Why Bournemouth will stay up

Much has been written before the start of the season & even after Round3 of the Barclays Premier League on where Bournemouth will end up come May 2016. The verdict by all noted pundits has been a fall back to the championship for Eddie Howe’s side. There is no denying that the Cherries will find it tough in their first season in top flight but what Bournemouth have going in their favour is their young and enterprising manager.

Eddie Howe seems like a brave manager who is not unwilling to change & the little that his side has shown during the 3 games so far is their tendency to continue to push the opposition. In only their second game of the season against a much fancied Liverpool side, a wrongly awarded goal from Liverpool’s 32.5 million pound centre forward Christian Benteke was the only difference between the two sides. That, they could restrict the movement of Liverpool’s playmaker Coutinho to work his magic near the box was a testament to the defensive shape Howe’s players can keep under pressure while frustrating the opposition.

The next game saw them take on West Ham at Upton Park where the Cherries twice took a 2 goal lead, only to let slip the advantage and allow the hammers back into the game. The defensive frailties on display from both the teams made for nerve wrecking football. Although they bagged their first points of the campaign, Howe would not have been too happy to see the mistakes committed by his team & it but shows that they have a long way to go to ensure their survival in one of the toughest league in Europe. Howe though must be pleased to see his team playing well while going forward and trying to breakdown defences no matter who the opposition is. Where they will end up finally only time will tell but if Howe can keep on motivating his team to play this attacking football, they will surely find themselves in top flight next season.

The Inevitable Wait

It’s that time of the year again when the colors come out, flags hanging outside homes & excitement & joy go hand in hand with the little kids as they move to fill the stadium of the clubs they love & support. Yes it is the beginning of the football season that captivates the whole nation, continent & perhaps the world, going by the popularity that these clubs have in countries as far away as Australia or Singapore. It is no denying the football is a global phenomenon & who it is to contest this fact when you see a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Robin Van Persie in each living room or out on the back of kids playing in the summer heat on the streets. It’s just not the home crowd that goes ga-ga come the month of August; it’s the same in many parts of the world as after an almost 3 month break, the heroes return on their field of exploits to enthrall the living.

Being a football fan for a long part of my life, I feel the sadness when in May the season draws to a close. There will be no more matches every week. No more going over the footage. No bickering over the tackles or the foul that was not given. In short the happiness if only momentarily, is lost. Then the wait begins. Wait for the dreaded summer to pass. As George RR Martin’s spellbinding saga, Game of Thrones comments, “The Winter is coming”, for football fans across Europe it couldn't come sooner. Three months is a long time for a football fan who is ready to live & die by his club, so is his dedication, love & support for the club, the players, the history. It is a pain to not turn to the noise coming from the stadiums as a goal is scored filling millions of hearts with joy & pain at the same time.

The close season though does offer the thrill of the anticipation of the movements in the transfer market. The chance for the clubs to get the players that would help them win all that they want to win & more in the coming season. It is also a chance to let go of the players you felt were undeserving of donning the same colors you wear. Rest assured, every fan has his views on the transfer policy of the club & who they should get in to bolster the squad & whom to let go to balance the books. Believe me the gossips floating around in media circles are far juicier than the news. As time passes, summer gives way to autumn & as the last grand slam of the year in US Open at the Flushing Meadows gets underway, so does the footballing season across Europe.  No need to tell that battle lines have already been drawn, to do one-upmanship on the nearest rivals, to shut up ‘The Noisy Neighbors’.

Every season starts with hope & pride filling up the hearts of the fans that are either smitten from last season’s successes or are looking to improve from the disappointments. It is a breath taking moment when time stops at kick-off time for the first game of the new season. The thrill is back. The nail biting finishes. Looking at the clock anxiously, yelling at the players, cursing the referee all to see your team get the morale boosting win under their belt. And within the first few weeks, predictions are drawn on where the clubs will lie come the end of the campaign.

Football is a game that brings people together. People from all walks of life, from different countries coming together to raise their voice in support of the colors they love to adorn on their backs, all the while filled with pride. Yes, all of this sounds a bit fanatical but to a true fan, this is his life. This is what he lives for in true sense of the word. It’s a passion that defines many lives; kids growing up supporting & loving their heroes, The Beckhams, Messis and countless others. You will do all the fighting, brawling, defending that is needed in the name & honor of crest you wear on your chest when you step out on the street, making your way to the stadium to join in the noise.