Parker unlocking the best of Bournemouth

When they were utterly thrashed 6-0 by Norwich City in the Carabao Cup, it was clear to see there were still teething problems at Bournemouth under Scott Parker. He cut a hugely frustrated figure and although that was the first competitive defeat of the campaign, form in the Championship had also been somewhat mixed.

Parker was particularly annoyed about the second half display at Carrow Road, given his Bournemouth side appeared to give up the game as a lost cause. “The way you lose is important” was his frank post-match appraisal, clearly angered by the abject level of performance from his team. In his mind, concentration and effort should be maximum, regardless of the score.

Interestingly, two previous Championship games had highlighted second half lapses, when the Cherries let valuable points evade their grasp. Bournemouth had a 2-1 lead against West Bromwich Albion, only for the visitors to level the game and grab a point. Then in a much stronger position at home against Blackpool, 2-0 ahead and seemingly in total control, Parker’s men conceded two quick second half goals, resulting in a 2-2 draw at the Vitality Stadium.

Both of those games highlighted lapses in concentration, which is always vital whenever attempting to defend narrow leads. Nevertheless, after the debacle against Norwich, the next display from was one of defensive resoluteness, limiting Hull City to just 3 attempts at goal. Unfortunately for Bournemouth, they were still unable to take all three points, held to a goalless draw despite creating 12 scoring opportunities.

Although they had managed to creditable away wins at Nottingham Forest and Birmingham City, it seemed as though the ideas and concepts of Parker were not yet firmly rooted. But now it appears the squad is more accustomed to the requirements of their manager, triggering an excellent run of results for Bournemouth in the Championship, starting with the demolition of Barnsley and a comfortable 3-0 win that could have been much more.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to observe is the solidity Bournemouth have shown. In the subsequent home game against Queens Park Rangers, they were two goals to the good at half time. Despite the visitors pulling a goal back early in the second half and crafting lots of chances, the Cherries demonstrated a stubborn resolve that Parker will have been pleased to observe. Instead of collapsing at the back, they remained focused and held firm.

The same kind of solidity and concentration was also on display against Cardiff City, when Bournemouth made the trip to Wales and returned home with all three points. The only genuine concern was that Parker’s team could have scored more, having created plenty of chances throughout the ninety minutes. But once again, resoluteness at the back had been the springboard for their success on the day.

“𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙞𝙛𝙛𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙨. 𝙒𝙚’𝙧𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙢. 𝙒𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙢𝙞𝙭 𝙞𝙩 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡.”

Ben Pearson discusses yesterday’s win against Cardiff 🎤

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) September 19, 2021

Overall, it now appears that Bournemouth are beginning to find their true rhythm under Parker. Three wins on the spin is far from easy to achieve in the fiercely competitive Championship, where any side is often capable of beating the other, no matter where they stand in the league table. This is undoubtedly one of the aspects which makes the second tier of English football so enjoyable to observe.

But has this recent run of results indicated that Bournemouth are genuine title candidates? The best football betting sites are already shortening their odds for the Cherries, although before choosing where to wager, it always makes good sense to check expert bookmaker appraisals and reviews, looking for those rated quality customer support and online safety. Likewise, the value of bonus promotions and the consistency of odds is also important to consider.

Indeed, consistency will be a vital factor for Bournemouth looking ahead, especially as Parker’s team gain more confidence and with the bookies increasingly fancying their chances. The Championship title itself is arguably not the main priority, although the south coast club will want to be in the top two come the final reckoning. Unlike his promotion with Fulham in 2019-20, Parker will be hoping to get Bournemouth up without the angst of the playoffs.