Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits still operating on game-by-game basis #AFCB

October 28, 2022
GARY O’Neil maintains he is still operating on a game-by-game basis, stressing: “I don’t expect anything”. O’Neil will take charge of his ninth game as interim head coach of Cherries on Saturday, when Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur visit the Vitality Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm). Despite only three Premier League games remaining until the break for the World Cup in November, O’Neil insisted that he was still operating on a game-by-game basis in a caretaker capacity. The hunt for a replacement for Scott Parker, who departed in August, has occurred concurrently with the takeover of the club by American businessman Bill Foley. When asked if he expected to be in charge until the World Cup, O’Neil responded: “No, I don't expect anything. “Just getting ready for (Saturday), I expect to have it for Tottenham. I expect to do well against Tottenham and then we'll see where we are after Tottenham.” O’Neil has taken 10 points from his eight games in charge, losing his last two fixtures. Tottenham Hotspur represents the first side in the top four Cherries will face since the 9-0 thrashing at Liverpool in August. Asked if he thought Spurs would represent the biggest challenge has faced as Cherries boss, O’Neil responded: “Yeah, I think from the outside, everyone will expect them to finish very high up league. “I did say the same about Newcastle. Newcastle are very, very good. “But yes, got world class players, world class manager, who has been there a while now. They have a real clear identity with and without the ball. “So it'll be a tough test, but one I'm really looking forward to.”
Mark Travers Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Bournemouth player Mark Travers ‘ready for every opportunity’ after coming off the bench against West Ham #AFCB

October 27, 2022
MARK Travers revealed how coming off the bench was a different experience in his footballing career, with the young goalie sharing: “It was a new one, to be honest”. Irish international Travers came off the bench during Cherries’ 2-0 defeat away at West Ham on Monday, after Gary O’Neil’s current first-choice, Neto, was unable to continue due to injury. Whilst the exact issue the Brazilian is suffering with has yet to be confirmed, he first went down with discomfort after a routine clearance. Although the former Barcelona man saw out the rest of the first half, it was decided at the break a change had to be made. After having to watch on from the sidelines for the past seven games, Travers was brought on, the Irishman conceding late on to a Said Benrahma penalty. Travers told the Daily Echo: “I think just looking from the kick, it looked like he felt something from the kick so from that moment just tried to stay aware, and ready. “Then I saw him say he'll go to half time and see what happens from there. “So it gave me some time to get ready at half time, which is all good. “It was a new one, to be honest. I've never really experienced that before. “Every game, trying to be ready as best I can. You never want an injury for another goalkeeper. I hope Neto recovers well. “We'll just have to see what happens over the next few days.” After establishing himself as first-choice under Scott Parker during Cherries’ promotion to the Championship, the 23-year-old appeared to be set for another season as number one at the Vitality Stadium, signing a new five-year deal over the summer. However, since O’Neil was installed as interim boss, the more experience Neto has started every Premier League fixture. Reflecting on coming out of the side, the Cherries academy graduate shared: “I think when you're playing every week last year and then coming out, it's always frustrating for any player really. “I just tried to do my best every day for the team and in training, work hard and get my head down. “Wait for the next opportunity, so that's all I try to do. “That's his (O’Neil’s) decision that was made after the game, but I'm always ready to play and I'm happy to go on to the pitch and compete for this club, which is always what I want to do. “I train every day, working. I know coming out of the team, I’ve got to work on things, to improve on in training. “This way I’ll be ready for every opportunity that comes.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil felt AFC Bournemouth were in ‘total control’ of second half at West Ham #AFCB

October 26, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil hailed the response from Cherries during the second half of their 2-0 defeat at West Ham and insisted: “I felt we were in total control.” The Dorset club lost star striker Dominic Solanke and keeper Neto due to injury during the first half at London Stadium – as well as going behind to Kurt Zouma’s controversial opener after Thilo Kehrer handled in the build-up. And despite Said Benrahma’s second-half strike from the penalty spot after Cherries full-back Jordan Zemura was judged to have handled, O’Neil had praise for his charges’ display. He said: “Let’s assess us, we can’t control what’s going on with VAR and the referee decisions. “We have no control about it whatsoever, so let’s talk about us. Let’s talk about what we did first half – we needed to be better. “Big pat on the back from me in the second half to show huge courage with big players missing and suffering a setback that they felt aggrieved about. “To produce that against a team that has been in Europe for two seasons and will be up around there challenging again – you see the depth of what they’ve got. “To have them camped in their half, I would say, I don’t know if I’m overselling that – that’s how it felt. I felt we were in total control second half and we were pushing and pushing. “We had some really good moments where the ball goes flashing across the goal. Jefferson Lerma heads one that is given as a foul on (Lukasz) Fabianski, which I don’t think is a foul. “There’s a lot for the boys. Of course, they are going to be frustrated, so losing 2-0 to West Ham doesn’t do anyone any good. “But as in having a team that is fully committed and believes in the game plan – a team that the supporters can be proud of again.” Cherries will be looking to bounce back from two straight defeats when they host West Ham on Saturday (3pm).
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil understands penalty call for Zemura handball #AFCB

October 25, 2022
GARY O’Neil conceded that the penalty awarded against his side in the dying stages of Cherries’ 2-0 defeat to West Ham was understandable, stating: “just the way it’s going at the minute.” There was controversy surrounding both of West Ham’s goals, with O’Neil and co. believing Thilo Kehrer to have handled in the build-up to Kurt Zouma’s opener in first-half injury time. Said Benrahma converted a penalty awarded at the death when Jordan Zemura was adjudged to have used his arm to block Vladimir Coufal’s cross into the box. With Cherries pushing for an equaliser at the time, the second goal sealed West Ham’s win and consigned Cherries to back-to-back defeats in the Premier League. Speaking on the penalty, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I understand that one and I think it’s really hard on the lads because we have West Ham camped and they go nowhere near our goal for a very long time. “We are pushing and pushing, they get one breakaway. “They are crossing the ball with not many people in the box, it’s not really a dangerous situation. “Just the way it’s going at the minute. If it misses Jordan Zemura, we are in no danger, if it hits him on the body and goes out for a corner – it’s just really, really unlucky.” The former West Ham and Portsmouth midfielder went on to question whether the decision was correct, arguing that it was “impossible” for his defender to keep his arms down whilst sliding in for the ball. He continued: “If we want to go into real depth of discussion of national position of arms – anyone who has ever slid for a ball knows they will never be by your side – it’s impossible to have your hands by your side when you are propelling yourself to throw yourself in front of a ball. “If anyone did it with their hands by their side they would look ridiculous. His hand goes into a high position – as it does during football matches when you are moving the body and it’s on its way back down. “The hard thing to take is the huge advantage West Ham gained from their two handballs and we were gaining no advantage from the ball hitting Jordan Zemura on the hand.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil rages at ‘terrible decision’ leading to West Ham opener #AFCB #Controversy

October 25, 2022
GARY O’NEIL pulled no punches in his assessment of West Ham’s controversial opener during Cherries’ 2-0 defeat and insisted: “I can’t understand how that would be given.” Kurt Zouma’s first goal since November 2021 was allowed to stand by VAR Mike Dean, despite a handball by Thilo Kehrer aiding the Irons to go one goal up at London Stadium. Kehrer scooped Jarrod Bowen’s corner into the air before the ball was headed clear by Chris Mepham, nodded back by Tomas Soucek and eventually over the line via the top of Zouma’s head. The word from Stockley Park was that because the handball was not deliberate, and had not led directly to the goal, it was allowed to stand. Interim boss O’Neil was booked for his protests just before half-time and made his feelings clear to referee David Coote at full-time. He told the Daily Echo: “I’m doing that every game at the minute. In with the referee discussing decisions. “I’m obviously disappointed with the first goal. I thought it was a terrible decision. “The first goal cannot stand. It’s impossible for me that that is a goal. His arm moved towards the ball, it impacted where the ball was going. “I can’t understand how that would be given. Talk about hands in a natural or unnatural position. His hands are in front of his stomach and they move towards the ball in the build-up to the goal. “I also think there was a foul in the build-up to the goal as well. I think, more subtle but I expect it to be looked at. “I went in (to see the referee) to find out about the Jefferson Lerma foul on (Aleksandar) Mitrovic at Fulham. The information I received was that Jefferson Lerma impeded Mitrovic without looking at the ball. “If you watch Flynn Downes in the build-up (on Monday). He affects Marcos Senesi by putting his arm over him while looking in the complete opposite direction of the ball. I expect that to be looked at. “The handball for the first goal, I just can’t even believe we have to discuss it. It’s a handball 100 times out of 100. Really, really surprised.” O’Neil was left further frustrated after Cherries full-back Jordan Zemura was judged to have handled in the box when blocking Vladimir Coufal’s cross in the latter stages, with Said Benrahma converting the penalty for 2-0. Hammers boss David Moyes has complained recently that too many calls were going against his side – but the Scot insisted he had not seen enough of the incidents against Cherries to make a comment. “I’ve genuinely not seen any of the incidents,” he said. “Obviously Bournemouth are disappointed with how it went. But what I would say is our performance merited better goals than we scored.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil unsure on seriousness of Dom Solanke injury – with striker leaving West Ham in a protective boot #AFCB

October 25, 2022
GARY O’Neil insisted he did not know the seriousness of Dominic Solanke’s ankle injury picked up at West Ham – with the striker seen leaving London Stadium in a protective boot. Solanke picked up the injury while trying to get a shot off on the counter-attack and being challenged by Thilo Kehrer. He was replaced by Kieffer Moore shortly before West Ham found their opener, when Kurt Zouma controversially headed in after what looked a handball by Kehrer in the build-up following a corner. Cherries went on to lose 2-0 in the capital, with Said Benrahma slotting in a penalty following a handball by Jordan Zemura late on. Solanke has registered two goals and three assists in 10 top-flight games this campaign, following up from 29 Championship goals last season. Giving an injury update, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “Dom Solanke had some pain in his ankle having rolled it. I don’t know the seriousness of it.” He added: “I think on leaving in a boot that is normal for an ankle injury. That doesn’t mean it’s serious or not – it’s very, very early to know what it is and what it isn’t. “Obviously, we will be desperate for it to be as short as possible.” Cherries also lost goalkeeper Neto to a leg injury in the capital, with Mark Travers coming on at half-time in his place. The Dorset outfit have also been without captain Lloyd Kelly for six games with an ankle problem. O’Neil added: “I think to come to a place like this… to go through the past six weeks, already missing Lloyd Kelly who is massive for us at this level. Huge. Played a huge part in our promotion, one of the best defenders at the club. “To be without Lloyd, to lose your goalie, which always can make a huge impact and the prep you’ve done, to lose Dom who is equally as massive as Lloyd Kelly. The goals he’s scored for us last year, the work he does for us this year. “To go in 1-0 down, with another VAR check against us, no Lloyd Kelly, no Dom Solanke, have to change the goalie. To come out and put in a performance like they did second half takes a huge, huge effort. “Of course, people will talk about the result and it’s a results business but if you have a group like that, you always have a chance and we did, we had a big chance right until the second goal.” Cherries are back in action at home against Tottenham on Saturday (3pm).
Joe Rothwell
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Joe Rothwell keen to ‘crack on’ after playing waiting game at AFC Bournemouth #AFCB

