Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth defender Lloyd Kelly on loss to Crystal Palace #AFCB

May 15, 2023
Kelly and co. went into their contest at Selhurst Park requiring one more point to make their Premier League survival a mathematical certainty. Whilst they did not find the required point, losing 2-0 to Palace, their place in next season’s Premier League was confirmed by Everton’s 3-0 defeat to Manchester City on Sunday afternoon. Asked how he felt about the suggestion of his side losing motivation following all but securing survival, Kelly told BBC Radio Solent: “Of course they can throw accusations at us. It's football, and you're going to get that. “But I think at the end of the day - although you could say we're safe now - every game we go into from now until the end of the season, the two left that we have, we have to put in a performance.” It was the second time Cherries were defeated 2-0 by the Eagles this season, with Gary O’Neil’s charges failing to impress in either game. Kelly mused: “I think coming away from that game is a difficult one, really. “Of course, we set out to come here and get a point, or even three, just put in a good performance and see where that got us. “So coming away from the game with nothing and conceding two goals, which I think in the overall scheme of things, we could have avoided. It’s difficult. “I think it's a difficult one to explain, really. “Of course, you can talk about the tactics and what we can do with the ball and things like that, but I think at the end of the day, it just comes down to if you're willing to run. “And I think we were second best in that today. “They’ve got quality going forward. Coming into the game, everyone knew of that. “We've seen it throughout the season from them. “Their attacking players can create things out of nothing, and we needed to be at our best to avoid conceding those goals. “And I think that's where we slipped up a little bit.”  
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Gary O’Neil on Lloyd Kelly after a stop/start season #AFCB

April 21, 2023
Named skipper by previous head coach Scott Parker last term, Bristolian Kelly led Cherries as they secured promotion back to the Premier League at the second time of asking. However, since the start of the 2022-23 campaign, the 25-year-old has been blighted by injury in what O’Neil described as a ‘stop-start season’. With Kelly dipping in and out of the team, O’Neil took the decision to name goalkeeper Neto as club captain, with Adam Smith remaining vice-captain. Kelly has enjoyed his longest spell in the team this campaign in recent weeks, recording six consecutive starts. Asked if Kelly’s improved form was in response to the removal of the captaincy, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “He's still the same. Still very vocal, still trains really well. His performances have been excellent as well, since his return this time. “So really pleased with where Lloyd is. Nothing to do with the captaincy, really. I think he's just had a stop-start season and he's managed to put some real good work in back-to-back weeks recently, and you can see the benefits of that in his performances. “Lloyd, he's always been really important to us and last few weeks has sort of just been confirmation of that. “He’s an impressive defender. I thought he was very impressive last season in a group that were chasing promotion. “He’s had a tricky season, sort of stop-start a little bit, injury-wise. But whenever he’s injured, you’re keen to get him back very quickly, which shows how important he is to the group and the team.” During Kelly’s time on the south coast, he has been used as both a left-back and centre-half. Primarily trusted as a centre-back under Parker, his recent run in the side has seen him used as a full-back, with O’Neil comfortable with Kelly in either role. “I think he can do both,” he continued. “We use him quite low in it as well. “We generally have one full-back high and one low and the low one has suited Lloyd. “But he can play both. I don’t see any issue with him playing left-side centre-back or left-back. I think he has real good physical attributes that can help him with both. “We’re always working with him on improving the attributes that he needs to play in both positions. It’s a real good quality to have that you can be an expert at both. We try to get him to that level.”
Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Lloyd Kelly reveals Bournemouth squad were angry after Brighton loss #AFCB

