Ryan Christie
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Ryan Christie believes Dango Ouattara will be a big player for Bournemouth #AFCB

April 19, 2023
Ouattara made an eye-catching start to his Cherries career, providing an assist in a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest just days after his £20million arrival from FC Lorient. The 21-year-old also set up goals in games against Newcastle United and Liverpool, named in the starting XI for 11 games in succession. However, the Burkina Faso international had struggled to replicate that form in recent weeks, substituted at half-time against Fulham, before then being taken off during the first half at Leicester City earlier this month. A week later, Ouattara began a Cherries game on the bench for the first time, only to be introduced with 11 minutes to play to devastating effect. The winger scored the dramatic winner, deep into stoppage time as Cherries secured a 3-2 win over Spurs to massively boost their survival bid. That goal, his first for the club, came shortly after Arnaut Danjuma looked to have rescued a point for the hosts. Asked what it was like watching the final minutes unfold whilst watching on from the bench having been substituted, Christie told the Daily Echo: “A big day, a big win. Honestly, I genuinely think we deserved to win. “Obviously frustrated with the first goal and then we dominated the whole first half. The second half was a bit different, it was a bit sticky. “But I think we did well, they didn’t really create too much, although they obviously dominated possession second half. “Their second goal I think is offside, but we don’t get it. And then Dango comes up with a bit of genius, chops inside and goal. Buzzing.” Put to him most people would have thought Ouattara would take the shot on on his favoured left foot, rather than cut back inside past Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg and slot in right-footed, Christie added: “So did I and I think everybody did! “He chops inside and what a finish as well, especially so late in the game. I’m buzzing for him. “What a way for you to get your first goal. I’m delighted for him, delighted for all the boys. “I thought the defenders – Chris Mepham was ridiculous, so good. Same with Jack Stephens. Because that’s their main threat obviously, (Heung-min) Son and (Harry) Kane. And we dealt with them pretty well.” Asked how big a boost that goal will give Ouattara going forwards, the Scotland international said: “Absolutely. What a time, especially with the run-in as well coming up now. “With the attributes he’s got, he’s going to be a big player for us. “Hopefully he can kick on now as well between now and the end of the season.” Jaidon Anthony, who replaced Christie during the second half, said of Ouattara: “I think it (his quality) has been clear to see from the moment he came in really. “Obviously last week (at Leicester) it probably wasn’t his best game, I think he’d be the first to say that. “But he’s been top for us and I’m very happy he managed to get the goal that he deserves, because he’s helped us so much already.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil explains Dango Ouattara’s withdrawal against Leicester #AFCB

April 9, 2023
Ouattara struggled at King Power Stadium, with Marcus Tavernier warming up on the sidelines from early in the contest. O’Neil made the switch on 38 minutes, Tavernier coming on for Ouattara on the left wing. Two minutes later, Philip Billing scored what proved to be the only goal of the contest. Quizzed on why he made the early switch, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “It was just a tactical thing. I just felt it would be better for the team.” Asked if he regretted starting Ouattara, given Tavernier was seen out warming up early in the contest, O’Neil said: “I hadn’t asked Tav to warm up. I’m guessing the subs were warming up because they were just warming up. “Obviously we have to be careful with Tav at the moment. “I just decided at 33 minutes or whenever it was that wasn’t the time to be careful with Tav anymore and played him for maybe slightly longer than we should have. “But I felt there was a real opportunity for us today to grasp a big win. “So, nothing against Dango at all. He works his socks off, always. He’s an honest lad. “Obviously he’s only just arrived. He’s had an incredible impact on the group. His number of assists, his work-rate. Today I just felt like Tav would be able to give us something down that side.” O’Neil added: “I felt there was an opportunity of us in that first half. I felt we needed to show a little bit more of an urgency, even though we had control. “That was my thinking behind the substitution. Tav was generally only meant to come on at half-time, or later. “I just felt we needed some urgency and punish Leicester in that first half really, where we had so much control. “Because at half time they can fix a few things and the second half doesn’t always look the same. So it was important we managed to get a goal at that point.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on Dango Ouattara #AFCB