October 22, 2022
For Joe Rothwell, a total of 118 days had passed since signing for Cherries and making his competitive debut for the club. Having featured in pre-season with the Dorset outfit, a quad injury rocked his start to life on the south coast. He had joined on a free transfer in the summer, following the expiration of his contract at Blackburn Rovers. But after being named on the bench for last weekend’s trip to Fulham, the 27-year-old finally earned his first minutes in the Premier League, coming on in Wednesday’s 1-0 defeat against Southampton. Rothwell is expected to be part of the squad which heads to West Ham in the top flight on Monday (8pm). Describing his wait for match action at Cherries, the former Manchester United youngster told the Daily Echo: “I came in, felt good in pre-season and picked up that injury which set me back three months. “It’s been long, hard graft and thanks to the staff and the players. “They have really helped me through it and finally I have reaped the rewards of it and made that Premier League debut. “It’s part and parcel of the game. Most lads in there have had injuries of some sort, some long-term, some not so long. “But every day they have tried to keep me included. I have felt like that, I’ve finally come out the other end of it and it’s just a dream come true for me. “You are in earlier, leave later but when you are injured there is only one thought and that is to get back and get back on the pitch. “Especially with how the lads have been doing and the run we have been on. I wanted to get back and try to be part of that.” Having signed for the club in June, Rothwell previously admitted the “pull” of Scott Parker played a big part in his decision to arrive at Vitality Stadium. But having been working through his injury, he never played competitively under the former England midfielder before Parker was sacked in August. Despite that, the Manchester-born midfielder is now looking to “catch the eye” of interim head coach Gary O’Neil, while building his match sharpness. “Personally, it was a blow when the old manager left because he was the one that brought me in. A big part of me coming here was down to him,” said Rothwell, when asked for his view away from the field on how the managerial situation unfolded. “But these things happen in football. Gaz was here and I’ve worked under Gaz when Scott was here as well. “I spoke with Gaz. He knows exactly what I can do and he just wants me to come here, express myself and do what I was brought in to do. “I think that’s all you can ever ask from a manager. He will tell you how he sees it and tell you what he wants to do. “He knows the qualities that I can bring and hopefully now with these minutes, I can keep adding to them and produce on the pitch.” He added: “That’s the next step now. The lads have been doing brilliantly, so the next step is to try to break into the team from the start. “The lads have been doing magnificent. If I can get on, keep picking up some minutes, then just go from there, hopefully catch the manager’s eye and crack on.” As well as having to deal with his injury issue, Rothwell revealed it had been a waiting game with regards to setting up a permanent base in the south. “I have still not moved into my house yet – so it’s been a bit stop-start in terms of off the pitch,” he added. “But hopefully now that will get sorted in the next few weeks and can finally crack on with the football. “My missus plays a huge role in what I do, with the kids as well. “This is what I do it for. I do it for them and I hope there are many more games and I can keep making them proud.”
chris mepham Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Chris Mepham admits Cherries had to make use of ‘dominance’ against Saints #AFCB

October 21, 2022
DEFENDER Chris Mepham felt Cherries deserved at least a point, after their defeat against Saints brought their unbeaten run to an end. The centre-back played 90 minutes of his team’s 1-0 reverse at Vitality Stadium, with Che Adams’s ninth-minute header proving the difference for the St Mary’s side to seal the spoils. Cherries, who were six games unbeaten going into the contest, had more of the ball and more shots than Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men on the night. But the hosts failed to fashion many clear-cut opportunities, allowing their south coast neighbours to dig in for victory. Assessing the contest, Wales international Mepham said: “I thought we dominated the second half, especially. “The first half was probably quite even and we came out second half, committed a lot of bodies forward – had a lot of possession, created a lot of half-chances but probably not anything clear cut enough to get us properly back into the game. “We showed our character in the second half to stick with it. They frustrated us but on another day, one goal suddenly turns the game on it’s head and we can get back into it.” Quizzed on whether he felt his side deserved at least a draw, Mepham said: “I think so. If you were to look at the game as a whole, we dominated. “We had them pinned in their half pretty much for 40 minutes out of 45 (in the second half). “They had a spell right towards the end where we looked a bit tired but I felt like me, Marcos (Senesi), Adam Smith were in their half the whole time. “I think that shows the dominance we had in the second half. We just need to work on putting half-chances to bed and ultimately making use of that dominance.” Mepham was involved in a flashpoint towards the end of the first half during the contest. He appeared to make a sliding challenge on Ainsley Maitland-Niles with the ball having already gone out of play. Both players squared up in the aftermath and received cautions from referee John Brooks. “I think the ball was kind of going out of play and I’d already committed to making the tackle,” said the Cherries defender. “The lad probably felt like it was quite a lot out of the pitch. “I think sometimes you need something like that just to get the crowd going and get everyone going – it is what it is.” Asked whether it showed the passion in the game between two south coast clubs, Mepham replied: “Yeah, exactly that.” Cherries’ next test comes against West Ham on Monday evening (8pm).
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil happy with ongoing job situation at Bournemouth #AFCB

October 21, 2022
GARY O'Neil insists he is not seeking any extra clarity over his longer-term role at Cherries, stating: "I’m very happy with how things are at the moment." O'Neil has taken charge of seven matches as interim head coach, since taking the role in late August, after Scott Parker was sacked. He suffered defeat for the first time in his temporary reign last night, losing 1-0 to Southampton. The 39-year-old is set to be in the dugout again on Monday night, when Cherries head to West Ham United. Asked if he has had any update regarding his job situation, O'Neil said: "No, we’re the same as we were. "We’ll get the boys ready for West Ham, make sure we’re ready to go again, make sure we’re in a good place. That’s what I’ll be focused on in the next few days. "I enjoy it, I love managing. I’m really enjoying it. The first defeat was going to come. I can’t wait to show how we’re going to respond." Asked if it would help to have some more stability, O'Neil added: "I’m very happy with how things are at the moment. "I’m managing a club in the Premier League. "The boys are responding, giving me absolutely everything. "The fans stuck with them all night last night, even though they we were 1-0 down for 82 minutes, they stuck with them right till the end, because they could see what they were giving. "We will continue to work hard, improve, be competitive and keep trying to put points on the board for the club." Discussing team news ahead of the trip to London Stadium, O'Neil said: "The boys are good. Obviously a few bumps and bruises that you always get, but nothing significant. We're still in a good place." Injured duo Lloyd Kelly (ankle) and David Brooks (hamstring) are still unavailable.
Ryan Christie
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ryan Christie’s reveals desire to ‘make it right’ after ‘frustrating’ loss for Cherries against Saints #AFCB

October 21, 2022
WINGER Ryan Christie immediately set his sights on getting Cherries “back on track” after the club’s six-game unbeaten run came to an end on Wednesday night. The Dorset club were scuppered 1-0 by south coast rivals Southampton at Vitality Stadium, with Che Adams’s header proving the difference between the two teams. Christie played 62 minutes of the clash before being replaced by Junior Stanislas. And while he insists Gary O’Neil’s team “dominated” for the most-part of the contest with Saints, the former Celtic man set his mind to creating another unbeaten run starting at West Ham on Monday (8pm). Assessing the defeat as a whole, Christie told the Daily Echo: “I think we dominated most parts of the game. It’s just frustrating the way we lose the goal and, having probably had a lot of possession, not creating too much is frustrating. “I certainly think we deserved something from the game. It’s a tough one but listen, we are just going to have to bounce back and put together another run of games. “It’s not like we played terrible. We were not too far off the pace, we just need to go again on Monday in another exciting game to make it right. “When you suffer defeats like this, the first thing you want is to get another game round the corner to try to put yourself back on track. That’s what we will be looking to do. “We know how tough a league this is. We were desperate to win on Wednesday, it wasn’t to be but there are plenty of opportunities to turn it around.” Defeat for Cherries was their first under interim boss O’Neil, the 39-year-old having stepped into the hotseat following the sacking of Scott parker back in August. Asked what O’Neil was like in the dressing room post-match, Christie said: “Fine. The run wasn’t going to last forever – we all know that. It’s frustrating to lose, nobody likes losing “But Gaz more than anyone knows how important it is to bounce back and be back at it on Monday night. I am sure he will get us back in shape for Monday.” Cherries have picked up 13 points from their opening 11 league fixtures.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Interim manager Gary O’Neil admits Southampton winner was ‘disappointing’ to concede #AFCB

October 20, 2022
GARY O’Neil admitted Southampton’s winner was “disappointing” to concede, with Che Adams’ ninth minute strike proving the difference between Saints and Cherries. After initially managing to reset and regather themselves following a Southampton counter-attack, Cherries were unable to prevent Scotland international Adams from nodding home at the back stick from Romain Perraud’s first time cross. That was despite Cherries seemingly quelling the initial danger, with Saints able to recycle and recover their attack. Speaking to the Daily Echo, O’Neil shared: “The goal is disappointing. “And, I mean, there will be moments like that. “It's just the way the game is. People take their eye off something or there's a bit of confusion, and something doesn't quite get picked up. “We didn’t have too many bodies in the box either. And there will always be moments like that. “So no criticism on my part.” Cherries started the encounter with Ryan Fredericks and Marcus Tavernier operating on the opposite flanks to their usual deployments. O’Neil revealed the switch was based on Southampton’s recent line-ups, but after Ralph Hasenhuttl reverted to his 4-2-2-2, Cherries had to change their plans. He restarted: “We look at it and we look to improve. “From that moment, once we fixed a few things, because Southampton came slightly different tonight than they normally do. “So once we got to grips with that, I felt we were in control, barring counter attacks, which is obviously a big threat of theirs. “I think we went in for a reason, to play Tav and Freddo on their opposite side, but Southampton came slightly differently. “We started the game well. It helped us, actually. There's a ball, where Tav played Dom in behind his left foot on his wrong side and we nearly get in. “So I thought we started the game well, and then the goal just maybe took the life out of us a little bit, so went back. "We were always going to switch back to their normal side at some point anyway, so just took the opportunity to do that.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil itching to rectify Saints defeat away at West Ham #AFCB