April 6, 2023
Following back-to-back home wins over Liverpool and Fulham, Cherries could not repeat the trick against Roberto De Zerbi’s in-form Seagulls. Brighton have now lost just one of 15 games in 2023, moving to within four points of the Premier League’s top four and booking their spot in the FA Cup semi-finals along the way. Goals from teenagers Evan Ferguson and Julio Enciso were enough to defeat Gary O’Neil’s men on Tuesday night, the loss plunging Cherries back into the relegation zone with nine games to play. Reflecting on the defeat at Vitality Stadium, Kelly said: “It was a tough game. We knew coming into the game it was going to be tough. “We know how they play, the philosophy that their manager wants to play. “I think it was a difficult first half, but saying that, we applied pressure second half and when you’re chasing the game like we were, you’re going to open yourself up to them maybe scoring a second. “But of course we’re angry at ourselves for the result and we’ve got to turn it around.” Asked if there was frustration over missed chances, with Hamed Traore squandering the clearest opening and Dominic Solanke also going close on multiple occasions, Kelly added: “For sure. When you look at the xG (expected goals) throughout the game, I think we were able to get in the final third and maybe it was just the last pass or picking someone out in the final area, the final third. “I think we got into those areas, but it’s just that final decision.” Of Cherries’ final nine games this season, six will come against clubs they are directly battling against to avoid the drop. That starts this Saturday, when O’Neil takes his side to King Power Stadium to face Leicester City. Asked if belief remains high among the squad of staying in the Premier League, Kelly insisted: “Yes, of course. “We’re disappointed with the result now, but it doesn’t waver our minds at all to be honest. “We know we have the quality to stay up this year and we’re going to give it our all until the very last game, if it comes to that.” After a spell out of the side due to injury, Kelly has started the last four matches at left-back. In February, boss Gary O’Neil opted to replace the 24-year-old as captain of the club, with experienced goalkeeper Neto instead taking the armband.
Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly discusses battle with Mo Salah after shock Cherries win against Liverpool #AFCB

March 15, 2023
Defender Kelly was chucked somewhat into the deep end on his return from injury, slotting into the Cherries team at left-back against one of the world’s best wingers. However, the 24-year-old cut a composed figure throughout the encounter, keeping the Egyptian quiet and helping his side to a famous 1-0 victory over the Reds. Kelly had been sidelined with a calf injury since January, causing him to miss five Premier League fixtures. It has been a frustrating season on the injury front for the Bristolian, who missed nine games earlier on in the campaign with an ankle complaint. Discussing the win over Liverpool, Kelly told BBC Radio Solent: “I think I knew it was going to be a tough game, of course, being out for several weeks, but going into the game it was the same mentality of if I perform to the best, I’m sure everyone else did, we’d be able to come away with a result. “I think we stuck to what the gaffer wanted, from the start of the game till the end. I think we stuck to that, and produced a top performance. “We always knew that the game was going to start fast, and they put us under pressure. “We just needed to settle it, as soon as we’d done that, everyone felt a lot more comfortable and we were able to play through our shape and cause them problems.” Asked about facing Salah, Kelly continued: “He’s always tough. He’s a top, top player. You know he has quality on the transition, he’s proved that numerous times this season. “I knew that I had to be on my game, and be alert to those situations, and I think I’ve done that.” Salah’s quiet afternoon was compounded by a miss from the penalty spot, a rarity from the Egyptian. “There’s always a possibility (he’ll miss),” restarted Kelly. “It’s one of those things, you never know what it is going to happen. You just need to react to it, and luckily it went wide.”    
Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Lloyd Kelly on AFC Bournemouth loss at Brentford #AFCB

