'Everyone loves an underdog but City won't care'published at 16:15 27 March
16:15 27 March
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BBC Sport's chief football writer Phil McNulty has been answering your questions.
Rob asked : Is it fair to say all neutrals will be supporting Bournemouth on Sunday? At least that would guarantee a new, or long-time waiting name on the cup.
Phil answered: You may have a point because everyone loves an underdog and Bournemouth will be underdogs here. I do agree it is refreshing to see the FA Cup so open this season but it is Manchester City's single trophy hope and they won't care about the romanticism a Bournemouth win might bring. I'm at The Vitality Stadium on Sunday and really looking forward to it.
Premier League to have two summer transfer windowspublished at 13:57 27 March
13:57 27 March
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Premier League clubs have agreed the dates for the summer transfer window.
The window will open early, between Sunday 1 June and Tuesday 10 June, due to an exceptional registration period relating to the Fifa Club World Cup.
It will then reopen on Monday 16 June and close on Monday 1 September.
Bournemouth v Man City: Did you know?published at 11:25 27 March
11:25 27 March
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This is the first ever FA Cup meeting between Bournemouth and Manchester City.
Bournemouth won 2-1 against Manchester City in November - their first win against City, having not won any of their first 21 meetings in all competitions (D2 L19).
This is just Bournemouth's third appearance in the FA Cup quarter-finals, losing 2-1 against Manchester United in 1956-57 and 3-0 against Southampton in 2020-21.
Man City have won their past seven FA Cup quarter-final ties, with these coming in the past eight campaigns (exception being 2017-18). Their run of reaching the semi-final in six consecutive campaigns is already a record in the competition.
Gossip: Cherries to discuss future of key playerspublished at 07:31 27 March
07:31 27 March
Bournemouth will meet this week to discuss the futures of 21-year-old Hungary left-back Milos Kerkez and Ghana forward Antoine Semenyo, 25, amid interest from Liverpool. (Teamtalk), external
Time for Iraola's side to write history?published at 12:28 26 March
12:28 26 March
Mark Mitchener BBC Sport senior journalist
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As the international break draws towards its close, attention turns towards this weekend's FA Cup quarter-finals, with Bournemouth preparing for Sunday's tie with Manchester City.
It is only the third time the Cherries have reached the last eight – but the first time that several generations of fans can watch their heroes in the quarter-finals, as the 2021 defeat by Southampton was during the "Covid season" of 2020-21 when only a handful of journalists and officials attended.
Elderly supporters, however, still talk in glowing terms of the FA Cup run of 1956-57 which, for many decades, remained the club's high-water mark in football.
Bournemouth and Boscombe Athletic (as they were then), of the Third Division (South), began their Cup campaign by beating Burton Albion 8-0, Swindon Town 1-0 and Accrington Stanley 2-0.
Manager Freddie Cox then led the Cherries to a 1-0 giant-kill at the mighty Wolverhampton Wanderers, skippered by England captain Billy Wright, before another leading First Division side in Tottenham Hotspur were beaten 3-1 at Dean Court in round five.
That set up a home quarter-final against a third top-flight giant, the "Busby Babes" of Manchester United, whose manager Matt Busby had once turned out for Bournemouth as a guest player during World War II.
For those who remember the old Dean Court, it seems scarcely believable that a record 28,799 fans crammed into the ground that day. Even the local Boscombe Silver Band's numbers had suspiciously swelled, performing before kick-off at each cup tie.
Then FA Cup regulations said that in the event of a colour clash, both teams must change - so Bournemouth wore all-white and United blue, but the fairytale run ended that day.
With no substitutes, an early collision between United defender Mark Jones and Cherries inside-right Ollie Norris left both players as passengers for the rest of the game.
"Gallant little Bournemouth," as the surviving Pathe newsreel footage , externalcalls them, took a shock first-half lead when Nelson Stiffle's corner was nodded in by Brian Bedford.
But United. with England star Duncan Edwards pulling the strings, hit back when the ball was played through to Johnny Berry and with Bournemouth appealing for offside, he slid the ball past keeper Tommy Godwin to equalise.