October 20, 2022
GARY O’Neil “can’t wait for Monday” after suffering a first defeat of his Cherries reign to Southampton, with the interim boss already looking to bounce back against West Ham. Che Adams’ ninth-minute header was all that separated the two sides, with Cherries bombarding the Saints’ box in search of an equaliser in the second-half. Defeat marks a first loss in seven for Cherries, with O’Neil’s unbeaten start to life as a head coach coming to an end. O’Neil does not believe a first loss will impact Cherries, sharing: “I've been asked already whether I think I'll learn more about the boys now after this. “And my resounding answer to that is no. “(I know) exactly what they're going to give. “Can't wait for Monday. “Boys will be the same. We go again. “They've given everything, stayed on the front foot, 1-0 down at home. “Tricky team that was well organized. “They gave absolutely everything. “Fans stayed with them to the end because of that. “The way the performance went, they couldn't have been any more front foot. And that sums up the whole seven games for us, really. “I judge them on that. They gave it all again and if we go and do the same, we'll continue to be competitive.” Analysing the game as whole, O’Neil remained pleased with his side on the whole. He continued: “Frustrated with the result, frustrated with the goal. Pleased with large parts of the performance. “Just fine margins. They score their header, we miss a couple, we arrive in their box a lot. “Obviously, the way the game went, it was never going to be clear chances because Southampton were deep. “Generally at that point, trying to work our way in, a few things fell to us. They blocked a few, we missed a few. (One) hit a hand. “So, yeah, I stick to my word with the lads. I judge them on what they gave, and the performance and we were competitive again.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil hopes officials could ‘clear up’ handball calls #AFCB

October 20, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil hoped officials could “clear up” what constituted handball, as Cherries had a big penalty shout turned down during their 1-0 defeat against Saints. With the visitors leading through Che Adams’s ninth-minute opener, Junior Stanislas’s cross appeared to strike the hand of Mohammed Salisu inside the box during the second half at Vitality Stadium. Referee John Brooks waved away Cherries’ protests, as they sunk to a first defeat of O’Neil’s interim tenure. Cherries had seen penalties awarded against Lloyd Kelly and Jefferson Lerma of late for similar handballs in the area, during fixtures at Nottingham Forest and Newcastle. Asked about the latest penalty incident which went against his side against Ralph Hasenhuttl’s men, O’Neil said: “Struggling to give an answer on it, really. I think the ball hits Lloyd Kelly at Nottingham Forest, that’s a penalty from a similar distance. “Ball hits Jefferson Lerma at Newcastle. It's a penalty. “Tonight, the ball hits their boy, Salisu, and it is not a penalty. So, yeah, a tricky one. I don't know. “Maybe, hopefully the officials can clear up what it is and what it isn't, because I don't see too much difference. “I’m not here to moan about rub of the green and things like that. “But, yeah, if you want to discuss the individual decisions, Ryan Fredericks, the pull on Ryan Fredericks (at Fulham) is a foul, and the ball hit the boy on the hand today.” Defeat left Cherries with 10 points from seven games since O’Neil took charge. A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo. Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website. You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more. Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil speaks on links to jobs at other clubs #AFCB

October 19, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil maintained his unwavering focus on his current role at Cherries, stressing it “wouldn’t be fair” to say he had been approached for manager roles elsewhere. Earlier in his reign as caretaker head coach, former Portsmouth and West Ham midfielder O’Neil was linked to vacant roles at two Championship sides, his former club Middlesbrough and last season’s play-off finalists Huddersfield Town. It had been reported by the Northern Echo that Boro had weighed up making a formal approach for their ex-player, but in the end, no official attempt to lure O’Neil back North was made. When asked if it would be fair to say he had been approached by other clubs, O’Neil stated: “No, that wouldn't be fair. “I've been fully focused on the Bournemouth job, but no contact, nothing from anywhere else. “I've spent every moment focused on the team, making sure we're ready for the next game. There's been no interest or I've not been interested to look anywhere else.” When pushed further to ask if his agent had fielded any calls, O’Neil again insisted he was fully concentrating on his current remit at the Vitality Stadium. He restarted: “I think the way I work is when I'm at somewhere, I'm at somewhere. “I've been at Bournemouth for 18 months and I've been fully focused on Bournemouth since the moment I walked in the door. And that hasn't changed for a single second in the last six weeks.” Whilst speculation persists around Cherries’ vacant managerial position, there is a lot of noise surrounding the Dorset club’s next opponents, Southampton, and their incumbent boss Ralph Hasenhuttl. Saints are currently in the relegation zone, with just one point in their last five games. Speaking in his own press conference, Hasenhuttl praised O’Neil for the “very impressive” job he had performed at Vitality Stadium. Despite the praise from an experienced colleague, O’Neil reiterated his priority – focusing on the task at hand, and the upcoming encounter with Saints tomorrow evening (kick-off 7.30pm). O’Neil shared: “I'm really proud of what the players have produced. “Really proud because they were in what was a tough moment. Ralph has been through that with his players as well. “To come back from the 9-0 and respond how they have, I'm really, really proud of them. “That doesn't change the fact that we need to keep going and we've achieved nothing yet. “Wednesday night is massive again for us. “We've done a good job so far as a group players, but the next one is always massive. “It can change so quickly.” There are no new injury concerns for Cherries, with only Lloyd Kelly and David Brooks set to miss out.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil believes ‘Unfair’ to ask Jack Stephens for scouting report on parent club Southampton #SAINTSFC

October 19, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil said it would be “unfair” to ask Jack Stephens to provide a scouting report on parent club Saints and insisted: “I'll do my own research.” Stephens joined Cherries on loan from St Mary’s on transfer deadline day, sealing a season-long switch to Vitality Stadium. The Torpoint-born centre-back made two top-flight appearances for Saints this campaign before arriving at Cherries – where he has made one first-team substitute display thus far. He has been at Saints for more than a decade, having signed from Plymouth in April 2011 for a reported £150,000. Quizzed on whether he would be asking the 28-year-old for a scouting report on Saints, O’Neil replied: “No, that would be unfair on him. “I'll do my own research on Southampton, so I wouldn't put Jack in that situation.” Stephens is ineligible to feature when Cherries host Saints at Vitality Stadium tomorrow (7.30pm). The centre-back has made 90 appearances under Saints boss Ralph Hasenhuttl, who has seen his side struggle in recent weeks with just one point coming from five games. O’Neil added: “I think he has a quite defined style as a coach, and they're generally very front foot and aggressive. “That's sort of always how I've seen these teams. They look to press, they look to put good pressure on you. “When you change a lot of players in the summer, and especially when you sign some young ones, sometimes you need a little while for things to come into place. “And I'm sure that Ralph will turn it around. He's had a really good track record. So, yeah, it'll be a very, very tough game for us.”
Lewis Cook AFC Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Cherries midfielder Lewis Cook admits knowing about threat of Southampton striker Adam Armstrong #SAINTSFC #AFCB

October 19, 2022
CHERRIES midfielder Lewis Cook knows all about the quality possessed by Saints striker Adam Armstrong, having grown up with him through the age group system with England. The pair were part of the Young Lions side to win the Under-20 World Cup in South Korea back in 2017 – along with Dominic Solanke, Kyle Walker-Peters and Ainsley Maitland-Niles. Now both plying their trade in the top flight, Cook and Armstrong could go toe-to-toe tonight, when Cherries host south coast neighbours Saints in the Premier League at Vitality Stadium (7.30pm). Asked about former Newcastle and Blackburn man Armstrong, Cook told the Daily Echo: “I have been through all the age groups with him. “He is a close friend of mine and a good player as well, so he is someone we are going to have to watch out on and try to nullify his threat. “He’s just a top lad, like everyone in our team as well. Just a normal guy playing football and he obviously possesses real, real quality on the football pitch. “It’s going to be tough. We are going to try to nullify him as much as we can and a few other players in that team. It will be a good game.” Asked what it was like to go up against the St Mary’s side, Cook replied: “It’s great. A great atmosphere and great for the fans. I think we just treat it as another game. “We just implement it and give it our all and fight until the end. Hopefully we can get the three points.” Cherries are currently unbeaten in six top-flight encounters, with Saints having picked up just one point from five league outings. The Dorset club are yet to suffer defeat under interim boss Gary O’Neil, who took charge following the sacking of Scott Parker back in August. Quizzed on what it was like working with O’Neil, Cook replied: “I think he’s just a great guy, he’s got the way he wants to play and the way he comes across to the lads is really good. “We have enjoyed him coming in, steadying the ship at the start and trying to implement his style of play now and it’s working out well for us. “We are just enjoying playing, winning and drawing and trying to keep that run as long as we can. “We worked really hard to get here last year. Every game now we are working as hard as we can and just trying to get those points on the board. “First and foremost, that enthusiasm and the willingness to fight and win points and three points – we have got that in abundance.” A message from the Editor Thank you for reading this article - we appreciate your support in reading the Daily Echo. Subscribing to the Echo means you have unrestricted access to the latest news, features and Saints coverage - all with an advertising-light website. You will also have full access to Saintsplus, your new home for Southampton FC tactical analysis, features and much, much more. Don't just take my word for it - subscribe today. Follow the latest breaking news in the Southampton area by searching Southampton News - Breaking News and Incidents on Facebook Follow the latest court and crime news on our dedicated group by searching Hampshire Court and Crime News on Facebook
Ralph Hasenhuttl
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Southampton boss accepts importance of midweek clash with rivals AFC Bournemouth #SAINTSFC

October 18, 2022
RALPH Hasenhuttl accepted the importance of Wednesday’s clash with Cherries but insisted he retains “all the belief” in what Saints are doing. The St Mary’s side visit the Vitality Stadium five points behind their fellow south-coast Premier League rivals after 10 matches. Cherries, first managed by Scott Parker before Gary O’Neil took over on an interim basis, were firm favourites for relegation with bookmakers before the season began. They were defeated 9-0 by Liverpool but are the only team in the division to remain unbeaten since. Saints, who are in the bottom three with eight points, must start picking up victories and crucially against teams they are likely to be competing with come the end of the season. "For us, it's a Premier League game and an important one,” Hasenhuttl said, asked if there is any added incentive given the locality and shared objectives of the clubs. “We go there and I think we know that they are in good shape at the moment, but we go there like we have always gone into in the past with all the belief in what we are doing to make it a good evening for us.” The meeting comes off the back of a 1-1 draw with West Ham United, at St Mary’s, that ended a run of four straight defeats in the Premier League for Hasenhuttl and Saints. It could have been a first win since the August victory over Chelsea, after Romain Perraud put Saints ahead and Che Adams squandered two big chances. "For everybody it is very frustrating because these are the moments where you can make a big step forward,” Hasenhuttl admitted. “But it would still be a long way to go. There's no guarantee that you win games but it makes it a little bit easier. And then you can definitely play a little bit calmer but we are never in the situation." He added: "Let's say every point we get is a point gained and we know that we need every point. “We are now going to Bournemouth and then against Arsenal so another two games this week. We have to be ready for the Wednesday game, immediately focus is on the game and hopefully we can get a win there."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Bournemouth interim boss Gary O’ Neil reminds that points earned so far are ‘decent’ but will not win ‘any prizes’ #AFCB

