AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth will be looking to maintain their impressive start to the season when they host Championship rivals Blackpool on Saturday (3pm kick-off).
Goals from Dominic Solanke and Jaidon Anthony earned the Cherries a 2-0 win at Birmingham on Wednesday as Scott Parker’s team remained unbeaten in 2021/22.
Blackpool finished third in League One last season and sealed a return to the Championship after a six-year absence by beating Lincoln City in the play-off final at Wembley in May.
Kenny Dougall’s double cancelled out Ollie Turton’s first-minute own goal as the Seasiders saw off the Imps to follow up their semi-final victory over Oxford United.
Neil Critchley’s team conceded 37 goals in League One, the fewest in the division, while goalkeeper and club captain Chris Maxwell won the Sky Bet Golden Glove for his 21 clean sheets.
Northern Ireland international Shayne Lavery netted an injury-time equaliser as Blackpool marked their return to the second tier with a 1-1 draw at Bristol City on the opening day of the season.
Lavery was again on target, his goal sandwiched between efforts from Callum Connolly and Keshi Anderson, as they brushed aside Middlesbrough in the first round of the Carabao Cup.
They suffered their first loss when Cardiff City triumphed 2-0 at Bloomfield Road on August 14th before Viktor Gyokeres’s disputed effort condemned them to a 1-0 defeat at the hands of Coventry on Tuesday.
The Cherries last met the Seasiders when they won the Championship in 2014/15, Eddie Howe’s team doing the double over the Lancashire club.
Ahead of the clash, afcb.co.uk caught up with Matt Scrafton who covers the fortunes of Blackpool for The Gazette.
BLACKPOOL IN PROFILE
Ground: Bloomfield Road
Nickname: The Seasiders/The Tangerines
Head coach: Neil Critchley (appointed March 2020)
Club captain: Chris Maxwell
League position: 21st
Last season’s finishing position: Third in League One
Leading goalscorer 2020/21: Jerry Yates (23 in all competitions)
Last game: Blackpool 0-1 Coventry City (Championship)
afcb.co.uk: How have Blackpool looked in their first three Championship games?
MS: It’s been a real mixed bag. Obviously, picking up one point from the first three games is not ideal, but there’s still plenty of football to be played.
The Seasiders have looked good going forward and have created plenty of chances, but defensively they’ve been uncharastically poor.
Last season’s success in League One was built on a watertight defence, but they’ve been too open and too easy to play against so far, which is something they need to address.
afcb.co.uk: How has the transfer window gone for the club?
MS: It’s been a busy one, with nine coming in and nine leaving.
Josh Bowler and Shayne Lavery have been the standout performers so far of those who arrived in the summer.
The most important business though was to keep the core of last season’s squad together, which they’ve managed to do with key first-teamers like Chris Maxwell, Kevin Stewart and Jerry Yates (pictured above) all signing long-term contracts with the club.
Historically, under the former regime, the club often lost its best talent for nothing, so this is a welcome change.
Pool are still in need of two or three additions though, so it could be a busy final few days of the transfer window.
afcb.co.uk: Were there any key departures?
MS: The club’s longest-serving player Ollie Turton opted to turn down the offer of a new deal in favour of a move to Huddersfield Town, which was a major blow.
The Seasiders are also missing last season’s loanees – Dan Ballard, Jordan Gabriel, Elliot Embleton and Ellis Simms – who all made a massive contribution to their promotion.
Sullay Kaikai was a surprise departure at the end of last season as he was a regular starter in League One, but that was Neil Critchley’s decision to let him go. The winger has since signed for Wycombe Wanderers.
afcb.co.uk: So far, have you noticed much of a difference between League One and the Championship?
MS: It’s a massive step up.
I first started reporting on Blackpool in 2016, so this is my first experience of covering the club in the Championship.
Of course, I was expecting an increase in quality but I’ve been surprised by just how big the leap has been to the second tier.
All Championship sides appear to be tactically astute, but it’s the pace and speed that teams play at that has taken me aback.
Everything is frantic and done in a split-second, whereas in League One you’d get a bit more time to think.
Blackpool are clearly still coming to terms with this, but in Neil Critchley (pictured above) they have a highly-regarded coach and I’d expect them to make the necessary adjustments.
afcb.co.uk: What can the Cherries expect from a Neil Critchley-managed team?
MS: Last season, Critchley made Blackpool a team that were exceptionally difficult to beat. They boasted the league’s best defensive record and tactically were set up perfectly for every game.
While Critchley wants his team to dominate the ball and control games by playing out from the back, Blackpool were able to change their style, their approach or their system depending on the opponents.
If they needed to dig in and grind out a win, they were able to. If they needed to press high up the pitch, they could. If Critchley wanted his side to sit back and hit sides on the counter, they had the ability to do so.
This season, there’s clearly a lot more focus on playing out from the back, which they’ve had a few teething problems with early on.
But it takes time committing to a new style and I’m confident – given Critchley’s background in coaching - they’ll get it right sooner rather than later.
afcb.co.uk: Who is Blackpool’s one to watch?
MS: Summer signing Shayne Lavery (pictured above) is an absolute livewire.
He’s a real menace in attack and never stops running and chasing down. He’s also an excellent finisher and already has two goals to his name this season.
The Northern Irishman had an off day in front of goal on Tuesday against Coventry, missing three gilt-edged chances.
But he did superbly to get into those goalscoring positions in the first place and, as the saying goes, I’d be a lot more worried if he wasn’t getting on the end of these chances at all.
He also combines well with winger Josh Bowler, who has also stood out early on. Both came through the youth ranks at Everton and know each other’s game, so they combine well.
afcb.co.uk: Are any key players either suspended or injured against the Cherries?
MS: Blackpool are still without a number of key players through injury.
Daniel Gretarsson, Kevin Stewart, Matty Virtue, Demetri Mitchell and Gary Madine are all sidelined at the moment.
One, possibly two of those might be fit to return this weekend, but I’d be surprised if they’re included from the start. Aside from that, there are no new injury or suspension concerns.
afcb.co.uk: What’s your score prediction?
MS: I’m under no illusion how difficult this game will be for Blackpool, but they need a response after back-to-back defeats. I’ll go for a 1-1 draw.
You can follow Matt on Twitter – @matt_scrafton
Officials: Stephen Martin (referee), Ian Cooper (assistant), Mark Pottage (assistant), Keith Stroud (fourth official).
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