Gary-ONeil-Manager | EPL24x7

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals he was aware of Cherries’ strong record at Stamford Bridge #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 27, 2022

CHERRIES’ solid record away at Stamford Bridge is something Gary O’Neil is “aware” of even if he does not believe it will have any bearing on the latest meeting between the two sides. O’Neil’s charges travel to London to face Graham Potter’s Chelsea in the first Premier League game following the break for the World Cup tomorrow (kick-off 5:30pm). Despite Chelsea’s status as a top-six club and the perception of Cherries as plucky underdogs, the Dorset outfit have won three of their five trips to the Bridge in the Premier League. Glenn Murray’s late winner in 2015 arguably marked a turning point in Cherries’ first top-flight season, victory marking their first in nine league games under Eddie Howe. Cherries’ last visit to Chelsea saw another late winner, Dan Gosling’s 84th minute strike eventually awarded after an agonisingly long wait following a VAR check. In their past three games with the two-time European champions, Cherries are unbeaten, with their last win at Stamford Bridge sandwiched between a 4-0 rout at home and a 2-2 draw in their most recent meeting. Asked if he was knew about the stat, O’Neil replied: “I am aware of it. I don't believe it will help us much in the next one, but, yeah, I am aware of it. “As you rightly say, tough place to go. Top side, obviously. Big club, top coach, fantastic players. “And, yeah, they're expected to win basically every game they play, aren't they? “So, it'll be a tough one for us, but as always, same sort of answers for you, really. “We get the boys ready, get them well prepared, and I go there expecting us to be competitive and expecting us to get a positive result.” Aside from Cherries’ record at Chelsea, O’Neil was also reminded of his visits to Stamford Bridge as a player. In nine trips to Chelsea, he tasted defeat each time. He did point out the mitigating circumstances, with the then-midfielder frequently tasked with marking generational talent Frank Lampard on more than one occasion. He joked: “Nine games, nine defeats. It's a good record. “I mean, I remember playing well there a few times and I've sometimes I've seemed to be given the job of tracking Frank Lampard. “I remember doing it really well sometimes and then he’d just pop up in the 70 or 80th minute, and he's smashed one in the bottom corner. “And you'd be like, “Ahh, I've lost him once, and he scored.” “But I've not lost there yet, as a manager. So that's good.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil on putting in hard work ahead of transfer window #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 26, 2022

GARY O’Neil’s approach to the transfer window will be the same as his coaching philosophy – “loads of hard work”. Cherries seem set for another busy January based on chairman Bill Foley’s comments, indicating a healthy budget for the upcoming transfer window. O’Neil has concurred with Foley’s belief that the squad will need strengthening, with the transfer window representing the head coach’s first foray into the market. Speaking on how he is prepared for making transfers for the first time, O’Neil shared:“The same as I deal with preparing for games. Do loads of hard work on it, make sure you've covered. “I'm always really confident on things once I've done enough work on them. “I remember speaking about the Wolves game and stood there a little bit nervous, and that was just because we'd only had a day and I didn't really know what I was looking at. “I didn't know what to expect. I’ve always thought if I put enough work in, I arrive at a conclusion that I'm really confident and comfortable with, and that will be the same with the recruitment. “Plus we have an incredible recruitment team who have real good track record in the players that we've managed to recruit at the club. “The work that will be done will go through a process and we'll try and make sure we get the right ones.”Asked for the biggest differences between his interim spell and operating in the role on a permanent basis. O’Neil joked: “There’s probably slightly more off-pitch questions landing on my desk than they did before. “Which I try to ignore, but they tend to come back and someone asks them again! “So there’s a bit more to do. But the nature of the job, it feels the same to me. “I treated it last time as if I was the head coach, so it won’t be too different for me.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil believes it is ‘Interesting to see’ how World Cup absentees will impact teams #AFCB #WorldCup2022

By Kanak Chauhan December 26, 2022

GARY O’Neil believes it will be “interesting to see" how teams with more players returning from the World Cup will fare, believing there to be pros and cons to having players missing during the break. Chelsea had 12 players away at the World Cup, including England trio Mason Mount, Raheem Sterling, and Conor Gallagher, whilst Moroccan Hakim Ziyech and Croatian Mateo Kovacic have been ruled out of the game with Cherries, owing to the fact they returned late as their countries reached the third/fourth-place play-off. The only Cherries to be selected for the World Cup were Wales duo Kieffer Moore and Chris Mepham, allowing O’Neil the opportunity to work with the vast majority of his squad during the break. However, the former England under-21 international was quick to point out that competitive football over the past six weeks had been hard to come by, with those in Qatar potentially remaining in better condition than those who stayed at home. Asked if that would make a difference in the fixture, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I'm not sure. “I think there's a couple of ways of looking at it. I think the boys that have been at the World Cup will still have rhythm, that they're used to playing through November and December, and they come back in now having been playing competitive football, whereas the boys that have been here have had to go through sort of a mid-season pre-season, basically. “So, yeah, it'd be interesting to see who is sharper, the boys that have been at the World Cup and have kept going, or the ones that have had a little break, and then I’ve had to do training to keep up to speed. “Obviously the more players that you have at the World Cup, shows that you have good players. “So, yes, I mean, regardless of who's in better condition, it will still be a tough game for us. Moore and Mepham’s World Cups ended in relative disappointment as Cymru pulled no trees in Group B, exiting after three games. Asked if the pair would use the disappointment to spur themselves on at club level, O’Neil responded: “Yeah, I think they're keen to get going. I thought they both did well the other night. “Kieffer was excellent in his work rate and still managed to cause Newcastle some problems. “Meps had suffered with the virus and he was one of the real late calls we had to make, and to get through the game the way he did, I thought he did really well considering the World Cup, on top of the illness. “He hadn't had too much work put into him before. So yeah, I was pleased he came through okay and did well and they'll both be better for another week's work before the Chelsea game.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil remains cautious over rushing back Lloyd Kelly from ‘longish layoff’ #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 26, 2022

GARY O’Neil will remain cautious with managing the return of captain Lloyd Kelly, despite admitting that he is “huge” for Cherries. Centre-back Kelly has not played any competitive football since the comeback win at Nottingham Forest at the start of September, with an ankle injury side-lining the former Bristol City man for 12 weeks. Whilst Cherries were in Dubai, Kelly worked on an individual rehabilitation plan, but the 24-year-old is now back on the grass training with the squad. O’Neil’s comments suggest that Kelly appears to be in contention for Cherries’ trip to Stamford Bridge on Tuesday, December 27 to face Chelsea, O’Neil urged caution in regard to rushing his skipper back into action after a “longish layoff”. Commenting on Kelly’s situation, O’Neil stated: “No, he hasn't been in my ear. He just tries to show me every day on the grass, as they all do. “All the boys are desperate to play. But when you're out for twelve weeks, you're desperate to get back. “My job is to make sure he comes back in the right shape, make sure he's ready, make sure it benefits the team and Lloyd. “So there's a lot of decisions to make when someone comes back off a longish layoff. There is a lot to consider.”Whilst wary of rushing Kelly back, O’Neil is more than aware to what the centre-back gives his side.” “As I said when we lost him, he is huge for us,” restarted O’Neil. “He's huge. “Fantastic player, athletically excellent, good on the ball. “So, yeah, he's huge for us. But as I said in the last answer, he needs to be right. “He's been out for a long time, takes work, not only fitness work, getting up to speed with football things, your decision making. “So we need to make sure that Lloyd is in the right place and it's right for everybody that he comes back in. Cherries have depth at centre-back, with Chris Mepham returning from the fringes of the squad to cement himself as one of the first names on the teamsheet. Summer signing Marcos Senesi has adapted to the rigors of the Premier League to serve as a more than adequate replacement for Kelly as a left-footed centre-back, whilst Southampton loanee Jack Stephens offers a wealth of experience in the wings. O’Neil mentioned: “Jack Stephens has been excellent as well. “The two Everton games, I thought he was fantastic. So yeah, I think I'd rather be sat here discussing the four of them than going into the Everton game with only the two that we had. “So yeah, pleased that they're all back and available. I'm sure they'll all be used, and it'll be huge in the rest of the season and us trying to be successful.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil believes Chelsea will keep improving under Graham Potter #AFCB #ChelseaFC

