GARY O’Neil says he will have an input on who Cherries sign this month, but stressed transfer policy was not his main role as head coach. O’Neil is in charge of a club in a transfer window for the first time as a head coach, having been promoted up from his previous role as interim in November. Cherries are keen to add players to their squad this month, with new owner Bill Foley recently quoted as saying the club would like to make four or five new additions. Asked how much say he has on who Cherries sign this month,
Gary O’Neil said: “January can be tricky, but what is also important is I am the head coach. My main job is to improve the players that we have. I know the club are keen to have new arrivals, we’re keen to help the group that are still here. But my main job as head coach is to make sure the ones we’ve got performing, perform to the best of their ability, so full focus on that at the moment. We have a way it works at the football club. I’m the head coach and there will be a transfer policy in place. I will have a say on how it goes and who comes through the door. But as the role says, my main job is to make sure whoever does come in and the players who are already playing are performing at the top of their ability. Of course the head coach of the club will have conversations around who comes in. But obviously my main focus is making sure the lads who are here are ready to go because we’ve had a game every three days for the last couple of weeks. There’s conversations around what I think we need, what positions, what type. Of course there’s conversations so I will have a say on who comes in.”
Quizzed on if he feels Cherries need to add a striker this month, given the club have failed to find the net in six hours of football since the resumption after the World Cup break,
Gary O’Neil said: “There are a few positions in the squad that I would like to strengthen. I think attacking threat is definitely one of them.”
Chairman Foley attended last weekend’s disappointing 2-0 home defeat to Crystal Palace, one of four games in succession Cherries have failed to find the net in. They also lost without scoring against Newcastle United, Chelsea and Manchester United in recent weeks. Asked if those results have made Foley stress the need for signings even more,
Gary O’Neil said: “The results won’t have changed it, no. There’s been a policy in place and there’s been discussions since that moment that Bill took over. Between Bill and the board and the board and myself, so constant dialogue. We are hopeful we can start to add people to the group. But we’ll have to see how it goes.”