Referee Frank Coultas waved away the Cherries protests, and later adjudged that Joe Brown had handled Dennis Viollet's shot, with the Bournemouth left-half claiming the ball had struck his shoulder.
"We wore all-white that day and the ball's impact could clearly be seen on Joe's chest," Bedford recalled. "It was never a penalty and one or two of their players said as much afterwards."
Berry hammered home the resulting spot-kick, and the dream was over for Cox's "Pippins", though they were awarded the Sunday Pictorial newspaper's "Giant-Killers' Cup".
United made it all the way to the final, losing 2-1 to Aston Villa, and Busby later wrote in his book My Story that of all their Cup ties that season, "our finest hour was seen on the Dean Court ground at Bournemouth".
Eleven months later, six of the United XI who faced the Cherries - Edwards, Jones, Roger Byrne, Eddie Colman, Billy Whelan and David Pegg - were among those who lost their lives in the Munich air disaster, while Berry was so badly injured he never played again.
Time for Andoni Iraola's side to write a new chapter in Bournemouth's history?
Does FA Cup have its magic back?published at 14:28 25 March
14:28 25 March
Pat Nevin Former footballer and presenter
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Looking a little further ahead in England, at least this weekend gives some players a little break. The Premier League takes a rest while the FA Cup quarter-finals top the bill and rarely has there been a more unusual cast list.
Bournemouth, Preston North End, Fulham, Nottingham Forest, Crystal Palace and Brighton are not regulars in FA Cup finals, so it is a great chance for glory.
Not since Forest in 1959 have any of the above won the trophy.
Many of the big dogs have gone out already - not because they didn't care, but because they simply weren't good enough.
The FA Cup seems to have its sparkle back and, with a bit of luck, it might even have the first magical fairytale ending we have seen since Wigan in 2013.
Ouattara offers Bournemouth's 'secret'published at 12:08 25 March
12:08 25 March
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Dango Ouattara says the "secret" to Bournemouth's success is a continuity from last season through to the current campaign.
The Cherries - chasing a place in Europe and the FA Cup in the late stages of the season - have surpassed expectations, with a free-flowing brand of football on show and countless eye-catching results.
"The secret this year is that we've had the same squad since last year, virtually the same players," Ouattara told the BBC.
"And the same coach. It's important to have a group that continues to develop together and to have the same coach who knows the players and knows how to get them to play together. That's the secret.
"As for the players, we're going to do everything we can to go further. We're going to try to keep up the momentum, win games and try to lose fewer, so we'll see where we stand."
Semenyo 'is struggling a little bit'published at 17:24 24 March
17:24 24 March
Antoine Semenyo has been "brilliant" this season "but has dipped as of late", says our Bournemouth fan contributor Tom Jordan.
So refinding his form could help the Cherries "have a massive end" to an already impressive season.
From third to 10th - pundit predictspublished at 09:19 21 March
09:19 21 March
With the Premier League top two fairly set in stone and the relegation places all but decided, we asked former England midfielder Fara Williams to pick her final table from third down to 10th.
Nottingham Forest will hang on to third based on what they have built this season in terms of being defensively hard to break down and playing in transitions very well. They are finding ways to win games by playing to their strengths.
I do not think Chelsea are good enough to secure fourth. I have put Manchester City there because they have enough firepower and always seem to finish Premier League seasons really well. They have not been in good form but they have that know-how and still a bit of a fear factor against some of the teams they play.
I have Chelsea in fifth because if Cole Palmer can refind his form they will have a good run of games. Newcastle in sixth - where they currently sit - as I think they will continue on the same trajectory with their run of fixtures.
The rest is really difficult. I have put Bournemouth seventh as their pressing and high-intensity play will see them pick up form again and rise a few places.
I have Aston Villa eighth as their focus will be on the Champions League, then Brighton ninth and Fulham 10th as I do not think their form will improve significantly. They are still impressive finishes.