By Kanak Chauhan December 25, 2022

CHELSEA will keep on improving “every week” Graham Potter is manager, according to Gary O’Neil. Potter swapped Brighton for Chelsea back in September, with the former Ostersunds manager struggling to find his feet at Stamford Bridge. The Blues last won a Premier League game back in October, with Potter picking up just 11 points in his eight league games in charge, although in Europe Chelsea have cruised through to knockout stages of the Champions League. Asked for his thoughts on Potter at the Blues, O’Neil shared: “I think that every week that Graham's there, I expect them to get better. “He's obviously a good coach. He has a style that has stuck for years, so a new group of players obviously need to adapt to that and learn it. “So I would think the break has been beneficial to him in sort of getting the players where he needs them to be. It’s difficult. They have changed formation quite a lot. “It's a difficult one to prepare for because, a newish manager that had a real set style at Brighton, but what he's done at Chelsea hasn't followed on from that too much, structure wise. “So, we'll prepare the best we can, make sure the boys are ready for what might come their way and give it a real good go.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on travelling fans #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 25, 2022

Gary O’Neil shared how Cherries appreciate their travelling support, stating: “We’re going to need them.” Cherries fans will be travelling all over the country during the first two weeks since their side returned to action, starting with the trip to Newcastle last Tuesday. Stamford Bridge is the next stop for the Cherries faithful on Tuesday, December 27, before another trek up north to see their favourites face Manchester United on Tuesday, January 3, the Dorset outfit’s first game of 2023. With only one home game over the festive period, a fixture against Crystal Palace on New Year’s Eve, those hardy souls that travel to all three away games will travel approximately 1,839 miles, based on the distance from the Vitality Stadium to each ground as the crow flies. Fans’ plans for the trip to Newcastle were thrown up in the air when the game was brought forward with little notice due to NHS strikes, with around 450 Cherries supporters making the journey to Newcastle. The Daily Echo understands Cherries’ have sold out their allocation for the fixture at Chelsea. Both games against Chelsea and Manchester United had been moved from their original dates of Boxing Day and Monday, January 2. With train strikes, adjusted transport schedules and the financial pressures the winter holidays can place on families, O’Neil shared how he was “proud” of Cherries’ away support. He shared: “I thought the support at Newcastle was incredible for considering how far it is, the weather, the late fixture change, the sort of the issue with transport as well at the moment. “I appreciate their efforts. “We're going to need them. I spoke about it a lot, speak about it when we play here, obviously, because the atmosphere we create here will be massive for us, but it’s the same on the road. “So to see that many people come and support you, I was proud of the supporters, really, to give up their evening when it's a tough one, like a long journey back on a Tuesday night. “And a lot of them will still be working, I would guess so, yes, we appreciate it. “Hopefully they see that the lads are putting in a similar effort on the pitch.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits he was unsure about Cherries’ Christmas training schedule #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 24, 2022

GARY O’Neil refused to confirm whether Cherries’ squad would be training on Christmas Day this year, ahead of their trip to Chelsea next week. There will be no Boxing Day fixture for Cherries for the third year in succession, with O’Neil’s charges travelling to Stamford Bridge on December 27. Looking ahead to the festive period, O’Neil said: “I love Christmas. The family side of it, I obviously have kids so they love it. “But I also enjoyed the fixture schedule as a player, I really enjoyed it. “It always had a nice atmosphere at the games, a lot of fans are having time off work and having a good time with their families. “There’s always a nice atmosphere around the festive fixtures. When I was playing, I used to just train and go home, so it is slightly different now.” Asked if Cherries will train on Christmas Day, O’Neil added: “We haven’t decided officially yet. We will see where we are as a group, how much good work we can get done between now and then. “My only focus is making sure we’re ready for Chelsea. I’ll review it after we’ve done some more work and see how much the boys need.” He added: “It’s funny, because when you were a player, you were like ‘I don’t know why he doesn’t just do this’. “But then when you’re sat there you’re like ‘yeah, I’m definitely not doing that!’. It’s a big difference. “When you’re sat in the head coach’s seat, you just can’t see anything but making sure the group are ready come 5.30pm on the 27th. “Yes it’s Christmas, so will try and show some understanding and not be too much of a killjoy. “But hard to see past we need to be ready at 5.30pm, massive game, another opportunity to put points on the board.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals how AFC Bournemouth’s January recruitment plan will look #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 24, 2022

GARY O’Neil commented how January recruitment will be a shared effort, although the Cherries head coach’s say “will have an impact on what gets done and what doesn’t”. Made permanent boss in November, the winter window represents the first chance for O’Neil to put his stamp on the playing squad at Cherries. Cherries chairman Bill Foley suggested “four or five players” could be arriving at the Vitality Stadium in the upcoming window, with O’Neil less forthcoming with his transfer plans. He shared:“I won't confirm the number that we're targeting or not. "I think we are, as is everybody, probably looking to improve the squad, and as we know, with transfer windows, things can move fast or they can move slowly, and I think numbers could change as we move through the process.” Technical director Richard Hughes and CEO Neill Blake will likely be central figures in the planning of the window, as O’Neil is in frequent contact with the pair. “It will be a team effort, as it has always been, I think, at the club,” he restarted. “We have a real good recruitment team. “Obviously, I speak to Richard and Neil very often and, yeah, we'll have discussions around it and make sure that the best interest of the club and improving the squad. “The work that goes in needs to be in depth and it needs to make sure that we take as much chance and luck and things out of it as we can and make sure we arrive at the right conclusions. “I suppose clubs do it differently, but, I think as a Premier League manager, you don't have time to fly off around the world, watching players live, so your knowledge of who's out there and who's available can only be so deep. “You rely on the group, the team, everyone coming together to make sure it's a joint effort. “Then, of course, my say at the end of it will have an impact on what gets done and what doesn't.” With the window opening in nine days, clubs may look to put their ducks in a row to get a head start in recruitment, with O’Neil again coy. He added: “There's, of course, been discussions around the window approaching, so there's been discussions, but, yeah, nothing concrete to arrive on yet. “The club continue to work and make sure we put ourselves in the best place to get the work done that we need to get done within the month of January. “I think every club, if they're going to do business, would rather get it concluded early. “But, there are selling clubs involved as well. So, yes, it's not always easy.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits changes were made after virus hit group during 10 day training #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 20, 2022

BOSS Gary O’Neil will make late calls on the involvement of some of his first-team players for the Carabao Cup clash at Newcastle tomorrow, revealing a virus had spread through the squad. Cherries return to competitive action after a five-week break for the World Cup, making the trek north to face Eddie Howe’s Magpies. And exactly how the side will look is yet to be fully determined. Looking ahead to the return to action, O’Neil said: “I think we have a good chance of winning the game. We’ve done some real good work. “We’ve had a tricky last 10 days, a real bad virus that went through the group. “So we’ll have to make some last-minute calls on quite a few. “Some of the boys have missed real, long spells with it – up to 10 days some of them have missed training, so it was a nasty one. “I think we had eight to 10 missing at one point last week. And that has run over a little bit into this week. “But we have enough available and I’m hopeful when we get there tomorrow things will look a little bit better and we can name a real, strong team.” Away from the first team, Cherries’ development squad face Queens Park Rangers in the Premier League Cup this evening. But their squad looks set to be depleted with some players instead travelling with the first team to Newcastle. “The under-21s play in the Premier League Cup tonight, a big fixture for them,” said O’Neil. “Hopefully we don’t have to take too many of their players off them because of the virus!”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil believes David Brooks will be huge for Bournemouth #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 7, 2022