October 18, 2022
CHERRIES’ points haul from their opening 10 games has been labelled as “decent” by Gary O’Neil, with the interim head coach adding: “I wish it was more”. Since taking charge of Cherries following the departure of Scott Parker at the end of August, O’Neil has steered the Dorset outfit to 10 points from six games, adding to an initial tally of three from four matches. The points total matches Cherries’ second best start to the season, with their largest haul 20 points from the first 10 games in the 2018-19 campaign. Unbeaten since being installed as caretaker boss, O’Neil stated: “I wish it was more, obviously, but, yes, 13 from 10 is a decent tally so far, but definitely don't get any prizes for that. “We won't focus too much on where we are and what we've done. “We need to keep going. We need to go again.” When asked if the unbeaten streak bolstered his own chances of earning the job full-time, O’Neil mentioned: “It's a good run. “My main feeling around it is just more points for the club. “Let's try and put as many points on the board for AFC Bournemouth as we can give ourselves and the club the best chance of spending another season in the Premier League.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil shares ‘love’ for all his players #AFCB

October 18, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil joked that he was “not sure” if all of his charges liked him – even if he loves “all of them”. Former Portsmouth midfielder O’Neil has become a popular figure amongst the Cherries fanbase following an unbeaten streak of six games since replacing Scott Parker on a caretaker basis at the end of August. Cherries twice led against Fulham at the weekend, first-half goals from Dominic Solanke and Jefferson Lerma pegged back by Issa Diop and a Aleksander Mitrovic penalty. Since being installed as interim head coach, numerous Cherries players have detailed their liking of O’Neil, who has been a part of the first team coaching set up at Cherries since February 2021. Despite the public displays of support from senior players, O’Neil shared with jest: “I'm not sure they all like me! “I love all of them, they're all massive to me. “All 25 that I can use, maybe 26, they're all massive to me. “I mean, I'm gutted when some of them don't get to come on the pitch because the game goes that way. “They're all so important to me. They've all got things that we're definitely going to need at some point.” When asked if he believed if his side were the hardest working in the Premier League, O’Neil would not be drawn on making outright claims, instead suggesting that they would “give everything” until “someone tells them to stop”. “I don't know enough about the other teams,” O’Neil restarted. “I know that this group will give me everything. They'll give whoever they're playing for everything. “They'll fully commit to the gameplan, and they won't stop until someone tells them to stop. And that's a big quality that we're going to need this season.” Cherries are next in action on Wednesday evening, when they host neighbours Southampton at the Vitality Stadium (kick-off 7.30pm).
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil blames terrible penalty decision for draw against Fulham #AFCB

October 16, 2022
GARY O'Neil slammed the decision to award Fulham a penalty early in the second half at Craven Cottage, insisting: "It's a foul on Jefferson Lerma." Cherries led 2-1 at half-time against Marco Silva's Cottagers, thanks to goals from Dominic Solanke and Lerma. However, the hosts got level early in the second period when Aleksandar Mitrovic was awarded a penalty by referee Graham Scott, after he went down under the challenge of Lerma, as the pair awaited a ball to be delivered into the box. Mitrovic slammed home the resulting spot-kick, but Cherries saw out the remaining 40 minutes to earn a 2-2 draw and extend their unbeaten run to six matches. Discussing the decision to award Fulham a penalty, O'Neil told the Daily Echo: "I think it’s a terrible decision, a terrible decision. "Jefferson Lerma and Mitrovic have got their arms around each other. If someone has got their arms around you, I have no idea what makes you fall backwards. "So, for me, it’s obvious that Mitrovic has initiated the fall and pulled Jefferson Lerma on top of him. "I can’t understand how you would fall backwards if someone is holding you. It doesn’t make any sense. "Does Jefferson Lerma has his arms around him? Yes. Does Mitrovic have his arms around Jeff? Yes. No-one will ever convince me otherwise. It’s a foul on Jefferson Lerma." He added: "When the momentum swings off the back of a poor penalty decision, the lads then have to knuckle down and try and see it out. "And they adapted to that and limited Fulham to a lot of balls in the box, but real hopeful ones that could land for them, could land with us and I thought they managed all spells really, really well. "It was a shame that the momentum swung on the penalty decision, because I was enjoying going toe-to-toe. "But at that time, I just felt that the place is up a little bit now and we just need to try and help the boys get through the next 20 minutes or whatever it was at that point. "I’m disappointed that the boys gave absolutely everything and I think we win the game if they don’t get the penalty."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil feels Cherries should ‘probably’ have had penalty against Fulham #AFCB

October 16, 2022
GARY O'Neil is hoping Cherries start to get the "rub of the green" from officials in the Premier League, after failing to be awarded a penalty against Fulham. O'Neil's side claimed for a spot-kick after Ryan Fredericks went down under a challenge from Tim Ream at Craven Cottage, but referee Graham Scott was unmoved. Salt was rubbed into the wounds in the second half, when Jefferson Lerma was deemed to have hauled down Aleksandar Mitrovic in the box. The Serbia international stepped up himself to score from 12 yards, earning Fulham a 2-2 draw. Those decisions follow an array of calls in recent weeks which have not gone Cherries' way. Two penalty claims against Brentford fell on deaf ears, as did one against Leicester, while Cherries conceded penalties in matches at Newcastle and Nottingham Forest. Asked if he feels Fredericks should have been awarded a penalty against Fulham, O'Neil told the Daily Echo: "I mean, he is running really fast and someone pulls his arm. "I think it’s a foul. I understand that it’s a small pull on his arm. But if we’re allowed to pull people’s arms to stop their momentum… I think it was probably a penalty. "But I haven’t looked at that one as closely as the Mitrovic one." Discussing the recent string of decisions to have gone against his side, O'Neil added: "I think it’s frustrating and just disappointing for the lads. "I mean, it’s hard because you don’t want to sound like you just disagree with every decision they make. "But I think we’re either six or seven VAR checks and we’ve had zero go our way. "So it’s either really unlucky. Hopefully that turns and we start to get a little rub of the green and a couple go our way."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals Bill Foley takeover ‘potentially exciting’ for AFC Bournemouth #AFCB

October 15, 2022
GARY O'Neil insists his full focus is on Fulham this weekend, but admitted Bill Foley's impending takeover for Cherries is "a potentially exciting time for the club". American billionaire Foley was present at Vitality Stadium last weekend and popped into the home dressing room after the game to congratulate Cherries on their 2-1 win over Leicester City. The 77-year-old is set to purchase the club from Maxim Demin, with paperwork now signed and waiting for Premier League approval. Asked what the latest is regarding Foley's takeover bid, Cherries' interim boss O'Neil said: "I think it’s very similar to where we were last time. "I think it is obviously a potentially exciting time for the club. "But from my point of view, focus as always is on trying to get the next result. "For the football club, the most important thing is getting results so my focus has been purely on let’s get to Fulham, let’s go get another positive result." Discussing conversations he had with Foley during his visit to Bournemouth, O'Neil added: "It was good for him to be here. Obviously the atmosphere was good, it was a good result (against Leicester). "So, potentially exciting for the club. "In reference to the conversations, it’s more Richard Hughes and Neill Blake. "Bill popped in after the game to say well done to everybody on a good result. "But from that point onwards, Richard Hughes and Neill Blake keep me up to date with everything I need to know."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits Fulham game was expected to be challenging for Cherries #AFCB

October 15, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O'Neil expects Fulham to provide Cherries with a "tough afternoon" at Craven Cottage tomorrow, with Marco Silva's men posing "lots of different strengths that control you". The two newly-promoted clubs have made impressive starts to life back in the Premier League, currently sitting in eighth and ninth in the table after nine matches. O'Neil's charges head to the capital on a five match unbeaten run, while the Cottagers have stumbled to back-to-back defeats, against Newcastle and West Ham. Looking ahead to the contest in west London (3pm), O'Neil said: "It’s a real challenge. They’re a good side. "They have a real defined way of playing that they stick to. But within that they have lots of different strengths that control you. "They play through their shape really well. They obviously have (Aleksandar) Mitrovic, who is a massive threat, if they decide to go direct and crosses and set pieces. "They are a threat on the sides with tricky wingers. They’re a good side. "It’s going to be a tough afternoon for us, for sure. But one that we’re well prepared for and hopefully we can go there and give a real good account of ourselves again." Fulham's three wins this season have come against Brentford, Brighton and Nottingham Forest. They also picked up points with draws against Liverpool and Wolves.
Marco Silva
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Marco Silva believes AFC Bournemouth are improving under Gary O’Neil #AFCB

October 15, 2022
FULHAM boss Marco Silva is expecting another "very good game" against Cherries, after the pair slogged it out in the Championship promotion race last season. Both sides eventually ended up finishing in the top two positions in the table, Fulham accumulating two points more than Scott Parker's men to win the title. During the campaign, the two sides shared gripping 1-1 draws, and now go head-to-head in the top flight at Craven Cottage this weekend, with Gary O'Neil at the helm, having replaced Parker in August. Looking ahead to Saturday's clash between the two newly-promoted clubs, Silva said: “Last year was last year, it was completely different. Now, a different manager as well, but last season was a different competition. "We had two tough games against them, two different games but two good games as well and, of course, under Gary they have been improving and the team is in the best form right now, a very good reaction from them. “They are much more confident and they are getting the results because the quality is there. Of course, you see them in a good level because they are a good team, they fought like us last season to be at this level and they are at a good level. “It will be another very good game against them I believe, another tough one to play but we are at home, we want to react from the last two games.”
Neto
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Bournemouth goalkeeper Neto reveals squad intensity and mentality under interim manager Gary O’ Neil #AFCB

October 15, 2022
GOALKEEPER Neto believes Cherries “have a great opportunity to have a good season” – but only if they keep going. One time Brazil international Neto is yet to taste defeat since joining Cherries, helping his new club to shootout success in the League Cup over Norwich before being parachuted into Gary O’Neil’s side for five games in the Premier League, in which Cherries remain unbeaten under their interim boss. The former Barcelona and Juventus man is expected to start in between the sticks for Cherries when they travel to Fulham tomorrow (kick-off 3pm). Speaking to talkSport, Neto shared: “I am happy with the results. I am very competitive and don’t like to lose and we are in a good moment, so we have to keep going. “We are working with a lot of intensity and the mentality is very positive. We are a good unit. “Fulham will be a very difficult game. We know they need the result and we need the result. “They came from the Championship as well and we both want to stay in the Premier League. “We have to be focused, have to keep going and have to keep pushing and if we do that, we have a chance of a good result.” Brought to the club when Scott Parker was still head coach, Neto had to bide his time on the sidelines, with Mark Travers the preferred number one at the start of the season. However, following the change in management, Neto found himself foisted into the starting XI for the visit of Wolves, keeping a clean sheet on his Premier League debut. “This is football and everything can change in a minute,” the 33-year-old restarted. "The guys were prepared for it, and I am happy for Gary O’Neil because it was important he got some positive results. “We have to keep working and we can do great things. “Me and Junior (Stanislas) are the most experienced guys in the dressing room, and I enjoy it because it is the first time for me and I am happy to help the team and the club. “We have a great opportunity to have a good season.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Bournemouth interim manager Gary O’Neil details flexible approach to games #AFCB