January 18, 2023
CAPTAIN Lloyd Kelly says Cherries’ squad have “got to stick together at this moment”, adding: “We need to make sure we do better individually and as a group.” Cherries slumped to a sixth straight defeat, beaten 2-0 by Brentford in west London on Saturday. A controversial Ivan Toney penalty broke the deadlock shortly before half-time, with Mathias Jensen wrapped up the win with 15 minutes to play. The loss left Cherries 17th in the Premier League table at the halfway mark, on 16 points. “In that first half it was fairly equal,” Kelly told afcbTV, reflecting on the Brentford contest. “We defended well, right up until the (penalty) decision. “Seeing it back, it is difficult to accept, to be honest. “Second half we showed glimpses of good things. “When you get hit with the second goal, it’s just easy things to avoid, to be honest. “Everyone can accept we need to see those moments out and we need to do better, that’s it. “It’s a hard one, but that’s how it is.” Asked how tough it was mentally to concede a second goal whilst pushing for an equaliser, Kelly added: “Everyone knows we need to do better in those moments and manage those moments. “I can say it’s difficult, but we have to do better.” Discussing the importance of the togetherness of the squad during this difficult run, Kelly said: “From the beginning of the season, we needed that, every day. “And especially in the game situations. Of course, you look at where we are and how hard this league is and games coming round, we’ve got to stick together at this moment. “Especially the players and everyone that is involved in this club. That’s what we need to do from now until the end of the season. “We need to make sure we do better individually and as a group, for sure.”
Philip Billing
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Philip Billing unhappy with Bournemouth fans for booing Lloyd Kelly #AFCB

January 8, 2023
PHILIP Billing slammed Cherries fans for what he described as “unacceptable” booing of captain Lloyd Kelly during Cherries' defeat to Burnley. Early in the second half of Cherries’ 4-2 FA Cup defeat to lower-league Burnley, a section of home supporters aimed their ire at Kelly as he looked for a pass from centre-back. Kelly was one of three players to drop out of the starting XI, but was introduced at half-time with Cherries 3-1 behind. The 24-year-old, who was making his 101st appearance for Cherries, took the armband from Adam Smith when coming on as a substitute, but could not help mastermind a comeback. Speaking to BBC Radio Solent after the defeat, midfielder Billing said: “We are Premier League players and some of the mistakes are just simple details, passing out of play a few times myself as well. “But that is something we have to do better. We just invited pressure on ourselves when we didn’t need to. “We play like this against Burnley, we all know it’s unacceptable.” He added: “We’ve got ears, we can hear the booing and I don’t mind that, we can take criticism, all of us, that’s a part of being a footballer and doing what we do. “But today especially, I think it was unacceptable the way they were booing Lloydy, our captain, when he was on the ball. “Some fans will maybe say they didn’t hear it, but we all heard it. For me, I can take it, I don’t mind them booing us, because we know we have to play better. “But we are halfway through the season and when you hear our captain when he is on the ball getting booed by a lot of people, I don’t think that’s acceptable. “If you’re backing the team, we know it can be frustrating as a spectator, but at the end of the day we’re on the pitch and we have to score goals, we have to create, that will come. “But they have to understand when it becomes like that, it’s a domino effect, it translates onto the pitch. “If they want the best for us, we know we have to create a noise, we have to create an atmosphere, we have to create an energy in the stadium. That’s what we’re trying to do. “Sometimes we’re on a dip, like we are right now. But I believe in this squad, because we have good players. We’ve shown that, we’ve beaten good teams already. “We just have to keep positive and keep going. It doesn’t rain forever. At one point we are going to get points, get a win. “If it was the whole team after the game and they’re booing, I don’t mind. But when they’re just booing one player during the game when he’s on the ball, as a teammate, I don’t like to see that. It’s not fair. “We need the fans to be our 12th man throughout the whole season. I’m probably going to get a bit of stick for this, but I can take it. “Listening when I was on the pitch and I heard our captain be booed when he was on the ball, that I don’t think is acceptable. I always back my teammates, no matter what.” Cherries have now lost five games in succession across league and cup competition.
Tommy Elphick
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Tommy Elphick on Lloyd Kelly #AFCB