BOSS Gary O’Neil believes the return of David Brooks will be “huge” for Cherries, but insisted: “We haven’t put a timeframe on it.” Brooks has not featured competitively for Cherries since a 0-0 draw at Peterborough United in the Championship in September 2021. Shortly afterwards, the Wales international was diagnosed with stage two Hodgkin lymphoma and underwent a lengthy course of treatment. Brooks then announced in May of this year that he had been given the all clear and was cancer free. The 25-year-old then returned to the training pitches during pre-season following the club’s promotion to the Premier League and looked to be edging closer to first-team action, starting in a friendly for the development squad at Brentford in August. However, he did not last long, forced to withdraw due to a hamstring complaint, something he is still recovering from. Brooks has travelled with the rest of the Cherries squad to Dubai for a mid-season warm weather training camp, with the first team due back in action on December 21, following the World Cup break. He is working on an individual programme away from the main group, alongside fellow injured due Lloyd Kelly and Neto. Brooks was also pictured supporting Wales during one of their World Cup matches in Qatar last month. Asked if he can see Brooks being back available to be in the Cherries team after the World Cup break, O’Neil said: “David Brooks is coming along really well. “We haven’t put a timeframe on it, because we have a break in the middle (of the season) that allows people time to assess. “It’s a unique situation this season obviously, with a mini break and a mini pre-season type situation in the middle of it. “So that will give everybody with longer-term injuries or niggles a chance to really recover and make sure they’re in prime condition when we come back. “The thought of David Brooks is just, let’s see where we are after the break, see how he does, see how he comes along and take it step by step.” O’Neil added: “I’d love David Brooks in the team. I think he’ll be huge for us. “But we obviously need to remember that he’s been off the pitch for a very long time. “David Brooks’s health and wellbeing is of the utmost importance.” Since joining Cherries from Sheffield United in the summer of 2018, Brooks has made 90 appearances, scoring 17 goals.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil gives his views on leaders in AFC Bournemouth squad #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 5, 2022

THE RETURN of Lloyd Kelly will be a boost to Cherries in more ways than one – not only will Gary O’Neil have his first-choice centre-back available, but also his captain. Kelly has been pictured back training on the grass during Cherries’ trip to the UAE, with O’Neil’s latest direct updates regarding his return from an ankle injury indicating a likely return to availability after the break for the World Cup. Named captain by previous boss Scott Parker last term, the 24-year-old led Cherries to second-place and promotion from the Championship, making the most appearances in a single season in his career to date. Club stalwart Adam Smith has worn the captain’s armband in the absence of Kelly, whilst fellow experienced head Junior Stanislas led the side during the Carabao Cup victory over Everton in November. With Premier League experience at a premium amongst O’Neil’s charges, it is no surprise that Cherries’ two longest-serving players have worn the armband whilst Kelly has been side-lined with injury. Whilst all Premier League teams have defined club captains, certain clubs in the top-flight operate with “leadership groups”. One heavily publicised example is at the Emirates Stadium, where Mikel Arteta has reported named summer signing Gabriel Jesus and ex-Gunners skipper Granit Xhaka as members of a “leadership group” alongside captain Martin Odegaard at Arsenal. Asked if there was a similar approach to leadership at Cherries, O’Neil revealed how players naturally cropped up as leaders. He told the Daily Echo in November: “There’s nothing defined. “I think you can see in the group that there are certain individuals that lead situations. “I mean, there's so many different ways to lead. “I think I was never really a shout out, but I tried to lead by example, in the way that I went about my work and training and things. “We have those and then we have more vocal ones. “So the most important thing is it's a real good, honest group that are all pushing in the same direction. Asked if he had become more of a “shout out” manager, O’Neil joked: “After the game at Leeds, I did!” Stand-in skipper Smith concurred with his boss when asked for his thoughts on wearing the captain’s armband, stressing how “it doesn't really make any difference”. “Even when Lloydy was playing as captain, I'm still the same,” he shared. “I’m just trying to help the younger lads, so it doesn't really change much.” Cherries return to action at the end of December, when they visit Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United in the fourth round of the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, December 21.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil pleased with Dubai trip but admits ‘there’s still lots to do’ #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan December 5, 2022

CHERRIES boss Gary O’Neil is “pleased with where” his charges are following the start of their mid-season training camp, but also stressed: “there’s still lots to do”. O’Neil’s first task since being named permanent boss at the Vitality Stadium has been to ready his squad for the return to competitive fixtures at the end of the month, with Cherries currently undergoing a warm-weather training camp in Dubai. With O’Neil previously operating on a week-by-week basis as interim boss, the former Portsmouth midfielder has been able to properly put his stamp on Cherries for the first time. Reflecting on the camp so far, O’Neil told afcbtv: “It’s been good, some real good work. “Been a hard few days for them, especially training in the heat. Nice to get away as well, spend some time together between sessions. “There’s some stuff we can do to build our relationship as a group, meetings and stuff. It’s been a real good work.”The break in Premier League fixtures represents an opportunity for those on Cherries’ side-lines due to injury, with captain Lloyd Kelly, first-choice goalkeeper Neto, and starlet David Brooks all back on the grass and stepping up their return to fitness. O’Neil added: “Great to see how well they’re progressing. “Brooksy (David Brooks), Nets (Neto) and Lloydy (Lloyd Kelly) doing some real good work. It’s been a positive experience so far for everyone. A few days to go, but it’s been really good.” As well as focusing on fitness and tactics, O’Neil believes the break has helped members of his team bond. “It’s important,” he restarted. “Even from a staffing point of view, you get to spend every minute of the day together, and conversations come up. The lads get to know some of the boys that they don’t hang around with so much back home. “It’s really good for togetherness. The facilities have been excellent as well. It’s been an enjoyable trip. “More hard work, the sessions have been really tough to be fair. I’m really pleased with where the boys are. “A few weeks still until we’ve got a competitive game, so there’s still lots to do, but the boys are looking in a really good place. “Nice to be able to put down some real work now that it’s not just a week-to-week basis. “We’re working towards something. Looking forward to the Premier League starting back up.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Goalkeeper Mark Travers reveals Gary O’Neil ‘took everything in his stride with management’ #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 30, 2022

GOALKEEPER Mark Travers has shared how Gary O’Neil has taken “everything in his stride with management”. Cherries’ hunt for a permanent manager following Scott Parker’s sacking in August ended on Sunday, when the decision to install caretaker boss O’Neil on a permanent basis was made. In 12 games in charge of Cherries, O’Neil has steered the club to 13 points from 11 Premier League games, as well as securing safe passage through to the fourth round of the Carabao Cup with victory over Everton. Clearly popular with the squad at Cherries, O’Neil’s first steps into management were to pick up a side still reeling from a 9-0 loss away at Anfield. During O’Neil’s brief reign so far there have been mixed results, Cherries starting with a six-game unbeaten streak before falling to four straight losses, including two games where the Dorset club threw away two-goal leads to lose 3-2 and 4-3 to Tottenham and Leeds respectively. However, Cherries again rallied, ending the first half of the season with a pair of victories over Everton. Recently reinstalled to the starting XI after O’Neil’s first choice ‘keeper, Neto, was sidelined with a hamstring injury, Travers believes his side were unlucky not to have more points after 15 games played. Following their last game, a 3-0 victory over Everton, the Irishman told the Daily Echo: “He’s been brilliant, really, since he’s come in. “I think it’s been 12 games now. He’s done really well. We’ve played some unbelievable football. “We’ve been unlucky not to get more points, the last 60 minutes against Leeds and Tottenham. “I thought we were excellent and played really good football, it was just us at the back trying to tidy things up and I thought we did that (against Everton). “He’s been really good with all the lads and really took everything in his stride with management. I thought he got us playing really good football and some really good results as well. “I think to bounce back after the start of the season and the results we had was great credit to the lads. “We know it’s going to be a tough league and we know how tight it is. One win can push you up a few places or a couple of defeats and you’re back down there again. “So we’ve got to remain level-headed and we know there’s a long way to go in this season. Cherries fly out to Dubai tomorrow for a warm weather training camp, where they will also face Belgian top-flight outfit Royal Antwerp in a friendly on Sunday, December 4.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals to ‘ask more of’ to Cherries squad after permanent appointment #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 30, 2022