October 15, 2022
GARY O’Neil does not see Cherries “just going into every game and being the same” this season when it comes to tactical shape, with the interim head coach stressing the need for his charges to be “flexible”. Cherries have flitted between numerous shapes and formations under O’Neil this season, both between games and during matches. At times they have lined up with three at the back, whilst also showing they are adept at playing in a traditional four man defence. When asked if Cherries’ flexibility will be key in their bid for survival, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I think it will be. “How we are and being newly promoted, we need to be (flexible). “I don't see us just going into every game and being the same and that helping us. “I think we need to be adaptable. “Of course there will be times where we can stay the same, but I think we need to be flexible and adaptable with our game plans and how we approach each game.” Cherries have seemingly found joy when matching the rough shape and formations of opponents. The Dorset club sparked a remarkable turnaround at the City Ground after switching to a three-man central-defence akin to Nottingham Forest’s own tactics, turning a 2-0 deficit into a 3-2 win. In following games, this trend has continued, although O’Neil stressed that any similar shapes were coincidence, the consequence of other tactical decisions. “I don't ever really think it's matching anything that they're doing,” he commented. “I think it's always areas that we need to be strong in, and areas that I think we can exploit. “So the shape may vary slightly at different times. “I never really consider matching anyone up. That wouldn't really be how I think about it.” One of the most notable changes between games, beyond the differing defensive systems of three central defenders or a flat back four, is the line up of Cherries’ attacking players. Due to injury and tactically decisions, O’Neil has deployed a variety of different players up front, sometimes in a striker partnership between Dominic Solanke and Kieffer Moore, other times opting for a front three with Marcus Tavernier and Ryan Christie off the shoulder of the number nine. “It's each game as it comes, so the positioning of the players will depend on opposition, what we have available,” revealed the former Porstmouth and West Ham midfielder. “There will generally be slight changes to it, so I think it it's hard to say, really. “I do have some preferred formations and styles that I like, but always in the front of my mind is what the opposition are, what we have available and how they sort of match up.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil jokes ‘I hope I’m not getting any worse’ as Bournemouth unbeaten spell continues under interim manager #AFCB

October 13, 2022
CHERRIES interim boss Gary O’Neil was asked whether he felt he was getting better as a manager game-by-game and joked: “I hope I’m not getting any worse!” The former Portsmouth and West Ham midfielder has overseen a five-game unbeaten run while in temporary charge of the Dorset club, having stepped up following the sacking of Scott Parker in August. The role is O’Neil’s first in the main hotseat, having been brought to Cherries by Jonathan Woodgate as a first-team coach in February 2021. Asked whether he felt he was improving as a boss during his time in charge, the 39-year-old said: “I don’t know, I mean I hope I’m not getting any worse. It would be early for me to start getting worse! But yeah, I am enjoying it. I understand how fine the margins are.” O’Neil saw his side seal a 2-1 victory over Leicester on Saturday and is expected to be in the dugout for this weekend’s Premier League trip to Fulham (3pm). The one thing the Beckenham-born coach revealed he had learned was just how slender the differences could be in a top-flight game. “We changed things at half-time (on Saturday) where Leicester catch us for a little bit and they could easily score at that moment,” he admitted. “It’s more the performance and what the boys give, because the result is such fine margins. It went our way when we took a bit of a risk. “But we could easily have gone out like we did in the second half and been punished. I understand now, how it can swing.” At the time of writing, O’Neil was as short as 1/4 with bookmakers SkyBet to take the role on a full-time basis.
Ryan Frederick West Ham
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Ryan Fredericks speaks on Gary O’Neil’s record as interim head coach #AFCB

October 12, 2022
RYAN Fredericks believes Gary O’Neil’s record in charge of Cherries speaks for itself – with the right-back hoping the interim boss “can stay for as long as possible.” Summer signing Fredericks was brought in by previous boss Scott Parker but handed a Cherries debut by O’Neil in 0-0 draw with Wolves at the end of August. Aside from hailing O’Neil’s unbeaten start to life in management, the 30-year-old also detailed how the interim head coach’s preparations for games left Cherries in the best possible position to pick up points. When asked for his opinion on the job O’Neil was going at Cherries, Fredericks responded: “I don’t think I have to say anything, we're unbeaten since he's been here. “He sets us up differently for every game and every game it seems to just fall into place. “Everything he's saying to us in meetings and in training is exactly probably like for like what's exactly happening in the game. “So that gives us confidence. “We don't just see him as a stand-in manager, we see him as the gaffer and everyone treats him with respect, and he treats the lads with respect. “He’s a good man manager, a great coach, and hopefully he can stay for as long as possible.” Although Fredericks clearly appreciates O’Neil’s interpersonal skills, he also is impressed by the former Portsmouth midfielder’s tactical nous. He continued: “I would probably have to say tactically, is his best quality. “He's pretty in depth with what he says and he's not just giving us information for no reason. “Everything he says carries a lot of weight and seems to carry out on a pitch. “When the first few games he says his bit, and it's gone exactly to the plan, you're going to believe that. “You're going to trust it and now every word he says, we hang on to it and try and implement it on the pitch.”
Ryan Frederick West Ham
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories – Ryan Fredericks reveals Cherries goal for the season ’40 points as quickly as possible’ #AFCB

October 10, 2022
RYAN Fredericks shared Cherries are “looking to get to 40 points as quickly as possible” this campaign. Former West Ham man Fredericks marked his first start for the Dorset club with a win on Saturday, as Cherries battled back to win 2-1 against Leicester City thanks to goals from Phil Billing and Ryan Christie. Victory for Cherries put them on 12 points from their first nine games, meaning they are over a quarter of the way towards their target. The 40-point mark is often used as shorthand for the tally required to stay up in the Premier League, with only three sides in the 20-team Premier League era relegated after reaching 40 points (West Ham 2002/03, Sunderland 1996/97, Bolton 1997/98). Since Gary O’Neil was installed as interim head coach following Scott Parker’s dismissal at the end of August, Cherries are unbeaten in five, picking up nine points in the process. When asked if the streak boosted confidence in the Cherries’ dressing room, Fredericks told the Daily Echo: “Of course. “We're a confident bunch anyway. “I don't know, everyone else outside had written us off at the start of the season but there was no talk of that in the dressing room. “We're looking to get to 40 points as quickly as possible and then kick on from there. “We’re confident to go and beat anyone. “I think every team we've played this season bar probably the best three teams in the league, we've had chances to win, over all of the games. “Another good victory, and it shows that we haven’t come into this league to just make up the numbers. “We are not going to be an easy game, we want to win every game we're involved in.” The home dressing room at the Vitality Stadium had a visitor after the game on Saturday, with prospective owner Bill Foley popping in to offer his congratulations. When asked what the American businessman had to say, Fredericks shared: “Just well done, really. “Proud of the lads, and that we'll see more of him in the coming future. That was about it.” With plenty of speculation regarding the takeover, Fredericks revealed the side were full focused on their football, no matter how close any potential takeover was. He added: “We're going to give it our all, no matter who's in charge. “We really can't afford to let outside noise affect how we play. The league is too ruthless. “If you take your eye off the ball and focus on other things in the league, you're going to get smashed. “Obviously great news, wherever he is going to invest in us is yet to be seen, but we're looking forward to it.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals he is a ‘big fan’ of Chris Mepham #AFCB

October 8, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O'Neil heaped praise on in-form Chris Mepham, admitting: "I've liked him since the moment I got here." O'Neil joined Cherries as a first-team coach, working under Jonathan Woodgate, in February 2021. Since August 30, O'Neil has been working as interim head coach, after Scott Parker was sacked. During O'Neil's tenure, Mepham has not missed a minute of action. He has played a key role in clean sheets against Brentford and Wolves, as well as helping Cherries pick up points on the road at both Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United. The 24-year-old has also seen his centre-back partner change in that time, with new recruit Marcos Senesi stepping in for the past two fixtures, due to an injury to captain Lloyd Kelly. Asked if he has seen a change or boost in confidence around the place from Mepham in recent weeks during his fine run of form, O'Neil told the Daily Echo: "I’ve always liked him. I’ve liked him since the moment I got here. "Of course he suffered tough moments a while back, that you do as footballers. I spoke to Meps again (last Saturday) before the (Brentford) game around how important he was for me, how good he’s been, having to play next to a new signing now who hasn’t played in England in Marcos Senesi and Meps’s role in helping him. "To be fair to Marcos he’s stepped up as well. "So I’m a big fan of Meps. I loved him again (against Brentford). I thought he was really, really good defensively against a tough centre-forward (Ivan Toney)." Asked if he feels Mepham is developing into a leader at the back, O'Neil added: "I think I’m just really keen for Meps to show what he is. "When I speak with him, it’s like ‘yeah mate, I have full trust in you. I love how you defend, I love how you are with the ball, let’s go again mate’. "We’re going to have bad moments, of course. "When I played I had probably more bad games than I did good. But they come, you brush them off, you go again. "So really pleased with Meps, pleased with Marcos. Pleased with them all really." Discussing Senesi and Mepham's blossoming partnership, O'Neil added: "To go into a Premier League season and to lose someone as good as Lloyd Kelly and then to play Newcastle and Brentford, two real sides that look to test you defensively for Meps and Marcos, and all the boys to be honest, not just them, to produce two real solid defensive displays. "We were unlucky to concede at Newcastle, we didn't concede against Brentford. "So from that standpoint I’m pleased." Cherries host Leicester City on Saturday (3pm).
chris mepham Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Cherries player Chris Mepham wants to ‘stay professional’ when facing international teammates #AFCB

October 8, 2022
CHRIS Mepham is all business when it comes to Cherries taking on Leicester on Saturday, with the defender fully focused on the task at hand despite coming up against international teammate Danny Ward. Leicester goalkeeper Ward and Mepham have shared a pitch 17 times for Wales, with both players frequent members of international squads since 2018. After the departure of captain Kasper Schmeichel this summer, Ward has stepped up to become first choice goalkeeper, paving the way for the first time the pair will have faced each other as opponents. When asked if he would be making conversation prior to the game, the centre-back shared: “I think you're constantly playing teams where there's players that you know. “An example, there were lads that I played with at Brentford, and you kind of need to put that to one side and speak to them after the game. “But in the build up to it, and whilst you're out there it’s business, and that’s that. “I’m sure we’ll have a laugh and a joke after the game, but up until then it’s staying professional.” One reason why Mepham might be in contact with Welsh teammates is the prospect of swapping stickers to complete the official World Cup album by Panini. When asked if he was taking part in the cult tradition surrounding international tournaments, Mepham responded: “No, it's too time consuming for me, to be honest. “I know a few of the lads are keen, but I'm not one that's massively into it. “Hopefully I'm on that flight to Qatar and when I'm on that flight, I'll really be looking forward to it. “There's a lot of games between now and then, and that needs to be the focus for me. "Keep fit, keep putting in performances and hopefully it puts me in a really good position coming into the World Cup.”
Dominic Solanke Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories – Dominic Solanke reflects on goals against Leicester City in previous Premier League meeting #LCFC #AFCB

