Once upon a time the first measure of a season was getting enough points to stay up, but with last season, and this one, the measure is whether AFC Bournemouth can achieve promotion.
The ever popular Shaun Cooper is quoted in the Bournemouth Evening Echo as saying: "It is a great feeling to be playing and winning. You enjoy it so much more when you are winning. My first four years were spent trying to fight off relegation, although administration sent us down in 2008. Now, we go into every game with the belief we can win. In the past, and although we had fantastic and technically-gifted players, we didn’t quite have the mentality or the physical side of things that we’ve got now. This is definitely the best squad we have had at the club since I have been here. Don’t get me wrong, we have had some fantastic individuals in the team in the past, but, as a unit, this is the best for me. We have got great individuals and the balance of the team is good. It’s great to be a part of it. The players are fit and we have got pace throughout the team. We are together and the whole group are winners. It is a brilliant combination and there is something special here".