#PLStories- Gary O’Neil’s praise for Ryan Christie during spell out of side #AFCB

The Scotland international featured in 19 of the club’s first 21 Premier League games of this season, starting 12 of those. But Christie has been left as an unused substitute for each of Cherries’ past three matches, with January recruits Dango Ouattara and Hamed Traore selected instead in the advanced attacking midfield areas. Asked if there was a danger of Christie being left behind given the profile of player Cherries have recruited in his area of the pitch, or if he still had plenty to offer, boss O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “He’s still very, very important. “He’s an incredible lad as well. “His training levels have not dropped by one per cent since, as you say, his minutes have got slightly less over the last couple of weeks. “Most of that is just situation based, what you feel you need at the time. “Some changes you can make here or there and just for the last couple it hasn’t been Ryan Christie, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be moving forward. “He’s a really important player for us and I’m still delighted he’s part of the group.” Christie, who turned 28 last month, joined Cherries from Celtic for £2.5million in August 2021. He played a key role in Scott Parker’s side clinching promotion from the Championship last term, providing three goals and eight assists in 38 league outings. Having previously played all his career north of the border, with Celtic, Aberdeen and hometown Inverness Caledonian Thistle, this is Christie’s first season in England’s top flight. He has been unable to replicate the type of offensive numbers he managed both in the Championship and Scottish Premiership. Christie is yet to register an assist this term, while his only league goal was the winner in a 2-1 victory over Leicester City in October. He did also score in defeat to Burnley in the FA Cup in January. Asked if he would like to see Christie contributing more goals and assists, or if he focusses more on the defensive work the midfielder brings to the side, O’Neil said: “I think he can do both. “Obviously one of his real strengths is how diligent he is and how hard he works for the team, of course. “But he has good quality on his left foot and he can provide key passes and crosses and has quality. “He can improve those numbers. Of course, being in the Premier League in a team that has been at the bottom of the league makes it difficult in attacking numbers. “But he’s very, very important. “He can do lots of things that are important to a club like us in the position we are in. “I have no issues with Ryan Christie whatsoever.”