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

#PLStories- Gary O’Neil pleased with progress of Marcos Senesi #AFCB

March 31, 2023
The 25-year-old arrived with a good reputation from former club Feyenoord, where he had just helped them reach the UEFA Europa Conference League final. The centre-back also made his international debut shortly before joining Cherries, featuring for Argentina in the summer of 2022. Senesi was quickly thrust into action by then-boss Scott Parker. He lasted just 45 minutes of his first Premier League start, subbed at the break against Arsenal, before then playing the full contest of the embarrassing 9-0 loss at Liverpool. After two games out of the side in O’Neil’s first games as boss, Senesi was brought back in following an injury to Lloyd Kelly and embarked on a long run in the XI. Fans have begun acknowledging the defender’s performances, voting him as the club’s February player of the month, during which time he also scored his first Cherries goal, in a draw with Newcastle United. Senesi netted again a few weeks after, in the narrow loss at Arsenal, before impressing and keeping a clean sheet in a 1-0 win over Liverpool. Asked how he would assess the progress made by Senesi at Cherries this season, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “He’s come on loads. And I don’t want that to sound like he was in a terrible place to start with, he was obviously already a very good footballer that had played for Argentina and had success at Feyenoord. “Just the adaptation to the Premier League was a big one for him. “It was very, very different to where he was. “There was an awful lot of work that went in, him as well being fully committed to it and being happy to engage and try and improve things that he did and tweak certain things. “Obviously he has incredible quality as well. He is willing to put his body on the line, he’s good with the ball. “I expected him to do as well as he has, but there was a lot of work that needed to go in early, just to help him adapt and I agree, I think he’s had a real good time recently. He’s in a good place.” Discussing the recent centre-back partnership between Senesi and Jack Stephens, prior to the 3-0 loss at Aston Villa, O’Neil said: “There are always tough decisions to make. I know there are always a few eyebrows raised, I’m asked questions about it when we’ve changed centre-backs a few times. “I think the first time when we put Marcos and Jack together, there were a few questions around it. “Obviously Meps (Chris Mepham) has done well as well in games when he’s played, Lloydy is back, Illia (Zabarnyi) will be back soon. “There will be big decisions to make. But Jack and Marcos have done really well in the last few games, so, pleased with where they are.”
Gary O’Neil
Posted in2022-2023-Season Daily News

#PLStories- Interim Cherries boss Gary O’Neil insists new recruit Marcos Senesi is ‘training well’ with Bournemouth squad #AFCB

September 14, 2022
INTERIM boss Gary O’Neil insisted summer signing Marcos Senesi was “training well” in the background at Cherries and added: “We’ll be working hard with him.” The 25-year-old, who joined from Feyenoord last month for a reported £12.6million, featured in the club’s heavy defeats against big guns Manchester City, Arsenal and Liverpool. Scott Parker was then sacked following the defeat to the Reds – with Senesi an unused substitute in games against Wolves and Nottingham Forest taken by O’Neil. Senesi, an Argentina international, arrived on the south coast having played 90 minutes in the inaugural Europa Conference League final last season. He helped Feyenoord to third in the Dutch top flight last campaign, having originally signed from San Lorenzo in September 2019. Asked what it was like as a coach to help Senesi adapt to the Premier League, O’Neil told the Daily Echo: “I don’t think you can look into it too much as in he’s in and around the squad, he’s training well, he’s working hard, as are all the other boys. “Sometimes when you come from playing in another country, there is some time that you need to adapt. “The tough results that he was involved in were just one of those things. You’re playing against top sides. “I don’t think there was any real fault of Marcos attached to it, I think it was just one of those where it was a group thing. “We’ll be working hard with him to make sure that, when needed, he can help us.” Senesi will hope to be involved when Cherries make the trip to face Eddie Howe’s Newcastle United on Saturday (3pm).
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).