Mid-season report: Bournemouth

By Pascal Lemesre, Football League Editor | 31 December 2013

Sports Mole recalls an encouraging first half of the season for Bournemouth, back in the Championship for the first time in 24 years.

After almost a quarter of a century below the second tier of English football, Bournemouth are back in the Championship and doing just fine.

Eddie Howe, former player and now manager of the Cherries, is in his second spell in charge and has brought an exciting brand of football to the Championship.

All they need to find is a bit of consistency in 2014 and then they should be challenging for a place in the top half, not fighting for their status lower down the table.

Here, Sports Mole looks back on a respectable first half of the campaign for the South Coast club.

August

A general view of Dean Court, or the Goldsands Stadium, home to AFC Bournemouth on July 21, 2013 © Getty Images

The season began with a visit from Charlton Athletic and Bournemouth got off to a flying start thanks to Lewis Grabban's brace at a sun-soaked Goldsands Stadium.

Grabban was also on the scoresheet in the next game but it was far from the same outcome as Watford trounced the Cherries 6-1.

This to-and-fro, win-lose pattern would continue for the rest of August as FA Cup winners Wigan Athletic were the next to lose on the South Coast, with Grabban again the scorer, before Bournemouth's early away struggles continued with another heavy defeat at Huddersfield.

Doncaster Rovers became Bournemouth's first victim on their travels as August ended on a high with Bournemouth inside the playoff places.

In the League Cup, neighbours Portsmouth were seen off in the first round before Watford beat for a second time in the month to end their run at round two.

Meanwhile, in the transfer market, Howe spent a club-record sum to bring South African forward Tokelo Rantie to the club, while the loan addition of Andrew Surman was also a clever move.

September

Despite their 100% start at home in August, Bournemouth would pick up just three points from three games at Goldsands Stadium in September.

The win-lose alternating results continued as the month began with a first home loss to Blackpool before a win at struggling Barnsley.

Eddie Howe of Bournemouth looks on during the Capital One Cup second round match between Watford and AFC Bournemouth at Vicarage Road on August 28, 2013 © Getty Images

A first draw was registered in a 3-3 thriller at Middlesbrough before September ended with a home defeat to Blackburn Rovers that saw the Cherries in 10th, five points shy of the top six.

October

It was two results of the same nature for the first time when Leeds United edged out Howe's side on the first day of October, but they got back to winning ways by recovering from two goals down to smash Millwall 5-2 at home.

That would be Bournemouth's last maximum for over two months as they went on a stale run of form.

Marc Pugh's last-gasp strike earned the Cherries a memorable point at flourishing Nottingham Forest before the 10th month ended in defeat at another high-flyer, Leicester City.

November

A winless November started with a tame defeat at home to Bournemouth before another loss at Goldsands to rampant Derby County was sandwiched between two 1-1 draws against Burnley and Brighton & Hove Albion.

Rantie's first goal for the club at Burnley was an absolute belter and perhaps the highlight of the month, with Bournemouth heading into December just six points off the bottom.

December

AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe smiles during a pre-season friendly on July 13, 2013 © Getty Images

The final month saw an upturn in form as 10 points out of a possible 18 were collected by Howe's men.

It didn't start too well though as Bournemouth went to promotion contenders Queens Park Rangers and got walloped 3-0.

Next was a trip to another of last year's relegated Premier League sides but this time it was a much better day as Reading were beaten by the Cherries.

A flat performance at home to Birmingham would be Bournemouth's last loss of the year as they went unbeaten in the three fixtures in six days over Christmas.

First they saw off bottom-three sides Sheffield Wednesday and Yeovil Town before ending 2013 with a point at home to Mick McCarthy's resilient Ipswich Town.

Hopes are high that Howe can guide his side to a safe finish and with the return to form of Matt Ritchie, who scored five goals in seven games to end the year, and poaching nature of Grabban, his side shouldn't struggle to score goals.

At the other end of the pitch, Lee Camp was brought in on loan midway through the season and securing the goalkeeper on a permanent contract will be one of Howe's main aims in January. If the latest reports are anything to go by, then that deal shouldn't be a problem.

In our season preview before term started we predicted a 16th-place finish for the Cherries and that's exactly where they lie now, although it wouldn't surprise many if they finished a little higher.