GARY O’Neil will be demanding more from his charges after being appointed on a permanent basis, stressing: “I’m going to ask more of them still”. Cherries announced that O’Neil had been promoted from his position of interim head coach on Sunday, with the board impressed with the rookie’s return of 13 points from 11 Premier League games. In his first interview since being confirmed as permanent boss, O’Neil shared with afcbtv: “They’re a great group. I think they gave a lot, of course. I’m going to ask more of them still. I think there is still more in there, I think we can do more. “I think everyone can do more. It is a tough league, the best league in the world, so every game is going to be very, very difficult. “I’m just really excited to see where we can take the group, see how far we can push them, see what levels we can get to. Ultimately to make sure we survive this season.” Detailing his plans for the break, O’Neil continued: “The interim spell, there was a next game coming very quickly all the time. “Now it’s (time) to lay down some real foundations for how things need to look, what’s expected, how we play. “To try and just improve the boys’ understanding, so they’re better at managing each situation that they find themselves up against, without need of things from the side all the time. “Just to improve how well they understand what they do will be massive for us. “The fitness as well – the boys have had a little break, we’ve had a few boys that have been out injured, so be good to get them all back and make sure we’re all firing come the cup game against Newcastle.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil always felt he was on a ‘journey’ to management after full time appointment #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 29, 2022

GARY O’Neil insisted he always saw himself taking on a managerial role at a club – before being announced as Cherries’ permanent boss. The 39-year-old on Sunday was confirmed as the Dorset club’s head coach on a full-time basis, signing an 18-month deal with the provision to be extended for a further 12 months. O’Neil stepped up from being a first-team coach at Vitality Stadium to lead Cherries, after the sacking of Scott Parker just four league games into the season. But the former Portsmouth and West Ham midfielder insisted he was always on a journey to management. Speaking after Cherries’ 3-0 victory over Everton, before the World Cup break, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I always saw myself as a manager when I set off and when I went to Liverpool to do the under-23s as assistant. That was just part of the journey to become a manager. “I always felt like a manager, waiting to be a manager. “I enjoy it. I enjoy the intricacies of it, trying to make sure the lads are ready tactically, mentally, physically.” O’Neil has picked up 13 points from 11 Premier League games while in interim charge of Cherries. A number of the club’s players voiced their backing of the 39-year-old to be awarded the role on a full-time basis. “If I speak about the lads, I couldn’t think any more of them. They are an incredible group,” said O’Neil. “We have suffered some tough moments together. I have asked a lot of them with the ball, without the ball, physically. “I speak highly of them all the time but they are an incredible group and I’m lucky to work with them.” Cherries’ next test comes at Newcastle United in the Carabao Cup on Wednesday, December 21.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Cherries chief executive Neill Blake explains why AFC Bournemouth chose Gary O’Neil to be permanent boss #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 28, 2022

CHERRIES chief executive Neill Blake has explained why the club opted to make Gary O'Neil their new head coach, insisting: "We have been impressed with the way he has conducted himself." O'Neil, 39, was thrust into his first head coach role on an interim basis when Scott Parker was sacked in August. He galvanised a side which had just lost convincingly three league games on the trot, embarking on a six-match unbeaten streak. A string of four defeats on the bounce followed, before back-to-back big wins over Everton at Vitality Stadium, prior to the international break. Experienced boss Marcelo Bielsa was heavily linked with the job in recent weeks, but Cherries have opted to keep O'Neil in his post, tying him down to a deal until at least the summer of 2024. "Gary did an excellent job on an interim basis and the board are delighted to make his position as head coach permanent," Blake told Cherries' website. "We have been impressed with the way he has conducted himself from the moment he joined the club and feel he has earned this opportunity to continue to take the team and the club forward. "Gary has worked tirelessly and diligently on the training pitch and the players have responded by producing some excellent performances and results. "It was evident from the reception he received from our supporters following the Premier League win against Everton that they have also appreciated his efforts and we are all looking forward to continuing our working relationship with him."

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals everyone has helped him and he loves Bournemouth #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 17, 2022

GARY O’Neil says he has had “huge support from everybody” since taking over as interim head coach from his assistants to the canteen staff, adding: “I love Bournemouth.” O’Neil has been in charge of the team since late August, following Scott Parker’s departure. He has led Cherries in 12 matches, racking up four wins and four draws in that time, taking the club into the last 16 of the Carabao Cup and up to 14th in the Premier League table. When Parker left, three members of his staff also followed in Matt Wells, Rob Burch and Jonathan Hill. No coaches have been hired by the club since, with former Cherries defenders Tommy Elphick and Shaun Cooper stepping up from their roles with the club’s development squad to act as O’Neil’s assistants. “They’ve been brilliant,” O’Neil told the Daily Echo, when asked about Cooper and Elphick. “Obviously a big step up for them from working with the under-21s. They’ve thrown themselves straight in, given me loads of support. “There’s an awful lot to do and they’ve supported me with all of it. I ask a lot of them sometimes on the touchline, when you’re under pressure sometimes it gets a little bit like ‘I need stuff now lads, let’s go’. “But they’ve always responded, they’ve been brilliant. “They all have, to be fair. Gaz Stewart, Fletch (Steve Fletcher), all the backroom staff. “The people in the canteen, because I don’t have as much time to make my own cup of tea anymore! “So people have been making me tea and things to try and save me every minute they can. I’ve had huge support from everybody.” Asked if they have mastered how he has his tea now, O’Neil said: “I’m not that fussy!” While Cherries’ current coaching set-up may lack in experience on the managerial side, they have bags of it from their playing days on the south coast. Striker Fletcher played more than 700 times for the club, goalkeeper Stewart close to 200, Elphick captained them to a first promotion to the Premier League and Cooper helped keep the club in the Football League against the odds. Asked how much having that club nous around has helped him, former Portsmouth and Middlesbrough midfielder O’Neil said: “Definitely. I get a real feel from them of what’s needed, what it’s going to feel like this week, where the boys are, what it’s been like before. “So they’ve been really helpful in more ways than one. I can’t speak highly enough of them.” O’Neil’s future remains unclear as Cherries look to make a decision on who to appoint as the club’s permanent boss. Asked if he will always feel an affection for the club no matter what happens, O’Neil said: “I love Bournemouth. It’s a fantastic club, got great support, a real nice feel about it. “So I’ll definitely have some friends from Bournemouth and my time here. They’re a great club.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil’s message to AFC Bournemouth fans as Premier League pauses for World Cup #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 14, 2022

GARY O'Neil thanked Cherries fans for the support they showed him towards the end of Saturday's thumping 3-0 win over Everton, adding: "They're massive to us here." O'Neil's future is up in the air, with the club expected to make a decision on whether to offer the interim head coach the role on a more permanent basis, or look elsewhere during the upcoming six-week break for the World Cup. Cherries are not due in action again until the week commencing December 19. Former Portsmouth midfielder O'Neil, previously a coach under ex-boss Scott Parker, has taken charge of 12 games as interim boss. He has overseen four wins, four draws and four defeats from his time in charge, with Cherries now sitting 13th in the Premier League table, three points clear of the relegation zone. Towards the end of the contest with the Toffees, fans around Vitality Stadium were singing O'Neil's name, and the 39-year-old reciprocated at full-time, making his way around the ground to applaud supporters. "I wanted to show my appreciation," O'Neil told the Daily Echo. "I’ve said it since day one – they’re massive to us here, they are. Because we will be underdogs in most of the games. "And when an interim head coach is put in charge, it’s important that the fans stick with it. "They’ve been through some tough moments with us. Obviously in the last few weeks some tough results, tough situations. "They’ve just stuck with us the whole time. "I just wanted to thank them really for being incredible for the boys and helping the boys get through some sticky moments and hopefully they enjoyed (Saturday)."

