CHERRIES are aiming to finish “this little spell on a high” according to Gary O’Neil, with the interim head coach targeting three points prior to the pausing of the Premier League for the World Cup. Everton visit the Vitality Stadium for the second time in a week on Saturday, with Cherries already recording one victory over the Toffees in the League Cup on Tuesday, a 4-1 victory booking their place in the fourth round. The two teams do battle again on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), with league points on offer. Victory for Cherries would lift them above their guests, with only one point and one place separating the two sides in the Premier League table. When asked how playing the same opponents back-to-back impacted preparations,
Gary O’Neil said: “It just means there’s more work to do, that’s all. There’s just two games to prep for instead of one. There’s quite a lot of tactical info on Tuesday that the boys had to take on because you’re never sure how Everton are going to come for that cup game, tactically. So I think we managed to go through about five different systems in the game and the boys nailed all of them. I think Saturday, as I say, will be very, very different. But in terms of the week, I mean, it’s easier preparing for Everton twice than it is preparing for another team.”
Former transfer target Demarai Gray demonstrated his quality during the League Cup tie, his curling effort from outside the box Everton’s only goal of the 4-1 defeat. Asked if there were specific players Cherries would have to watch out for,
Gary O’Neil responded: “Yeah, they’ve got good players. I think lots of them have caught my eye. Obviously Demarai Gray’s a good player. They’ve got loads of them. (Alex) Iwobi has been excellent for them this year. (Connor) Coady and (James) Tarkowski, two centre-backs, real solid, good with the ball. Jordan Pickford in goal, they’re a strong side. So our boys will be ready with forward to it. We want to end this little spell on a high.”