October 8, 2022
CHERRIES star Dominic Solanke highlighted the side’s last meeting with Leicester City as a “turning point in his career”, with his brace against the Foxes in 2020 helping to kick-start his stint on the south coast. Arriving at the Vitality Stadium in January of 2019 with one goal in 21 Premier League appearances for Liverpool, Solanke drew a blank for 38 top-flight fixtures at Cherries before breaking his duck in a 4-1 victory over Leicester City. Whilst the win did not lead to a late revival in Cherries’ survival hopes, with Eddie Howe’s men relegated at Goodison Park two weeks later, it marked a turn in fortunes for the one-time England international. Solanke notched in the 3-1 victory away at Everton, before knocking in 44 goals in 86 Championship appearances across the last two campaigns. Reflecting on his side’s previous encounter with Brendan Rodgers’s charges, Solanke commented: “Yeah, that game of course was special. “My first two goals in the Premier League for Bournemouth. It was definitely a special game. “I probably say after that game I found my feet and confidence a bit and from then I've scored a lot of goals. “It was probably a turning point in my career.” Leicester became the last side in this year’s Premier League to record a win this campaign, emphatically firing past east Midlands rivals Nottingham Forest 4-0 on Monday evening. Prior to the drubbing of Steve Cooper’s Tricky Trees, the Foxes had sat bottom of the pile, with just one point from their opening seven fixtures. Speaking before Leicester’s win on Monday night, Solanke shared: “Of course there's no easy game in the Premier League and obviously they’re not in the best of spells right now, but we know they're top side. “A lot of top players in that team.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories – Gary O’Neil reveals how ‘brilliant’ Adam Smith has helped the Cherries and his importance #AFCB

October 8, 2022
GARY O'Neil says stand-in captain Adam Smith has been "brilliant" for him in the past few weeks, adding: "He always wants to set standards." Full-back Smith has played every minute so far in O'Neil's four games as interim boss. The Cherries stalwart has also taken on further responsibility in recent weeks, wearing the captain's armband in the absence of injured skipper Lloyd Kelly. With Kelly continuing to struggle with his ankle complaint, it is likely Smith will again lead the team out this weekend, when Leicester City visit Vitality Stadium. Asked how much 31-year-old Smith's experience has helped him in recent weeks, since stepping up into the role as interim head coach following the departure of Scott Parker, O'Neil told the Daily Echo: "He’s been brilliant for me around the place. "As a leader and as a senior pro, he’s always good. He always wants to set standards in training a certain way, but also on the pitch his performances have been really good for me as well. "So I’m pleased to have him in the squad." London-born Smith, who first joined Cherries more than a decade ago, before arriving permanently from Tottenham Hotspur in 2014, has played more than 300 games for the club. This season, he has impressed on both the right and centre of defence. "He is a good athlete," said O'Neil. "He’s a good defender. He’s intelligent with his positioning. "Being 31 has made no difference to him." Speaking last month, O'Neil explained how key he felt the role of captain was on the pitch. He said: "There is an importance to it, definitely. I think everyone does it in their own way. "But also, everyone needs to play their part in making sure the group is in the right place. "Although the captain sort of sets that off for you, we’re fortunate here that the lads all drive each other really well. "Whether that be in game, whether we have to respond to difficult moments, whether we need to manage ourselves in good moments. "They’re really good at that as a group. Captaincy is important, but the mentality and intensity of the group is the key driver really."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil content with current arrangement – and in ‘no rush’ to leave if he is not given head coach job full time #AFCB

October 7, 2022
IT IS business as usual for Gary O’Neil, with the interim head coach stressing he is happy to take charge of Cherries game-by-game – whilst also sharing he’d like to remain at the Vitality Stadium even if he does not get the job. Now six weeks into the role and approaching his fifth game in charge of the first team, O’Neil remains favourite with the bookies to be handed the role full time, as of writing. Unbeaten in his first four games in management, the former Portsmouth midfielder has helped stabilise Cherries following a 9-0 defeat at Liverpool and the departure of Scott Parker. Despite looking comfortable in the hot seat, and harbouring ambitions of management, O’Neil shared he was content with his current arrangement, before revealing how he would be in “no rush” to leave if he reverted back to his previous role as first team coach. He stated: “I think I aim to manage a football team permanently. “That's always been my goal since I started coaching. “The more I do this, obviously the better I'm going to get at it. “But it doesn't change my outlook on what's going on here. I'm really happy with the situation as it is and happy to take it game by game. “I've been here a relatively long time in football now anyway, so I feel at home here because I've been here for 18 months. “I get on great with everybody from upstairs, Richard Hughes, Neill Blake, to the guys that we work closely with over in the pavilion and training ground. “So, yeah, I love it here. I’m in no rush to get away.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil explains why Brentford clash was ‘difficult to prep for’ #AFCB

October 5, 2022
GARY O'Neil revealed illness and unavailability within Cherries' camp made preparing for Saturday's game against Brentford "difficult". Interim boss O'Neil is still unbeaten since taking the hotseat following Scott Parker's departure in August. His fourth game in charge ended level after a drab 0-0 affair against Thomas Frank's Bees at Vitality Stadium. The match came two weeks on from a 1-1 draw at Newcastle United, with various members of Cherries' squad then heading off on international duty. Reflecting on the performance on Saturday, O'Neil said: "It's the first time where I come away thinking we could’ve been better. "Not from a mentality and an endeavour and relentlessness (perspective). "I thought the boys gave everything again. Dom Solanke got cramp, he’d been ill in the week, so it was a tough one for him and he gave everything. "Boys have been away. Jefferson Lerma arrives back from America really late on in the week. "So it was a tough week to prep because there was loads to prep on Brentford and I’m sat here in Bournemouth ready to prep and loads of the players are not here. "So it was a difficult week to prep for, but really proud of what they gave and similar to the fans, a little bit disappointed we couldn’t produce a bit more with the ball." Cherries are at home again this weekend, hosting Leicester City (3pm).
chris mepham Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Chris Mepham speaks on battle for starting berth #AFCB

October 5, 2022
CHRIS Mepham is aware that he has to keep his performance levels high with positional rivals waiting in the wings – revealing how he always backed himself to get back into the starting XI. In the last two seasons in the Championship, Mepham played less than half of Cherries’ league fixtures, usually finding himself either on the bench or out of the squad completely. Whilst skipper Lloyd Kelly is currently sidelined, fellow centre-back Marcos Senesi has found his feet after joining from Feyenoord this summer. Deadline day signing Jack Stephens is hot on the heels of the starting defenders, with Mepham more than familiar with having to wait for his chance. The 24-year-old told the Daily Echo: “I've been on the receiving end of it over the past couple of seasons, where it’s me waiting for my opportunity and waiting to go in and it was someone else keeping me out of the team. “And however cut-throat that is, I just need to make sure that I keep my shirt and keep putting in performances and staying in that team. “Because ultimately we're all human, we’re all footballers, and we want to be out there every Saturday. “The onus is now on me to do that. I feel like I started the season well, but I think many (become) complacent and switch off. “Someone else is waiting to get the opportunity.” Since securing his spot in the starting eleven, the Welsh international has signed a new deal at Cherries. Clearly settled on the south coast, the former Brentford man was keen to force his way back into the first-team picture. He continued: “It can be difficult to see the light at the end of the tunnel or such when you've had a couple of seasons and not been in the team. “But I've always sort of kept believing myself. “I've always done things properly around the place and been a good professional and tried to make sure that I'm ready when called upon. “I feel like this season is a turning point for me and I'm keen to keep that going.”
Thomas Frank
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Thomas Frank’s verdict on AFC Bournemouth under Gary O’Neil #AFCB #BRENTFORDFC

October 4, 2022
BRENTFORD boss Thomas Frank said Gary O’Neil and his staff had done a “very good job” since taking charge at Cherries and added the Dorset outfit “work unbelievably hard”. The Danish coach was speaking after his Bees were held to a 0-0 draw with interim boss O’Neil’s Cherries at Vitality Stadium on Saturday. The result meant O’Neil was now four games unbeaten since taking over from sacked Scott Parker back in August, picking up six points in the process. “I think it was a tight game. I think Gary O’Neil and his staff have done a very good job,” said Frank, after his side shared the spoils on the south coast. “Four games unbeaten, very difficult to break down, difficult to create chances against. They work unbelievably hard. “If there should have been a narrow winner, I think it should have been us. I think we had the better chances – Pontus Jansson, Kristoffer (Ajer), free headers. (Mikkel) Damsgaard could finish and Ivan (Toney) had three or four half chances. “But we just didn’t have the quality. For me, we lacked the quality from more or less all my offensive players.” Former West Ham and Portsmouth midfielder O’Neil has been linked with both Huddersfield and Middlesbrough during his interim spell at Cherries. Asked whether he should get the role at Vitality Stadium full-time, Frank said: “That’s not up to me to answer! Of course, I watched the three games they played. In many ways, very impressive performances and in football, sometimes you get an opportunity that you didn’t see coming. “It could be one of them. We all, of course I, myself only got better with more and more experience. “Gary maybe doesn’t have the most experience as a head coach, but if you have a skillset as a coach and tried a lot, and he had a good playing career as well, then why not?”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil explains ‘tough’ decision to pick Kieffer Moore over Ryan Christie #AFCB

October 3, 2022
GARY O'Neil outlined his reasons for bringing Kieffer Moore back into the starting XI, admitting it was "tough" to leave out Ryan Christie. Prior to Saturday's 0-0 draw with Brentford, O'Neil had named attacking midfielder Christie in his side for all his matches as interim boss so far. But he swapped out the Scot for Moore, making his first start under O'Neil, as he partnered Dominic Solanke in attack. Christie was introduced as a second-half substitute for Moore, with neither player able to make the breakthrough, despite various changes of system in the game. “Firstly, it was a real, tough call leaving out Ryan Christie, because he’s been brilliant for me and I love him. I love what he gives," O'Neil told the Daily Echo, when asked about his decision to pick Moore. “But then Kieffer I felt could help us. Obviously Brentford are a physical team. I felt he could help us from set plays. "I thought trying to get him and Dom on the pitch would give us some attacking threat. "And the introduction of Ryan Christie was because we were struggling to progress up the pitch enough with any control. Too many turnovers. "So I thought Ryan Christie would help us. "Kieffer Moore was up there and we didn’t manage to progress with the ball often enough to use his threat really. "Although he did look a threat when we managed to put the ball in the box to be fair." Discussing the formation change from the start, with Philip Billing operating from a slightly wider role on the left than in recent weeks, O'Neil added: "When you’re trying to put a team together, you’re trying to get Kieffer Moore in it, because you think he can bring something, it’s then difficult to find a shape that fits everybody in. "(Saturday) was actually a similar shape to what we’ve used before with the ball, but we weren’t good enough with the ball to show that. "Phil was planned to be inside the pitch as a number eight with the ball and then obviously someone has to get out and do the right-back and Phil knew that was going to be what it was. "And then he wasn’t as influential as he has been, but I don’t think that’s down to Phil. "I think we needed to be better with the ball so we could find him in certain moments and to be fair he stuck to his task. "But I went back to the same shape, but Ryan Christie off the side and Phil was a 10 with Dom at the end. "I just felt (Saturday) was a good one for Kieffer and he did help us with defending set plays, which was a big plus."
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil ‘surprised’ Bournemouth were not awarded penalty against Brentford #AFCB

