AFC Bournemouth head coach Scott Parker is proud of his players for the way they have navigated the start of the season, culminating in the excellent 3-0 win over Barnsley at Vitality Stadium today.
While speaking to the media following the game, Parker praised his side for the way they’ve performed with a stretched squad, with new additions Gary Cahill, Ryan Christie, Morgan Rogers and Jamal Lowe involved this afternoon.
He said: “The squad is looking very different from where we were at the start of the season.
“I’m so pleased with how we got through those moments in the first four or five games, the squad have done remarkably well, the players have been incredible”
The Cherries head coach admitted he hold high hopes for his side but knows that the approach from across the squad has to be spot on, on and off the field, in their quest for continuous improvement.
He commented: “The aim is to be as successful as we can, I’m not going to be shy in saying it.
“I realise to reach the top two, or trying to get out of this division, ultimately comes from one thing and that’s tomorrow morning we come away from here, sit in-front of a screen, learn about where we need to get better, grow and every day we go out on the training field and every single one of them wants to improve and wants to get better.
“I know for sure that if that’s our mantra and that’s our outlook, we will be successful. Never is it as easy as waving a wand, or clicking your fingers, or feeling that you’ve got this player or that player and you’re automatically going to win the league, it doesn’t work like that.
“What’s important for us is to keep improving, to keep getting better and I know I have the quality.”
Parker admitted that he may enjoy a drink this evening to celebrate this afternoon’s performance but insisted that the focus will quickly shift to Tuesday’s game with Queens Park Rangers.
He laughed: “I may have a cheeky one, but just one!
“Before you know it now, it’s Tuesday. We live in a game where we’re only as good as our last result and we need to back this up, we’re fully aware of that.
“While there may be an hour tonight where we just enjoy this result and this performance, it’s the fear of not improving and it’s the fear of not getting a result or performance in on Tuesday that drives us and it does.”