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits Cherries showed ‘heart and determination’ against Everton in crucial win #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 13, 2022

INTERIM head Gary O’Neil hailed his players for their “heart and determination” as they cruised past Everton 3-0 in their final game before the World Cup break. Cherries completed a brilliant week at Vitality Stadium with their second heavy win over the Toffees, having also progressed past them 4-1 in the Carabao Cup on Tuesday. O’Neil’s men move up to 13th in the Premier League table with this victory, which takes the interim boss’s tally to 13 points from his 11 top-flight matches in charge. Cherries came into the clash with Everton the back of four league defeats on the spin, including throwing away two-goal leads to lose to Tottenham and Leeds. Asked if this was Cherries’ best performance in O’Neil’s tenure, he replied: “We managed to maintain it for the 95 minutes, or whatever was required. “It looked similar to Spurs and Leeds, but they only lasted 60 minutes. “So, pleased that we did a lot of work this week on how you see out a game of football when you’re in front, what it takes. “I saw huge improvements, as we did on Tuesday, with obviously a different team, but it’s good to take the lead twice in the last two games and see them out so comfortably, it’s nice when you’ve worked so hard on something and it’s rewarded.” Asked if that performance from Cherries was a goodbye present from the players: “I won’t be commenting on the goodbye stuff, but I think they’ve given me that in every game to be honest. “I don’t think today was any different. We were very, very good with the ball, good without the ball, well organised. The lads showed heart and determination. We spoke before the game about getting to 16 points by the break and it being massive for everybody involved. “The lads deserve 16 points at least for what they’ve put in in my spell, I think they’ve been incredible.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on World Cup break #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 12, 2022

INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil would rather the “season just continued as normal” as the Premier League prepares to pause following this weekend’s fixtures for the World Cup. Footballing tradition has been broken with the biggest stage being hosted in winter for the first time, with all 21 previous iterations of the tournament being staged during the summer months. Whilst more serious concerns have been raised regarding host nation Qatar’s record over human rights and treatment of migrant workers, the rearranged schedule has also been a bone of contention for clubs around the world, with the World Cup final taking place two days before Cherries return to action in the League Cup. For Cherries, the break might offer the perfect chance to hire a permanent manger, with O’Neil still operating on the caretaker basis he took on at the end of August, following Scott Parker’s dismissal. Asked for his thoughts on the break, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I'd rather the season just continued as normal. “But yeah, I mean, there are benefits and negatives to the break. “You will be able to do some good work with the group once you manage to get them back. “We'll be able to get some people back from injury. You will be able to put a real good plan together for the back half of the season.” Before the league schedule is interrupted, Cherries face Everton for the second time in five days, after the Dorset outfit knocked their Merseyside opponents in the League Cup on Tuesday. Victory in the cup marked Cherries’ first win since a 2-1 defeat of Leicester at the start of October, with O’Neil keen to add more points to the league table. “I think the last game before you have a break, you always want it to end on a positive,” he restarted. “So for the boys, before they go away and have a break, for myself, and most importantly for the position it puts the club in, three more points would be huge for us.” Only one point and one place separates 16th placed Everton from Cherries in the final safe spot of 17th. Asked if he viewed the game as a so-called six-pointer, O’Neil detailed: “No, I don't think so. “I can see six pointers sometimes towards the end of seasons. “I don't see them this early, really. I think there's so much that can still go on. “Obviously a winter break, a transfer window so there's so much that can change between now and the end of the season. “It's just a game that we're desperate to go and get more points from.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s interim manager. Gary O’Neil speaks on Jack Stephens #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 11, 2022

INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil is backing Jack Stephens to be raring to go if he is included in Saturday’s clash with Everton – stating: “Jack's definitely ready.” Defender Stephens, a deadline day signing from neighbours Southampton on a season-long loan, made his first start for Cherries in the week, playing the full 90 minutes as the Dorset outfit comfortably cruised past Everton 4-1 to secure safe passage to the fourth round of the League Cup. The Plymouth Argyle academy graduate has made two Premier League appearances for Cherries so far, coming off the bench late on against Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur. Alongside his first-team involvement, Stephens has also gained match fitness by playing with Cherries’ development squad. With Chris Mepham suspended after five yellow cards in the Premier League and captain Lloyd Kelly unlikely to return from an ankle injury in time for the weekend, it appears 28-year-old Stephens could be in line for his first Premier League start in red and black. Asked if he would turn to Stephens in the absence of Mepham and Kelly, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “Jack's definitely ready. “There's a few others that are ready to come in as well. “So, yeah, obviously going into a Premier League game with no Lloyd Kelly and no Chris Mepham is not something that you want to have to do as AFC Bournemouth. “But we have good replacements. We have options that can come in and help us in that position.” O’Neil would not be drawn on confirming that Stephens would partner Marcos Senesi at the heart of defence, claiming he was yet to decide on a XI for the rematch with Everton. Youngster James Hill is available, whilst Adam Smith has deputised numerous times as a centre-half in a back-three system. With numerous players drafted in from the cold during Tuesday’s League Cup victory, O’Neil could potentially have a selection headache on his hands. Asked if he had been given food for thought by the performances of fringe players, O’Neil responded: “I haven't landed on my starting eleven just yet. “And if I had, I definitely wouldn't be telling you guys at this stage! “But it’s a tough team to pick. We've got so many good players. “I have a good idea of the best way to go this weekend. I'm sure we'll be ready to go come 3pm Saturday. “We'll make it a tough afternoon for Everton, hopefully.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil shares pride over job done at AFC Bournemouth #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 11, 2022

GARY O’Neil shared how he felt he had “done a good job” in his caretaker spell at Cherries, detailing how he was “proud of the job I’ve done so far.” Previously first-team coach under Jonathan Woodgate and his successor Scott Parker, O’Neil stepped up as interim head coach to lift a Cherries side off the canvas following a spell of three heavy defeats that ended with a 9-0 tonking at the hands of Liverpool. In his 10 Premier League games in charge since, Cherries have picked up 10 points, initially going on an streak of six games unbeaten, before falling to four consecutive defeats. O’Neil’s future is yet to be confirmed heading into the final Premier League game against Everton prior to the break for the World Cup. Asked for his take on his stint in the dugout at the Vitality Stadium, O’Neil shared: “I think I've done a good job. “I think if you look back to the 9-0 at Liverpool and where we were then, we've gone three games without scoring. “In the first game against Aston Villa, we've scored two set play goals, no goals from open plays in four football matches. “In the last three games against Premier League teams, we've scored nine, all from open play. “We have individuals in a great place. Marcus Tavernier's been excellent. Chris Mepham stepped up. “Marcos Senesi obviously didn't have long to adapt after losing Lloyd Kelly was huge for us, massive.”O’Neil then went on to detail exactly how much the loss of captain Lloyd Kelly impacted his side, linking the importance of the defender to Virgil Van Dijk’s impact at Liverpool. “A comparison would be - remember how dominant Liverpool were in that season (2020-21)? And then they lost Virgil Van Dijk. I know comparing Lloyd to Van Dijk I don't mean it like that (in terms of quality). “I mean that's how big he is to us. To lose Lloyd Kelly, to us is huge. “And we've still managed to put 10 points on the board from 10 Premier League games, which, if you do that from every 10, is enough to keep you in the league.” Clearly bitten by the management bug after a brief taster, O’Neil continued: “There's been so much good work that's gone on. “I've loved it. I think I've proved that I can manage at a good level. “I think we've been up against Antonio Conte Spurs. “Obviously some other top managers have been here. Just confirmed to me that this is what I want to do and I'm proud of the job I've done so far.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s interim manager Gary O’Neil aiming to ‘end this little spell on a high’ #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 11, 2022

