Ryan Christie
RYAN Christie insisted the Cherries squad were 100 per cent behind Gary O’Neil, sharing how the head coach gives the team “full belief” heading into games. Cherries have tasted defeat in six successive fixtures since O’Neil was appointed as manager on a permanent basis, the Dorset club’s most recent result a 2-0 loss at the hands of Brentford. There was controversy over the penalty incident that led to the Bees’ opener, Ivan Toney appearing to foul Marcos Senesi in the build-up, but Cherries were again unable to truly test their opponents in an attacking sense. Asked whether O’Neil still had the backing of the squad despite the downturn in recent form,
Ryan Christie responded: “100 per cent. I think he’s showed since even when he was interim, when we put our run of results together under him, the full belief we have in terms of going into the games, the game plan he sets out. To come here, if anything, kind of dominate the first half in most parts proves that we’re kind of on the right track. We just need to then get the results to follow that. Supporters, first thing they look at the score sheet, so we understand frustration, but again, we believe we can put a run together, that we can get them back on side.”
Discussing the penalty incident that undid all of Cherries’ hard work in the first half,
Ryan Christie said: “It’s obviously frustrating, the penalty, I don’t really want to say too much. I’m sure everyone else will have a verdict on it as well. I’d like to see what the guys on the TV think, but it’s frustrating when you keep getting these decisions (against you). We played Brentford at home and in the first fixture, I think there’s two handballs that we don’t get. So, yeah, that’s been frustrating, but hopefully the decisions start going our way soon.”
Christie and co. return to action next Saturday, when they host Nottingham Forest in what could prove to be a decisive fixture in the relegation battle.
