AFC Bournemouth
AFC Bournemouth manager Eddie Howe has addressed the written media at his post-match press conference, saying that there are “more positives than negatives” after his side were held to a 1-1 draw with Wolves.
Joshua King put the Cherries in front when he converted from the spot 14 minutes in, but a Raul Jimenez penalty late on found the equaliser for Wolves, before King missed a second penalty that had been awarded for a foul on Ryan Fraser.
During his post-match press conference, Howe discussed the following topics…
The Bournemouth performance
The players gave everything to the match, and I was very pleased with our attitude to the game. Considering how many players we have out injured, those who were available today really stepped up.
That shows the strength of the squad we have, and our new players showed exciting promise for the future. Overall, there are a lot more positives than negatives.
The referee’s decisions
There were a lot of incidents and decisions which, depending on which club you support, that sways your view. In all honesty, I thought the foul on Ryan for our second penalty was outside the box.
There was a tangle of legs for our first penalty, but the one I have the biggest opinion on is the one awarded to Wolves.
You rarely see them given. Adam Smith had committed to his challenge before Matt Doherty got his shot away. I really wasn’t expecting a penalty to be given.
Initially, I was very hesitant on VAR, but now that I’ve seen it, I think it would be a good thing. The only danger with it today would have been that many of the incidents weren’t clear-cut, so it’s still ultimately someone’s interpretation that decides it.
Some referees may have given a penalty for the handball appeal on Chris Mepham, others wouldn’t. As someone who was a defender myself, I’d have said it wasn’t a penalty, but it depends on what team you support.
Jefferson Lerma’s suspension
I’m disappointed because Jeff has done so well since he’s been on nine bookings to manage himself to avoid another one. We know how important he is to the team so to lose him for two games now is a huge blow, especially with the squad looking thin from the injuries that we have, but we’ll have to get on with it.
He had a lot of bookings early in the season as he was adjusting to the English game. He picked up a lot of bookings last year for Levante as well, but he is that type of midfielder and they’re the qualities that we wanted from him.
Obviously, I don’t want him suspended, but the pleasing thing is that over the last couple of months he has been mindful and watchful of it without letting it impact his performances. He’s capable of making selective decisions on challenges and hopefully steering clear of future suspensions.
Our new players showed exciting promise for the future
