is incorrect. We pretty much all have a way to get accurate updates in our pocket – mobile data/stadium wifi allowing.
It’s also a day when wild celebrations can break out in the stand when nothing is happening at the match being watched. Think of the chaos when news filtered through of that Sheffield Wednesday equaliser. Or the disappointment at news of that injury-time Doncaster goal against Brentford.
All that’s to say, when there’s something riding on the last day of the season, it isn’t quite like watching other matches. Attention can justifiably be a little split. And so it was today as the Cherries faithful needed to roar on the players to a big finish, whilst also checking what was happening in the games involving Liverpool, Villa, and Brighton.
The team news was set to be simple with no changes to the starters or the bench. As footballers are wont to say, “We go again!” Only, in the warm-up, Scott got injured, which meant a second PL start for Toth and a lot of responsibility facing up to Anderson.
Happily, he got in a couple of good early interceptions, and that seemed to set him up for the game.
Things settled into a clear pattern early on. They were happy to cede possession, defend deep and try to catch us on the break. They also try to play out from the back, which was food for our high press almost every time.
Up against a well-set and drilled defence, we needed a special moment to break them down. However, it looked like it was going to be one of those nearly days. Lots of attempts at intricated interplay around their box failing on the last pass. Or space being created for a long shot, only for the effort to be off target.
The first half water break came as news of Semenyo putting Man City swept across the away fans, his song coming across loud and clear in celebration.
Forest finally had a spell of pressure with a flurry of opportunities. Petrovic had to get down smartly to save one effort, then from a corner, a deep ball to the far post found man-mountain somehow completely unmarked, but he could only hit the post when he should have scored.
This was followed by a mistimed challenge from Hill from just outside the area that gave them a dangerous free kick. They rolled it inside to change the angle, and so our wall broke to charge at the Gibbs-White, only for his shot to go perfectly between the gap created between two defenders and in.
The half petered out with not a lot else going on, and left AI with his final AFCB half-time conundrum. Despite us dominating play, they’d been comfortable and had all the best chances.
After the break, there were no changes in personnel from AFCB, but there was an immediately obvious change in approach. Move it faster! Don’t let those two deep lines get set.
Gone were attacking long throws from Hill, which their giants at the back dealt with easily, and, instead, we went with quickly getting the ball back in play and trying to catch them out of position.
As we’ve seen so often with Iraola, once again, he’d identified the weak spot and found a way to change things and prise the opposition open.
We broke down the left where Tavs play into the channel for the run of Truffert, who battled with a defender and then managed to keep it in play. He then passed back for Tavs, who finished with aplomb from inside the area.
On came Gannon-Doak, who made two different appearances in about 40 minutes of football.
In the first, he was a livewire that seemed to terrify them, and it seemed an inevitability that something good was going to come on the back of his work. The closest came after a well-worked move put the ball in his striking path when in the area, but he didn’t make a clear connection.
Then that all died out, and he seemed to become ineffectual for the rest of the match. Very much on a different wavelength than Truffert.
To be fair to him, a slew of subs from both sides came onto the pitch, and everything became disjointed with both sides looking like they were ready for the season to end.
The news coming in from elsewhere, with Brighton losing by three but Man City falling behind to Villa, meant the outcome of our season was pretty much set, and so there was no need to do anything silly.
There was time to almost concede one more from a corner, with a man getting a free header at the back post yet again. Plus, for Smith to make a heroic block after a deflected cross came down perfectly for a volley on goal.
Really, though, the game as a contest was over as both teams saw out the draw.
Selected Player Watch
—– Toth —–
A big ask to step in for such a crucial game in such a crucial role, and he acquitted himself pretty well. Clearly, he isn’t Scott or Christie yet, but I don’t think he could be expected to be.
—– Truffert —–
Once again, a Duracell bunny performance where he looked our best option to make things happen. Went very quiet once Gannon-Doak came on, so some work to do on their partnership.
—– Tavernier —–
Got the goal and also stepped into the 8 role later in the game to make another all-around contribution in a season where he has truly been one of our key men.
—– Kroupi —–
He’s really starting to play like a 10 now. It was a day when his attempts at flicks or clever balls didn’t come off, but the thought process is clearly there. So much more so than earlier in the season. Without damping his appetite to shoot on sight. Not his best game, by a long chalk, but one that augurs well for the future.
—– Smith —–
Some teams would have seen the news about our other right back and assumed it might create a vulnerability in these last few matches. Not at all. Solid as a Smudger.
—– Senesi —–
A fairly low-key day at the office, but his last in AFCB colours, which he marked by finishing the game with a head bandage. All the best, Marcus!
AI and Tactics Watch
And so it ends. The most successful season in our long history. 115 goes at it, and this was the highest finish of the lot. That makes those of you who got to watch it even more exclusive than the 1%. The Ira-era is over.
And yet, a new adventure is about to begin…
European football beckons, a new frontier for the club I don’t think any of us ever expected to cross when we started supporting this team. Unless they created a third-tier version of the Anglo-Italian Cup.
Today I felt a calmness I can’t remember in the build-up to an AFCB match in a long, long time. True, there was still the possibility of something incredible on the line, but we’d already achieved so much that it felt like it would be impossible to end the day disappointed. And I wasn’t.
There was the minor fear that Brighton might steal a Champions League place from under our noses and finish one place above us for the third season running. In fact, we haven’t finished above them since 2018/19, so it was about time to put that record to rest. Job doubly done, with the point and with their result.
This wasn’t a classic AI performance, but I do think things were badly affected by the last-minute loss of Scott, and with Christie still suspended.
There’s not much in the way of tactical insight from today. Forest tried to frustrate us. Crowd the defence, and hope nerves set in. It might have worked, except for a final tactical flourish from Iraola.
Once scores were level and news came in from elsewhere, the game lost some impetus with everyone seeming ready for that final whistle.
I think I’ve rambled on for too long already. I will say this, though. I’ve had a tough year. I’m still battling against the fallout from my illness at the start of October and, frankly, I feckin hate what it’s done to me. There are some green shoots of recovery, so I’m hopeful things will continue to improve, but it’s been a huge help to have a space here where I could unleash my stream of consciousness every week. To forget it all for a while, and think only about football.
That’s a roundabout way of saying thanks to you all for reading. I think I’ve now accepted I’ll never master the succinct and sharp way of conveying everything that Neil always managed. I am what I am, and that’s a blatherer… and the kind comments you’ve shared, along with differing viewpoints on matches, have always been happily received.
On the pitch, it’s been some season. One, I don’t think any of us would have imagined all those years ago. One which we’ll never forget.
Thank you to the players.
Thank you to the coaching team.
Thank you to FranPinto and the rest of the back office.
Thank you to the fans who attended.
Thank you to Bill Foley.
But, most of all, thank you and goodbye to a man who will always be remembered fondly at Dean Court: Andoni Iraola.
It’s been a hell of a ride full of exciting football, tactical mastery, unlikely results, and, ultimately, a record-breaking season for the club.
Cheers Andoni.
The King is dead. Long live the King.
Welcome, Marco Rose. Fancy a trip to Frankfurt next May?
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DJ
I have been a writer and website administrator on the largest AFC Bournemouth fan website for almost 25 years. Previously on a now defunct fan network and since 2005 on vitalfootball.co.uk We have been nominated for various fan website awards down the years, however we have always been the bridesmaid…