Cherries are currently enduring one of their worst starts to a season – over the first 10 league games – in post-war history.
Lee Bradbury’s men have mustered just nine points and are 18th in the League One table.
The club’s worst start to a season over the first 10 games came in 1994 when just four points were garnered. However, boss Mel Machin went on to mastermind the original Great Escape from relegation.
A poor start to the 1983-84 campaign saw Cherries pick up just six points from their opening 10 matches, a run which resulted in Don Megson leaving his post as manager.
Kevin Bond’s men were ultimately relegated – albeit after losing 10 points for entering administration – after Cherries had collected just eight points from 10 games at the start of 2007-08.
And the goalscoring exploits of Jermain Defoe rescued Cherries from another meagre eight-point start when Sean O’Driscoll’s men went close to reaching the play-offs in 2000-01.
Cherries have registered nine points – or the equivalent before three points for a win replaced two – from their opening 10 league games in five other seasons since 1946.
• Cherries loan man Nathan Byrne looks set for a lengthy spell on the sidelines after being told he requires an operation.
Byrne, who is on a season-long loan from Spurs, sustained an ankle injury during the first half of Cherries’ 2-0 win at Exeter a fortnight ago.
The 19-year-old is due to go under the knife in the next few days and could be sidelined for up to four months.
• Lee Bradbury has taken the curious step of publicly urging his players to be responsible when using social networking sites.
In a statement on the official club website, Bradbury said: “I’ve spoken to them about Twitter, Facebook and social networking sites. They are personal things and I don’t want them to doing (sic) or saying anything that involves the club really. I think they know that. As long as they keep them for personal use then it’s not a problem.”
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