Cherries got reality check – Francis

Bournemouth have been given a wake-up call according to skipper Simon Francis after they were beaten 2-0 away to struggling Middlesbrough.

The Cherries had been on a good run including their biggest-ever Premier League victory, 6-1 over Hull City, but were brought back down to earth with a bump.

It was another example of Bournemouth’s struggles on their travels this season, with just two points from five games so far, a turnaround from last season where they picked up more points on the road than at home.

(Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Francis said: “It’s strange, last season we were struggling at home and doing well away and it’s a complete reverse so far.

“We need to try and find a balance, it’s a bit of a wake-up call.

“The fans came a long, long way and turned out in thousands as they do – it’s really disappointing we couldn’t get a result for them.”

Meanwhile manager Eddie Howe admitted that the team probably needed a reality check and wants his charges to learn from it.

He added: “It’s a lesson learned for us and possibly an experience we needed to go through.

“We’re not quite as good as we think we are, and we have to go back and work extremely hard to get anything in this league.”