March 17, 2023
The Burkinabe international has provided three assists in seven Premier League appearances since arriving at the Vitality Stadium in January from FC Lorient for a reported £20million. Ouattara teed up Phil Billing for what proved to be the winning goal on Saturday, Cherries defeating last year’s Champions League finalists Liverpool 1-0. Prior to the opener on 28 minutes, Ouattara had two decent chances to open his scoring account for his new club. In the more notable of the two opportunities, the former Lorient man found himself one-on-one with keeper Alisson, the winger’s touch to try and take the ball around the goalie too strong, forcing the resultant shot from a tight angle into the side netting. However, despite the misses, O’Neil believed Cherries would have struggled to get into the same areas without Ouattara in the team. He told the Daily Echo: “I think we wouldn't have had that chance before he arrived, unless Tav (Marcus Tavernier) was fit. “We might have managed to get Tav in those situations. “So he's brought an awful lot. “And obviously we knew this before and we've done some work on (it), Alisson's incredible in one-v-one situations, so even when you're going through, they're tough to finish, those. “He just has a slightly too big a touch. “He's 20 years old and adapting to the Premier League, so, yeah, still plenty of work to do with him.” There was also praise for Ouattara’s defensive contributions throughout the game, with O’Neil detailing how Cherries had asked the winger to track back and form a five-man backline when Liverpool had the ball. O’Neil explained: “I don't want to speak too much about it, but we felt there was certain people that we could get after, certain people that we were happy to leave with a bit more time on the ball. “It was sort of a back four, but we knew Dango would have to track down with Andy Robertson, so it would look like a back five at times, which it did. “Dango did it well in the majority. I think Andy Robertson got behind him once or twice early on. “I thought we'd be able to hurt them on the counter, because their fullbacks are obviously attacking. “Andy Robertson plays higher, Trent (Alexander-Arnold) rolls around, he ends up in midfield sometimes and there are spaces then down the side to try and counter. “And we didn't quite make the most of it, but we did enough to win the game.”
Jordan Zemura
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Jordan Zemura excited by new arrival Dango Ouattara #AFCB

February 8, 2023
The Burkina Faso international joined from French side Lorient last month and made an instant impact with an assist in a 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest on his debut. Ouattara again played the full 90 minutes on Saturday, during the 1-0 loss at Brighton. Discussing his early impressions of the 20-year-old, Cherries full-back Zemura told the Daily Echo: “Him no English, me no French. I think Siriki (Dembele) was helping him out quite well and Noa (Boutin), the young lad. “But he’s a great lad. He’s only 20, he’s come over here and just been smashing it. “When he first came in, we could see the talent that he had and the qualities that he possessed. “There’s going to be a lot to be excited about for the fans, having him for the next couple of years. It was good to see him get an assist (against Forest).” Asked how much English Ouattara understands, Zemura added: “All he knows is ‘back post’ and then he says ‘back post’. “When we scored (against Forest), I don’t know what he said to me but he said something in French. ‘Bon’ something, I don’t know what he said to me, but he seemed happy!” Discussing the lift a new arrival such as Ouattara can bring to the squad, Zemura said: “Definitely. Even when he came in to training, you could just see, oh this is different. We’ve got David Brooks on his way back, Marcus Tavernier on his way back, Dom (Solanke) on his way back. “Those players, that gives you a big buzz because you know the qualities that they have and you just think to yourself, once we get everyone back in and we’re all competing in training, it’s going to be something to really look forward to. “It’s a good camp.” Former Cherries defender Mathieu Baudry has been back with the club in the past couple of weeks, the Frenchman helping Ouattara and fellow French speaker Hamed Traore settle in England. Baudry is contracted to Swindon Town, but is currently recovering from a serious knee injury. Asked if boss O’Neil has tried to communicate in French to Ouattara, Zemura said: “The gaffer speaks no French! It’s all English, but it’s all hand gestures.” Ouattara and Traore were among six January arrivals at Cherries with Matias Vina, Darren Randolph, Antoine Semenyo and Illia Zabarnyi also recruited. Cherries, still seeking a first win since O’Neil became permanent head coach in November, host Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Saturday (5.30pm).
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on Dango Ouattara debut #AFCB

January 22, 2023
CHERRIES boss Gary O’Neil believed debutant Dango Ouattara “coped exceptionally well” during the 1-1 draw with Nottingham Forest. The Burkinabè provided an assist for Jaidon Anthony to open scores, before Cherries academy graduate Sam Surridge struck late on to ensure spoils were shared. Ouattara arrived at the Vitality Stadium on Thursday following his transfer from FC Lorient, the Burkina Faso international instantly thrust into Cherries’ starting line-up due to injuries. Despite the addition of Ouattra, Cherries had to pad out their matchday squad with three youngsters, highlighting the injuries issues O’Neil’s charges currently face. Philip Billing was a late drop out in the week leading up to the game, with the Dane joining Dominic Solanke, Lewis Cook, and Marcus Tavernier in the treatment room. O'Neil explains Billing absence from Forest clash Asked about the 20-year-old’s performance, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I thought it was a tough week for him, to be honest. “I think he obviously hadn’t trained much, he's done a lot of traveling. If we hadn’t had the injuries that we have at the moment, we have a depleted squad at this moment in time, Tavs (Marcus Tavernier),  Dom (Solanke), Lewis Cook, Phil Billing all key players for us. “So we were forced, maybe, into starting Dango. I thought he would be able to cope, I think he coped exceptionally well. “He’s done one day training with the lads, doesn’t know anybody. He worked his socks off, looked a threat. I was pretty pleased with him.” A livewire in a rejuvenated Cherries attack, Ouattara seemed to combine well with Anthony. Asked how the system worked, O’Neil shared: “It’s a similar style which we've used, just Dango gives us a different outlet. “Similar, there weren’t many changes to the structure. JZ came in and we tried to do some work done that side. “Knew that Dango would be a threat down the right side with his pace. So some combination play on the left, pace on the right. “So nothing that we haven't done before, but since we've been missing Tavs, we haven't had that pace down the side.”