October 2, 2022
GARY O'Neil admitted he was "surprised" Cherries were not awarded a penalty against Brentford, after seeing two strong claims waved away. In the first half, Jordan Zemura was sent flying after a sliding Kristoffer Ajer challenge just inside the box. Referee Thomas Bramall did not award a spot-kick, even after being recommended to review the footage by video assistant referee John Brooks. Then, in the dying seconds of the contest, Cherries' loud appeals were waved away when Mathias Jensen handled in the box, as the game ended in a 0-0 stalemate. "To be honest, I think they’re both really tough calls," said Cherries interim boss O'Neil. "I can understand why they’ve had to review them, on the first case why they took a while to review it. "I think Ajer obviously slips and his trailing foot does make contact with the ball. I’ve watched it a few times and it looks to me like he gets Jordan Zemura before he gets the ball. "But it’s a tough call I think. As we know, all of us, normally once they’re sent to the screen to have a look, they generally stick with the VAR decision, so I was hopeful at that moment that he would. Unfortunately he didn’t. "I would’ve liked it, but I think it’s a tough call." The two failed penalties calls follow two penalty decisions going against Cherries in recent weeks. Lloyd Kelly was penalised for a handball during the victory at Nottingham Forest, before Jefferson Lerma was also deemed to have handled as Cherries drew at Newcastle United. "Four VAR reviews in my four games and all have gone against us," said O'Neil. "Whether they’ve decided to stick with it or reverse it, they’ve always ended up going against us. So, fine margins." He added: "I think they could both be penalties. I think having looked at Jefferson Lerma’s and Lloyd Kelly’s, I think they’re similar. "They’re really, really similar, for different reasons. But I think they’re real, tough calls, all of them. "I know that the Jefferson Lerma one, when you slow it down, it looks like he moves his hand towards the ball. "I can assure you he definitely doesn’t. His arm is just moving with his body. There’s no way you move your arm towards the ball like that at that moment, especially when you’re not looking. I was surprised he didn’t give one. "The last one right at the end surprises me. I didn’t see loads of much of a check going on. "I’ve spoken to him since and to be fair, he said he was told that there was nothing to check and that the handball was accidental. "But as was Jefferson Lerma’s and Lloyd Kelly’s. They say the fact it hit Jensen’s foot first and then goes up onto his hand makes a difference. "I don’t understand why, because it can still make a huge difference to an attacking moment for us. "You never know where that ball is going to land. If it doesn’t hit Jensen on the hand, we’ve got bodies in the box, it could land anywhere. "Obviously disappointed that we didn’t get either, but they were tough calls. I don’t think either were stonewall, blatant ones. Disappointed, but we move on."
Dominic Solanke Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStiries- AFC Bournemouth’s Dominic Solanke pleased with Brentford point #AFCB

October 2, 2022
CHERRIES striker Dominic Solanke is content to see his side picking up a steady stream of points – stressing “those points add up”. Cherries made it nine points from their opening eight Premier League fixtures with a 0-0 draw at home to Brentford. Neither side were at the best, especially when it came to creating chances, with the most notable moments of the game two VAR checks for possible Cherries penalties. No spot-kicks were awarded, with the closest chance a Jefferson Lerma header cleared off the line. Solanke told the Daily Echo: “Firstly, it’s another point on the board, which is a positive thing. “We know they're a good side and we knew that if we stuck to our game plan that we could have got something from the game. “Obviously we're disappointed we didn’t get the win, but we’ll take the draw.” Cherries sit three points and six places above the relegation zone, with Solanke pleased with his side’s early season efforts to date. “We're just taking it game by game at the moment, pick up as many points as we can. “We’re unbeaten in four now, which is always good. “Obviously quite a few draws, but in the Premier League those points add up.”  
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits AFC Bournemouth made ‘too many slight errors’ in Brentford stalemate #AFCB

October 2, 2022
GARY O’Neil admitted his “disappointment” and “frustration” following Cherries’ 0-0 draw with Brentford and said: “There were just too many slight errors.” Despite being solid in defence against Thomas Frank’s Bees, Cherries were unable to fire for the home league game on the spin. Interim boss O’Neil saw his side have two big penalty shouts waved away by referee Thomas Bramall. Jordan Zemura went to ground in the box under a challenge from Kris Ajer in the first half, while the ball appeared to strike the arm of Brentford’s Mathias Jensen inside the area during the dying moments. But for all their endeavour, Cherries were left with one shot on target all afternoon. O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “It’s the first time in my four games that there is a tinge of disappointment and frustration. “Probably like the fans. I felt the same as them, I think. “The boys gave us endeavour, work-rate, stuck to the game plan, snuffed out big opportunities that they have from set plays. “We managed to defend Ivan Toney really well. “That side of it I liked and then, I know the boys can be better with the ball than they showed today. “We went into the game with a plan that was solid but allowed us to have the ball and cause them problems with it. “I felt the structure was there and we didn’t quite manage to show our normal level with the ball. “Even at Newcastle and Nottingham Forest as well, we had moments where we showed what we could do with the ball. “Today there were just too many slight errors that cost us momentum and the opportunity.” Cherries remain unbeaten since O’Neil took interim charge of the Dorset outfit, following the sacking of Scott Parker in August. They host Leicester City at Vitality Stadium next Saturday (3pm).
Thomas Frank
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Thomas Frank heaps praise on referee Thomas Bramall after Bournemouth clash #BRENTFORDFC

October 2, 2022
BRENTFORD boss Thomas Frank moved to praise referee Thomas Bramall for the way he refereed Saturday's clash at Vitality Stadium. Cherries and Brentford played out a goalless draw in the club's first ever meeting in the top flight. But it was referee Bramall at the centre of attention for two of the game's biggest flashpoints, opting not to award Cherries a penalty on two separate occasions. The hosts claimed for a spot-kick during the first half when Jordan Zemura went down under Kris Ajer's challenge. Having not given a penalty, Bramall was referred to the pitchside monitor by VAR John Brooks. After a lengthy review, Bramall opted to stick with his initial decision and award a goal kick. Then, in the dying seconds of the contest, Cherries gave loud appeals when a ball flew up onto the arm of Brentford midfield Mathias Jensen inside the box. Again Bramall was unmoved and the game ended level. Bramall was taking charge of just his second Premier League match, his first coming when Fulham hosted Brighton in August. Asked for his thoughts on the penalty claims, Frank said: "First, I would like to praise Thomas Bramall for his job. "A young ref, I don’t know how many games he’s reffed in the Premier League. But every game in the Premier League is important. "You can say Liverpool v City, but I think Bournemouth v Brentford is equally as important for both teams. "His character and calm head in a very, very stressful moment. You know when you’re called over to the monitor, it’s a very decisive decision for the game. "And we know, all of us in this room, nine times out of 10, most likely it will be a pen. But he stuck to his decision. "I think that says a lot about him. I’m not in doubt that’s not a pen. So I think that was very well done from him. "The only mistake he made was he was a little bit unclear whether he was giving a penalty or a goal-kick." He added: "It was definitely not a penalty. "The way I see it, he (Ajer) definitely touched the ball and then Zemura is falling over him." Quizzed on Cherries' second penalty claim, Frank said: "That was a penalty two years ago. Then we luckily changed the rules. "I hated that rule two years ago, because I think everyone is working so hard and then a randomness that would’ve given a penalty two years ago. "So I’m so glad we got that out of the game, because I think that’s the most fair thing. So definitely not a penalty."
Thomas Frank
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Thomas Frank outlines three important Cherries players ahead of clash with Bournemouth #BRENTFORDFC #AFCB

October 1, 2022
THOMAS Frank pinpointed three Cherries players his Brentford side will need to be wary of this weekend. Frank brings the Bees to Vitality Stadium on Saturday, for the first meeting of the two clubs at Premier League level. The last time the pair battled came in the Championship play-offs in May 2021, where Brentford prevailed over Jonathan Woodgate's side 3-2 on aggregate. They went on to defeat Swansea City in the Wembley final, with Cherries joining them in the top flight with promotion last season. Looking ahead to the challenge on the south coast, boss Frank said: "It will be another big challenge. I think Gary (O'Neil) and his staff and players have done a very good job. "On the results side they’ve had two draws and a win, but also the performances have been very solid. They’re difficult to play against. They look good. “I remember us playing them in the Championship two years ago and they have many of the same players. "They were two very, very even games in the Championship, two very even games in the play-offs and I expect a very even game (on Saturday). Hopefully we’ll come out on top. "We’ll go down and attack and do what we can to get three points. “We know they have players that can hurt us. Especially (Dominic) Solanke I think is a very good striker. I think (Ryan) Christie has done well as well and (Marcus) Tavernier." O'Neil is set to take charge of his fourth game as interim boss, following the sacking of Scott Parker after Cherries' were embarrassed 9-0 by Liverpool. Asked how impressed he is by the way Cherries have bounced back from the humiliation at Anfield, Frank said: "It’s very impressive. "Either you fall apart after a game like that, or you stick together and show that you're stronger. "We know Bournemouth is a club with a lot of experience still. "It's only two or three years ago they were in the Premier League. A lot of these players that are playing now also played in the Premier League back then. "So it's an experienced squad with good players. "In this league, besides the top six, that are from another galaxy, the rest of us are more humans and we need to fight for every point. "All 14 of these teams can end in a situation where it is getting tricky. Bournemouth is a good side." Cherries currently sit 12th in the Premier League, one point and three places behind Brentford after seven matches.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil believes ‘Fantastic’ Philip Billing can do ‘many roles’ #AFCB