CHERRIES are aiming to finish “this little spell on a high” according to Gary O’Neil, with the interim head coach targeting three points prior to the pausing of the Premier League for the World Cup. Everton visit the Vitality Stadium for the second time in a week on Saturday, with Cherries already recording one victory over the Toffees in the League Cup on Tuesday, a 4-1 victory booking their place in the fourth round. The two teams do battle again on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), with league points on offer. Victory for Cherries would lift them above their guests, with only one point and one place separating the two sides in the Premier League table. When asked how playing the same opponents back-to-back impacted preparations, O’Neil responded: “It just means there's more work to do, that's all. “There's just two games to prep for instead of one. “There's quite a lot of tactical info on Tuesday that the boys had to take on because you're never sure how Everton are going to come for that cup game, tactically. “So I think we managed to go through about five different systems in the game and the boys nailed all of them. “I think Saturday, as I say, will be very, very different. “But in terms of the week, I mean, it's easier preparing for Everton twice than it is preparing for another team.” Former transfer target Demarai Gray demonstrated his quality during the League Cup tie, his curling effort from outside the box Everton’s only goal of the 4-1 defeat. Asked if there were specific players Cherries would have to watch out for, O’Neil responded: “Yeah, they’ve got good players. “I think lots of them have caught my eye. “Obviously Demarai Gray's a good player. They've got loads of them. “(Alex) Iwobi has been excellent for them this year. “(Connor) Coady and (James) Tarkowski, two centre-backs, real solid, good with the ball. Jordan Pickford in goal, they're a strong side. “So our boys will be ready with forward to it. We want to end this little spell on a high.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil praises rotated side for League Cup win #AFCB

By Premier League Museum Admin November 9, 2022

GARY O’Neil believes Cherries’ rotated squad proved his point about how all his players are “equally as important to me”. The interim boss made nine changes for Cherries’ 4-1 win over Everton in the League Cup, with all four goalscorers drafted in from the cold to make an impact. Jamal Lowe made his first start of the season, opening the scoring in the first-half, whilst fellow fringe players Junior Stanislas, Emi Marcondes and Jaidon Anthony all struck in the second-half. O’Neil has been constant in his messaging surrounding players seemingly outside the first-team picture, stressing how he could rely on every member of his squad when called upon. He told the Daily Echo: “I always say the same about them, they’re all very, very important to me. “I’ve said that from day one. I know people may believe me, may not. “They’re all equally as important to me. “That shows this evening. I knew they could perform.” With sweeping changes made and starts handed to players with little game time, there could potentially be the risk of a lack of cohesion. However, Cherries were in control for large swathes of the game. “So when I spoke to them before the game, it was like, I expect to be exactly as it always is,” explained the former Portsmouth midfielder. “Because we’ve made changes, it makes no difference. It needs to look like us. “It needs to be high intensity, we need to be good with the ball. “There was so many of them that came out with so much credit.” Cherries are in action against the same opponents this weekend, when they again host Everton at the Vitality Stadium (kick-off 3pm). This time three points are the prize for a victory, with the two sides one point and one place apart in the Premier League.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil proud of ‘deserved’ win by Cherries in League cup #AFCB

By Premier League Museum Admin November 9, 2022

GARY O’Neil says his much-changed Cherries side produced a “performance they could be proud of” as they swept aside Everton 4-1 to progress into the fourth round of the Carabao Cup. Goals from Jamal Lowe, Junior Stanislas, Emiliano Marcondes and Jaidon Anthony secured safe passage through in the cup, cancelling out Demarai Gray’s fine effort for the visitors. It ensured Cherries ended their recent four-game losing run, which has including collapses from two goals up to suffer defeats against Tottenham Hotspur and Leeds United. Asked how much of a boost it was to get the victory on the back of a poor run of results, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I wasn’t thinking about the other games. “I was purely focused on this one and the boys deserved the victory. “They put in a really good performance. So I’m really pleased for them. “Obviously some of them have come from not having played very much from longer-term injuries. It was great to get some minutes into them and great for them to put in a performance they could be proud of.” Discussing the way the side responded to the 4-3 loss at Elland Road, O’Neil added: “That was a gut-puncher for Saturday evening and then we switched to this. “Winning tonight was always going to be big, whether we’d won on Saturday or not. “I think the nature of it, if I look back over the last few games, the way the boys have carried out the gameplan, the detail of the gameplan. To go a goal down at Elland Road and to show the quality and the belief in the gameplan to carry it out perfectly and get 3-1 up is a big achievement. “I think to be 2-0 up against Antonio Conte’s Spurs is a big achievement. “And we spoke the last few days about making sure we managed the end of the game better. And the boys got a great test this evening. To be 2-0 up and it to go to 2-1 was a real test for them. “I was interested on the sideline! “Very calm, but just interested to say okay, we spoke about this for a couple of days, we know it’s something we need to improve, what a great test. They saw it out really well.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits ‘Incredible’ performance ‘goes down the drain’ after defeat against Leeds #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 7, 2022

GARY O’Neil insisted Cherries produced an “incredible” performance against Leeds United, but says defensive lapses meant “the hard work goes down the drain”. Cherries had produced a superb display for the opening hour at Elland Road, leading 3-1 through brilliant goals from Marcus Tavernier, Philip Billing and Dominic Solanke. It could have been even better for Cherries, who saw a Jefferson Lerma header cleared off the line, before Kieffer Moore scuffed a golden chance when unmarked in the box. But Jesse Marsch’s Whites stormed back, netting three times in the final half an hour to win 4-3 and leave Cherries on the end of a fourth consecutive defeat. They now sit 17th in the Premier League table, just one point outside the relegation zone. Discussing his side’s performance, interim head coach O’Neil said: “It’s really hard because I don’t want to sound like I’m just sat here giving you the positives, but they (his players) were incredible for such a long spell. “They didn’t cause us any problems. We should be 4-1 up at half-time, two huge moments, and just don’t defend basic situations well enough. “Then the rest of the hard work goes down the drain, unfortunately. “I’m absolutely devastated for the lads, because they put in so much. “It’s just so disappointing for them that they allow those situations to occur and they come away from Elland Road with nothing, when that is definitely not what they deserved. “But on the flip side of that, I use the word deserved, if you defend those situations the way we did in a Premier League game, you’re going to get punished. And we have, two weeks on the trot. “We have to improve those.” Cherries return to action on Tuesday night, hosting Everton in the Carabao Cup. They then face the same opponents at Vitality Stadium on Saturday in the Premier League, before a six-week break for the World Cup.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil claims Bournemouth deserved to beat Leeds United #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 7, 2022

Bournemouth manager Gary O'Neil believes his side 'were the best team by far'…

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits big jump up for goalkeeper Cameron Plain #AFCB

By Premier League Museum Admin November 5, 2022

GARY O’Neil insists he has “no concerns” over Cherries’ current goalkeeping situation, but admitted Cameron Plain taking his spot in the squad for Premier League matches is “a big jump up from where he’s been”. Following an injury to one-time Brazil international Neto at West Ham last month, young Irishman Mark Travers was recalled to the starting XI. But, with third choice Will Dennis being left out of Cherries’ 25-man Premier League squad, teenager Plain is suddenly next in line, having been named on the bench for last week’s clash with Tottenham Hotspur. Neto is set to be missing until after the World Cup break due to his hamstring problem, meaning Plain will again take a place on the bench when Cherries head to Leeds United this weekend. Plain, who does not need to be registered in the top flight as he is under the age of 21, joined Cherries from Winchester City under-16s. His highest level of competitive experience came during a loan spell with Wimborne Town in the Southern League Premier, having previously spent time cutting his teeth at Ringwood Town and Bashley. Asked how Plain has reacted to his extra responsibility in the past couple of weeks, now being next in line should anything happen to Travers, interim head coach O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “He’s training really well. He’s on the bench in Premier League fixtures now, so it is a big jump up from where he’s been. “He’s trained really well, he’s a good lad, always works his socks off, so a good experience for him to be in and around it.” O’Neil also insisted he is not overly concerned with having such an inexperienced goalkeeper on the bench for the next few matches. “We’ll deal with situations like that as and when they come around,” he said, when quizzed on how he would feel about having to throw Plain into a Premier League contest. “I think all we can do is work hard with Cam to make sure that he’s in the best place possible. “He always gives everything. He has a real good goalie in Travs ahead of him at the moment, so no concerns.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil surprised by Leeds United’s Premier League position #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 4, 2022

