Eddie Howe talked about how the current squad is having to take on players that have had experience in the Championship already in sides like Sheffield Utd, Coventry City and Doncaster Rovers. While we do have some players with similar experiences it should not be over looked that AFCB do have a fairly youthful squad and they are learning all the time.
It won't have escaped anybodies attention that Ryan Fraser has managed to feature in the last two matches for the side coming on in his favoured position of right winger. Ryan is now on a three year contact with the Cherries having signed for a fee of £400,000 in the January window. He only turned 19 four days ago, sorry I forgot to say happy birthday a few days ago Ryan! And yet he was prepared to make a huge move away from his Aberdeen roots to the south coast in an attempt to play for our team, as he believes it has Championship promise.
While Ryan will be hoping to extend the 24 minutes of playing time that he has had so far when the team go to Leyton Orient at the weekend, he has some tough competition for the remaining games of the season. That is unlikely to concern him though having made his first team debut for Aberdeen against Heart of Midlothian at the age of just 16. We back him to make a start during the Cherries run-in.
While Ryan has been winning some playing time, I can't help but think that Donal McDermott, who is also a young dynamic midfielder at the club, has been a bit unlucky not to get more match experience this season. Still, Donal's stats say that he has made eight appearances and six of these were as a sub. While he hasn't got on the scoring sheet this season he has made two assists. I hope his development continues here as I think fans will be excited about both players perhaps one day playing together, one on the right wing and perhaps one in the hole.
If AFCB can develop these and other young players in the squad to relish the opportunity they have and to enjoy what time they get on the pitch, the future looks bright for the Cherries.
This is a fan’s personal view of AFC Bournemouth from the outside looking in. It reports on the daily official activities reported by the club and comments made by individual fans on social media and fanbase websites. Life as an AFCB fan is never dull. As a life-long supporter of the Cherries, it is the friendliness of the staff, fans and my enthusiasm for the club that inspired me to write this blog.
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