Having said this, it has never been so close in this area of the table from what I can remember. These teams are likely to finish within one win of each other so much can change on one result.
Fara Williams was speaking to BBC Sport's Nat Hayward
Gossip: Huijsen eyed by Newcastlepublished at 07:58 21 March
07:58 21 March
Newcastle have made Bournemouth and Spain international Dean Huijsen, 19, their number one defensive target this summer. (Sun), external
Bournemouth are looking to sign Spain goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga, 30, on a permanent basis from Chelsea this summer, with 26-year-old Liverpool and Republic of Ireland international, Caoimhin Kelleher, also of interest. (Telegraph - subscription required), external
On the brink of glory - success spreading through Cherriespublished at 18:13 20 March
18:13 20 March
Mark Mitchener BBC Sport Senior Journalist
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While Andoni Iraola's side are 10 days away from an FA Cup quarter-final against Manchester City, Bournemouth are also on the precipice of promotion to the third tier of the women's football pyramid after a remarkable season.
The Cherries, managed by Steve Cuss, beat their nearest challengers Moneyfields 2-1 on Wednesday to extend their record in the FA Women's National League Division One South West to played 17, won 17.
Chloe Gilroy scored direct from a corner and Ellie Strippel doubled Bournemouth's lead, before Brooke Garcia pulled one back for Portsmouth-based Moneyfields.
It was only a penalty save in stoppage time by teenage keeper Erin Foley, keeping Shannon Albuery at bay, that preserved the 100% win record for Bournemouth, whose goal record stands at scored 80 and conceded only three in those 17 games.
Bournemouth now require only one win from their last five games to clinch the title and the division's sole promotion place - and it could have not been stage-managed better as their next game is at Vitality Stadium on Sunday, with Bristol Rovers the visitors.
More than 5,000 tickets have already been sold for the fixture, with hopes of eclipsing the crowd of over 6,000 which watched their last game at the men's ground, a 4-0 success over Swindon in November - attendance figures which would compare favourably with the men's team when they were last in the fourth tier, having averaged 5,720 in League Two in 2009-10.
Gossip: Cherries prepare to lose Kerkezpublished at 07:39 20 March
07:39 20 March
Bournemouth are targeting 24-year-old Club Brugge left-back Maxim de Cuyper should they need to sign a replacement for their in-demand Hungarian full-back Milos Kerkez, who has been targeted by Liverpool. (Football Insider), external
'Iraola may decide to throw all his eligible eggs in the FA Cup basket'published at 15:31 19 March
15:31 19 March
Mark Mitchener BBC Sport senior journalist
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The international break feels like a time for Bournemouth to regroup and take stock before the final nine league games of the season.
Any "regrouping" may be more metaphorical than literal with nearly a dozen players called away for international duty, but having been running away like an express train in January and for most of February, the brakes have been somewhat slammed on in March with only one point from four league games.
Whether the players are feeling the cumulative fatigue of 33 league and cup games under Andoni Iraola's high-intensity, high-energy pressing style – as some television pundits have suggested – is probably one for the strength and conditioning coaches to determine, but over the past few games it feels more like they are being punished for a lack of clinicality at both ends of the field.
After the break, the Cherries face three games in seven days with a Sunday-Wednesday-Saturday fixture list, but following that trio of matches, it settles down to one game per weekend – plus any potential FA Cup progress.
And having lost a little ground on the teams above them in the Premier League, that FA Cup quarter-final with Manchester City takes on added significance with the cup being potentially Bournemouth's best route to owner Bill Foley's dream of qualifying for European football.
While FA Cup yellow-card suspensions will rob Iraola of the services of key defenders Milos Kerkez and Dean Huijsen for the City game, Iraola may decide to throw all his eligible eggs in the FA Cup basket rather than make wholesale changes elsewhere – and that would likely find favour with the supporters dreaming of Wembley.
Huijsen's Spain call-up a 'huge compliment' to Bournemouthpublished at 09:47 19 March
09:47 19 March
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Discussed on the latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Cherries: Unpicked is Bournemouth centre-back Dean Huijsen's call-up to the senior Spain squad for their upcoming Nations League quarter-final games against the Netherlands.
