AFC Bournemouth
Ahead of the trip to Newcastle United, interim head coach Gary O’Neil faced the press.
Here are three things we learned…
1. He expects a tough challenge from Newcastle
O’Neil was very complimentary about the quality of this weekend’s opponents, telling the media that they’re a “good side.”
He expanded: “I think they have a real athleticism across the team, they are very front foot, they press and make it very difficult for you. They’ve signed good players and they’re a real good outfit.”
He felt that Newcastle’s league position of 11th probably wasn’t reflective of the performances that Eddie Howe’s side have put in this season, listing a series of performances where they were unlucky.
“They probably should have won the Palace game, the Manchester City game was a strange one but a fantastic performance against a top side, they’d have felt unlucky against Liverpool.
“They’re a good side, they’re very physical, they’ve got good pace and good legs. They’ll ask big questions for whoever goes there for sure.”
2. O’Neil thinks the dressing room is “incredible”
The interim head coach lavished the plaudits on his Cherries side, describing the group as ‘incredible’ when asked to reflect on the fightback victory over Nottingham Forest in our last game.
O’Neil singled out the togetherness as an important factor for good performances, telling the media: “For any team to have any success, they have a real togetherness. That doesn’t mean you all get on, but you have a real drive together to achieve something.”
He then reflected on some key moments last season as the race for promotion heated up in the Championship, recalling some major performances in the final months.
“Winning promotion out of the Championship is tough, it’s a long, hard season and you go through some tough moments and they came through all those scrapes.
“Towards the end of the season when people are maybe asking questions about us being caught, the boys go to Huddersfield and put in an incredible display against a team chasing us down. Forest come here chasing us down with all the momentum and they put in one of the best displays I’ve seen in a high-pressure situation.”
3. O’Neil is enjoying the experience as interim head coach
As he prepares to take his third game as Cherries interim head coach, O’Neil admitted he’s enjoying the experience so far.
He admits that his task list has grown but that it’s been a positive experience for him: “You have to do loads more, it’s your responsibility now.
“How the team looks on Saturday is down to you, and I enjoy that. There’s obviously pressure that come with it but hopefully when you ask me again at 5pm on Saturday I’ll still be enjoying it.
“We’ve got a good group and they know we’re in this together. They know that every decision I make is for the best of the group. We go to Newcastle and it’s a real tough challenge, but we go there together and we’ll see what we achieve.”