December 31, 2022
FIRST team coach Tommy Elphick believes Lloyd Kelly’s leadership qualities shone through during his time on the sidelines – sharing how the centre-back was a “credit to himself”. Last term Kelly became the second defender to captain Cherries to promotion from the Championship. Like his predecessor Elphick, Kelly’s first season post-promotion has been hindered by an ankle injury, with the 24-year-old missing 12-weeks of action before making his return for Cherries’ 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night. Whilst club stalwart Adam Smith has donned the captain’s armband in the absence of the club captain on the pitch, there has been no need to replace Kelly off of it, with the former Bristol City man still leading Cherries whilst he made his recovery from injury. Asked if Kelly had continued to lead behind the scenes whilst rehabbing, Elphick told the Daily Echo: “100 per cent. “And people do it in different ways. You don't have to be a club captain, or wear a captain's armband to do that. “But the way Lloyd carries himself day to day, he's a credit to himself. “He's a huge asset to the football club and he's been in and amongst it. “In the interim period as well, he was great for the manager and the coaching team. “Always around it, always at the games, leading by example that way as well. “So to have him back, yes, it's great news.” Thanks to a playing career that spanned the top three tiers of English football across the span of a decade and a half, Elphick has a bank of knowledge to take into his fledgling coaching career. The 35-year-old only hung up his boots at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, retiring after a short spell at Huddersfield Town, before taking up a role in Cherries’ academy, working alongside Shaun Cooper in the under-21s. Elphick revealed how the coaching staff would be keen to offer their advice when players require it, beginning: “They'll come to you when they need it. “Our job is to coach the lads and point them in the right direction on the training pitch. “If there's ever a time that a lad needs a little bit of advice and can come and talk to you as I say, I was sitting in a dressing room not so long ago myself, so I know what it feels like to be in these situations. “I know what's going through their head, so if they ever need it, between us (coaches) we’re all there.”  
Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly on return from injury at Chelsea #AFCB

December 30, 2022
CHERRIES skipper Lloyd Kelly is keen to “push on” following his return from injury, with the defender sharing: “I’m just looking forward to the future." The Bristol City academy graduate played the full 90 minutes of Cherries’ 2-0 defeat at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday night, with Kelly coming through the fixture unscathed, one of a few positives for the Dorset outfit. Kelly had not played a competitive game for Cherries since the 3-2 comeback win away at Nottingham Forest in September, suffering a 12-week injury layoff after sustaining an ankle injury in training. Speaking to the Daily Echo at Stamford Bridge, Kelly stated: “I mean, it's been a long twelve weeks, putting a lot of work in, to be able to get back to where I am. “I think now it's just time to push on. “The past is there for a reason, and now I'm just looking forward to the future and making sure that I keep pushing on as much as I can.” Although Kelly had the personal positives of playing a full 90 minutes in his journey back to full fitness, the club captain admitted that the first-half performance was not up to standard, requiring changes at the break. He continued: “I think everyone can see the first half is difficult. You could say we started slowly in many areas. “Then we went in at halftime, knew we needed to make a couple of changes, and we did. “We came out second half and kind of put out foot in the game a little bit, put them under pressure a little bit more, and that showed in the second half. "We were able to have a lot more progress up the field.” Last season Kelly frequently spoke about taking the highs and lows of the campaign into account to remain level-headed, Cherries’ eventual promotion from the Championship hitting a few bumps along the way. With Cherries now facing a different challenge in the Premier League, Kelly is again keen to take the rough with the smooth, insisting that the challenge of the top-flight was more than expected at the Vitality Stadium. The 24-year-old restarted: “I think it's something that we kind of realised early on (this season), it’s nothing that came as a surprise. “Of course, when you come into the Premier League, it is a different game in itself. “The teams that you're playing against, the squad depth and the quality of players nothing has come as a surprise in that sense. “Of course I'm going to keep a level head and just make sure I do the right things on a daily basis and that'll put me in good stead for the games.”  
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

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.”
Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Bournemouth captain Lloyd Kelly provides an injury update #AFCB

