SOCCER: Under-pressure Bournemouth manager Sean O'Driscoll has been given six games to halt their slide.
New chairman Peter Phillips has told O'Driscoll that he will start looking for a new manager if the wins do not start coming soon, as they arrive at Moss Rose on Saturday.
Phillips said this week: "Our minimum target after ten games is to be in the top seven. With the talent available to us, we should be higher even than that.
"We have made a poor start, and Sean and Peter [Grant, the assistant manager] know they have six games to turn things around."
Bournemouth are having problems on and off the field as they try to readjust after relegation from Division Two last season.
The club are facing the prospect of having to sell their newly-redeveloped Dean Court ground - which only reopened last November - to pay off mounting debts.
That possible sale proved very unpopular with Bournemouth's fans, and led to Tony Swaisland resigning as chairman last month. Local businessman and Bournemouth fan Peter Phillips has taken over with the task of raising £2m in the next six weeks to keep the club afloat.
The Cherries have launched a 'Cherry Share' scheme to encourage fans to buy Bournemouth shares - similar to the Macclesfield Express 'I Care, I Bought A Share' campaign with the Silkmen.
And the Bournemouth campaign has proved a success, raising almost £500,000 in three weeks.
The club could have moved even closer to the target had their former midfield star Matt Holland moved from Ipswich to Aston Villa.
Bournemouth have a 25 per cent sell-on clause if Ipswich cash in on the Republic of Ireland midfielder - and would have received around £1m had the Villa move not fallen through.
But at the moment, the Cherries are struggling along with little money and an injury-ravaged side low on confidence. Their Northern Ireland international striker Warren Feeney is almost certain to miss Saturday's trip to Macc with an ankle injruy picked up during last weekend's 2-0 defeat at Swansea.
O'Driscoll's side are also missing inspirational captain Steve Fletcher, who has been out for more than a year with a knee injury.
The Bournemouth boss has brought in Marcus Browning on a free transfer from Gillingham in a bid to shore up the midfield.
But O'Driscoll also has problems in goal. First choice keeper Gareth Stewart has an ankle injury, and on-loan Portsmouth stopper Chris Tardif had a nightmare at Swansea.
The manager has brought in another loan keeper, Reading's James Ashdown, who is expected to play at Macc.
Warren Feeney is doubtful for the visitors, while Macclesfield are looking to bring in a loan player in time for the Cherries clash.
