Machiavelli
Well-known member
This makes encouraging reading:
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...emier-league-midfield-brighton-crystal-palace
Bournemouth's season: four games, four defeats, one goal and central problem
Eddie Howe’s decision to not to sign a strong midfielder in the summer transfer window becomes more baffling with each defeat in the Premier League
By Martin Laurence for WhoScored?, part of the Guardian Sport Network
When Frank de Boer left Crystal Palace this week he became the first manager to be sacked after just four matches in the Premier League, breaking Les Reed’s record of losing his job after just seven games with Charlton in 2006. De Boer had the added ignominy of not even seeing his team score a goal in the league, but he is not the only manager to have started the season with four straight defeats. Bournemouth are yet to win a point– and they have only scored once in the league.
Speaking after his team’s abject showing in a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend, Eddie Howe sounded concerned: “I’m worried by the performance. The four performances we’ve had, I’d accept one of them. I won’t accept three of them. That’s a pretty damning verdict, so I have to do better to solve the issues we have and make sure we put on better displays in the future.”
So, where has it gone so wrong for Bournemouth this season? They endured a difficult summer transfer window last year but Howe seemed to have addressed a few issues in his squad over the last few months. Asmir Begovic looked like an obvious upgrade on Artur Boruc; Nathan Aké performed well during his loan spell last season and seemed to be £20m well spent; Connor Mahoney could be one for the future; and free transfer Jermain Defoe “guarantees goals”.
Their four signings this summer may yet prove to be successful but there was one glaring oversight in Bournemouth’s transfer business: they didn’t sign a central midfielder to replace Jack Wilshere, who returned to Arsenal after his loan spell on the south coast last season. In such a crucial area of the pitch, the Cherries have barely improved since their promotion to the Premier League in 2015. Without being unkind, they are stocked with players who failed to make the grade at modest clubs and were cast aside.
Harry Arter arrived from Woking in 2010 having been released by Charlton the season previous; Andrew Surman didn’t nail down a regular spot with Southampton, Wolves or Norwich City; and Dan Gosling fared no better at Everton and Newcastle. All three deserve credit for bouncing back from those disappointments, but at best they are steady Premier League performers.
Lewis Cook, who captained England to glory at the Under-20 World Cup in the summer and promised to be something of a coup when he arrived from Leeds last year, continues to be overlooked. The 20-year-old has remained an unused substitute in the league this season, with winger Ryan Fraser even getting the nod in the middle of the park at Arsenal in a bizarre move from Howe. Fraser has enough pace and energy to trouble opposition full-backs but, unsurprisingly, his skill set proved redundant in a midfield three.
Charlie Daniels’ stunning drive against Manchester City remains Bournemouth’s only league goal this season and their average of 7.8 shots per game is the second lowest in the league. They have conceded 17.8 shots per game so far, which is better than only Swansea and Burnley (both 19.5). These statistics might suggest the problems lie with their attack and defence, but their best players occupy these positions. Striker Josh King was their star last season, while Steve Cook has been under consideration for England and Aké earned his first Holland cap earlier this year.
The Bournemouth midfield are neither weighing in with goals nor protecting the defence. Bournemouth have been in the Premier League for just over two season and in that time Arter has made 60 appearances, scored twice and provided four assists, Surman has made 63 appearances, scored no goals and registered four assists, and Gosling has made 64 appearances, scored five and laid on just one assist.
With the transfer window now closed, Howe has no choice but to look within his squad for more attacking input from central midfield. Lewis Cook is more renowned for his defensive work but he surely deserves a chance when Brighton come to the Vitality Stadium on Friday night. Bournemouth didn’t struggle for goals last season – they scored one more than Manchester United – but they conceded 67 at the other end, 14 more than relegated Middlesbrough. Again, their midfielders needed to offer greater protection – something Cook could offer. Howe’s faith in the players who took Bournemouth into the Premier League is refreshing, but new blood was needed this summer and didn’t arrive.
By contrast, their opponents on Friday night picked up their first win of the season against West Brom last weekend courtesy of a man-of-the-match display from new midfield signing Pascal Gross. In one match, he scored as many goals for Brighton as Bournemouth’s most used pairing Arter and Surman have over a combined 123 appearances.