December 6, 2022
CAPTAIN Lloyd Kelly says he and David Brooks have helped “pull each other through” during their respective injury rehabs. Kelly has not featured for Cherries since suffering an ankle injury in training in September. The 24-year-old played a key role in helping the club clinch promotion last season, featuring in 41 of their 46 Championship fixtures. But his game-time at the elite level remains limited. Injury also wrecked Kelly’s first season in the Premier League, after joining Cherries from Bristol City in 2019. He has made 145 appearances in his professional career, but only 13 of those so far have come in the top flight. Kelly is currently stepping up his return to fitness during Cherries’ mid-season training camp in Dubai, alongside David Brooks, who himself is battling back from a hamstring problem. “In terms of myself, I’m getting up to speed,” Kelly told afcbTV. “The first half of my rehab was quite slow in terms of getting the ankle stronger. “This part is a lot more exciting for me because I can get up and do some running, which are things I’d do in training and games. “I’m definitely enjoying working hard and I’m ready to go again to be honest.” He added: “Some sessions, me and Brooksy have been together and it’s been nice to push each other. “There’s been sessions that have been tough and we’ve had to pull each other through. “Of course, when you’re off to the side and doing your own individual rehab programme, you’re seeing the team train next to you and it can affect you, especially if you’re on your own. “Having someone there, it definitely helps.” Discussing the time in Dubai so far as a whole, as preparations continue for a return to action at Newcastle in the Carabao Cup on December 21, Kelly said: “It’s great for everyone to get together and go into a different environment. “It’s definitely beneficial and helps us come back after the two weeks we had off. “It’s important to regroup and the training here is different with the weather. “It’s definitely been good for everyone so far, everyone has enjoyed it.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

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

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

#PLStories- Bournemouth’s Lloyd Kelly speaks after comeback win over Nottingham Forest and team unity #AFCB

September 6, 2022
SKIPPER Lloyd Kelly shared his belief that Cherries will always stick together when the going gets tough, with the defender sharing “that fight is here and it’s in the changing room”. Cherries looked dead and buried at half-time on Saturday, with Nottingham Forest 2-0 up and in control of the Premier League clash at the City Ground. However, a tactical switch and some inspiration via Philip Billing’s blasted strike from long range gave Cherries momentum early on in the second half, with goals from Dominic Solanke and sub Jaidon Anthony completing a 3-2 turnaround. Captain Kelly played the full 90 minutes, setting up Solanke’s equaliser by heading a corner into the path of the striker’s acrobatic attempt. The week leading up to the Forest game was chaotic, with the side still reeling from a 9-0 defeat away at Liverpool when head coach Scott Parker was dismissed for his repeated digs at the board. Stressing the character shown by his teammates, Kelly told the Daily Echo: “It’s been a tough week, of course, for everyone it has been. “But we've been trying to focus on what we can control, the games we play. “The past two results have been good for us and we've stuck together. “That fight is here and it's in the changing room. You can see it within everyone and to a man, each of us back each other and sticks behind each other when things go tough. “I think we knew if we got one goal, it could change the game, it could change the swing of the game and the momentum, and it did. “So that was our number one thought, get more pressure on the ball, get more pressure higher up and cause problems.” Stood inline with Billing when he let fly from range, Kelly shared that the team had been encouraging the Dane to try his luck from range more often. Kelly added: “I said to him after, I was literally stood behind it, it's a good strike. “We've been telling him for a long while now to shoot because you know what he's capable of when he has time and space to hit a ball. He's one of the best. So, yeah, I'm pleased for him. Pleased for everyone. In the end it was Solanke who proved the difference, grabbing a goal and an assist. The winner came about when the striker harassed Forest defender Scott McKenna, allowing him to tee up Anthony. Praising his striker, Kelly stated: “You can never question Dom’s work rate. “He puts in everything that he can for everyone and he knows what can come from putting in that work, his goals, and creating chances. When the chance comes to him, he’s going to take it.”
Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- AFC Bournemouth’s defensive duo Lloyd Kelly and Chris Mepham on new signing Marcos Senesi #AFCB

