Lee Tomlin has probably not had as good a start to his AFCB career as he would have liked. He simply has not played many games and has been suffering with little niggles early season. It is an important time for Lee with Benik Afobe joining the club and other players coming back to fitness. He needs to get regular games and the pressure for Lee to get more involved is something he should relish now.
During the game against Birmingham I thought Lee made a few trademark dribbling runs and started to look a bit more like the player who had such a strong influence on the Middlesbrough side last season. He has tough competition for a place now and Eddie Howe has been building a team that is fit for the second half of the season when goals are going to be needed if the club is to avoid the bottom three. Lee is a player that unlocks doors for other but he also needs to get on the score sheet and having not started since the Stoke away game in September he will have been delighted to have slotted away his penalty against Birmingham.
Yann Kermorgant who also played against Birmingham would perhaps have been the more expected penalty taker but Lee showed how much he wanted to get off the mark by getting the ball and blasting his kick down the middle. His reaction was very much as if he was putting some demons away as he punched the air in celebration. It felt to me like Lee was saying he is here now and ready to play and contribute.
I think Eddie Howe has a difficult job to keep players like Yann Kermorgant, Lee Tomlin and Tokelo Rantie getting minutes in games, but there should be some opportunities for them to impress from the bench and who knows whether that could lead to some starts.
However, it seems that far from being satisfied with just adding Benik Afobe in the front line, Eddie Howe is now going back after Lewis Grabban, according to SkySports.
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| Lee Tomlin got hi AFCB scoring record going with a powerful spot kick against Birmingham City in the F Cup. |
Yann Kermorgant who also played against Birmingham would perhaps have been the more expected penalty taker but Lee showed how much he wanted to get off the mark by getting the ball and blasting his kick down the middle. His reaction was very much as if he was putting some demons away as he punched the air in celebration. It felt to me like Lee was saying he is here now and ready to play and contribute.
I think Eddie Howe has a difficult job to keep players like Yann Kermorgant, Lee Tomlin and Tokelo Rantie getting minutes in games, but there should be some opportunities for them to impress from the bench and who knows whether that could lead to some starts.
However, it seems that far from being satisfied with just adding Benik Afobe in the front line, Eddie Howe is now going back after Lewis Grabban, according to SkySports.
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