October 1, 2022
INTERIM head coach Gary O'Neil praised the "fantastic" displays of Philip Billing during his time in charge so far, insisting the Dane has given "absolutely everything at every moment". Billing's performances in the win at Nottingham Forest and draw at Newcastle United earned him nominations for the prestigious Premier League player of the month and goal of the month awards for September, having netted in both fixtures. While Billing missed out on both prizes, to Manchester United's Marcus Rashford and Brentford striker Ivan Toney respectively, the company he kept among the shortlists highlighted his recent impact on the team. Asked what the 26-year-old had been like to coach in recent weeks, O'Neil told the Daily Echo: "He’s been great. "I think you’ve seen he’s extremely talented. He’s a good lad. "I judge him on what I’ve asked him to give the last three games and what he’s given. "What he’s given is absolutely everything at every moment, so much so that at the end of some games I look at him and think ‘you’ve given everything, we need to get you off’. "But he’s been fantastic for me. I’m looking forward to seeing more of the same on Saturday." Billing originally operated in a deeper midfield role under Eddie Howe following his £15million switch to Cherries from Huddersfield Town in 2019. But following Jonathan Woodgate taking the reins during the 2020-21 Championship campaign, Billing was moved to a more advanced role and showed his goalscoring prowess. The Denmark international netted in Woodgate's first game in interim charge, a 3-2 win over Birmingham City, before a spate of goals fired Cherries into the play-offs. He again showed his goalscoring touch under Scott Parker last term, bagging 11 across all competitions. In his 57 appearances under Howe and Jason Tindall, Billing scored just four goals. In 70 games since, under Woodgate, Parker and O'Neil, the Copenhagen-born ace has netted 20 times. Despite his hot streak last campaign, Parker returned Billing to a deeper role at the beginning of this campaign, but O'Neil has since moved him further forwards after taking over as head coach. Asked if he feels that is where he sees Billing contributing most at Cherries, O'Neil explained: "I think he can do many roles for us. "I think he’ll go through spells like he is at the minute where playing higher up will look like it’s a good idea. "But also if I played him as a number eight, I expect him to be as good at that as he is playing as a 10. "I think he’s technically talented, has physical attributes. I think he’s really important for us, whether that’s as an eight or as a 10, whatever it is. "He’s a big part of what we do." Billing will be looking to score for the third game in a row when Cherries welcome Brentford to Vitality Stadium tomorrow (3pm).
Chris Wilder
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Chris Wilder shuts down ‘nonsense’ speculation linking him to Cherries job #AFCB

October 1, 2022
CHRIS Wilder has again shut down "nonsense" reports linking him with the vacant Cherries job. During the international break, various outlets claimed Cherries were eyeing up Middlesbrough boss Wilder as their new head coach. The Daily Echo understands the 55-year-old is not on the shortlist to be offered the role, despite bookmakers slashing his odds last week. The club are still on the lookout for a new boss, having sacked Scott Parker last month. Gary O'Neil is set to take charge of his fourth game as interim head coach against Brentford tomorrow. Boro currently sit in the Championship relegation zone. Asked if his next move would be to Cherries, Wilder said: "No. A hundred per cent not. "It's nonsense what's happened. "I dealt with that speculation a month ago. I put it to bed. "It's come from nowhere, it's not needed by anybody. "I've just laughed it off really." He added: "I think that's what happens when teams don't get results that maybe they're expected to. There's all sorts of things happening - you've fallen out with the owner, he's gone, I've gone, everybody's off, everybody's abandoning ship. "Every job that I've taken, I've taken when they've not been in a good position. The club wasn't in a good position. "I'm not saying they're in a great position now, but every club that I've taken on and been employed in, there's a build. There's a build towards it. "We're suffering a little bit of pain at the moment, but not a time for anybody to walk away. "Of course, we're all ambitious, everybody wants to work at the highest level. "I want to work at the highest level with this football club, with Middlesbrough. I think everybody understands that. "Sometimes you just have to deal with the noise and nonsense that comes." The former Sheffield United boss added: "If I was on social media. I would've put it to bed as soon as it came out. "Thankfully I'm not on social media, so I had to wait until Friday. "But these are things that you have to deal with in this game. "All focus, 18 months left on my contract, all focus of turning our positive performances into positive results that ultimately will see us go up the division." At the time of writing, Wilder is listed as 7/4 second favourite with Sky Bet for the Cherries job, behind odds-on favourite O'Neil (8/11).
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil ‘desperate’ to get Lloyd Kelly back quickly from ankle injury #AFCB

September 30, 2022
GARY O'Neil says he is unsure how long injured Lloyd Kelly will be out of action, admitting: "The timeframe isn’t completely clear yet." Kelly was ruled out of Cherries' last match, the trip to Newcastle United, on September 17, due to an injury picked up in training. There have since been conflicting media reports regarding both the nature and severity of the issue suffered by Cherries' skipper. Kelly will again miss out this weekend when Cherries host Brentford in the Premier League. Asked if he could provide some clarity on the 23-year-old's injury concern and how long it could rule him out, interim boss O'Neil told the Daily Echo: "Lloydy’s got an ankle injury. "We’re not 100 per cent sure how long he’ll be, to be honest. "The physios are working with him hard on getting him back as soon as possible, obviously. "I’m desperate to get him back, of course. He’s massive to us. "But on the other side of that, really pleased with what I saw at Newcastle, when we had to respond without him. "So hopefully we get him back quickly, but the timeframe isn’t completely clear yet." O'Neil was briefly a teammate of Kelly's during the pair's time together at Bristol City. As O'Neil's career was winding down, Kelly was breaking into the first team with the Robins. Kelly made his professional debut as an 18-year-old as a substitute in a 5-0 win over Plymouth Argyle in the EFL Cup in August 2017, a game in which O'Neil played the full 90 minutes. The two would feature alongside each other three more times that season, before O'Neil moved on to Bolton Wanderers. "He’s a great lad, Lloydy," said O'Neil, when asked how heavily involved Kelly still was as a captain whilst being injured. "I couldn’t ask any more of him. Whether he’s injured, whether he’s playing. "Obviously I played with him for a short spell at Bristol City and knew he was going to be a fantastic player. "He’s a real good guy, so he’ll always want to be around it, always want to help the boys. "I’d rather him be on the grass, but pleased that he’s helping out when he’s not." He added: "Obviously Lloyd Kelly being missing is a massive blow. He’s huge for us. "But as you saw at Newcastle, the boys that came in, the backline and even the team spirit and the work in front of that backline was massive for us and we’ll be looking to make sure we’re solid and resolute again." Chris Mepham and Marcos Senesi look likely to partner up again at centre-back, as they did at Newcastle, while Jack Stephens and James Hill both also provide options in that position in Kelly's absence.
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on Dominic Solanke being compared to Ivan Toney #AFCB

September 30, 2022
GARY O’Neil understands why some might compared Brentford’s Ivan Toney to Cherries’ Dominic Solanke, but the interim head coach stressed the pair were “very different”. Toney grabbed 30 goals as Thomas Frank’s Bees earnt promotion from the Championship in 2021, with Solanke nearing that total by firing Cherries up last year with a final league tally of 29. Whilst Solanke earnt a first England cap as a 20-year-old in 2017, Toney’s fine start to the season was recognised by Gareth Southgate in the recent international break, the former Peterborough man called up for the Nations League fixtures. When asked if Solanke could take anything from Toney’s rise from the Championship to the England squad, O’Neil responded: “I think they're very different. “I think Dom is extremely highly driven already, is a real good professional, works hard at his own game, knows his strengths, works hard on stuff that he needs to improve. “He's massive for this group, so I understand why people will talk about them together as in a comparison, but they're very different. “And Dom is a talented young English centre-forward. “So should you aspire to one day being in and around the England squad? “Yeah, of course. I think all young talented English footballers do, and Dom will probably be no different, but yeah, I'm delighted to have Dom as part of our group. “He's massive for us.” O’Neil also had specific praise for Ivan Toney, before stressing that Brentford had numerous threats and consistent performers. He continued: “Obviously he's had a fantastic start to the season, scored some really good goals, was a big part of what they did last season as well. “He’s a good player for sure. There’s not too many number nines like him around anymore either, so not something that centre-backs come up against as often as they used to. “He’ll be a test for us. But they carry a lot of threats, to be fair, Brentford. They're a good side, not just Ivan Tony, so we'll need to be ready.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Being bookies’ favourite to become Cherries boss ‘doesn’t mean anything’ to Gary O’Neil #AFCB

September 30, 2022
GARY O'Neil insists being listed as the bookmakers' favourite to become Cherries' next permanent boss "doesn't mean anything to me". O'Neil is currently interim head coach at the club, having stepped up into the role last month following the sacking of Scott Parker. He has since presided over one win and two draws in his three matches in the hotseat. That has led to bookies listing him as favourite to take the role on a full-time basis, priced, at the time of writing, as an odds-on 8/11 shot with Sky Bet. Middlesbrough boss Chris Wilder is listed as second favourite at 7/4, ahead of Kjetil Knutsen (10/1) and Sean Dyche (12/1). Asked how he feels about being listed as favourite, O'Neil said: "I don’t gamble, so I don’t know how the bookies would know. It doesn’t mean anything to me, to be honest. No feeling towards it at all. "I’m thinking about Brentford and I’m just really excited about this one because it’s the first home game in a while. "I’m just thinking purely about, come on lads, let’s go, let’s get a positive result against Brentford and let’s build on what we’ve done so far." Asked if he has had any conversations with the board about his long-term future, or if he has put his name forward to be considered for the role, O'Neil added: "I honestly don’t feel the need to put my hat in any ring. "I feel like I’m delighted to be working for Bournemouth. "The opportunity to take the team for the last few games and the next game I’m delighted with. "I don’t feel the need to go any further than that at the minute. "I think it’s really important that the here and now is dealt with and I try and put the club in the best place possible at three o’clock every Saturday is my sole focus." Cherries host Brentford on Saturday (3pm).
chris mepham Bournemouth
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Chris Mepham reveals he is ready to step up and lead Cherries backline #AFCB

September 29, 2022
CHRIS Mepham is prepared to step up and help lead the Cherries backline in the absence of captain Lloyd Kelly. Just 24 years of age, Mepham is one of the Dorset club’s more experienced defenders when it comes to the Premier League, with only right-backs Adam Smith and Ryan Fredericks featuring in more games than Mepham’s 32 top-flight appearances. Only Ryan Christie has more international caps than Mepham, with the Scot representing his country 34 times compared to the defender’s 32 appearances for Wales. When asked if he felt that there would be pressure to help lead Cherries if Kelly remained on the side-lines, Mepham told the Daily Echo: “Looking at the backline, Smudge (Adam Smith) has got tons of experience, but aside from that you’ve got JZ (Jordan Zemura), first season at this level, Marcos (Senesi), new to this country, this way of playing. “I think there is a little bit of onus on me to be the one to drive us forward. “With Lloyd out for however long he is, there is going to be a lot more ownership on me. “I’m looking forward to it. Hopefully I can embrace it.” Mepham recently signed a new deal to remain at the Vitality Stadium until the summer of 2026 following the Welsh international re-establishing himself as a fixture in the first-team. With a new contract already in the bag, Mepham is keen to keep kicking on further. He restarted: “I keep my foot on the pedal. “I’ve waited so long to have an opportunity, a run of games, and fortunately for me I’ve had this run of games now. “I feel good, I feel fit. I feel like I’m getting better game by game. “It’s down to me now to stay in that team. It’s the level I feel I belong at, it’s nice that I can sort of showcase myself.”