Finding a place for all the talent in the Cherries starting line up is going to start causing Eddie some sleepless nights pretty soon. There are a lot of match winners and, with the creative spirit of the team going from strength to strength, it is a healthy position for the team to be in.
That has meant that the energetic Josh King has been starting from the bench in recent games. While this may be good for Josh in the long term, as it is easing him back towards the side and not over stressing his hamstrings, that have been a problem in the past, it is very apparent that the side plays a lot better when he is on the pitch. As an impact sub he has done extremely well against Watford and Hull City, and while he could well find himself on the bench again for the Spurs game, I like the way he gets his head down and does his best no matter whether he starts or not. But should he be starting now?
The question is who do you take out of the side? Two possibilities emerge for me and they are Jordan Ibe and Jack Wilshere. Now Eddie does not like to change a winning side and it will be in his mind that the players that have started the last couple of games have been working well. Yet, it is Josh King that put AFCB 2-1 against Watford and Josh again who provided a second half run of goals for the Cherries with his involvement in the fourth and fifth goals against Hull City. Jordan Ibe has been subbed as regular as clockwork on 60 minutes or thereabouts in games, while Jack has been forcing his minutes up to the 80 minute mark. It's tempting to play Josh through the middle and so I believe the major pressure is on Jack Wilshere, with Josh aiming for more minutes.
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Jordan Ibe certainly has added a direct running threat to the team, but he is often finding that he overruns the ball and loses control at the moment, when he is either in a position to play a defining pass or take a shot. He'll get better at this, but it must be frustrating for him at the moment. He probably needs that first goal to feel fully at home and you could tell by his last involvement in the game against Hull City, when he pulled his shot narrowly wide of the goal that it was another moment that just escaped him. Still, Ibe needs encouragement at the moment more than anything, as he is starting to do a lot of better work in games.
So we may find Josh King still playing the super sub role for the moment. I don't think it will be long though that Eddie just has to find him a slot in the starting line up somewhere.
That has meant that the energetic Josh King has been starting from the bench in recent games. While this may be good for Josh in the long term, as it is easing him back towards the side and not over stressing his hamstrings, that have been a problem in the past, it is very apparent that the side plays a lot better when he is on the pitch. As an impact sub he has done extremely well against Watford and Hull City, and while he could well find himself on the bench again for the Spurs game, I like the way he gets his head down and does his best no matter whether he starts or not. But should he be starting now?
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| Josh - too valuable to leave on the bench? |
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So we may find Josh King still playing the super sub role for the moment. I don't think it will be long though that Eddie just has to find him a slot in the starting line up somewhere.
He may get into the team on Saturday but as a replacement for Arter, who is likely to be unfit, with Wilshire dropping deeper. The other option would be Gosling to replace Arter. It is unlikely either I've or Wilshire will be dropped, as they are both improving. King will have to bide his time for a slot through injury or loss of former elsewhere and performances like he has shown lately from the bench will make him hard to dislodge.
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