By signing Gross, Brighton picked up a player who has created more goalscoring chances than any other player in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons. The Seagulls are already profiting from astute European scouting over the summer. Perhaps Bournemouth could learn something from them. Twenty of the 22 players they have signed since earning promotion to the Premier League have been brought in from English clubs. They are now paying the price for not looking further afield this summer.
https://www.theguardian.com/footbal...emier-league-midfield-brighton-crystal-palace
Bournemouth's season: four games, four defeats, one goal and central problem
Eddie Howe’s decision to not to sign a strong midfielder in the summer transfer window becomes more baffling with each defeat in the Premier League
By Martin Laurence for WhoScored?, part of the Guardian Sport Network
When Frank de Boer left Crystal Palace this week he became the first manager to be sacked after just four matches in the Premier League, breaking Les Reed’s record of losing his job after just seven games with Charlton in 2006. De Boer had the added ignominy of not even seeing his team score a goal in the league, but he is not the only manager to have started the season with four straight defeats. Bournemouth are yet to win a point– and they have only scored once in the league.
Speaking after his team’s abject showing in a 3-0 defeat to Arsenal last weekend, Eddie Howe sounded concerned: “I’m worried by the performance. The four performances we’ve had, I’d accept one of them. I won’t accept three of them. That’s a pretty damning verdict, so I have to do better to solve the issues we have and make sure we put on better displays in the future.”
So, where has it gone so wrong for Bournemouth this season? They endured a difficult summer transfer window last year but Howe seemed to have addressed a few issues in his squad over the last few months. Asmir Begovic looked like an obvious upgrade on Artur Boruc; Nathan Aké performed well during his loan spell last season and seemed to be £20m well spent; Connor Mahoney could be one for the future; and free transfer Jermain Defoe “guarantees goals”.
Their four signings this summer may yet prove to be successful but there was one glaring oversight in Bournemouth’s transfer business: they didn’t sign a central midfielder to replace Jack Wilshere, who returned to Arsenal after his loan spell on the south coast last season. In such a crucial area of the pitch, the Cherries have barely improved since their promotion to the Premier League in 2015. Without being unkind, they are stocked with players who failed to make the grade at modest clubs and were cast aside.
Harry Arter arrived from Woking in 2010 having been released by Charlton the season previous; Andrew Surman didn’t nail down a regular spot with Southampton, Wolves or Norwich City; and Dan Gosling fared no better at Everton and Newcastle. All three deserve credit for bouncing back from those disappointments, but at best they are steady Premier League performers.
Lewis Cook, who captained England to glory at the Under-20 World Cup in the summer and promised to be something of a coup when he arrived from Leeds last year, continues to be overlooked. The 20-year-old has remained an unused substitute in the league this season, with winger Ryan Fraser even getting the nod in the middle of the park at Arsenal in a bizarre move from Howe. Fraser has enough pace and energy to trouble opposition full-backs but, unsurprisingly, his skill set proved redundant in a midfield three.
Charlie Daniels’ stunning drive against Manchester City remains Bournemouth’s only league goal this season and their average of 7.8 shots per game is the second lowest in the league. They have conceded 17.8 shots per game so far, which is better than only Swansea and Burnley (both 19.5). These statistics might suggest the problems lie with their attack and defence, but their best players occupy these positions. Striker Josh King was their star last season, while Steve Cook has been under consideration for England and Aké earned his first Holland cap earlier this year.
The Bournemouth midfield are neither weighing in with goals nor protecting the defence. Bournemouth have been in the Premier League for just over two season and in that time Arter has made 60 appearances, scored twice and provided four assists, Surman has made 63 appearances, scored no goals and registered four assists, and Gosling has made 64 appearances, scored five and laid on just one assist.
With the transfer window now closed, Howe has no choice but to look within his squad for more attacking input from central midfield. Lewis Cook is more renowned for his defensive work but he surely deserves a chance when Brighton come to the Vitality Stadium on Friday night. Bournemouth didn’t struggle for goals last season – they scored one more than Manchester United – but they conceded 67 at the other end, 14 more than relegated Middlesbrough. Again, their midfielders needed to offer greater protection – something Cook could offer. Howe’s faith in the players who took Bournemouth into the Premier League is refreshing, but new blood was needed this summer and didn’t arrive.
By contrast, their opponents on Friday night picked up their first win of the season against West Brom last weekend courtesy of a man-of-the-match display from new midfield signing Pascal Gross. In one match, he scored as many goals for Brighton as Bournemouth’s most used pairing Arter and Surman have over a combined 123 appearances.
By signing Gross, Brighton picked up a player who has created more goalscoring chances than any other player in the Bundesliga over the last two seasons. The Seagulls are already profiting from astute European scouting over the summer. Perhaps Bournemouth could learn something from them. Twenty of the 22 players they have signed since earning promotion to the Premier League have been brought in from English clubs. They are now paying the price for not looking further afield this summer.
