Dan Gosling has just signed a new four-year deal at AFCB. Gosling's stats for last season read pretty well with 27 league appearances and 14 starts, but it had slipped my mind that he had not netted for AFCB in any of his games. That is quite rare for Dan who is one of the more attacking central midfielders in the squad, but when Arter only scored one and Surman didn't get on the score sheet either, it begs the question do AFCB need a better attacking man in the middle of the park or can a player like Gosling improve on last season?
Injuries to both Arter and Surman gave Gosling a few opportunities to start, but in the 2015/16 season Dan managed a more profitable 34 games and only six as a substitute. Does this mark a falling off in Dan's play or is he not doing as much as he has in the past when he gets on the pitch? I don't believe he played with any less skill or quality than he did in Bournemouth's first season, but the injuries to players came a bit later on in the season in 2017, while Jack Wilshere pushed his claim to make 22 starts and seven sub appearances.
At 27, Dan is approaching what should be his best years as a player and he is a squad member that should be held in high regard for the work he does in being able to step into the team when the midfield is often struggling. He must have asked himself if he should look for a club on loan, where he can start more often? But he also knows he is at a club that is looking to get the very best out of their players, and perhaps there is no guarantee that Dan wouldn't be in a similar position at any of the other Premier League clubs.
A player that scores goals and breaks well from midfield is something that Eddie Howe needs to find to improve the scoring ratio of the midfield area. Whether Dan can find more occasion to shoot or not though is something I'd like to see him try more of in 2017/18. Dan has said in his interview on AFCBTV that if the team plays more games in 4-3-3 formation that would help him, but the team also has to protect itself against breakaways.
Dan is certainly one of AFCB's players that makes the whole squad stronger as he fits into the team without weakening it. But he'll also know that the emergence of Lewis Cook will be another potential hurdle for him to overcome. Having signed a new contract though,Dan must be happy enough and he has been a very good servant for AFCB.
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| Dan Gosling has been loyal to AFCB at not getting overly frustrated on the amount of games he plays. |
At 27, Dan is approaching what should be his best years as a player and he is a squad member that should be held in high regard for the work he does in being able to step into the team when the midfield is often struggling. He must have asked himself if he should look for a club on loan, where he can start more often? But he also knows he is at a club that is looking to get the very best out of their players, and perhaps there is no guarantee that Dan wouldn't be in a similar position at any of the other Premier League clubs.
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A player that scores goals and breaks well from midfield is something that Eddie Howe needs to find to improve the scoring ratio of the midfield area. Whether Dan can find more occasion to shoot or not though is something I'd like to see him try more of in 2017/18. Dan has said in his interview on AFCBTV that if the team plays more games in 4-3-3 formation that would help him, but the team also has to protect itself against breakaways.
Dan is certainly one of AFCB's players that makes the whole squad stronger as he fits into the team without weakening it. But he'll also know that the emergence of Lewis Cook will be another potential hurdle for him to overcome. Having signed a new contract though,Dan must be happy enough and he has been a very good servant for AFCB.
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