August 17, 2022
DEFENSIVE duo Lloyd Kelly and Chris Mepham are looking forward to playing with new signing Marcos Senesi – with both centre-backs enthusing about the quality of the Argentine international. Senesi became Cherries’ fifth signing of the summer when he arrived from Dutch side Feyenoord for a reported €15 million, bolstering a threadbare back three that had previously seen midfielder Jefferson Lerma deployed as a central-defender. The 25-year-old came off the bench on Saturday against Manchester City to make his Cherries debut, with his new head coach Scott Parker labelling his cameo as “exceptional”. READ MORE: Senesi’s fellow centre-backs similarly held praise for their new teammate, with club captain Kelly telling the Daily Echo: “He's come in and settled in well. “Of course, everyone knows what quality he has, what he brings to the squad and he'll get the opportunity to show that, 100 per cent. “You’ve seen that when he did come on (against City), that he's comfortable on the ball, he's willing to find passes, and it's just another person that we can rely on, as a squad.” Mepham was also impressed by the former San Lorenzo man, sharing: “He looks very good. Left-footed, lovely on the ball. “I think you saw that when he came on (Saturday). Composure in certain moments to play out from the back, and I think we’re going to need that this year. “Personality to get on the ball and be brave in certain moments. “I thought at 3-0 down, it’s important that we try and express ourselves in our own way and I thought we tried to get on the ball, especially in the second half. I think that’s going to be important going forward.” With the switch to three at the back and the arrival of Senesi, there has been some discussion to where the new signing will play in the back three. Skipper Kelly seemed to hint he will operate in the middle of the defence. Kelly, who is also left-footed, believes having a fellow leftie in the team will take some getting used to. He mentioned: “Personally, it's different to playing with a right-footer in the middle of a back three, of course, because most of the time you want to open out on the right foot. “So maybe where the majority of the play is coming down the right-hand side, with Marcos in the middle, that it may come down the left-hand side a little bit more. “But saying that, we'll just have to see what happens.” Senesi will be hoping for his first Premier League start this weekend, when Arsenal visit the Vitality Stadium (kick-off 5:30pm).
Lloyd Kelly
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories – AFC Bournemouth skipper Lloyd Kelly admits they came up against the best team in the world #AFCB #MCFC

August 14, 2022
CHERRIES skipper Lloyd Kelly says Cherries will have to take heavy defeat with a “pinch of salt”, believing that his side are more than capable of bouncing back from a 4-0 loss away at Manchester City. Kelly played the full 90 minutes at the Etihad as the reigning champions raced into a 3-0 lead before the break courtesy of goals from Ilkay Gundogan, Kevin De Bruyne, and Phil Foden. Half-time fears of the floodgates opening further were quelled as Cherries mostly kept City at bay in the second half, but Jefferson Lerma was unfortunate to turn home a City cross for the fourth. In the first half Cherries started deep and rarely ventured out of their own half, but after conceding the opener, they opened up and started to come forward with more regularity. That lead to De Bruyne and Foden scoring via counter attacks, effectively finishing the game before the interval. When asked if the mentality changed between the first and the second goals, Kelly told the Daily Echo: “No, I don't think so. “I think obviously we came into this game with the mentality of we're going to be coming up against one of the best teams in the world at the moment and we're going to have to adapt our play in game. “I think obviously later on in the game I think we managed to be a little bit more brave on the ball, and of course that's when the counter attacks came. “Of course, when you come up against the quality like City possess, they're going to cause you problems and they're going to take their chances when they come.” Despite conceding four goals and barely laying a glove on the defending champs, the 23-year-old shared that playing sides of the ilk of Manchester City was the reason Cherries battled so hard to win promotion last term. “I said to the boys before this game this is what we worked so hard for last season to be in this league, and come up against these types of teams and it's part and parcel of being in the Premier League. “I think everyone in the changing room of course, no one wants to come out a game losing 4-0, but at the same time as I mentioned at the start it's we've come up against one of the best teams in the world at the moment and I think you’ve just got to take it with a pinch of salt and move on to the next game.”