GARY O’Neil revealed he was “surprised” by upcoming opponents Leeds United’s league position, believing Cherries’ trip to Yorkshire will be a “tough test”. The Whites ended a run of eight Premier League games with a last-gasp win at Liverpool last time out, youngster Crysencio Summerville popping up in the 89th minute to snatch all three points in a 2-1 win. Leeds have not won at home in the league since defeating Chelsea at Elland Road near the end of August, with the Whites perceived to excel against the Premier League’s ‘top six’ whilst struggling with those lower down the table. Victory for Leeds at Anfield took them outside of the relegation zone, with Jesse Marsch’s charges one position and one point behind Cherries. Leeds sit in 15th, although they do have a game in hand on Cherries in 14th. Previewing the contest, O’Neil shared: “I’ve looked - I'm really surprised they are where they are in the league. “They come up really well on all the sort of numbers and stats, of chances created and that big energy press, (they press) really aggressively. “Probably the highest pressing team in the league, so they have a real clear identity and a massive result at Anfield for them in the last game. “So it'll be a big test going to Elland Road. “It's always a tough place to go, especially the way they play at the moment. So front foot and so aggressive. It'll be a good test for us.” Legendary Argentinian Marcelo Bielsa first installed an identity of fast-paced and intense pressing, a trend that has continued under his successor Marsch. O’Neil then went on to share his belief that Leeds were unlucky not to win prior to victory against Liverpool. He restarted: “What I've seen of Leeds, they press really high. “They want to win the ball back high up the pitch. They've real pace in their team, especially on transition, so when they do win the ball back, they're a big threat. “And, I mean, those games, they were unlucky not to win, in my opinion. They performed well in all of those.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil insists Cherries ‘work hard’ to improve set-piece record #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan November 3, 2022

GARY O’Neil insists Cherries “work hard” at defending set-pieces, but admitted: “We’re not a huge team.” In O’Neil’s nine matches in charge as interim head coach, Cherries have conceded 12 goals. Nine of those have come directly from set-pieces – four from the penalty spot and five via corners. The other three saw Patson Daka and Che Adams net for Leicester and Southampton respectively, after Cherries failed to clear a cross into the box, with the only other open-play goal courtesy of Tottenham Hotspur’s Ryan Sessegnon on Saturday. Discussing Cherries’ struggles from set-pieces, after conceding from two corners late on to lose 3-2 to Spurs, O’Neil said: “We work hard at it. We’re not a huge team. “I think, if you look at the match-ups in the penalty area there, Spurs were bigger than us. “So defending set-plays is obviously tricky. Plus the quality of the delivery Spurs put in. “But if we nail our detail and how we go about things, then we would’ve survived both. “And there was a lot of set-plays (on Saturday). Spurs were putting a lot of pressure on. “So, disappointed, but in open play, they didn’t create very much. “I think we created more in open play than they did, so some positives. We need to be ready to go again now.” With Neto injured, Mark Travers was called back into the side for his first appearance since August’s 9-0 loss at Liverpool. His part on Tottenham’s second goal was questioned, as he got caught in no man’s land before Davies got above Jordan Zemura to head home. But O’Neil refused to point the finger at the Republic of Ireland international. Asked if Cherries had missed Neto’s commanding presence in the box from set-pieces, O’Neil said: “No, I think there were a couple of things wrong with the set-play goals. “I would never single anyone out for any sort of criticism. “They gave me everything. Travs made some big saves. “He looked competent in the goal there, so no issue with Trav whatsoever.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil outlines how Kieffer Moore was used in Tottenham game by Cherries #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan October 31, 2022

INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil revealed how Cherries put in the work on how best to utilise Kieffer Moore’s strengths against Tottenham. The Wales international put in a stellar performance against the Lilywhites at Vitality Stadium on Saturday. Moore found the net twice before goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur sealed a dramatic 3-2 comeback win for the visitors. It was the 30-year-old’s first start for the club since Cherries’ 0-0 draw against Brentford earlier in October. Despite the away side eventually coming away with three points from the south coast, O’Neil hailed the performance of former Dorchester Town man Moore – as well as those playing to his strengths. He told the Daily Echo: “Sometimes when you put him on as sub you are relying on the lads to understand the difference in the game plan from that point. “Whereas we knew we were going to play him for a few days, so we managed to do some work on how best to utilise him. “We thought he would cause Spurs problems in their box. We thought he would help his defence in key situations. “I thought he was excellent and the lads used him really well with our forward play.” Moore has scored seven times in 17 appearances for Cherries since arriving on transfer deadline day from Cardiff City last January. He was sidelined with a broken foot for the majority of the second half of last season, before firing the winning goal to send Cherries to the top flight against Nottingham Forest back in May. “He’s something we can use. He does have a real strength. You can drop a ball into him, you can arrive in good areas like we did and cross the ball,” said O’Neil. “There are a lot of strengths that he brings. “As I’ve said before, we need to find a way to utilise the whole squad and get the best out of everybody at the times we feel are right.” Moore will hope to feature once again when Cherries make the trip to face Leeds United in the Premier League on Saturday (3pm).

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil explains how game got away from Cherries against Spurs in a 2-3 loss #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan October 30, 2022

GARY O'Neil says the way Tottenham battled back to get the better of Cherries was "just the way a game of football goes", insisting: "Momentum against a top side like that is really difficult to stop." Cherries impressed, leading 2-0 against their Champions League opponents early in the second half through a brilliant Kieffer Moore brace. But Spurs rallied, getting one back through Ryan Sessegnon, before pushing hard for an equaliser, which came via the head of Ben Davies. And the visitors were not done there, completing a 3-2 victory thanks to a stoppage-time Rodrigo Bentancur strike. Reflecting on the last-gasp defeat, O'Neil told the Daily Echo: "There’s a big gulf between the two sides. That is known by everybody. "Did it look like that for large parts of today? No. I thought for a large part of today we managed to close that gap and we managed to be very competitive against a top side. "When they bring Lucas Moura, (Ivan) Perisic, Bryan Gil, Bentancur and just keep bringing world-class players off the bench, I think it can be tricky. "But we’ve lost a game against Tottenham, which is never a disgrace for us. "I think the way we went about it wasn’t a disgrace either. "I think we were really, really competitive and the boys can take a lot of credit for that. "But obviously until the dust settles, it’s hard for them to see it that way. So really disappointed that they put so much in and get nothing out today. "The nature of that is tough to take for them, of course. "I’m really disappointed for them, because they gave absolutely everything again." Asked if he feels there was anything working well in the first half that was lacking after the break, O'Neil said: "No, Spurs were better. And the lads get tired. "So they just keep bringing on really good players. "You will have watched enough football matches to know when you’re winning a game of football and the other team are superior, they will force you back. That’s all it was. "There was no change tactically, there was nothing more negative from us. "It was just the way a game of football goes where when a team is chasing, they start to take more risk. "They start to push things forward. But from open play they didn’t create very much at all. "I think they created less than us from open play. There are positives, but just at this moment, my emotions are purely disappointment for the boys." He added: "It’s hard, because you see the way the game is going and they are pushing you back and pushing you back. "You try and tweak things and you’re trying to get people on the pitch you feel might be able to help. "But at that moment, it’s just really, really difficult. Momentum against a top side like that is really difficult to stop. "But I think if you back at the first half and even the early stages of the second half, there are some real positives in there for us. "But, of course, we need to take points from games. So, disappointed to put as much in as we did and not take anything. Just disappointed with that."