Huijsen had originally been named in the Under-21 setup for this international break, but the 19-year-old was drafted into the senior squad, external following the withdrawal of injured Barcelona defender Inigo Martinez.
Speaking about Huijsen's Premier League performances this season, ex-Cherries defender Joe Partington said: "A great word to describe him is proactive and not necessarily reactive - but he is capable of being reactive too.
"It is really difficult as a striker when you're playing against him because if you feel you have a yard on him, he can get it back, and more often than not he's reading what's going on before it's happened anyway."
Partington said Huijsen being involved in the senior Spain squad at a young age is "such a huge compliment to him and the club", adding: "It's not just necessarily taking him from Juventus and having him as part of the squad, but they've played him in every minute of every game that he's been available. Because of that, he's reached another level.
"It's similar to when Nathan Ake was at Bournemouth. People could see he was maybe a level above. Obviously now he's gone to Manchester City and won everything. Huijsen seems to have that capability to step up to that level."
Gossip: Cherries favourites to sign Kelleherpublished at 07:34 19 March
07:34 19 March
Bournemouth are leading the race to sign Republic of Ireland goalkeeper Caoimhin Kelleher, 26, from Liverpool. (Talksport), external
Real Madrid will step up their bid to sign 19-year-old defender Dean Huijsen from Bournemouth this summer after he was promoted to Spain's senior squad. (Sun), external
The latest episode of BBC Radio Solent's Cherries: Unpicked looks back at Bournemouth's home defeat by Brentford, as well as discussing Antoine Semenyo's recent form and Dean Huijsen being called up to the senior Spain squad.
'A bump in the road' - so can Cherries go again?published at 12:34 18 March
12:34 18 March
Tom Jordan Fan writer
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It has been quite the season for Andoni Iraola's Bournemouth side, but of late they are most certainly hitting a bump in the road.
While this campaign has seen the Cherries put together a impressive record-breaking run of 11 games without defeat, now, they are without a win in four. Considering the side have been consistently exceeding expectations this campaign, you start to wonder whether a blip was always inevitable.
Weirdly, the dip in form has coincided with many key players returning to the squad from injury - so, in many ways, it does not make sense. During Bournemouth's unbeaten run, they often had a bench full of academy players who had no senior minutes, whereas now, the bench regularly consists of internationals who would start for many big sides.
Similarly, up until recently, the Cherries have pretty much always been seen as the 'underdog' and have often used that siege mentality as a driving force to surprise many neutrals with both their performances and results.
Could it be that our opponents have started to figure out how best to deal with our approach? Both Brentford and Wolves gained results at Vitality Stadium in similar fashion - by frustrating the south coast side, hurting them consistently in transitions. Or perhaps it is simply the case that the aggressive and energy zapping style that Iraola's team play has become a little too much on the legs for certain players?
Either way, it is a long and gruelling season, and with an FA Cup quarter-final around the corner, Bournemouth still have so much to play for.
I still fancy the team to bounce-back and surprise the masses as they so regularly do, but the recent run has perhaps provided a grounding for many an ecstatic Cherries fan.
Mark: We started well and looked dangerous. Then we just switched off. Poor goalkeeping and he lacked the confidence needed for the game. The goal drought from Semenyo is worrying. We need him back popping them in for fun. Europe is now slipping through our hands. We need a hard look to work out if the FA Cup or the league is more important to us.
Alex: Good performance, just not when it was needed. Shocking refereeing.
Chris: Compare the team placement now against the line up and positions before Christmas. That should answer a lot of questions.
Brentford fans
Fred: How we won that I don't know. We have to make a Norgaard chant, he was so good, and shoutout to Keane Lewis-Potter. Is he England's best left-back? It shows real character for a team who could make a late European charge potentially.
Geoff: Captain fantastic again. Brilliant from the skipper.
Jason: Took my mate Jim to his first away game. Not pretty but they all count!
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