AFCB/Lee Bradbury - Thoughts of 2011 - Nerve Magazine

Published in Nerve* Magazine for Bournemouth University, March 2011 issue

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Earlier this month, James Hartnett caught up with AFC Bournemouth manager Lee Bradbury ahead of a busy end-of-season fixture list. Sitting snugly in a hardly-fought contest for automatic promotion, Nerve* Sport brings you the low-down on the latest news from AFC Bournemouth, as well as newly-acquired manager Lee Bradbury’s thoughts of a possible winter break in football.

Following impressive form, AFC Bournemouth currently sit just behind leaders Brighton in the race for automatic promotion into the Championship next season. With the January transfer window well and truly passed, AFC Bournemouth now find themselves in the thick of a promotion struggle with a fleet of hot talent in their arsenal.

After continued impressive form, young striker Danny Ings last month put pen to paper on a new contract to keep him at Dean Court until 2013 whilst goalkeeper Shwan Jalal was also handed the ESPN PFA League 1 Player of the Month award in January. Of the two, Bradbury said “Danny’s shown great potential all season; he’s worked hard, set up and scored goals, and we can now make sure he fulfils this potential at Dean Court, whilst Shwan’s confidence must be sky-high now - he’s made some great saves and fully deserves his prize.”

Meanwhile, injury-hit Mark Molesley made his return to action recently, with minutes under his belt being of top priority. Bradbury revealed “he’s growing his fitness and confidence week-in week-out, and as long as he keeps going the way he’s going he won’t be far off joining the first team”.

Bradbury also mentioned deadline-day signing Ben Williamson is also sure to prove a handful for defenders in the future, constantly causing problems to centre-halves with his impressive pace and lethal finishing, and has already begun his goal tally for the club following his debut match for the reserve team at Forest Green in February.

However, Bradbury revealed doubt over securing the signing of Williamson after watching from the wings during former AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe’s reign, having to wait until he took charge to sign the promising youngster.

Williamson was one of three youngsters snapped up from the Glenn Hoddle Academy in Spain this January, with the reputable soccer school constantly attracting attention from teams worldwide for its continued production of talented footballers.

A winter break in the domestic season?

Lee also gave his view on whether a winter break would benefit professional footballers, feeling that with such bad weather as of late, players went weeks without a game in some cases anyway – time which could have been used resting and denying fatigue from settling in come the season’s close.

As for national team prospects, he remained neutral on if a break would be beneficial, pointing out that “we won’t know if it’s good until it’s tested”. But with international competition ever dominant in the footballing world, perhaps in this aspect a break is needed, with players on the world stage only ever capable of having a few weeks off before the next domestic season restarts.