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil admits errors leading to Spurs goals were ‘so avoidable’ #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan October 30, 2022

GARY O'Neil says the errors Cherries made leading to two of Tottenham Hotspur's goals were "so avoidable". Cherries squandered a two-goal lead to lose 3-2 at Vitality Stadium, with goals from Ryan Sessegnon, Ben Davies and Rodrigo Bentancur, cancelling out a Kieffer Moore brace. The final two Spurs goals came via set pieces, including Bentancur's stoppage-time winner. "Really disappointed with the nature of the goals, because there are mistakes in there that will cost you at this level," O'Neil told the Daily Echo. "So as hard as the boys worked, as committed as they were, as well as they stuck to the gameplan, if you make little slips in key areas from set plays or whatever it may be, the boys will find out that you can be punished, especially against world-class opposition." He added: "There were some errors from us in there. Spurs are a big threat from there (set pieces), so we’d obviously worked hard on some stuff. "There was a couple of errors in their corner goals from us, which is disappointing." Asked further how disappointed he was with the nature of the goals conceded, O'Neil said: "The two set-play goals especially, because there are errors in there that are so avoidable. "And obviously there’s an error in the build-up to the first one as well. "So, disappointed. If they score from a moment of brilliance or something that you haven’t covered, then it is easier to accept. "But when they come from something that you’ve worked hard on, it’s obviously disappointing."

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil reveals goalkeeper Neto out with hamstring injury for long term #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan October 28, 2022

CHERRIES will be without goalkeeper Neto for the “long term” according to interim boss Gary O’Neil, with the Brazilian suffering a hamstring injury away at West Ham. Former Barcelona man Neto was unable to continue on Monday night, initially going down after a clearance in the first half. He was replaced at half time by last season’s number one Mark Travers, with both goalkeepers conceding once during an eventual 2-0 defeat at the London Stadium. When asked for the latest on the 33-year-old, O’Neil shared: “Neto will be out. He has an issue with his hamstring. “We're not sure how long. It won't be short term, it'll be fairly long term, we think, in that. “I mean, it won't be a week or two. So Neto is going to be out for the next couple at least.” Travers’ substitute appearance against West Ham represented his first minutes under Gary O’Neil, his last appearances coming under previous boss Scott Parker, for whom he was first choice. Prompted if Travers would have a psychological challenge coming back into the side, O’Neil dismissed concerns, stressing his “full faith” in the Irishman. He restarted: “No, I don't think he'll have a psychological challenge. “I think his training performances since that moment have been top drawer. I've zero concerns around putting him back in. “I think I made it very clear when the change was made that I was delighted to have both of them and I saw them both as number ones and it was just Neto at that moment for whatever reasons I felt. “But yeah, putting Mark Travers back in doesn't concern me at all. I have full faith in him.” O'Neil made the decision to swap goalkeepers when appointed interim boss, taking Travers out of the side following a 9-0 defeat to Liverpool. The caretaker head coach believed Neto helped "steady the ship" for Cherries, again stressing that he was happy with either goalkeeper in between the sticks. "He brought calmness to us," restarted the former Portsmouth midfielder. "He helped us steady the ship when we had some tough results. "But when I was asked about it initially, I said I'm really pleased to have them both. "Because Travs is a top goalkeeper, he makes top saves when he trains with us as a team, when we do our team stuff, he's been making fantastic saves. "Whenever I check in with the goalkeeper coach as to what they're doing when they're not with us, he always says he was top again. "So yeah, as I said at the time, we're fortunate that we've got two that we can put in."

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Antonio Conte raging on VAR ahead of trip to Cherries #THFC

By Kanak Chauhan October 28, 2022

TOTTENHAM boss Antonio Conte was angry at the decision by VAR to rule out Harry Kane’s stoppage-time strike against Sporting Lisbon and accused the technology of being dishonest against his team. Kane fired home in the fifth minute of added time last night to spark wild celebrations with the hosts believing the effort had sent them through to the last 16 of the Champions League. Dutch official Pol van Boekel, who was in charge of VAR, ruled Kane had been ahead of the ball when Emerson Royal’s header hit Flavio Nazinho and ricocheted into the path of the striker, who smashed in with aplomb to briefly make the score 2-1. Sporting players and staff celebrated the decision to rule out the goal, which meant Marcus Edwards’ first-half strike – cancelled out by Rodrigo Bentancur’s 81st-minute header – left all four teams in Group D with a chance of making the knockout stage going into the last game. “I think there are moments that maybe you can be a bit intelligent to understand you have just disallowed a regular goal because the goal was regular. The ball is in front of Kane,” Conte insisted in his press conference before he walked out after one question. “And then the VAR. I repeat you know I don’t comment on referee decisions but the VAR, this season, I don’t know why between Premier League and Champions League, we are not so lucky. “I don’t know why until now we are also the only team who repeated the penalty and every penalty I go to see, if the keeper move on line, I see a lot of the time. I want to see repetition of a penalty in Premier League. “I think we are not so lucky with VAR but I think they create big damage. I would like to see if this type of decision you can take with a top team, in an important game, yeah I would like to see if VAR is so brave to take this decision. “I repeat this unfair decision because the ball is in front of Kane. Sorry, but I am really upset because sometimes you can accept this situation and sometimes I think it is not good because I don’t see honesty in this type of situation and when I see this I become really, really upset.” Spurs head to Vitality Stadium to face Cherries this weekend, another side who feel hard done by regarding VAR decisions in recent weeks. Speaking after Monday night's 2-0 defeat at West Ham United, interim head coach Gary O'Neil said: "It's getting a little bit ridiculous now as I think we've had about 10 VAR decisions go against us since I took over. “I’m obviously disappointed with the first goal. I thought it was a terrible decision."

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil reveals his son Carter-Jay puts aside Tottenham loyalty to cheer on Cherries #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan October 28, 2022

THERE will be a conflict of interest in the O’Neil household this weekend – with Gary O’Neil’s Cherries set to take on Tottenham Hotspur, the team his son Carter-Jay supports. Antonio Conte’s Spurs side arrive at the Vitality Stadium on Saturday (kick-off 3pm), with both sides without a win in their last three fixtures. Despite Carter-Jay’s split loyalties, O’Neil senior insists that his son will be supporting his charges at the weekend. O’Neil commented: “He wants us to win, he said. “He's keen for Bournemouth to win. So, yeah, that was nice of him!” O’Neil, who was a boyhood Millwall fan, represented Spurs’ fierce rivals West Ham United during his career, as well as another London club in QPR. Explaining how his son ended up following the Lilywhites, O’Neil shared: “My wife's dad was a big Spurs fan and obviously I'm fairly busy at weekends, generally, so he started going to Spurs with my wife’s dad. “I was keen for him to go and watch. And, yeah, he loves it. It’s a nice stadium, so I thought I'd send him to a nice stadium to watch his to watch his football. “I've been a couple of times with him. Not as often as you would like to, but yes, occasionally if the game (doesn’t clash). “I think last year we went a couple of times on a Sunday. He loves his football, but yeah, he'll be pushing for a Bournemouth win, like the rest of us.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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).

2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Bournemouth’s interim manager Gary O’Neil issues verdict on ‘ridiculous’ VAR after controversy in West Ham loss #AFCB

By Kanak Chauhan October 26, 2022

Bournemouth caretaker boss Gary O’Neil blasted the "ridiculous" VAR decisions that went against…

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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).

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.”

2022-2023-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

By Kanak Chauhan 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.”

2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

By Kanak Chauhan 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).