FANS' FAVOURITE-in-waiting Nathan Ake insisted Cherries needed to rediscover their flair on the ball in a bid to arrest their recent run of poor performances.

Ake is expected to sweep the boards when the annual player-of-the-year awards are presented ahead of Cherries' final home game of the season against Swansea.

The 23-year-old Dutchman recorded a landslide victory in the poll for the prestigious Daily Echo/Micky Cave supporters' player-of-the-year trophy, which is now in its 32nd season.

Ake received more than 80 per cent of the vote, finishing ahead of runner-up Lewis Cook and Ryan Fraser, who was third.

Team-mates Steve Cook, Simon Francis (twice), Harry Arter and Marc Pugh have been among recent winners of the award which is named in honour of the former Cherries midfielder who died in 1984.

Ake, a club record £20million signing from Chelsea in the summer, has been Cherries' most consistent performer during the club's third season in the Premier League.

He has started all but one game in the top flight, winning a host of man-of-the-match awards from sponsors together with player-of-the-month gongs, voted for by supporters.

Ake will be hoping to help Cherries end their home campaign on a high when they entertain Swansea at Vitality Stadium.

In an interview with Sky Sports this week, he said he was at a loss to explain their recent run of poor results and revealed they had held meetings to discuss their form.

"It is hard to explain (the poor form) and we are trying to find out ourselves as well," said Ake.

"We have had a lot of meetings trying to work out why it is not happening at the moment.

"I don't think it is our mentality because, in a lot of games, we have come back and are always trying to perform.

"The performances haven't been great and, on the ball, we haven't been great. We are a footballing team, but we haven't really showed that in the last few games.

"We are looking at it and trying to do well in training. We are training really well, but it hasn't come out in the games yet.

"We still have the same hunger to finish as high as possible but also look at the clips and look at games where we haven't performed and try to show us what we should do better.

"We are doing that in training, but it is just about bringing it out in games now."

Daily Echo/Micky Cave supporters' player of the year (past 20 winners): 2017 – Steve Cook, 2016 – Simon Francis, 2015 – Harry Arter, 2014 – Simon Francis, 2013 – Tommy Elphick, 2012 – Marc Pugh, 2011 – Jason Pearce, 2010 – Brett Pitman, 2009 – Jason Pearce, 2008 – Danny Hollands, 2007 – Darren Anderton, 2006 – Neil Young, 2005 – Garreth O’Connor, 2004 – James Hayter, 2003 – Carl Fletcher, 2002 – Warren Feeney, 2001 – Wade Elliott, 2000 – Claus Jorgensen, 1999 – Eddie Howe, 1998 – Eddie Howe.